Is Doctor Who's 'New Earth' Secretly Brilliant? 

Hello there! This is the first video I've uploaded since I hit 1,000 subscribers. I couldn't have done it without each and every one of you, so thank you so much! I'm planning on (hopefully) doing a Q&A video at some point, so reply to this comment or tweet a question at me and it might get featured! Thanks again :)

I had no idea people didn't like New Earth. It's iconic lmfao it's such a fun romp as an introduction of the tenth doctor and rose's adventures

“A perfectly fine episode” is exactly how I’d describe it. Nothing spectacular but also doesn’t deserve the poor reputation that same fans give it

I honestly kind of love New Earth. It's a very flawed episode, but it's just so funny. It does also explore some interesting ideas even if it doesn't delve into them too deeply.

from time to time I like to look at myself in the mirror and shout "IM A CHAV!"

February 27, 2020, using "swine flu, back when that was a thing" as the most contemporary example of a rapidly spreading disease. Crazy how fast that aged.

This episode is so iconic to me that this outfit Rose is wearing is how I see her in mind.

"New Earth" is the episode that finally hooked me. Growing up in the US, we had classic Who on PBS, but those episodes never did anything for me. Then in 2005, my friend got me to watch "Rose" but it just wasn't my cup of tea. In 2010, as DW was about to bring in Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor, my friend said try starting at S2 and that's when I saw "New Earth". Here was everything I ever needed to know about the Doctor and his travels. The morality, the compassion, the almost parental figure authority, and the never give up attitude. Finally, I understood that THAT was Doctor Who. From there, I caught up on David Tennant, watched S5, then went back to S1 and even watched all the Classic Who I could on Hulu (at the time) and since on BritBox. And now, I'm sharing Doctor Who with my wife. She got in on S11 and 12, but after "The Timeless Children" we've gone back to S1 to introduce her to all New Who while I re-watch. It's been a huge success because with S11 and 12, she was mildly okay with it, but since Eccleston, she's all in. She got a DW hoodie she loves to wear out proudly and we're currently in S3, tonight's episode is "The Evolution of the Daleks".

"Secretly brilliant"? I'd say "yes", but what do I know? I actually like "Tooth and Claw".

Given the current crap we're treated to, I think it's a perfectly good episode. Tbh, the worst of the RTD era is 10x better than the best of the Chibnall era.

You’ve actually hit upon the problem with both Matt Smith and Jodie Whittaker's introduction episodes. Neither of them have a familiar character or monster to reassure the existing audience. The Eleventh hour is the first to introduce both a new Doctor and a new companion and represented a tonal shift in the entire series, so I was certainly feeling slightly alienated by the fact that there was not even a familiar villain to reassure me that this was the same show that I had grown to love. Heck, there is even an alien police force involved in the story, why couldn’t they have been Judoon? By contrast New Earth gives us Cassandra and the Face of Boe to pay homage to the previous series, and in fact build upon the world hinted at in The End of The World. Also in Rose, whilst introducing a new Doctor, he was facing off against the Autons, a familiar classic Who foe. Clearly RTD truly understood the value of familiarity.

I tear up everytime Cassandra tells herself she's beautiful before she dies. I miss feeling for the antagonists in the show, despite their previous actions. It takes fantastic writing chops to be able to do that.

I like this episode, I dont care about what anybodys says. I love how happy he gets in the end, how angry he gets in the middle, the deep moments with the face of bo. And also, the comedy moments :P

Establishing your Doctor by having the actor play a different character half the time was a strange move.

"Go play with a ball of string" is honestly my favourite line in the episode

Found your channel last night and I've literally been binge-watching all your videos! This episode is one of my favourites to watch when I'm home sick and don't want to watch anything too smart or depressing. This video is brilliant, and I'm so happy someone's finally put out a brilliant video defending it!

I forgot just how much there is in this episode. So many characters, changes of set, comedy, drama, concepts and tones. Maybe too much, but there's more in this episode than the entire Chibnall era.

People dont like new earth? I love it and its kind of sequal gridlock

6:25 Jesus, that statement didn’t age well...

This is a hidden gem perfectly eased the fan base into a new doctor it isn't the strongest story but it doesn't need to be for a first outing it was more like a teaser of things to come and was a fun 40 min watch If anyone should hate this episode it's me because I had a splinter in my index finger that took 3/4 of the episode to pull out.

