That's right. I said it. Now before you go down to the comments and just rip me a new one while forgetting to check your spelling and punctuation, let me explain. Had Jackie Tyler shown up once or twice and just been "Rose's mum", her casting may have been perfect. However, Russell T. Davies' borderline unhealthy fascination with the Tyler family seemed determined to put her into increasingly demanding situations - None of which Coduri was able to lend any dramatic heft to. She pretty much made it clear by the end of "World War III" that even with alien invasion and death right in front of her face, she was still going to play this role as though she was a recurring character on "Eastenders", not "Doctor Who". Again, this could've been fine. A bit campy, but it's not like Davies was asking her to do anything beyond being a slightly campy, comedic mum. Cue "Father's Day", which requires Coduri to play herself nearly 20 years younger. It'd be churlish to say just styling her hair like it's 1986 does her no favours (It doesn't, she looks like a 40-year old woman bound for 80's night). However, Coduri....plays Tyler the EXACT same. Perhaps that's supposed to be the joke? It doesn't play well considering that the only thing that could convince us we've gone back in time (That IS what this show's about, you know) would be Coduri's performance - It certainly wasn't her appearance. Suffice to say, you remember "Father's Day" due to Billie Piper's performance against her father. Coduri's just there, doing what she can - which is the same thing she's done every time out. It's again a credit to Billie Piper that she made her scenes as Rose with her mom count the rest of Series 1 - Watch the scene where she recounts the events of "Father's Day" to her mom as an emotional trump card. Piper turns it up to 11 and goes for broke, and Coduri....well, she's there. Her daughter just messed with her emotions via the fabric of time, and her reaction is the same old Jackie Tyler. Rose may as well have just told her that they closed the Old Vic. Roll on Series 2, when Coduri has to not only help reinforce Rose growing into something enlightened and greater than she was prior to time travel lessons (It's all Piper, again) - She also has to portray a totally different Jackie Tyler: A parallel universe Jackie who's spoilt, rich, and selfish. Coduri....acts like she's just a little more upset than usual. Same old Jackie Tyler. "Love and Monsters" actually puts her on the front line... She's actually quite good in this episode. Because it runs and is written like a sitcom. Davies clearly had some of these developments in mind when Coduri was cast. So WHY did he elect to bring someone in who was best suited to ONE setting in the whole of time and space? The very nature of this show seems to beg for someone who can portray situations beyond the ordinary domestic. (At the very least, recasting her for "Father's Day" would've made a lot more sense....) Really, it's long after Davies closed the book on the Tylers that this point was definitely proven. "The Stolen Earth" reunited many of the Tenth Doctor's friends.... even Rose reemerged from her dimensional exile. So did the harder, toughened Mickey. And...uh... this happened: Camille Coduri asks you to believe that she's grown into a character that could jump dimensions and wield a Dalek-exploding cannon. It's almost as though Davies realized too late that her role in this was only going to be believable if he gave her ridiculous props to drive the point home. Later, she watches an ACTUAL "Eastenders" cast alumni disintegrate into nothingness. She apologizes to her about her fate as though she cut ahead of her at the supermarket. Davies' time on Who saw him introduce two other companion families - He dialled down the hysterics and upped the drama with Martha's family, and succeeded completely with Donna's mother and grandfather. And when, in the Tenth Doctor's final moments, he brought Camille Coduri back for a finale with her daughter, he sensibly showed her in her element - running home and fussing over her daughter. Bless.
(Less than) Shining Moment:
Jackie Tyler, Defender of the Universe. Keep in mind, in context this is supposed to be taken seriously. (Good luck with that.)
In a parallel universe where game shows' final jackpots and consequent fortunes depend on knowledge of obscure music trivia and Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker Doctor Who episodes, I've probably gone rich, insane, and am now a powermad despot. But happily we're not there, so I'm actually rather pleasant. Really.
Davies clearly had some of these developments in mind when Coduri was cast. So WHY did he elect to bring someone in who was best suited to ONE setting in the whole of time and space? The very nature of this show seems to beg for someone who can portray situations beyond the ordinary domestic. (At the very least, recasting her for "Father's Day" would've made a lot more sense....) Really, it's long after Davies closed the book on the Tylers that this point was definitely proven. "The Stolen Earth" reunited many of the Tenth Doctor's friends.... even Rose reemerged from her dimensional exile. So did the harder, toughened Mickey. And...uh... this happened: 
