The Doctor is back.
Or rather, the 11th Doctor is here. With a new face and a new logo.
The first episode of the new series, “The Eleventh Hour,” aired Saturday night on BBC America at 9pm. It was preceded by an hour-long special that recapped the Doctor’s history, mostly focusing on recent Doctors Nine (Christopher Eccleston) and Ten (David Tennant).
I’ve been watching Doctor Who since I was my son’s age, and have liked some “regenerations” better than others. I loved Christopher Eccleston’s portrayal. On the other hand, David Tennant’s Doctor was more like “Doctor Who Cares” for me, although I did try to watch whenever John Simm was on as The Master and loved the Doctor-lite episode “Blink” that introduced some of the scariest villains ever in the franchise, the Weeping Angels. Who will be back in two episodes this season.
Initial verdict on Number Eleven, Matt Smith: Very promising. I think I am going to enjoy his Doctor very much. He has the same edge that Eccleston’s Number Nine had. The new companion, Amy Pond, portrayed by actress Karen Gillan, also looks to be a very promising character, and the way they introduced her was excellent. It framed her character, and relationship with the Doctor, while simultaneously reminding us of the vagaries of time travel.
There’s also a nice nod toward the end of the episode to all the previous regenerations.
Doctor Who airs on BBC America at 9pm on Saturday night. We are two episodes behind the UK, so if you want a peek ahead, visit the BBC UK site.
More Clips from BBC America Site
“The Eleventh Hour”
“The Beast Below”