AND so we bid farewell to the Doctor and Saturday evening viewing just won't be the same without him.

The final episode of the current series was a somewhat strange affair with the Doctor being turned into a wrinkled creature that looked like a leftover from the Harry Potter films.

And then there was the quasi-religious imagery at the end (I bet there were a few parents left in a quandary as to how to explain some of the plot to somewhat puzzled youngsters) but it was pure Doctor Who.

What has been really clever about the whole rebirth of the franchise is that it has established itself as a success in its own right. Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, K-9 and co are now but a distant memory.

David Tennant has grown into the part and if, as is rumoured, he may be regenerating' soon that will be the programme's loss.

And it looks as though a new series may also be without Martha Jones. The parting was not as tear-jerkingly sad as the farewell to Rose in the last series but, again, she'll be missed.

In Saturday's episode, John Simm was clearly having a ball as the Doctor's arch enemy The Master.

He certainly he seemed far more at home with the idea of time travel than DCI Sam Tyler ever did.

Roll on Christmas when the Doctor returns