The new series of Doctor Who is only two weeks away, and the publicity machine is beginning to kick in! Check out the website Outpost Gallifrey for a round-up of all the news. I’m really excited about the series. It’s been a lurking fear ever since the announcement in September 2003 that they’ll do a terrible job of it. But after press screenings and a leak of the first episode, Rose, to the Internet, there has been a veritable slew of reviews across the papers and across cyberspace. And you know what? It looks like it’s going to be good.

Why is that? What’s so great about this antique of a show, so renowned for its wobbly sets and alien quarries? Firstly, it’s a family drama. There’s precious little that is enjoyable. The BBC and ITV sometimes do good family dramas, such as Bootleg and I Was a Rat!, but the tendancy is for these to be short mini-series of two or three episodes. Doctor Who, on the other hand, will run for thirteen weeks, and will combine excitement, adventure, scares and above all, humour.

This show is going to be fun! Dashing all over time and space fighting monsters, and with good characters and cracking dialogue – what more can you want? Well, if you want more, the new series will be brought up to date with decent effects and a fast-paced format.

It’s also going to be imaginative. This won’t just be another run-of-the-mill cop show or detective drama or reality tv programme, but will take us into history, across the galaxy, and back down to Earth. There will literally be nothing like it on television.

The show is distinctively British in its sense of humour and outlook, which in a time when film and television is increasingly dominated by US imports, then this is a breath of fresh air. Not that I’ve anything against US TV as such, but it’s a sad limit on diversity and expression if only

What’s more, the Doctor is such a great hero – a wanderer who relies on his wits and intelligence to save the universe as an unwitting hobby. He’s full of passion, humanity and joy towards life. An anarchic, sometimes reluctant, but ultimately brave and compassionate hero. The new tagline “Doctor Who: adventures in the human race” emphasises a renewed emphasis on the personal and the human. He might have two hearts and come from a distant world, but the Doctor is one of the most humane heroes in fiction.

And after getting me so excited, it had better be good, otherwise I’ll probably be one of the many people on the Internet within seconds to register my disgust! Seriously, it’s two weeks away, it airs on Saturday 26th March at 7pm, and though it’s not going to be a work of high art or anything like that, I think it could be one of the most plain enjoyable shows on television in a long time. Fingers crossed!