...what about that DOCTOR WHO Christmas special last night? Best FX yet in any of the new WHOs, and Murray Gold's lush, orchestral score was also probably the best yet. I'm guessing the Beeb is throwing even more cash at it as this thing has clearly became its flagship (good, I was never a fan of that fucken Thatcherite ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES shite) - and a hell of a moneyspinner for the licensing department (two spin-off magazines, toys, DVDs, stickers, part works, models, you name it - hope some of that cash is being ploughed back into the show rather than Chris fucking Moyles' sweaty back pocket). Okay, some of it was a little too aimed at the kiddies to be really satisfying for a cynical, half-cut adult (Tate and Parrish playing it broad, screaming kiddies in Spielberg-style fake jeopardy, the cheering kids watching the Tardis car chase, etc), but Davies does have a nice way of undercutting all that stuff with real thematic darkness. And if I never heard the word Torchwood mentioned in another episode of WHO ever again, I'd probably be a happier man. Too soon, man, too soon.
As usual, the bit that gave me the most acute dose of the fanboy horn was the series three preview at the end (now streaming at the official website here). The good burghers at Behind The Sofa seem a little dejected at the continuing lack of classic WHO villains, but I reckon there's a good chance those big rhino-headed goombahs will turn out to be reimagined Sontarans. Plus, a pilot with a cat's face, from that race of nurses in season 2's opener, New Earth, I presume. The return of the little piggy alien from Aliens Of London in series one. The Face of Boe, again. And the main event, a Dalek - and a sexy black one at that - that Cult Of Skaro fella, Dalek Sec, if I'm not mistaken. So, plenty of indicators that the current creative team are taking time to really expand their own mythology, dropping little hints and namechecks that turn up again in unexpected places much later. Even the trailer for the New Year's Eve TORCHWOOD finale looked good. Here's hoping it culls a good two to three fifths of its cast, blows up their ridiculous SUV ("hello, we're a mysterious government agency you've never heard of. We're top secret, like." "Yeah, called Torchwood." "How'd you know?" "It's written all over your wee jeep."), answers a few annoying hanging plot threads, and pulls its socks up for a more consistent second series.