Spooky

‘Fraid I’ve never been much of a Dr Who fanboy: ‘quite-enjoy-it-sometimes-watch-it’ is about my level of enthusiasm.

Last night’s episode, ‘Smith and Jones’, was a really rather fine opener to the new series, and it was especially good to see Roy Marsden back on the small screen. Between 1984 and 1998, he was the personification of PD James’s slightly implausible poet-sleuth, Commander Adam Dalgliesh, in ITV’s adaptations of her classy crime novels.

When the BBC took over the rights, the role was given to Martin Shaw. It is apparently the law that he must play the lead in every maverick ‘tec show; just as it is Mr Shaw’s law of acting that he must play each character in the same way, with sleeves purposely rolled-up.

But what I enjoyed most was that Roy Marsden played the part of a senior consultant at the Royal Marsden. It’s either pure co-incidence, or someone at Who-casting has a desert-dry sense of humour.