MR DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW...

Who knew (if you'll pardon the pun) that there would ever be a series of MR. MEN books that would sell to grown-ups who weren't buying them for their kids? But here they come...

Created by Adam Hargreaves in the style of his dad's famous books, these are the first of the DR. books. Of course, Who-purists will remind me that it should be 'Doctor' not 'Dr.' but that's just because Roger Hargreaves' creations were 'Mr.' not 'Mister'.

I won't pretend that I've been a constant fan and devoted follower of Doctor Who throughout his 54 year-long regeneration process, but I've always checked out each new incarnation of the Doctor if, for no other reason, because of a sentimental attachment to my youthful memories of where it all began...

To be honest, I've never quite got over the fact that I missed the very first appearance of Doctor Who on our black and white telly or the fact that, whenever I mention this, David reminds me that he was watching!

It was teatime – 5:15 in the afternoon of 23 November 1963 (the day after the assassination in Dallas of President John F Kennedy) - when the BBC transmitted episode one of 'An Unearthly Child' with William Hartnell as the enigmatic Doctor.


Come Monday morning, everyone at school was talking about this amazing new TV show about a Time Lord zapping through time and space in a machine called a TARDIS that was disguised as a then commonplace piece of British street furniture – a police telephone box.

The following Saturday, I was on the sofa (I was already too old to be hiding behind it!) ready to watch the next episode and – wonder of wonders! – in response to a phenomenal public reaction to the series' debut and the fact that other hapless youngsters had also missed the beginning, the BBC preceded the second episode with a repeat of the first! Brilliant! I was hooked...

It's a truism (but true for all that!) that everyone's favourite Doctor is the one they watched when they were growing up. For me it was first and foremost, the irascible, grandfatherly William Hartnell and here's proof of my devotion...

I also still remember when the cantankerous Hartnell transmogrified into the quirkily eccentric Patrick Troughton and how utterly, fantastically exciting was that first regeneration

Here's the fan picture I wrote for at the time...

And now – what fun! – Dr. Second is going to look like this...

As they used to say on those pre-health-and-safety cereal packets containing giveaway toys ––– er... sorry... I mean chocking hazards –––  "BE SURE TO COLLECT THE FULL SET!"