Well, I've seen the first episode of the new series, titled Rose.
Simple verdict: not spectacular, but not terrible. I'd compare it favorably to "Encouter at Farpoint." Which is to say that it relies fairly heavily on the audiences goodwill, but it doesn't squander that goodwill.
Pros:
- The Doctor and Rose. Christopher Eccelston was charming, bizarre, funny, and trustworthy, all qualities I like in my Doctors. His performance was a little manic, but I'm guessing that that was intentional and due to the recent (off-screen) regeneration. I like the rapport he and Rose forge, contrasted with the sense of sadness and isolation he occaisionally displays. The Doctor's "habit" of picking up companions finally makes sense, and looks like a "need." Without a companion, he'd be lonely.
- Rose seems smart, resourceful and brave, all of which are necessary if you're only going to have one companion, as the show seems intent on doing. One review I read compares her to Buffy, and while I see the comparison, I don't quite agree. She's a little rougher around the edges, and I would guess, is not going to be as self-involved or whiny. Actually, she reminds me a good bit of Ace, one of the bright spots in the final seasons.
- The Tardis. The Control Room, while maintaining many familiar structures and themes looks more alien than it ever has before. There are some almost Gieger-ish elements around the perimeter, and a sense of space not previously seen, except in the Fox movie.
- The Villains. The Autons (which were never named as such) were really creepy.
- The sense of scope. The Doctor's negotiations with the main villain gave a glimpse into a wider universe and hinted at the Doctor as a Player within that Universe.
- Cons:
- The acting. All of the secondary characters were atrocious.
- The look. All of the brightly lit location shots just didn't look like Doctor Who.
- The special effects. They weren't bad enough to be charming, and weren't good enough to be, well, good.
- The Sonic Screwdriver. Way overused in the episode. It could easily (again) become a deus ex machina.
Some other thoughts: I understand why they wanted to start in present-day London, but I'd rather not see much of it for a while. In fact, I'd prefer that they stay off of Earth for much of the season, though I don't think that's going to happen.
The 45 minute format also contributes to the show not feeling like Doctor Who. Where are the long shots of people running through corridors to pad out time?
All in all, I'm certainly going to watch. Whether it can create new fans, I really can't say, but I hope that it can.
Update:
Laurence has comments on Doctor Who and Vaders Law.