“The daft old man who stole a magic box and ran away, did I ever tell you who stole it? Well I borrowed it. I was always going to take it back. Oh that box, you’ll dream about that box. It’ll never leave you. It’s big and little at the same time. Brand new and ancient, and the best blue ever,” said the Doctor as he described the Tardis.
Released in 1963, Doctor Who, a BBC series, has had a comeback with this generation. The series follows The Doctor, Amy Pond, and Rory as they venture through time. The Doctor was an imaginary friend created by Amy when she was a little girl. When she grew up, the Doctor became a revolutionary scientist and a Time Lord.
The Doctor and his colleagues use the Tardis to travel through time. The Tardis is actually a British police box. On the outside, the Tardis looks like a phone booth. Yet on the inside, there is a very complex and advanced secret lab. It has been stated that the Tardis can change its appearance so it fits in with the surroundings of the time period it visits. The Tardis is the most common symbol for Doctor Who.
This fascinating show has not had one revival – but ten. As a result, the Doctor Who series has seen ten doctors come and go. Each time a new Doctor is debuted, it is called a regeneration. British actor Matt Smith took over as the Doctor in 2005. The episode in which his regeneration occurred was the season five finale. This episode, titled The Eleventh Hour Part Two, was aired in 2005. Almost immediately, the show gained new viewers. The Eleventh Hour episode itself had over 10 million viewers. This is thought to be because Matt Smith is only 26 – the youngest Doctor ever.
For sci-fi fans, Doctor Who is marvelous. It weaves together equal amounts of technology, aliens, and time travel. The production staff has always kept up with the changing times and has easily adjusted to the new technology. For the new viewer, this series requires a taste for this type of genre. The seasoned science fiction fan and the new viewers will both enjoy the humorous show. Humor is a big part of the Doctor’s sarcasm, which is most likely used towards aliens or other time creatures.
Doctor Who was originally a series for children. It was meant to get kids interested in science, history, and morals. However, the show has gained followers of all ages which can present a problem for the writers and producers, and at times, gets in the way of the plot. Some crew members believe, for example, adding characters with disabilities will draw the younger audiences as it used to. Others see this as a downfall because it seems like a last attempt by the cast and crew to gain more viewers. In reality, however, the show gained many more teen viewers with the addition of the new Doctor. Ratings always improve after regeneration, but the high numbers have stayed pretty stable because of the young Doctor.
Doctor Who has been in the television and entertainment world for over 50 years, gaining a large following along the way. Throughout ten Doctors and six seasons, and many technological advances, people remain captivated by the Doctor and his charming ways. Now a worldwide phenomenon, Doctor Who still fascinates a range of audiences. It receives 3 out of 5 stars.
