TV Meme: Day 08

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 08 | A show everyone should watch

I was going to say various Joss Whedon shows (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse), but I've already spent a few days talking about the awesome that is Joss Whedon. So I'll go across the pond and talk a little bit about Doctor Who. The show's titular character is a Time Lord and he travels through space and time in his Time And Relative Dimensions In Space (TARDIS) picking up companions along the way for his various misadventures. The secret to the show's longevity is the ability for its main character to "regenerate" into a whole new person when he dies, one of the unique traits of being a Time Lord.

Now Doctor Who is practically a national institution and a cultural phenomenon over in Britain where the show makes its home. And why wouldn't it be? It's the longest-running science fiction television show in the world with 31 total seasons and 760+ episodes already aired. The show ran from 1962-1989 with a TV film airing in 1996. The new incarnation of the show, which debut in 2005, brought the Doctor and his adventures to a whole new generation.

When I started watching the modern version of Doctor Who, I had NO IDEA about any of the history behind the show. I hadn't even heard of the show until I started watching! But I found out that it was easy enough to appreciate the show without knowing its history. The more I watched, I began to understand why it has ran for so long. I'm sure everyone has an innate desire to be able to travel through time and space, see the past, the future, and the wonderful worlds beyond our Earth. If someone tells you they don't, check their pulse. This show taps into that desire with all the energy and fun you expect. The show has also been quite lucky to get actors that have been able to carry the responsibilities of being The Doctor. There have been eleven men to take up that role. I've only seen the last three played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and of course the most current Doctor as played by Matt Smith.

No idea how popular the show is over here in America, but I think it's getting a bit more exposure than it had been in the past. With that said, there are still only precious few people who have seen the show here in America. I totally get that it might be intimidating to start watching a show with so much history. But as I said earlier, you can jump right into the modern incarnation with the Ninth Doctor played by Eccleston. And if that's too much, the show recently changed head writers during this most recent season with Matt Smith. You'll fall in love with the Doctor. I don't know anyone who has watched the show and not done that.