Who Needs Enemies?

I was worried. Bringing back Doctor Who? How could it work in the cynical new age? OK, special effects have improved, but nevertheless....I was worried.

I grew up with Tom Baker, with Sarah Jane Smith and Harry as the "assistants". I just and no more remember the end of the Jon Pertwee era. I stayed faithful with Peter Davison, gave up on Colin Baker, came back to Sylvester McCoy even though he was undersold with dodgy scripts and Earth-bound storylines. So for me, Tom Baker was the Doctor. Saturday evenings were started with watching the episode, perched on my gran's lap (poor gran!), whilst my mum hid in the kitchen cooking the tea. I loved "Genesis of the Daleks", "The Seeds of Doom" and "Terror of the Zygons", from which the line "We underestimated his power, but he underestimated the power of organic crystallography" has come back to haunt me. But how could a relaunch ever capture the joy/terror of my youth? I couldn't sit on my gran's lap now!

I shouldn't have been worried. From the theme tune, remixed, onwards, it pushes all the right buttons. Christopher Eccleston kicked off well, though I became resentful at the knowledge he was going to jump ship. The Dalek episode (entitled "Dalek" - well, what would you call it?) was wonderful - who would have ever thought you could be sorry for a Dalek?

Wind forward a year, and I've just watched "The Age of Steel", the second half of a two-parter relaunching the Cybermen. David Tennant is superb as the Doctor, and just as with the Daleks who would have thought you could feel sorry for a Cyberman? The scene, starting with "I'm cold..." (Sally Phelan) was heart wrenching. The writing is fantastic.

Saturday nights are Doctor Who nights again....and I never hid behind the sofa.