Thanks for enlightening me - I didn't know about the Time Lord backstory, or that the fact the Doctor is now the last of his kind was supposed to have been a major dramatic revelation. Probably that's why that particular scene didn't strike such a deep chord with me as it did with you (and others, I'd guess).

I wouldn't go so far as to say I disliked End of the World; I agree it had some great moments ("Tainted Love" being one of them), but for some reason it was very different from what I'd expected. I should say I'm quite difficult when it comes to absurd humor, especially when there's suddenly some truly serious stuff dropped in; when that happens, I often end up not being in the mood for either. The Dickens homage as you describe it - mostly serious, with some humor thrown in - sounds more like my peace of cake. Incidentally, my husband - who loves absurdity in TV shows - thought End of the World was fantastic, and he doesn't know the backstory either.

In any case, I really want to like this show, so I hope it's just a matter of keeping an open mind and letting it grow on me. We'll see how it goes as the season progresses!