Dr Woo - what I can't help thinking

The New Doctor
Originally uploaded by Bernard Roth.

It's a sign of impending old age when you start to think policemen, politicians, school crossing guards and the New Doctor Who all look too young.

Did they not think a grumpy older man, Jeremy Clarkson, say, would have played better? After all, the original Doctor was very old, and he's been varying shades of middle-aged.

Since much of the audience was nostalgia-motivated, it wouldn't have hurt. But you get the impression that Tenant got the role because there was a bit of a buzz about him that week, so they looked no further. (I know it was all mateys together, what with the Casanova connection, but c'mon.)

I'm still holding out for Anthony Stewart Head or Sean Pertwee.

As for the series, it was "good in parts". The WWII episodes were good, but the final two were not. The whole Dalek thing was overhyped and did not live up to the hype. Daleks should be a creeping menace that will not go away. They've completely and bombastically destroyed them in the past, and they they've done it again, with a bit of a cop-out ending. Rose saved the Doctor a job, but the Daleks had already bombed the Earth to smithereens, no?

Or are we supposed to have forgotten that?

The Bad Wolf thing was potentially creepy and interesting, but turned out not to be so, which was a real let-down. And though I initially warmed to him, I found the perpetual mugging of Eccleston irritating after a while.

As for the full-on lip kiss between Captain Jack and the Doctor, words fail me.