'Who the ...?'

I'm very pleased to say that wasn't my response to the announcement of Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor Who. From what I read, the vast majority of people scratched their heads and gaped when Smith was unveiled, but thanks to a large dollop of synchronicity I'm slap in the middle of watching a review DVD of Party Animals, which features the Doctor Elect in a lead role.

Based on that and his turn alongside Billie Piper in the recent Sally Lockhart adaptations, I think he might be rather good. Ignore the fact that for the first time ever the actor cast as the Doctor is younger than me (considerably so) - that says more about how I've aged than anything else. Incoming producer Steven Moffat is patently no idiot, he must have seen something there worth signing up regardless of Smith's youth.

So yes, I'm pleased with that. Looking forward to seeing how he shapes up.

Meanwhile I'm also looking forward to a morning of dipping into the frothing, foam-flecked madness of the Doctor Who message boards. Already alongside the congratulatory posts and the more even-handed responses there are a couple of promising looking threads, like: 'Not another pretty boy!'; 'Is it time to stop watching?' and 'Has Matt Smith's casting started the Moffat backlash?'.

Fandom. Always good for a laugh.