I wonder if there's a little bit of influence from Buffy in the character and performance? Maybe one of the good things about Buffy is that it has so thoroughly knocked back the idea of the Screamer in TV adventure shows. And it's not an "always wearing the same clothes" budget. Is it going to be a world-shaking success? I don't know, yet, but it's definitely something the whole family could watch, and that's been a rare thing in recent TV drama. Some nice touches for the parents (and grandparents) who watched the originals, and plenty for the younger generation. But I bet more than you think would get the bit with The Doctor and Rose's Mum.