TV episode review
UK airdate 28 June 2008 (BBC1)

The Earth is transported into the Medusa Cascade...

Starting with a jolt, and ending with what is likely to be the biggest piece of misdirection in Doctor Who's history, The Stolen Earth is everything that new Who represents: hope in the face of disaster, gigantic stakes to play for, the return of icons from the classic show suitably redesigned for the new era, and a romantic underpinning. You almost don't notice that the Doctor isn't on screen anywhere near as much as usual, given the wide scope of the episode.

The Stolen Earth is full of great moments – Sarah's horrified reaction first to the Daleks' arrival, and then to hearing Davros again after all these years; the wonderful homage to Daleks' Invasion Earth as the Daleks deal with rebellious humans; the "My vision is not impaired" sequence. Penelope Wilton makes a surprise reappearance as Harriet Jones, and the repetitive gag finally gets a real payoff as she stands up to the Daleks. It's all kept moving by Rose's desperation to see the Doctor once more.

A bit more Davros and Dalek Caan hopefully next week! Patrick Holm

VERDICT: 8/10