Crossposted at Dailykos.com
Dr. Who is the iconic British science fiction television series that has transcended even Star Trek for longevity. For those of who are not hip, it is a series of stories about a Time Lord from the planet Gallefrey who has a Type 40-B TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions is Space), a time capsule that can travel to any time or place in the galaxy (sometimes the storyline indicates universe). By the way, the Type 40-B has been obsolete for centuries according to the storyline, and is more of a museum piece that a proper means of transport.
The Doctor (his name has never been revealed, but his fraternity monicker of Sigma Theta was revealed in the classic series The Keys of Time) is very old, wise, and good. Good to a fault in the storyline.
Anyway, The Doctor is the ultimate hero insofar as being driven only to explore and help innocents. In his several incarnations, he has been old men (the first three were, from 1963 to around 1971 or so), and them became a younger person, better to identify with the audience. So Tom Baker was tapped for the role, and played it longer and more successfully than any other actor. But I digress. I want to get to the heart of why Dr. Who attracts viewers.
First, it is pure escapist fantasy with a very superficial layer of science fiction. In the old days, before cheap computer graphics were available, the special effects were atrocious, which added to its charm. In the episode “Planet of Gold”, the planet, Volga, was literally an orange suspended by a thread and spun about for rotation. Cheap, but charming. It takes a very large measure of suspension of disbelief to watch Dr. Who, and I suspect that is why it has only a cult following. Perhaps I have a larger capacity to suspend disbelief that most, but I love it.
Second, the characters have redeeming features, even though all of them (except perhaps for Sarah Jane and Leela) had serious character faults, including The Doctor. Because they were able to do the right thing even in the face of those faults endears them. You can find a pretty much comprehensive history of the series at Drwho.com, and I recommend it if you are interested.
Third, there is not the invincibility that Batman, or especially Superman, carries. The Doctor, while a bit more robust than humans, still can be killed. So far he has regenerated, taking a new humanoid form, but this last episode has me wondering. Of course he will survive, but the season finale next week will tell.
The replay of the first installment of the season finale is on SciFi at 11:00 EDT. For those of you wondering about it, check it out. The woman named Sarah Jane Smith was the companion of two Doctors back in the day, and still is with us. The others are more recent. Elisabeth Sladen plays Sarah, and holds a very special place in the series.
This diary has no political significance except that people do love the good guys in the end. I ask for recollections on your favorite and least favorite actors playing The Doctor, and the companions, along with other observations about the show. Newbies, watch the show tonight. The Daleks were his first enemy, and the storyline has been pretty consistent, except they can levitate now. Warmest regards, Doc.
Tags: British TV, Dr. Who, Entertainment, Science Fiction, The Doctor
12 Comments
I’m the *only* person in the world who has never gotten into Dr. Who.
But a major reason why is because I — well, I didn’t know there was bad graphics! I would have been all over it, had I known.
Thanks for this great rundown, Doc. I’ve been too embarrassed to reveal my ignorance of the show – but now, I might even watch it when it comes on tomorrow evening (if I’m not mowing
).
It has a charm all of its own. A good guy, his companions, up against all of the evil that the galaxy can foment.
But remember, it is silly and means really nothing. Perhaps that is why I like it. Warmest regards, Doc.
No, there are at least two of us. You at least have never gotten into it. I’ve never watched it.
There was a little program called Tardis that I ran on a way earlier computer. It synchronized the computer’s clock with a real time server, back when PC clocks ran off an internal battery and were almost always slow. The program was really cool — it had this little blue phone booth down in the taskbar and it blinked slowly and every now and then, when it phoned home to synchronize, there would be this little blue aura of light surrounding the phone booth.
It took me three or four years to find out that Tardis had something to do with Dr. Who.
The TARDIS is the coolest transport in the galaxy! Go anywhere, anywhen, what is better? I know that is fantasy, but sometimes fantasy is a nice escape. Warmest regards, Doc.
Tom Baker and his llloooonnnnngggg scarf was it for me. I got hooked way back when. With the auburn haired girl. We’ve watched the first two series of the new Dr. Who and it’s pretty good. Much more edgy and thought provoking. I like it. I have a tardis magnet on my fridge!
Thanks, Dr!
Teena knitted an accurate one for me back in 1978. I still have and love it, and it pure wool. When spread out, it is 22 feet long. Warmest regards, Doc.
Doc, that is so cool. Do you still wear it?
Yes, when it gets cold, and it does here, I do. Warmest regards, Doc.
Oh, when I got hooked was the time of Monty Python and other British Comedies on public TV. Dr Who was cheesy but really no more than other shows, well the Daleks made me crazy with their, “Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!”
Python is still the best satire anywhere, including me. Warmest regards. Doc.
Oh, Teena and Geoff are home safe and sound with oodles of pictures and happy for the experience?
Yes, she called around five pm and was just getting rested. She told me that she was going to work with her mum to get the pictures ready for posting and printing. She is fine, and so is Geoff. Thank you for asking! Warmest regards, Doc.
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