I always enjoyed this episode for giving the Face of Boe more character development and made me interested as to what the Face of Boe’s big secret was going to be when he and the Doctor cross paths for the final time (which did not disappoint). The Cassandra body swapping with Rose and the Doctor was hilarious and entertaining. The final scene with Cassandra where she tells her past self that she is beautiful before dying always makes me tear up no matter how many times I watch it. New Earth was an emotional rollercoaster and I’m honestly surprised that this is considered a ‘bad’ episode.

Swine Flu? (draws from cigarette) Haven't heard that name in years.

How about a Video on Hell Bent? Some Time ago I've rewatched it and I had to admit that it wasn't even all that bad on its own, actually, if one just strips away one's own Expectations for what should or should not happen in that Story, and a Friend of mine saw it the same Way after giving it a Re-Watch -- so, I know it's not just me. Oh, and The Return of Doctor Mysterio -- when that came out, I had already stopped watching the Show and I only heard how bad that Episode was, but then a While later I watched it (and Series 10) and to my own biggest Shock, once the Episode was over, I immediately had to tell my Friend how kinda sorta almost slightly great I found it, because it really dealt with the Topic of Masculinity in a really nice Way -- so, that is also an Episode I could imagine on Defending The Despised.

Personally one of my favourite episodes that I can always rewatch and enjoy. I didn't know people hated this episode until I found on the internet.

One of my absolutely favorite parts in the entire series is the scene right before they climb up the ladder in this episode. I always rewatch this episode just to watch that part again.

"Try the installation protocawww... *resists pronouncing the L* " - I forgot how much I loved Cassandra's fake Rose :D

10:16 Wtf? XD He was probably jealous of when the Face of Boe hit on her in "The Empty Child" two-parter (Deep cut joke there XD)

Very good episode! It was my introduction to the Tenth Doctor as I hadn’t watched the Christmas invasion. Finally a really good video giving it the attention it deserves.

I really liked "new earth" and I was surprised to hear people didn't like it. It was a great blend of Elcelson's season with Tennet's flare for camp bridged by Billie Piper's fantastic acting chops

I love this episode. BP and DT had such great chemistry. This episode really set the tone for their season.

@ 7:33 ‘New New York’, that happens to be the name of New York in Futurama 1000 years in the future.

Ah I can still hear my dad’s laugh at the Doctor’s “still got it” line fourteen years ago when I was eleven! Simpler times, man.

My family has always loved this episode and rewatch it regularly. People don't like it? Never knew. Don't care. Like you said, it's the perfect example of a Davies era story...which I miss so much. RIP Dr. Who.

New Earth is one of my favourite episodes of Dr Who (Blink being my all time favourite). I absolutely love the design of the cat people - the makeup and prosthetics is simply perfect. And the camp and catty dialog and acting really works a treat.

Maybe it helped that I saw all the David tenant episodes or of order, but I love new earth, seeing David take on a completely different highly comedic tole was brilliant.

I had a random dream abotu New Earth yesterday it made me intensely nostalgic lol. I haven't even seen it in probably over a decade at this point.

I saw it again recently (The day Praxeus came out, coincidentally) and was surprised how great it is. Everyone obviously had a lot of fun, and the story is surprising deep for a series opener. Way more so than, say, Into the Dalek, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship or even End of the World.

11:00 Other cut scenes concerned the Duke of Manhattan and Frau Clovis. Originally, they first appeared in the hospital foyer when the Doctor initially arrives. As scripted, the Doctor immediately earns the Sisters of Plenitude's disfavour when he saves the Duke's life. Later, Clovis mutinies against the Duke when he refuses to help defend the hospital against the Intensive Care patients.

Always loved New Earth as a comedy outing. Billie Piper is so much fun!

Any article or documentary with a question in the title can usually be answered by "no"

The first few seasons of New Who are my favorite. Whenever I'm doing a rewatch of season 2, I tend to skip Tooth and Claw as you said because it generally doesn't catch my attention. The two parters though, like impossible planet and doomsday I always rewatch. New Earth is one I genuinely don't mind rewatching, though I can't put my finger on specifically why. I just find it as a nice transition from the Christmas special to the rest of the series. I love the New New York banter between Rose and the Doctor because it's funny to me and it shows that they're comfortable with each other after a rough regeneration. Honestly didn't even know people disliked the episode in the first place. I thought we all agreed to dislike Love and Monsters, honestly. Great video!

I actually rewatched this yesterday. It’s silly, but it’s infinitely better than anything we have now. At least it’s FUN.

New Earth is pretty good when you come to understand that under Tennent and Smith, the first episode off-earth is about setting people free (the Flesh, the trapped cars in 3, the Ood in 4, the children being sacrificed on new United Kingdom 5, and those forced to worship the sun creature in Series 7 with Clara). So this episode is both good in general and helps to serve the "Doctor as liberator" model. And David's portrayal as Cassandra is worth walking anytime!

