BBC1. Saturday. 7.00 PM.

Two years ago Doctor Who was resurrected – thrown a life rope from the BBC just as it tittered on the edge of the abyss. Remember it? Oh, how you could you forget – that cacophonous hype. You could hardly hear the familiar whir of the theme music above the rapid chatter of television columnists and the excited burr of sci-fi fans each alight with infantile joy.

And then last Saturday Doctor Who returned once more. It should have been a far less dramatic occasion (for as long as it may seem, it’s only 39 weeks since the last series finished), but there it was again – that familiar din. Just as loud as before – but with a slightly different tone. This time driven by curiosity rather than fervent excitement.

For strange it may sound, although Doctor Who has resumed its position at the forefront of everyone’s mind, the Doctor himself has hardly enjoyed a mention. The hype has been driven by two names – Rose and Martha. This time the question was not ‘Will Doctor Who compare to previous series?’, but ‘Will Martha Jones compare to the previous assistant?’.

Given the hysteric affection for Rose, you can almost separate Doctor Who into three eras: pre-Rose (Series 1-26), Rose (27-28) and, now, post Rose (29).

We’re not entirely to blame though – the dumpy siren had the Doctor spellbound too. She certainly cemented a place in his, well, two hearts. ‘If only Rose were here; she’d know what to do!’ he lamented in Smith & Jones.

But it would be a mistake to get too hung up on her absence – a big mistake. Because Doctor Who is back, and the latest episode, The Shakespeare Code, was tremendous – loaded with intelligent quips, literary Easter eggs and some convincing and imaginative characters (the Bard himself would’ve been impressed at how he was presented).

And, perhaps more importantly, Martha was a fantastic. Yes, she’s starkly different to her predecessor; and she certainly won’t find herself on the same fame-track to the nation’s heart – she lacks the same everyday background and that modest diluted beauty.

But it’s not just skin deep; her personality is very different to that of her predecessor – much more intelligent and recklessly inquisitive. It won’t be case of a Rose by any other name, but there’ll certainly be space for her in the nation’s affections.

And that’s a good thing – it’s nice to have someone who isn’t constantly tailing the Doctor with wide-open eyes and a drooping jaw.

‘The Doctor?’, she retorted when he told her his name, ‘I’m not calling you that! You have to earn that title!’.

Oh, if only the poor girl knew - it's her who'll be having to prove herself.