My willpower collapsed on me and while I've managed so far to avoid watching the full episode (it doesn't air in Canada for another 2 weeks), I couldn't resist checking out the new opening.
I loved it. It's vibrant, exciting, and isn't the same old, same old. Yet it's still the Doctor Who theme. At the same time, while Gold's 2007 version was said to be reminiscent of the Howell theme from the early 80s, I found the new version came across as a pumped up approach to the Dominic Glynn "Trial" theme, which I always felt was underrated. Hopefully when Gold or whoever comes to make the NEXT rearrangement, they'll bypass being inspired by the McCullough McCoy-era theme, which I've never liked.
As for the visuals, I thought they looked stunning and the lightning flashes with the sudden appearance of the names was great and really jumped out at you. My only complaint is the lettering is hard to define at times, especially on Gillan's name. Hopefully they'll tweak this.
And the animated logo rocked.
I'm happy to see there still IS an opening theme. So many shows are doing away with them, or just giving us 10-second nothings (I like the Torchwood theme, but it could be a bit longer).
People hate change. Both of Gold's previous versions were lambasted, and while Howell's theme is beloved by many, others still hate it. There are probably a few people who wish they'd never added the echo back in 1967.
But just like changing the Doctor, changing the theme music is part of the concept of the series, and I for one loved how it was handled. It's certainly made me even more excited to watch the show. And it's gonna rock in high-def (not to mention if future seasons bow to "public demand" and are filmed in 3-D).
Alex