Doctor Who

I only saw this last night, but blimey, what an episode. Sure, it's bound to be full of holes and has already wound a load of hard-core fans up, but I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. And what a finish. Cliffhanger #1 - Sarah Jane Smith, the Doctor's oldest ex-companion in the new series, about to be exterminated by Daleks. Cliffhanger #2 - the two surviving Torchwood sidekicks about to be exterminated by Daleks. And then cliffhanger #3 - the Doctor exterminated by a Dalek, struggling back to the TARDIS and starting to regenerate in front our very eyes.

The very fact that Russell T Davies resurrected this for children rather than the ageing fans we've all become is the reason why it's successful. My adult self might tut at some of the plots and inconsistencies, but there's the child in me who remembers the magic of the Peter Davison era, and last night he shh'd the geeky adult behind the sofa so he could sit on the edge of it, knuckles white with the thrill of fright of Doctor Who battling the Daleks.

Next week we'll probably get the damp squib. Russell T sets things up brilliantly, but usually falls apart when it comes to the endings, but while last year's "reset" ending will probably be invoked again, there's a likelihood that some things will change for good. And the child in me is hopeful, even if the geeky adult isn't...