Ex-cellent . . .

I thought that the (relatively minor) makeover of the Daleks for the new Doctor Who was great.

Now, in advance of the second season, the BBC has revealed the upgraded version of my personal favourite Who villain: the Cybermen.

Cybermen descending the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in the story "The Invasion" is one of the more chilling images in Doctor Who history, if not the history of television itself. But imagine the terror if this unholy abomination came into view. No Princess Leia helmet, moon boots, or tin-foil outfits here - the new costume looks like a cross between C-3PO, a metal Karloff Frankenstein, and the Terminator. The sunken-cheeked, skull-like helmet is the best feature (it's nice that they kept the distinctive look of the old-style eyes and mouth, too - sans glass chin, of course), but the carapace-like breastplate is a nice touch as well. (Click the image for a high-res version.)

If it sounds as good as it looks, they're going to have to bury BBC headquarters under a heap of technical Emmys.

Hope the new Cyberman-related story doesn't disappoint in 2006. The Dalek ones certainly didn't.

(H/T: Behind the Sofa Again and the BBC).