'So what did you think?'

This has been the question on everyone's lips ever since the release on video and transmission on television of the new Doctor Who film starring Paul McGann as everyone's favourite time traveller. I was lucky enough to attend the UK premiere at the BAFTA centre in London on 13 May, where, mingling with people like John Nathan-Turner, Janet Fielding, Alan Yentob, Paul McGann and the film's director, Geoffrey Sax, we enjoyed champagne and orange juice before settling down to watch the long anticipated film.

When it was all over, what surprised me most was the range of opinions that were being expressed. I had enjoyed the film very much indeed. Indeed, it even made me cry at the end - nothing new there as I nearly always cry at the end of cinema films, especially when they are moving or emotive in some way. I left the screening room wanting to share my excitement that Doctor Who had returned in style. I soon discovered that opinion in the bar was very mixed. Former Doctor Who producer Barry Letts and writer Terrance Dicks had been there, but both had left immediately afterwards. Emboldened by champagne, I congratulated director Geoffrey Sax who appeared somewhat taken aback at the general good feeling that the film had generated. Then I spotted my editor at Virgin Publishing, Peter Darvill-Evans. He didn't look happy at all. In fact, it turned out, he hadn't really enjoyed the new Doctor Who. To be more precise, he had hated almost all of it. I was amazed. Had we watched the same thing? This feeling of disappointment was echoed by others. The editor of one magazine felt that the show was, for him, not Doctor Who and was prepared to draw a line under Survival, the last transmitted Doctor Who story with Sylvester McCoy in 1989, and treat this new project as some other science fiction show entirely.

Other people expressed concern at the plot, some were unhappy about the 'Americanisation' of the show, citing the lengthy motor cycle chase as 'not being Doctor Who'. Some were worried about why the Master had snake's eyes, why the TARDIS had the Eye of Harmony in it when it had been established in the series that this was housed under the meeting hall back on the Doctor's home planet of Gallifrey, and how the Master managed to 'possess' Grace when the character had never shown any aptitude for this sort of behaviour before.

I came away more than a little confused - or was that because of the wine and a lengthy session with friends in a nearby pub afterwards? I was still - am still - excited by the whole thing, but the range of opinion expressed was intriguing. This, I think, cannot be a bad thing. Any piece of television that makes you think, that stirs emotion, and which gets people talking and arguing has, as far as I am concerned, anyway, achieved its objective. I can't wait for more, assuming there will be more - will there?

***

It was a strange week. It was one of the most exciting and anticipatory, but also one of the most depressing weeks of my life. I'm talking about the week before the new Doctor Who was transmitted. There was a keen sense of looking forward: what would the Radio Times do for coverage of he show? How would the newspapers and magazines react? What would the ratings be like? ... and so on.

But then something happened that really put a damper on things.

For the last year I have been working on a book with actor Jon Pertwee. This tome, entitled I Am The Doctor, was a celebration of his time spent playing the eponymous Time Lord, but it also looked at many other aspects of his career as well. I was slaving away at my nine to five job in London on 20 May when the telephone rang. Picking up, I found myself speaking to Simon, editorial assistant at Virgin Publishing. 'I expect you've heard the terrible news ...?' he said. 'No. What terrible news?' The line went silent. 'You mean you haven't heard?' 'No, I haven't. Heard what?' My blood was starting to run cold at this point. 'Jon Pertwee died today on holiday in America.'

As this sunk in, many things rushed through my mind. How Simon wouldn't ring up with a story like this as a joke, how I had seen Jon just the week before to finalise the cover photograph for the book, and how simply dreadful this day had just become. I think I went quiet for too long as Simon, obviously very unhappy at having to be the one to tell me this news, hesitantly asked if I was okay. Not really.

It's always hard when someone you know dies. Their departure leaves a hole in your life that cannot really be filled. Jon Pertwee left a very big hole in a great many people's lives. He may no longer be with us, but he will certainly never be forgotten. There was one small glimmer of light, and that was that we had managed to finish the book - it had been delivered to the publishers the week before. What was intended as a celebration of Doctor Who and of Jon Pertwee, will now be published in November as a kind of posthumous tribute to a great actor who brought many hours of pleasure to many millions of people.