Does The New Dr. Who Measure Up?

...take a quick jog down Memory Road, turn left at History Street, and eventually you'll hit Nostalgia Lane.

My childhood was full of Dr Who, in all his different, ahem, forms. Every time a new one wandered into shot, American soaps like Bold and the Beautiful came to mind. In the land of daytime television, characters often go away (ie anywhere offscreen), to return an entirely different actor.

Credit to the producers of Dr Who for imbuing a dodgy television habit with their own special kind of genre cred. A casting transformation generally considered tacky is covered in sparkly sci-fi sprinkles (he's a Time Lord, he lives forever, it's really regeneration) and suddenly, the audience is nodding along sagely.

And they say True Blood knows how to market.

My favourite doctors? I grew up watching Dr Afro (Tom Baker), and Dr Blondie (Peter Davison). Tom Baker had big eyes and the best scarf. Peter Davison always looked like he was on his way to the cricket.

To be honest, my favourite Dr Who character was one of the sidekicks, Adric from Aldarius, and yes, I sobbed when he died. His costume had a large star on the shirt pocket. I think I've always appreciated stars on clothes for exactly that reason. Funny what visual memories set up shop in the subconscious.

I've always liked Dr Who's ensembles. The scarves and coats are like a layered exterior representation of the doctor's inner depths. The music has worn a groove in my brain somewhere, and the Daleks gave me nightmares for years. In the world of Dr Who, the baddies were BAD. Strangely, the only baddies that didn't scare me were the bloodsucking vampires. (Lifelong fascination, explained in a nutshell).

I thought the new doctor was going to be obnoxious. The writing this season is occasionally a touch too Torchwood for me, alternately overwrought, and blunt, but Matt Smith really delivers in the acting department. I liked David Tennant, though sometimes I would watch his twitchy, wide-eyed approach to the role, and wonder if the modern Dr Who wasn't an intergalactic fan of Grandmaster Flash? Specifically the track, White Lines (Don't Do It)...

The new Doctor Who is quite fantastic. Serious kudos to whoever called that casting, especially as some fans were dubious about the choice, mainly in regards to the actor's youth. But it's a new era, with Gen Y kids less interested in ye wise olde sage stereotypes.

In terms of characterisation, this season's doctor was written a touch tragic, occasionally melancholic, multi-faceted and confusing. For the audience, his motivations are unravelling slowly over time, episode by episode, thread by thread.

So far, Matt Smith's handling the complexities of the role beautifully.