Raising eyebrows: Karen Gillan in character as Amy Pond, left, and, right, pictured at a photocall in Manchester to launch the new series of the show He's spent hundreds of years travelling the universe with rather tomboyish companions by his side.
But when Doctor Who returned to our TV screens on Saturday night, the Time Lord was joined by a new sidekick - a kissogram with an almost non-existent mini-skirt.
The revealing outfit prompted a flood of comments on online message boards, with a section of fans accusing producers of 'shamelessly sexing up' the long-running family show and labelling it 'slutty'.
The reaction threatened to overshadow Matt Smith's well-received debut as the Doctor after taking over from David Tennant. Some 8.3million viewers tuned in.
New companion Amy Pond, played by 22-year- old former model Karen Gillan, first appeared on screen in a policewoman's outfit with a tiny skirt. In one scene her character tells the Doctor that her kissogram repertoire also includes nuns and nurses' outfits.
And in another, she watches as the Doctor completely undresses in front of her while getting changed.
As he strips off, Amy's fiance Rory asks: 'Aren't you going to turn your back?' to which she replies, 'No', while running her eyes over the naked Doctor (though viewers saw him only from the waist up).
It was even more surprising given the rather conservative attire worn by actresses who have played the Doctor's companion in the past, including Bonnie Langford and Elisabeth Sladen.
Even her more recent predecessor, former pop star Billie Piper, covered up for the part, preferring hoodies and jeans - although fans with longer memories will recall leggy Leela, played by Louise Jameson in a skimpy animal skin costume, or Peri (Nicola Bryant), who made her debut in a pink bikini.
Writing about Amy, one viewer in an online forum asked: 'Why did she dress up as a tarty policewoman? Surely that's not fitting for a family show.' Another said: 'They've completely demeaned Doctor Who by replacing good episode stories with slutty girls.'
But Miss Gillan defended the decision to dress in a mini skirt, saying: 'I tried on different things and when it came to the short skirts, I just thought it was right. I mean, look down most high streets and girls Amy's age wear that. It's not that weird.
'Short skirts show that Amy is confident and comfortable about her look. You have to have confidence to wear something like that.'
New Doctor Who Matt Smith and his sidekick proved a successful lure, with 8.3million viewers tuning in Doctor Who's executive producer Piers Wenger said that Steven Moffat, the series' new boss and chief writer, had wanted a sexier companion for the Doctor.
He said: 'The whole kissogram thing played into Steven's desire for the companion to be feisty and outspoken and a bit of a number.
'Amy is probably the wildest companion that the Doctor has travelled with, but she isn't promiscuous.
'Sci-fi has a long and happy history of sexy female characters and long may that continue.'
As the 11th Doctor, 27-year-old-Smith impressed fans in the special 65-minute episode, The Eleventh Hour, in which the Time Lord had 20 minutes to save Earth from aliens.
One fan wrote on the BBC's Points Of View message board: 'Matt Smith has made an excellent start - very impressive.'
Another said Smith is fast on his way to filling Tennant's shoes.
source: dailymail
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