I think i have really low standards or something cos i rewatched nuwho and i liked all of it until... ya know chibnall As a kid I loved tooth and claw, i think i still do even if its cheesy.

9 outta ten for me - rlly enjoyed this on rewatch!

Congrats for 1k!

This is one of the first episodes I remember watching back when I was 3. One of my favourites in series 2.

This was my first episode. I loved it. I haven't rewatched it since, though. I'd love a target novel with the unfilmed scenes added back in

This is really good positive channel, don’t know why it isn’t more popular

"All their lives and they've never been touched". Don't you see the programming? That is OUR future (social distancing). Why do you think the episode is called New Earth? That's the Earth of the New World Order.

I'l tell you what this episode secretly was not: BLOODY TERRIFYING! For me it was "New Earth" that ruined my childhodd, because it made me phobic of diseases seeing those cats get visibly infected and do you know why? Because illness is a very real peril in the real world. I remember that I was so scared I didn't watch another DR who episode until "Army of ghosts" came out. Now that I'm more mature and have gone back and watched all the episodes I've missed. I can honestly say that this episode is for me one of the most...in the middle of series 2. The thing about series 2 is that it was the most supernaturally themed of the NUWHO seasons. It had the sycorax, the werewolf, the devil orbiting the black hole, the vampire-like killitranes, the body-possesion by cassandra, the doctor regrowing his hand, the void: AKA "HELL", the cybermen appeairng the most "knight in shining armour" of the cybermen we've ever seen them because they're so covered in metal it's hard to remeber that they're living creatures not droids, "the wire" seems in terms of visal effects to be some sort of soul-sucking demonic spirit in terms of symbolism, "fear her" had the people in picutres which felt a lot like Harry Potter, the girl in the ifreplace had the "magic door" whihc felt like a CS Lewis plot device. and of course there was the unmistakable notion of "ghosts" when the peoples from parallel worlds met and the "dead" came back. So yeah I do think series 2 is a very supernatual themed series. I do think this episode was secretly brilliant, but I'd have preffered it if the brilliance was less secret personally.

I like this episode. It's so silly and I rolled my eyes at half the things that happened in here, but there was lots of fun as well. Sometimes Doctor Who can be so serious and make a deep emotional impression, and then you're reminded that the Doctor traces a phone signal by placing a stethoscope on the phone (in Journey's End). As much as I love Davies' era though, the episodes crossed the line into cheesy and a bit too silly several times, including in New Earth. I agree with you; it decent and fun, but not great.

Will you be doing a defense of "The Christmas Invasion"? I see it often get ranked low on various lists, which I don't understand as it was a great introduction for David Tennant. Also, I'm slightly biased as it was the very first revival episode of Doctor Who I ever watched.

I really love this episode. I might be biased because it was the first real episode I ever saw (I saw blink before that but that barely has the doctor in it). But when you say it was the perfect ad for the David tennant era I agree. It got me hooked on the series

I have extreme nostalgia from this episode- I estimate it was my second episode ever.

Nobody: Absolutely nobody: Billy pipers Boyfriend: Breaks a prop

I personally LOVE new earth for all the reasons you just mentioned why it's good. It's one of my season 2 favourites ^_^

Speaking of Praxeus, I chose the actress who played Suki to play an alternate universe incarnation of the Doctor in my version of the 60th Anniversary episode

‘Fantastically camp’ YES.

I'd like more episodes analysing where episodes went wrong, I think that's where I learn the most.

I always enjoyed this episode for the comedy. The body switching is goofy fun but it also allows for the truth of what Rose thinks of the Doctor to be said out loud. What's odd is I always remember the comedy and sigh at the resolution of the conflict but the ending scene gets me every time. My wife usually cries when future Chip/Cassandra dies in past Cassandra's arms. I like to imagine that the lesson she learned about humanity when she inhabited the new humans was passed on to past Cassandra at the party and maybe she lived a better life

amazing work, thanks for sharing the passion

Nice time to upload this one, mate.

There just subscribed and liked the vid cause I think that your videos are really informative

Can you please do a defending the despised for Victory of the Daleks and the Power of Three, or is it just me who thinks they’re great

I love your idea. You should do a video for timeless children.

I know this series focuses on DW episodes but would you consider doing Torchwood: Miracle Day at some point?

