Yawn

I think there’s a sense in the production that David Tennant isn’t as “heavyweight” as Christopher Eccleston, and so consequently nothing written for Tennant really has the weight or shadow of the first-season stuff. Tennant’s Doctor is, however, becoming ever more eccentric, if not just outright batshit

[...]

Pure children’s television. Lili liked it.

It’s already fallen into rote, of course — the new... “Doctor Who girl”... has her own Wacky Family who will doubtless bore our tits off over the next two years like the last one did, and this year’s Famous Historical Personality episode is up next. But, you know, it’s a kid’s show, and kids like repetition.

-- Warren Ellis on Doctor Who Season 3.01

He's right, of course... and upon seeing Torchwood, I'm kind of glad they did keep it a children's show. Shame that Eccleston didn't stick around to let them grow the shadowy edges of the Doctor -- just look at his performance on Heroes and imagine what they could've done. The Doctor is alien and he should have an underlying menace -- we should see how far he's prepared to go, and not just see him threaten to go that far...

Then again, I'd cast Clive Owen as the Doctor and have him fist fight Daleks.

UPDATE

Despite being the token historical character episode, I rather enjoyed the playfulness of the second episode. They're still doing a bit of URST between the Doctor and his womanly friend. TYet this time round, it feels more sexual and, to be honest, more believable than the whole Rose-Doctor relationship of the first two seasons.