Bafta Nominees

I'm torn over who should win for best lead actor on British television. The youngest Dr Who, or the latest Sherlock Holmes?*

Pitting Sherlock against Dr Who is a tough call. Who do you think would win in a bar fight? The guy with the giant brain, or the one wielding a sonic screwdriver?

In a way, Sherlock is the classier choice. (No offence intended to the Timelord).

Benedict Cumberbatch portrays the modern incarnation of a complex, contradictory character sourced from classic literature.

In contrast, Matt Smith plays the most recent re-incarnation (or to be technical, regeneration) of a kooky time travelling alien with a soft spot for Earth.

Sherlock (the series) is more about quality than quantity. Every episode has a filmic veneer, but let's face it- maintaining a high production standard is somewhat easier if your premiere season only spans three episodes.

Dr Who, on the other hand, is a long-running serial where dodgy special effects are downright celebrated. The show has a complex history and there's no denying some of it's a tad kitsch on the eye.

Frankly, elegant understatement has never been Dr Who's forte.

Then there's the genre issue. Historically, science fiction never does well on the mainstream awards circuit. The fact that Smith is the eleventh actor to play the Doctor, yet the first to score a Bafta nomination, pretty much sums it up.

BUT...

As brilliant as Cumberbatch is in his portrayal of Sherlock, it has to be conceded that Smith tackles a unique acting challenge every time he dons that bow tie 'n tweed (which he does with such panache).

How would an actor even begin to embody the personality of a character that's existed for centuries? More importantly, how can an actor instil a child-like, almost flippant social persona over the established patina of a reall-y old soul?

Just ask Matt Smith. He does a beautiful job of exactly that, hence the nomination.

Either way, I'm glad they both scored a nod. Fantastically deserved, my dear Watson!

(*The two nominations are also a sideways nod to Steven Moffat and the entertaining television he's putting out into the world, since he's executive producer and writer for both Dr Who and Sherlock. Other nominees in the category include Jim Broadbent and Daniel Rigby, but I'm backing one of the slender, erratically intelligent misfits from the Moffat universe).

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.