So, no one even attempted to guess what today’s blog post was going to be about. No biggie, because you’re getting it anyway. 😉 My clues were, “blue,” “hair,” and “travel.” Obviously this could only lead to one subject: Doctor Who.
I had heard about Doctor Who a while ago, but I’ve been inundated with snippets here and there of the new seasons since following Hypable and then working for them. I’ve also been wanting to increase my nerdiness repertoire, and what better way to do that than delving into some science fiction?
So, lucky for me, Netflix has the previous six seasons on streaming. I sat down at my computer late one night and began the first episode. It was…strange. But I don’t give up on things easily (call it a blessing or a curse). The next day I watched the next episode and it was a definite improvement. By the time I watched the third or fourth one I was hooked! By the time I reached the third season, I was literally watching an episode a day at least. I needed my Doctor Who time no matter what!
So, maybe at this point I should explain my clues to those of you who aren’t quite in the know. I’m not going to give away a whole lot about the show, because I knew nothing about it when I started watching it and I really enjoyed that. First of all, blue is the color of the Doctor’s time machine, which he calls the TARDIS – this is obviously where the “travel” clue comes in as well. And, as far as hair goes? It’s a tossup between David Tennant and Matt Smith for whose hair is more fabulous (but I’d wager on Smith’s, personally).
Matt Smith is on the left and David Tennant is on the right.
Basically the premise of the show is this: The Doctor travels along time and space in his nifty blue box and saves the world from aliens. It’s a bit more complex than that and a lot better in terms of story development. Actually, I’d say that’s one of my favorite things about this show: the story. It’s intelligent and witty, and it really does keep you on your toes. It acts like a really good book – it’s one in the morning, your eyes are just about glued shut from bleariness, but you just can’t go to bed yet. Just one more episode!
This show has been running on and off since the 1960’s and, believe it or not, there’s been no less than eleven different men playing The Doctor. But the cool thing about this is that you don’t need to have seen the older versions of the show to understand this one, although I’m sure they’ve paid homage to the original series and it’s just flown by my radar. I do want to watch the older shows eventually, as I think it would be really neat to see the origin story of The Doctor.
Another cool thing about this show is that it’s not that complicated. I know that I used to stay away from sci-fi because I just didn’t get it. But this isn’t like that. Sure, The Doctor gets wrapped up in his wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff (his words) sometimes, but it isn’t beyond grasping. Actually, I think it really adds to the character and you don’t need to understand the technical stuff to enjoy the show.
The TARDIS
I love this show in so many ways. My favorite Doctor has to be Matt Smith’s – he has this quirkiness about him that is so endearing. My favorite bad guy has to be the Weeping Angels, because they just scare the socks off of me. And, in that sense, “Blink” is probably my favorite episode. In this episode, the way the story-line unfolds throughout all the different layers and eventually comes full circle is amazing!
Oddly enough, I have no gripes about this show. There are obviously things that have made me sad and things that I haven’t liked, but it fits so well into the story that you’re left thinking, of course things had to end up this way, how else would everything work out in the end?
So, who would I recommend this show to? Just about anyone. If you hate sci-fi, then this isn’t for you. But otherwise? Yeah, pretty much anyone. It’s funny and dramatic and gripping and beautiful. The bad guys are scary, the good guys are three-dimensional, and the universe is so perfectly built that it makes you want to go outside and stare up at the stars to see if you can spot the TARDIS.
(And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, the new season starts up in the fall, so you’ve got plenty of time to get through the previous seasons before then!)
So, what do you think? For those of you who haven’t seen the show, have I convinced you to watch it? For those that have seen it, what do you like about it? Who is your favorite reincarnation of The Doctor? Your favorite bad guy? Your favorite episode?
And, most importantly, if a madman in a big blue box gave you all of time and space, would you take it? (I know I would!)
Karen Rought - The Midnight Novelist 