Doctor Who

[ToyMan]

is anyone else here a fan of the british series Doctor Who?! i used to watch it all the time on public television when i was growing up in new england. i've purchased three of the stories on dvd in the last year or so, and they're a ton of fun. it seems like bbc video tends to put them out rather slowly, though. i'm especially keen to purchase "the brain of morbius" when it comes out.

for those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, it's about a guy called "the doctor" who zips around time and space in a machine called "the tardis", which usually happens to look like a blue british police phone booth. it's supposed to change appearances with whatever time period and environment it materializes in, but if i recall correctly, it was somewhat broken.

the doctor himself was not human. he's a time lord from the planet galifrey, and he usually travels with one or two companions, usually comely young girls. at certain periods in the series he also had a robot dog named k-9 with him, much to the chagrin of the viewing audience. throughout the series, which is still running, a number of different actors have played the title role. this was written into the storyline, because the doctor dies every so often, and regenerates in a new body, in the same place where he died. he retained all of his knowledge, but his characteristics were prone to change a bit from actor to actor.

perhaps one of the most celebrated portrayals of the doctor was that of tom baker, whom you might recognize as the villain from "the golden voyage of sinbad". tom baker was the fourth actor to play the doctor, and he was clearly the most fit for the part. his characterization was brimming with eccentricity, intellect, and heroism.

throughout the series, a number of different themes and atmospheres were explored, including everything from gothic horror to futuristic sci-fi, with the doctor and his companions squaring up against every sort of imaginable threat, such as renegade time lords, giant monsters, vampires, mysterious energies, and most popularly, cold and ruthless robots bent on the utter decimation of all humanity.

there were a number of laughable or weak elements in the writing and visual effects throughout the series, namely a dependence on nonsensical techno jargon, contrived story resolutions, and rediculous-looking foes. however, the underlying message of the series is an eternal one: freedom, refusal of prejudice, temperment, and love can save anyone from anything.

[akiratubo]

I like the second, third, and fourth Doctors.  I liked Peter Davison as the Doctor, but his episodes tended to be not so good.  Colin Baker was the worst Doctor and had the worst episodes.  Sylvester McCoy had some good episodes but he was a little bland in the role.

The new series is AWFUL.  It's a lot like the Stargate series minus anything good.  I've been unable to watch more than a couple of episodes.

[ulthar]

My favorite Dr. was Tom Baker, Number 4.  I don't think I've seen any episodes with Dr's 1-3, however, so I cannot comment on those.

I think there are quite a few Dr. Who fans on this forum.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Are you talking about the old series or the new series?

I've seen most of the available episodes of the old series, and all of the Doctors were in an episode I liked very much.

As for the new series, while it is not playing, where I live now, while I was up in Vancouver (B.C), I did see one of the episodes of the new series, and I liked that one very much, as well. I especially liked the acting and writing, which I feel is  much better than that found in most of the American sci-fi series, except, for perhaps, "Lost." I just hope that someday, the new series will play, where I live, so I can watch all the episodes of that one, as well.

[AndyC]

It took a couple of episodes, but I got hooked on the new Doctor Who pretty easily. More surprisingly, my wife, who hasn't really seen the original show, and doesn't go much for SF, loved it too.

I think a good deal of the appeal is that they captured what made the show good - entertaining stories that transcended the limited budget, adventure with a sense of humour, and a Doctor who was silly and whimsical, yet someone to be taken seriously. It doesn't put realism and scientific nitpicking ahead of having fun. And it gives just enough nods to the old show to make me happy as a fan.

We're just nervous that they've regenerated the Doctor already, after just one season. Chris Eccleston's Doctor is one of the things we liked best.

[ToyMan]

i haven't seen any of the new stuff. i think i stopped watching after the 7th doctor, or so. 3rd, 4th, and 5th, really being the only ones i care much for, while there are a few random serials for all of the doctors that i'm likely to look into.

[Archivist]

I was a huge Dr Who fan when I was growing up.  I wanted a big scarf like Tom Baker's, and big frilly shirts like Jon Pertwee's, and boy, did I want a sonic screwdriver!

The first Doctor was old and a bit 'crotchety grandfather'-like.  The second was a bit more comical.  The third aimed for a combination of extravagance and eccentricity, whereas the fourth skipped the luxuriance and went straight for the strangeness.  Tom Baker was fantastic.  Peter Davison's run was very good, with great storylines and awesome music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, but they freakin' killed it with Colin Baker.  Then the plots became tedious and incomprehensible in Sylvester McCoy's time.

Paul McGann as the Doctor in the movie was ... almost forgotten.  Eccleston isn't bad at all, almost a kind of prankster-badboy with his shaved head, leather jacket and boots.  I do believe they are making/have made a second season with a new Doctor already.  The new series lacks a lot of the charm of the older seasons, but I think it tries to bring some of it back, as well as add some more modern humour.

One of my favourite dialogue sequences in the new series is when the Doctor unexpectedly arrives at Billie Piper's house, and meets her youngish mother:

Mother: "Oh ... there's a strange man in my house!"

Doctor blinks: "Yes, there is!"

Mother: "And I'm only in my dressing gown ... !"

Doctor looks at her: "Yes, you are!"

Mother twists dressing gown and bats eyelids: "You know ... ANYthing could happen ... !"

Doctor: "... Nah!"

~Archivist~

[ToyMan]

sounds interesting, but i dare say that nothing could truly compete with the sheer charm of tom baker's performances. "the talons on weng-chiang" has a few such priceless moments.

[trekgeezer]

I've seen them all except for the new series and my favorite has always been Jon Pertwee (Dr. # 3). He was the most physical of all of them and he could kick some ass when required (Venusian karate is something to see). Although he was exiled to earth he managed to have some pretty good adventures and a couple of cool vehicles. It was during his tenure that the Master (a rebel time lord like the Doc only with a megalomaniacal streak) was introduced. He is also the one who introduced the sonic screwdriver and Sarah Jane Smith.

Even though the various Doctors had their individual weird personality traits one thing they all shared was their intelligence and arrogant attitude.

[ToyMan]

doctor 3 was sort of fun, what with his car, and crazy clothing. his last episode "planet of the spiders" is a favorite of mine. was he the first doctor to pal around with the brigadere?

[ToyMan]

by the way, if anyone knows of a site where i can find episode guides with screen caps, or character pictures for EVERY 3rd, 4th, and 5th doctor episode, lemme know. outpost gallifrey is pretty good, but i wish they had more screen caps. gets the memory jogging.

[akiratubo]

The second Doctor,  Patrick Traughton (an excellent character actor), originated the sonic screwdirver and was the first to meet the Brigadier.

[trekgeezer]

The The Classic Dr.Who page on the BBC website has a lots of pictures and other information about the show.

Thanks for straightening me out on the sonic screwdriver thing akiraturbo.

By the way, Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon, Soldier, Dog Soldiers, Equilibrium) is the son of Jon Pertwee.

[akiratubo]

Sean Pertwee is almost as cool as his dad.

[Shadowphile]

An actual question from the original Trivial Pursuit game reads like this.



Q:  Who fought the Daleks?

A:  Exactly