duncancmccann

Four episodes in and I had high hopes of the new series after the specials and Tennant reminding us of who The Doctor should be.

I don't either hate or love the nu-nu-who, I'm just indifferent, I don't care anymore.

It feels like a long-term relationship where gradually you realise that the two of you have grown apart. No matter how much you try, how much you want to make it work, the spark is gone.

I don't feel it's the fault of the actors, it's the overall approach to the show. If RTD and Disney are trying for a whole new younger fan-base then maybe they'll get it - I wouldn't know, I'm too old 'my' Doctor was Tom Baker, of the reboot Doctors it's between Tennant and Smith, probably with Smith just edging it.

I think it's time for me to end my love affair with Dr Who, there will always be a place in my heart for it and I may even occasionally visit but my feelings of commitment and connection have gone. I hope you find a new lover Doctor, someone that loves you as you are now. Don't worry about me Doctor I'll be fine, we had a great time together but it's time for me to move on - or perhaps I'll stay single and just reminice about the old days with Tom and Jon on the iPlayer while sobbing gently and considering getting an 11th cat.

I don't think anything can replace you, so I'll be better on my own, it's sad but these things happen. All the best for the future eh? Oh and by the way, I'm keeping K9.

I knew nothing of the books so had no expectations at all.

Samantha Bond is pretty much always an actor worth watching and that led me to give it a go. Jo Martin I only knew from Dr Who, so not much to go on there.

The show is very much in the British groove of slower paced, gentle murder. It's a style that I enjoy very much for relatively unchallenging and 'pretty' crime.

I thoroughly enjoyed both parts, the acting was, I thought, very good, the plot was strong enough and it did of course look suitably 'British' - or to be more precise, 'English'. Nothing wrong with that, England does have some very picturesque towns and villages.

Less comedic than Father Brown and Sister Boniface, perhaps a little lighter than Midsomer Murders, I would happily watch more if they choose to make it.

Good, watchable and enjoyable, but maybe never going to be amongst the greats, it's still miles better than so many other shows.

If you're not sure, I'd certainly advise you to give it a go.

I'm not even going to try and give you an opinion of each Doctor or each companion, much less each story.

I am probably (certainly) going to meander off into an anti recent 'New Who' rant.

'New Who' started so well, the future looked rosy, it was like picking up where we left off... THEN, all canon was thrown out of the window and for the many that grew up with the show all links were severed.

I am writing as we await the return of Russell T. Davies as showrunner. Not since its cancellation in '89 has the show been at such a low ebb. This seems to me to be entirely due to the writing - patronising, preachy, yes possibly, but worst of all DULL. No-one cares about the companions, no decent *new* monsters, too much trying to be clever with the history and long-established pillars around which the show has for decades been built (grown?)

I don't care for one second about the gender or colour of The Doctor, what I do care about is enduring watching the show become dull. Being dull is the death knell of any form of entertainment, but maybe especially television. Just give us an adventure, a good plot, likeable/hateful companions, maybe even a character or two we can care if they live or die, not the dross that the last few years have been - can it be possible that there is not a single soul on Earth capable of writing a 50 minute show with a story, a beginning a middle and an end, a decent sci-fi/fantasy concept, an even remotely threatening baddie/monster?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for 2024 because I'd hate to see the show I grew up with get cancelled again, this time for being boring instead of having a head of the BBC that simply didn't like it (not 100% true, but not far off).

Sorry, not much of a review, but I feel better...