Millions in UK tune in to Doctor Who tv special “The Waters of Mars”

BBC’s highly anticipated Doctor Who television special “The Waters of Mars” landed on the small screen Sunday evening in the United Kingdom. More than 9 million viewers tuned in to watch the Doctor, British actor David Tennant, and his companion, Scottish actress Lindsay Duncan, confront Zombies at Bowie Base One on Mars in the year 2059. Trumpeted by many as the “scariest” Doctor Who episode ever, “The Waters of Mars” is receiving mixed reviews. For example:

• Alan Stanley Blair of Airlock Alpha was annoyed with the series of flash sequences at the beginning. “And, sadly, it doesn't get much better from there. […] The majority of the episode spends its time focusing on characters on the run because they simply don’t want to get wet, drizzled with meaningless dialogue.”

• Simon Brew of Den of Geek had a more positive experience, writing that “Duncan’s performance is matched though by Tennant’s, in arguably his best ever performance in the show. For those who’ve complained about the wild-eyed, hyperactive Tennant of earlier episodes, this is the perfect riposte.”

Prepare for a deluge of reviews over the next few weeks, as "The Water of Mars" airs in New Zealand on Sunday, November 29th; in Australia on Sunday, December 6th; and in the United States on BBC America on Saturday night, December 19th. The DVD and Blu-Ray are scheduled to be released in early 2010.

If these dates don’t gel with your busy schedule, you can watch “The Waters of Mars” any time on YouTube, as well as a BBC Doctor Who Confidential documentary on the making of the television special called “Is There Life on the Red Planet.”