I understand this was geared towards a younger audience, but a lot of Doctor Who already is like that and doesn't have to be such a bother to revisit in adulthood. The Slitheen were never exactly well regarded monsters, but here, they are just worse, more obnoxious, and less threatening than their show counterparts. They kind of ruin what could otherwise be a strong start to the first season proper. It is the sort of thing that should work for something like a spin-off - bringing on a main series villain hardly feels unwelcome in principle. In practice, however, they picked such lousy monsters it feels like we're instead just watching Doctor Who leftovers, including the Slitheen costumes are looking awfully rough by this point.

I like Clyde and he feels like a better retool of Invasion of the Bane's Kelsey. The show is still very awkward here around stuff like Mr. Smith's overly long sequence that is both elaborate and thoroughly unimpressive, but to its credit, it is hardly unwatchable either. Sarah, Maria, Clyde, Luke, and Maria's family all make up for things in a lot of ways. It's very inconsistent though and definitely a story that can be skipped pretty easily on repeat viewings.