Wibbley Wobbly Timey-Whiney

Im assuming most of you watched Doctor Who over Christmas didnt you? I am also assuming that most of you thought it was both a heartbreaking and epic way to end David Tennant's tenth doctor? As i sat there watching the last half hour of 'The End of Time part two' It dawned on me that this had been one of the most overhyped, self indulgant and inconsistent episodes of Doctor Who ever made.

Don't get me wrong, I have been a fan ever since the tv movie aired in 1996 and I am also a proud member of the 'lost' generation of Doctor Who, who were deprived of the programme during its hiatus in the nineties, but I really felt that these last few specials, except for the brilliant 'The Waters of Mars' were very cheesy, overblown and not to the standard we have been blessed with since the shows return in 2005.

There were, however, some very strong aspects to the two part climax, John Simm's brilliant portrayal of The Master left me wanting the character to stay instead of perishing back into the Time War with the Time Lords, who's return was both anti-climatic and grand, Bernard Cribbin's as the Doctor's best companion from all these specials and then of course David Tennant himself.

The Tenth Doctor has over the last four and a half years displayed the full range of emotions and highs and lows , leading to many fans saying that Tennant has been the best Doctor so far. I personally still think that Partick Troughton and Tom Baker take some beating but he is definetely up there. It was fitting that his era should have been celebrated with a final half hour which became both heartwarming as the Doctor went back to meet his old friends (Sarah-Jane, Wilf and Donna and Captain Jack) but the moment when we meet Martha Jones and Mickey Smith as a freelance married team just shit all over what had been previously written about Martha's back story with her and 'fiance' Tom Milligan from series 3's 'Last of the Timelords'.

Then there is the regeneration. Once again the balance between sublime and soppy went hand in hand as the Ood kind sang the Doctor to sleep, and uttering the line which somes up everything about Doctor Who and its long, proud yet sometimes chequered 47 year history. "This story is ending, but the story never ends".

The regeneration itself was brilliant, apart from The Doctor sobbing, "I don't want to go" as he exploded into flames of Timelord energy. This was a complete contrast of Christopher Eccleston's demise in 2005 and was sure to have most new fans in tears, while others like myself were sitting there thinking "William Hartnell would never have said that!". It was however a fitting finale to Russell T Davie's reign as head writer which i also think has been commercially successful but i havent been a big fan of his stories. Within seconds Matt Smith was standing where his predessor once stood, brimming with humour, energy and the optimism of yet another golden age of Doctor Who. Roll on spring and the new series!