Michael Grade admits he was wrong

As I mentioned earlier, current BBC Chairman and former Controller of BBC1 Michael Grade has been perhaps the most surprising new fan of the new Doctor Who series. As reported here he's sent an email to the BBC

This is not easy to write - as you will readily understand. But here goes å congratulations to all involved in Dr Who: to whoever commissioned it, those who executed it, the writers, the cast, the publicity folk that promoted it, the schedulers and of course the late Sydney Newman who invented the whole thing.

I truly enjoyed it and watched it every week with my six and half year old son who is now a fan.

A classy, popular triumph for people of all ages and all backgrounds - real value for money for our licence fee payers.

PS never dreamed I would ever write this. I must be going soft!"

Grade was the most public face behind the cancellation or postponement (which is still debated to this day) of the series back in 1985 and has at times since revelled in expressing hatred for the series and its fans (who have returned the complements) on many occasions. He even at one point went on Room 101 and promptly nominated the series as the thing he most wanted eradicated from memory. Now he's been won over. At the same time ratings analysis has revealed that the series has won a "family audience" - a demographic that many television insiders had long claimed no longer existed. Is there anything the series can do wrong?