I've been boggled for hours trying to figure out a response to ER's question. 21st century Who is fundamentally Doctor Who, yet fundamentally different from 20th century Who. It's clear the time-out helped rejuvenate the show. That's an excellent summary, pod, but inevitably barely scratches the surface.

There's a wide consensus that "Vincent" is a great way to introduce people to Doctor Who, new or old. Outstanding choice. That's a beautiful and very accessible episode--you need only grasp the concept of time travel to get it, no knowledge needed of the Doctor's universe or incredibly complicated backstory.

That tendency toward ever-greater complexity is another thing that to me characterizes new Who. A "series" in the 20th century Who concept was a single story told over two to a half-dozen half-hour episodes, classic serial style. But the show's modern producer, Stephen Moffat (I know you know this, pod, I'm writing for ER too) seems to have set himself the challenge of coming up with ever more complex story arcs spanning multiple seasons.

Apropos last night, right? Jeez, Clara started down the road to [SPOILER] terminal Sorcerer's Apprentice last season, and witness how Moffat teased and twisted out the last three episodes into a plotline moebius pretzel. And he expertly tugged at the heartstrings (or ripped the hearts out of) the most devoted Whovians. I wonder how many Whovians are still down in their parents' basement shaking in a corner?

So the prominence of the producer is something unique in this century, as is the way the creation of the show has itself become a kind of public performance art. The epiphenomena of Who has become as important as the phenomenon. Britons are, in their wonderfully eccentric way, insane for the show. Each selection of a new actor to play The Doctor is covered by the media like the impending birth of a royal baby. There's a yearly concert in the Royal Albert Hall, part of the BBC Proms series, devoted to just playing the soundtrack music from Doctor Who. By the London Symphony Orchestra.

Oh, and speaking of new actors and regenerations, you didn't ask ER if he remembered the fact that Time Lords are gifted only twelve. So what does it mean that Peter Capaldi is the Twelfth? Regneration was the slick trick that saved the show half a century ago; they threaded the needle in the 50th anniversary story by doubling down.

Does The Doctor now get a gross of lives? [oops, sorry that was a spoiler]

Back briefly to Moffat: I think another factor is crosstalk/synergy with "Sherlock" channeled through Moffat. There's talk, of course, of some kind of crossover episode, because of course, The Doctor having a TARDIS, he can cross over in to any fictional TV universe he wants to, so why not? But more seriously, writing for Sherlock Holmes must have helped complexify Moffat's writing and story editing in Who, too.

Done for now.