For a short amount of time doctor who was on Disney xd this and girl in the fireplace are the only 2 episodes they played

I hated New Earth when I was younger cause it really freaked me out, but now I can recognize that if it could do that it must not be terrible

"New Earth" is one of my favorite episodes of Series 2. I love the humor, the variety of situations, and the moral dilemmas. The part I have to work at is the final resolution; it helped me to reimagine the IV solution as nanotech that can propagate easily among infected persons. Cassandra's final scene is charity itself.

Now you have to do Praxius smart guy

has anyone got the name of the song?

What do you mean secretly its obviously amazing. Every episode with rose was i miss her so much.

I did know that other people thought this episode was bad. I personally enjoyed this episode!

it was brilliant! cassandra's role was hilarious

Hi what about making a video of the Third Doctor's (Jon Pertwees) untold stories?

I loved New Earth. I get why people have problems with it, and I don’t think it’s perfect. But I personally think it’s a great way to bridge the gap between series 1 and 2. I didn’t know about the behind the scenes stuff! Thanks!

I just watched this to say "nothing secret about it, babydoll". Read in Nardole's voice

new earth was actually the first episode i ever saw, it was back when disney XD started airing doctor who, i didn't catch the episode in full but i remember liking what i saw, it actually encouraged me to go out and watch the series as a whole and I found myself falling in love with series 1 and 2, didn't watch much after that cause the 9th doctor was so good that Tennant just could never live up to how much i enjoyed Ecclelston's doctor.

I really like new earth, it isn't something I would go back and watch over and over again, but it's really good and classic story that is fun. I didn't even realize, how early this episode is for 10 Doctor. It's make it even better!

Hang on, that duke.. Is that the same guy who pops up in the Matt Smith era that explains the story of Demon's Run and the Headless Monks?

I loved this one. The acting was great, the themes were so out there, there were so many human things about it and although it was dark, ultimately all the characters ended up being good, which is rare. I like novice hame as well, she's the only one that was good. And Zoe Wanamaker is such a good actress to involve.

I had no idea people disliked this episode! Yeah, the cure isn’t exactly how science works, but if you think too much on any DW resolution, they all unravel a bit. It’s one of my favorites because it’s just so fun and silly and perfectly eases you into Ten. Not every DW episode has to be one that’s extremely serious or risking the future of the entire human race/the universe. I love those, but I love this lighthearted episode, as well. I think it’s good to have variety.

'New Earth' is actually one of my favorite episodes!

I LAUGHED IN SYNC WITH THE MEME AT 0:29 LMAOOOO

Great video. Could you please do Victory of the daleks next? Or fear her?

Ngl those disease guys used to scare the shit out of me 😭😂

I don't really have a problem with any of the series 2 episodes that got a lot of flack. I'm not a huge fan of Love and Monsters but compared to Kill the Moon (bloody hell). Tbh only Love and Monsters and Fear Her are weak imo. I like New Earth and School Reunion a lot and even Tooth and Claw is enjoyable for me. The Cybermen 2 partner and the finale are obviously great IMO and I don't actually know anyone who doesn't like the Impossible Planet and Satan Pit.

I've always liked this episode and so it's nice to see it given some love.

I just realized we kind of see 4 parts of the timeline based on New Earth. In series 1 episode The End Of The World we see the earth die, then Series 5 episode The Beast Below we see the humans living on a spaceship trying to find a new planet. New Earth we see them on the new planet they found and we see the life they have built there. Gridlock we see where New Earth goes wrong.

An ironically relevant topic for today. Great video on it too.

I’ve always really loved this episode because of how fun and other times sincere it is. I didn’t know it was disliked ….

new Earth is one of my favourite episodes. it’s the comedy which i like. same with love & monsters. really not bad.

I'm just sayin, how many times do we have to see apocalyptic earth in Doctor who

I think New Earth is the Doctor Who equivalent of a popcorn movie. It's not a creepy horror-fest like The Empty Child. It's not a deep, emotional, period character study like The Girl In the Fireplace. It's not a dramatic final showdown like Parting of the Ways. It's simply a nice, self-contained, funny romp that just delivers a perfect dose of Doctor Who, and leaves you grinning at the end of it and asking for another go. It's not perfect by any means, but it's just the perfect starting course. You can just sit down, watch it, and enjoy it without having to think too hard or worry too much.

I think if there's one thing to criticize this episode for would be the lighting main because it does look like they used the same cameras you would use for a soap opera

I honestly prefer the return to new Earth in Gridlock because the reveal in the end as to why everyone was stuck in traffic for their entire lives was incredibly chilling, but this episode was still fine.

What was that about viral diseases?

This was the one episode that actually kept me up at night

what?? I didn't even know so many people hated new earth?!