SPOILER: He didn't die. But a little part of me did. In fact, two little parts. One part died of sheer shame that such a gushy, wanky piece of rubbish was ever allowed to be shown on the BBC. Another part died of sheer excitement that such a gushy, wanky piece of rubbish was ever allowed to be shown on the BBC.
The trick is, I've found, when watching The Sarah Jane Adventures, is to switch off your brain and see it for what it is: half an hour of children's television. It's not aimed at us. And this two parter, Death Of The Doctor, was great - when you switch off your drama-brain.
This was ONLY RTD's excuse to write a bit of fanwank. Jo Grant and Sarah Jane Smith spend 20 minutes talking or thinking about the old days. There's no drama here, no plot as such, nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat. I know for a fact that some out there hated it - I liked it though, I thought it was pretty nice. Name-checking aliens and companions from decades back, it's difficult to see who this little show was aimed at. As I say, I liked it. But without the references there was nothing there. Kids would have liked the running and adventure etc. I don't know that it would be as special as it was billed as being.
But I suppose it's nice to see the Doctor back on our screens, with a brilliant performance. The man hasn't lost it, he's still The Doctor. Both parts are available on iPlayer, but only watch them if you are prepared to ignore most of what you see - especially the giant, rubber turkeys.
This weekend I'm off to see Doctor Who Live, so be here on Sunday for a big and honest review.
