When Doctor Who returned in 2005 after such a long absence, it immediately grabbed the audience's attention. The opening episode "Rose" introduced a version of Doctor Who that felt completely fresh. It gave us a story told from the new companion's perspective, allowing us to see the Doctor and his mad life in a completely new way. 20 years later, it really is the perfect introduction episode for new fans.
Rather ironically, this new beginning was in fact heavily based on a classic story.
This isn't a criticism. In fact, it might have been one of the smartest decisions that Russell T Davies made when it came to the opening episode. Because, for the older fans watching "Rose", it was a perfect way of highlighting just how different this new version would be.
An earlier fresh start
"Spearhead from Space" by Robert Holmes is an absolute classic. It's not just one of the best "new Doctor" stories, but it's generally recognized by Classic Series fans as one of the all-time greats.
In many ways, "Spearhead" was itself the start of a brand new era. The previous season had ended with the Doctor sentenced to exile on 20th-century Earth by his own people, the Time Lords. They had also forced him to regenerate into his third incarnation.
"Spearhead from Space" explores the Third Doctor adjusting to his new life - in every possible way. Along with getting used to his new body, he also has to convince his old friend the Brigadier that he's exactly the same man as the small, cosmic hobo who helped him fight both the Yeti and the Cybermen. And of course, he also makes a new friend with Dr. Liz Shaw, someone initially hired as UNIT's scientific advisor right before the Doctor came along.
So far, this comes across as being very different from "Rose". But the part that Russell T Davies used from "Spearhead" and heavily retold is, of course, the Auton invasion.
The Auton invasions
In both "Spearhead" and "Rose", the main characters learn about a planned invasion from aliens that can take over anything plastic. This force is mainly seen in the form of plastic dummies, some of which are copies of characters we know, although we also see it take other forms. The Autons are stopped when the Doctor and his friends destroy the Nestene Consciousness, the central force behind the Autons.
This is a broad retelling of both stories and leaves a few key elements out of each. For example, in "Spearhead", the mysterious character Channing is shown to be helping the Autons, while "Rose" doesn't have such a clear singular antagonist. "Rose" also plays around with the plastic element more - for example, after seeing the Doctor and Rose attacked by a dummy's arm, we then see Rose's boyfriend Mickey get gobbled up (but not killed) by a plastic bin. So there are clear differences between the two.
But at the same time, it's clear that Russell T Davies was deliberately retelling the same story, albeit in his own way. The clearest example of this is the invasion: at the end of both "Spearhead" and "Rose", we see shop window dummies coming to life, smashing through windows and slaughtering innocents
Same story, new style
Beginning what's meant to be a brand new take on Who by retelling a classic story is a bold move. And yet, when you compare the two, it's easy to see why Davies made such a clear choice. The plot of "Spearhead from Space" is simple enough to adapt to something shorter and faster-paced.
The basic concept of the Autons is also brilliant in its simplicity. After all, the monster's main form is something as simple as a shop window dummy. And the idea of even one of those dummies coming to life will always be terrifying. So the basic concept of the Autons was simple enough to grab a new audience right away.
Retelling such a classic story in a broad-strokes way allowed Davies to focus on what was most important: establishing the new style of the New Series. Perhaps most clever of all, he does this via the biggest difference between the two stories: the main perspective. In "Spearhead", it's split between the Brigadier and the Doctor, two previously established characters. With "Rose"...well, it's literally the title of the episode.
Telling the story through the eyes of the new companion allowed "Rose" to be a great jumping-on point for new viewers. For fans of the Classic Series, telling a familiar story from that same perspective immediately let existing fans know that, yes, this was still Doctor Who. But at the same time, it would be a version of Who unlike any that they had seen before. Far from being a lazy move, the retelling of a classic story allowed the New Series to kick off in a way that was, quite simply, fantastic.