Opening 'Doctor Who' story pleases critics

Doctor Who's two-part opener has been praised by critics and viewers alike.

Penned by showrunner Steven Moffat, 'The Impossible Astronaut' and 'Day of the Moon' - a tale centred around the mystery of The Silents - was given rave reviews by newspaper columnists.

Metro's Tom Phillips wrote: "In between the OMG drip-drop of precisely-timed reveals, we also get another twisty-turny Who episode - although, as increasingly seems to be the house style, one where the second episode feels very different in tone from the first."

Neela Debmath of The Independent, however, was less complimentary: "There was a contracted feel to 'Day of the Moon' [in comparison with 'The Impossible Astronaut'] with a lot of the story being told through flashbacks, along with gaps where the viewer was left to piece together the story. At times it was a challenge to keep up."

Lifetime Who fan Gavin Fuller wrote in The Sunday Telegraph: "Yes, the episode was interesting and showed just how, when the writers use their imagination, Doctor Who can tell stories in a way little else on television can.

"But by leaving so much unresolved it is very hard to take a firm view on this episode until the series as a whole pans out, making it a distinct departure from the generally self-contained stories of recent years."

Meanwhile, Digital Spy readers were unanimously in favour of last week's launch episode.

> Rate Saturday's 'Day of the Moon' in our poll here