I have to be honest,  I did not care for the original Doctor Who series.  I used to watch the reruns on PBS with my grandfather out of sheer boredom, who coincidentally was a HUGE fan.  When I was 8 years old, I would have rather cleaned my bedroom than watch that horrible Doctor Who show.

Fast forward 15 years later.  I’m hanging out in terminal B at Houston Hobby waiting for a flight back to Dallas, and it just so happens the TV in the gate area is tuned to BBC America.  More specifically, The Girl in the Fireplace is airing.  Nearly an hour later,  I’m completely enamored with the new Doctor Who series, thanks to both Steven Moffat and David Tennant.  Ever since that Sunday in October, I have been a tool for Doctor Who.

David Tennant has been my favorite “new series” Doctor to date, and coming to terms with his departure earlier this year has been tough.  Along with Tennant’s departure, series reviver Russell T. Davies also left the show as long time new series writer Steven Moffat took over the reigns as executive producer.   This past Saturday the latest series debuted, along with Matt Smith filling in the role as The Doctor, and it left me with quite a bit to touch upon.

I’ll try to be as spoiler-free as possible, however, I can’t promise that I won’t elaborate too much on something you won’t want to know ahead of time.

New Logo & Opening Sequence

A new logo debuted several months ago to coincide with the changes of the series.  Instead of the new series gold oval logo, the branding team switched to a darker logo, with a larger DW in the center to represent the Tardis.  The theme song was also remixed with riffs of the previous 4 series themes, mixed with an entirely new score.  The look of the new series credits and logo are definitely darker, and not really that surprising considering the new executive production team.  I suppose what really put me off is that 1) it reminded me WAY too much of the original series that I HATED as a kid,  2) was a big enough change that it almost felt like I was watching a spin-off show, and 3) felt very much like I was watching the opening credits to a low budget, cheesey ScyFy Channel show.

I know I’ve rambled on and on for a paragraph about the opening sequence, and really, that’s not why you watch a show.  However, for me, it set a tone for the episode that I was unsure about.  It lowered my expectations, as I prepared myself to say goodbye to one of my favorite shows for fear of too many changes.

Steven Moffat

Moffat is best known for his dark story lines, creepy enemies and suspenseful story telling, and this episode was no exception.  While The Eleventh Hour didn’t have me on the edge of my seat like his previous stories Blink or The Empty Child, it was well written and held my attention for the full hour or so.  Needless to say, after the premiere episode, I found myself  pretty stoked for this season, and expect nothing but awesome stories.

This episode was pretty solid for a season opener with a brand new cast.  I was also pleased that Moffat chose to carry over elements from the previous series, including the return of the psychic paper, mentions of the Shadow Proclamation, regeneration dust, “timey wimey…”  With the lack of a carryover companion for this regeneration to serve as a constant, I was worried that adjusting to this new face would be more difficult.  However, bringing over elements from Doctors past certainly helped make that transition less awkward.

Amy Pond

Despite the fact I’ve only known her for one episode, I love Amy.   Rose will probably always will be my favorite companion (don’t hate me, I know a lot of older fans hate her, but let’s just say I identify with her need to run away, have adventures and fall in love), but Amy’s spunk won me over instantly.  Maybe it’s the red hair, but there was something about her that I liked instantly.  She reminds me of a likable Gwen Cooper (again, don’t hate me, but I found Gwen’s character to be highly annoying).  Regardless, I think she’s going to be a fantastic character, and I’m really excited to see how she develops.  She’s smart, yet is very personable, especially when her friends make fun of her and her obsession with the “raggedy Doctor.”

The New Tardis/Sonic Screwdriver

My first thought to this was, “why?”  What was wrong with the old Tardis and screwdriver?  I’m sure it’s hard to take over a program that was essentially someone else’s baby for 4 years, but to me, making over the two things that are the only constants in the Doctor’s world, well, seemed a bit unnecessary.  Granted, this is something relatively minor, and really wouldn’t impact whether I’d watch the show or not.  I rather like the new Tardis setup, but can’t help but feel like it’s somewhat foreign, and that I’m not at all watching the adventures of the same Doctor I’ve dedicated the past 4 years of my life to.

Matt Smith

The promo stills released of Matt Smith dressed was what can only be described as a very weak impersonation of Eccleston’s 9th Doctor left me with a bad taste in my mouth.  When I first saw Smith at the end of The End of Time Part 2, I was not impressed.  He looked too young, was incredibly awkward, and most importantly, I did not want to sleep with him.  Ok, so while that last part isn’t really important, I really didn’t have high hopes for him filling Tennant’s shoes.

I was wrong.  So very, very, wrong.

I don’t know what it is about Matt Smith.  He’s charming, in his own awkward way, yet retains the fun and quirkyness of Tennant’s Doctor.  He’s young.  He kind of looks like a hipster with his suspenders, bow tie and skinny pants.  So what?  After one episode, he’s won me over faster than Tennant did.  I’m incredibly excited for this season, and I know Smith is going to be an excellent Doctor.  At times it does feel like he’s mimicking to a degree Tennant’s portrayal; however I can’t seem to make up my mind if this is a bad thing, as it really works for Smith’s Doctor.

In the end…

Overall this episode was stronger, better acted and better written than both Tennant’s and Eccleston’s debut episodes.  We’ll see how the rest of the season shapes up, but if this first episode is any indication as to the caliber of writing and acting for the rest of the season, then we’re in for a fun ride.  The series so far is reminiscent of the care-free innocence of the beginning of the second (and my favorite) season of the series.  Here’s to the next 12 episodes!