Basically... Run.
I'm a massive fan of Doctor Who. I have been all my life. When I was ten, I used to make my own Doctor Who fanzine called 'K9' by re-typing up articles of Doctor Who from papers and putting it all together on a sheet of A4 which I then photocopied for my readers. Who were pretty much my Mum and a couple of loyal friends. And of course these days I write Doctor Who, albeit the critically acclaimed and lauded series for IDW rather than the show itself, and so I'm naturally going to be watching the new season of Doctor Who starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, which started yesterday.
No spoilers, as I know that many of my readers are American, and BBC America still has a good two weeks before it airs, but I will just say - I loved it. For months, years now even, since we heard he was taking over we've stated the mantra 'Trust in Moffat' and I think yesterday he proved us right. A face paced, manic adventure with a Doctor akin to Tigger, Matt Smith with his 'Hello, I'm the Doctor. Basically... Run.' line was for me the equivalent of the David Tennant, pyjamas wearing 'Did you miss me?' moment of the Christmas Invasion. And honestly? If he keeps up like that, he could quite easily be my new favourite Doctor.
Both Amy and Rory are instantly likeable, and even the title credits were suitably changed, a definite nod back to the 80's themes of Ron Grainer. I for one will be watching the season as a fan, even if it's technically 'work'.
As I end the David Tennant episodes with the four part 'Final Sacrifice', for IDW, issues #13-16 of the Doctor Who comic, starting in June, I'm already planning out and pitching the ideas to IDW that will hopefully become the new 'season' of Eleventh Doctor episodes. I'm hoping to start with Jack the Ripper. I like stories involving Jack the Ripper, and he's something that nobody's really played with yet - unless you count alternative worlds and all that. I like the idea of having a cover that -
no, you'll have to wait for that.
I also like the idea of having the second story title as 'Cacophony Of Silence' - but we'll see...
I didn't see the show when it was aired yesterday however, as I'd been in the London Film Museum during the afternoon, hanging out with Daleks, being a Jedi with my fiancée Tracy and discussing the possibility of using the Sherlock Holmes set piece for an interesting and relevant photoshoot with me and Dan Boultwood later this month. and by pure chance happened to be in Forbidden Planet at 7.30pm, (you know, doing things like moving my copies of Doctor Who: The Forgotten and Doctor Who: Fugitive into better positions for people to buy) when they had the queue forming for people to pick up the new figures and new sonic screwdriver, released that night. As people know, I have a deal with myself that any character I write that has a toy? I buy the toy. And even though my stories involving him aren't out yet, it'd be rude not to buy the Matt Smith figure now... So I dutifully queued and grabbed my swag.
There was even a couple of cosplayers there, a Ten, an Eleven and a Rose were behind me in the queue and, when we exited I had a photo taken with Sam Hunt, the only 'Eleven' who turned up...
Basically, if you haven't seen the new episode yet? If you've never watched it before? Do so. You'll love it.