...and, as it all been very quiet from the BBC WALES production office, I am either (1) very concerned that the next series (SERIES 5 or SEASON 31 - whatever the chaps want to call it!) has been very quiet on the "promotional" front (the previous series have had endless "official leaks" and titbits released during the filming process. Bar the two page spread from Day One's filming on welsh beach, that's been it) or (2) eagerly excited by the tantalising trailer of this new Doctor tumbling around the "newly generated" time-space vortex with a short-skirted Amy Pond, and the clips trailer at the end of THE END OF TIME?

Yes. But only the latter.

SPOILERS AHEAD

With SERIES 1 to 4 (and the specials) Russell T Davies seemed to be a re-incarnation of publicity hunter, John Nathan-Turner (for the younger readers - he was a CLASSIC SERIES Producer from the 1980's) - courting the popular tabloids to get the series "viral" amongst the masses. Yes, it worked but it completely annoying sometimes. The great "Executive Producer Magician" cast a spell that, to use Steven Moffat's phrase, became "spoilers". The on-screen magic was dissipated by the endless "leaks".

However, with SERIES 5 it's all, thankfully, been quiet. Tastefully so. I appreciate that, Moffat and crew.

Yes, I've surfed the fan-forums, had endless emails from friends saying "Did you know...?" or "Did you see...?" and glimpsed the odd copy of the UK's most popular newspaper, THE SUN (oh, by the way, thanks for the fan-forum that equated THE SUN to eyeofhorus.org.uk. Popular, mass-appeal and cheap. Fantastic) but even now I have very little idea of what to expect.

The magic is returning.

Finally. Thankfully. Joy.

And the six year old (and his thirtysomething Mum) that I watch DOCTOR WHO with (and read, and draw, and talk about endlessly) will relish sitting on the sofa on Saturday 3 April (yes, to date, that broadcast date has not been confirmed) gorging on this new bean-pole of a Doctor and his flame red-haired companion-assistant's adventures in a multi-levelled TARDIS.

So, what do we know about the new series?

• Producers wanted an older actor to be the Eleventh Doctor but ended up choosing 27 year old (alien-looking) Matt Smith, putting him in a retrospective tweed & bow tie.
• The TARDIS has had a 1960's make-over - white window frames, new window glass , a St John Ambulance decal, a new multi-levelled interior and a fresher, brighter blue paint job.
• A new version of the Murray Gold theme tune created by, err, Murray Gold. I hope that this is reverential to Grainer's original composition and Derbyshire's original treatment.
• A new - obviously - opening title sequence complete with a new logo-insignia.
• Alex Kingston's River Song first encounter with the Doctor within her own timeline.
• Alien encounters with Weeping Angels, Silurian, Dalek/s, vampires, and meetings with Winston Churchill, Vincent van Gogh.
• Filmed in High Definition (HD) so the production values will have to be so precise or fans will pick holes in each episode.

And that's it. Tasty enough to whet the science fiction appetite.

The wait is nearly over.

So, thank you BBC WALES drama unit and good luck.

Matthew Walter - Online Editor
eyeofhorus.org.uk has been commenting on DOCTOR WHO since 1983.