Doctor Who is a very important part of my family’s life. My husband has been a Whovian since he was 3, indeed there were two miniature daleks on the bathroom shelf when we first met. This was long before the new sexy regeneration from Russell T Davies I might add. Both my children are completely enthralled by the show, and even my 20 month old niece has been heard to say exterminate.
So it has been with very great excitement that we have been counting down the days until the restart of this series, after its summer hiatus.
And finally this day is here…..
Looking at the trailer, “Let’s Kill Hitler” has all the hallmarks of a superb opening to this half of the series. I must confess I am already a massive fan of both the Eleventh Doctor and Steven Moffat’s incredible writing. I think Matt Smith’s doctor is mesmerising, I love the fact he looks so young, is so young, and yet it’s so believable he is over 900 years old. He is funny, sad, eccentric, wise, clever and utterly convincing. He had me from Fish Custard on that first outing. The other ten doctors just disappeared into Time and Space.
And Steven Moffat is a genius. I will watch anything he writes. From Press Gang, that wonderful children’s programme about the school paper, through to Coupling, the UK’s answer to Friends that was so much smarter and funnier than the American counterpart, he is one of the best TV writers today. Indeed I always loved his stories best in the previous Doctor Who series. The Girl in the Fireplace was just outstanding, and even though I wasn’t so sure about The Silence in the Library when it was broadcast first. This is probably because that was the same date as my mum’s 65th birthday party and I might have been slightly distracted by glass or two of champagne. When I rewatched it with hindsight, knowing how important River Song would be to the mythology of the Doctor, I wouldn’t believe the story was entirely encapsulated already in that single episode. Here is a match for the Doctor, strong, teasing, flirty even, and yet so enigmatic. Who was River Song? Yes it was all there. Alex Kingston was incredible too, and her face, her expressions when she realises how far she was along the Doctor’s timeline were heart-breaking.
Steven Moffat has made Doctor Who more of an adventure story again too. I was not a massive fan as a child, simply because I was so frightened, I really was the girl hiding behind the sofa. But I think Russell T Davies had gone a bit too far the other way, it was getting too repetitive, the loneliest man (alien) in the universe, saying goodbye, or that he was sorry, so very sorry. But these two series since Steven Moffat has taken over as Head Writer and Executive Producer have been spectacular. The story arcs for The Crack in Time, and now this series with the gangers are spell-binding; skilled and compelling story-telling at its very best.
I am nowhere near clever enough to have any ideas how this series will end. I am not even going to attempt a theory, “spoilers sweetie”. Reading about this episode I believe you need your wits about you, densely plotted doesn’t come close, and I have also heard that this week is good but next week is, mouth-wateringly, even better.
So it is safe to say we will all be waiting with bated breath on the sofa at 7.10 pm tonight. See you on the other side, after Doctor Who Confidential of course.
