It's good to be back - I hope you haven't missed us too much!

The last year was full of surprises not the least of which was the stunning success of the series and the very positive way in which the BBC promoted it and have viewed it since it's reincarnation. Confirmation of the latter came hot on the heels of the first episode with the news that the series had been commissioned for a further year with a Christmas special also commissioned - news of a third season and second special followed later.

We have no once again been surprised by news that a Doctor Who 'spin-off' called Torchwood has been commissioned by BBC 3 for 2006. This will star none other than Captain Jack himself, John Barrowman, but will be aimed more strictly at an adult audience than Doctor Who is.

This sounds like a great idea although I suspect the adult themes of the show might prove to be contentious, particularly if children are tempted into staying up late to see what the spin off is like. It does seem a shame that younger fans of Doctor Who will effectively be shut out from this new show but as an adult fan of the series the possibilities are exciting - especially, for me, given the news that Sapphire and Steele writer PJ Hammond is to write at least one episode.

As with all of these projects the jury is out until we see the finished article but if the brilliance of the first season of Doctor Who is anything to go by we have a lot to look forward to and the prospect of 27 45+ minute episodes set in the Doctor Who universe in 2006 is certainly exciting me! :-)

Goodbye Ronnie

On a final sadder note, and unrelated to Doctor Who, I'd just like to briefly mention my sadness at the death of Ronnie Barker the week before last. I well remember The Two Ronnies being a staple of Saturday night viewing in the 1970s along with a certain other programme (no prizes for guessing which one!) and I have very fond memories of watching it with my family along with Ronnie's other great shows Porridge and Open all Hours. He was one of the greats of British comedy and my thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. His name, however, will live on and the laughs will go on for many, many years to come as people watch re-runs and DVDs of his wonderful work.

Published @ 6:09 PM (UK local time)