I had high hopes for David Tennant when he was cast as the tenth Doctor . I certainly didn't believe he'd ever reach the dramatic heights of Eccleston's performances as the eponymous time traveller but I knew he'd probably be much better at humour because I never found Eccleston's comedy repartee going beyond gurning . Perhaps a story like Boom Town would have worked slightly better if it'd been produced during the Tennant era ?
As it stands New Earth is quite a fun season opener for a show eagerly anticipated by millions of British TV viewers . If you're eight years old then a year is a very long time indeed and no doubt millions of children were delighted to see the return of the human trampoline Cassandra . The plot does descend in to areas of high camp in places but this seems tailor made for the tenth doctor and the enthusiasm of the cast draws the audience in to the fun . The make up is excellent and while the climax is a bit of a cop out ( it was written by RTD after all ) the final segment is genuinely touching