XDA

OK, I gave it a chance, but the new Dr. Who is just not cutting it. First, the great Ron Granier composition for opening and closing credits music has gone through several new but not improved versions and this one is the worst of the lot--it's like the Muzak version of the Dr. Who theme. The new side kick is OK, if you like slightly pretty, chubby blonde Cockney slaterns (at least she's not as bad as Sarah the whiner from the early Tom Baker days). There's no K-9. There seems a complete lack of long multicolor scarves. None of the shows have been the least bit funny (try as they might) and the writing overall has been abysmal if not downright plagaristic of better (Douglas Adams) days, as the earth death one was remarkably like the Restaurant and the End of the Universe without the wit. "Eddies in the space time continuum" would be very welcome indeed.

OK, the good things. I kind of like Christopher Eccleston despite his asymmetrical ping pong paddle sized ears, and his racist dismissal of Rose's black boyfriend. (I put it down to jealousy). There's been liberal use of the sonic screwdriver. The special effects are a little bit better, and the explosions are much superior. The metal spiders were truly scary. Oh, and the new side kick, Rose, is a slightly pretty, chubby blonde Cockney slattern; and is it just me or are there sexual vibes happening between her and the doc? He's always been fond of his young, pretty, female sidekicks but in a more fatherly way; although I always imagined that Baker and Romana 1 were getting it on regularly with some spanking, humiliation and bondage of Romana 1. Again, that's probably just me.

All in all, the current version of the series is like Brooks Brothers--fond memories of past quality, but living off its reputation and no longer delivering the goods.