While the core of Doctor Who has always remained the same, the regeneration of the Doctor is always a time of some trepidation. If you don’t like the new actor, you’re stuck with them for a few years, and you just have to hope the next one is an improvement. When the fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) regenerated into the fifth Doctor (Pater Davidson) … I seriously contemplated flying to England and beating the executives at the BBC. (It’s probably a good thing I was only a teenager.)

When the ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) left the show after only one year, I thought for sure the tenth Doctor (David Tennant) would be horrible.  Eccleston brought so many new layers to the character, and there was just no way Tennant could live up to it.

… I nearly cried when Tennant said his final line, “I don’t wanna go.”

So, here we are, the 11th Doctor, played by some odd looking young fellow named Matt Smith.  When he was announced in the role last Jan., my tone was less than hopeful.  And when the first images of Matt Smith in costume showed up online … I wasn’t feeling the bow tie at all.  I had no opinion of Karen Gillan as the new companion, Amy Pond, at all, except I kind of liked the youthful look of her outfits.  It was refreshing.

So, the new season premiered two weeks ago in the UK, and we got the first episode last night in the United States on BBC America.  I have to admit, I’ve already seen up through episode three, but I wanted to let the fans here see it before I expressed any judgement on the new actors.

I … freakin’ … love … them … both!

Matt Smith had me sold on his take of the Doctor in minutes.  He brings a youthfulness to the role that has been missing, but mixes it with the shyness of a dowdy college professor.  (notice the way he tucks his arms to his chest)  Smith is throwing himself into this role with an energy and hunger to prove himself that is just fascinating.  There is the Doctor’s absent-minded nature there to be sure, but he never pushes it so far as to be a parody.  The underlying darkness is there, as well as the bravado that says, “Yeah, I’m cool, but I’m never going to be so egotistical as to actually say it.”

As for Karen Gillan’s Amy, she is mesmerizing.  While most other companions have had at least one or two annoying habits, I can tell you that what you saw of her in the first episode only gets better.  She’s brave almost to a fault, but peppers her portrayal with a caring and soft side.  I can see her easily rocking into my top three favorite companions of all time.

As for the change over in show runners from Russel T. Davies to Steven Moffat, if this is a sample of what is to come, it’s looking like he has hit the ground running.

All-in-all, a very solid start, and I am definitely along for the ride.

… oh … and the bow tie totally works.