Rebirth (2005 Children In Need Special)

(I suppose that's as good a name as any.)


So, the Doctor is standing in front of Rose, still recovering from being more or less the Goddess of Time and just about dying from it, and he starts talking about death and how he's going to change.  Then he sort of explodes, and standing in front of her is now a different man, much, much thinner.

And I mean way thinner.  Christopher Eccleston's pretty trim, but my word, David Tennant is like one of those little lead sticks you put in mechanical pencils.  No human being should be that thin.

This is an awesome little five-minute short about those first moments after the Doctor's regeneration.  Rose, understandably and believably, doesn't accept Ten for what he says he is for quite some time.  When she finally does, it shakes her pretty deeply.  It's a very affecting and believable reaction, and makes the regeneration all the more effective. 

Tennant is hilarious.  I especially love his false-impressed reaction to Rose saying she's met the Slitheen.  But even here, you can see more.  Tennant is an extraordinary actor, and he uses every bit of his range to be the most Doctorly Doctor in ages, maybe ever.  There's not just the humor: there's compassion, there's presence, there's even a brief bit of intensity to match Eccleston.  It's a dazzling preview of what's to come.

There's a lot packed into five minutes, and it's just a delight.  See this one.

RATING:

* * * ½