6 Reasons to Love Doctor Who

Doctor Who is the greatest fandom to ever be created. Here are the many reasons why:

1. The Doctor, of course, must be number one. There are many sides to the Doctor. There is the best friend being shown to Amy and Rory, then there is the lover to Rose and Riversong, and there is the familial with Donna and Clara. Those are just the ones I grew up with. Obviously, the orginal Doctor Who played by William Hartnell showed us the true family man when he traveled with his grand-daughter. The Doctor showed his audience that there is more than one type of person, but he also displayed the concept of becoming a new person. The show calls this regeneration and each new Doctor brings those new personalities. However, at the end of each episode, fans are reminded that it is still the same doctor, just a different face.

2. The companions. Fans are taught to not be alone. To not let any one else be alone. We are taught to be kind, and it is a concept that is played out over and over again in every episode. But the companions also teach us of loss, and how to react. They teach us that it is okay, sometimes even necessary to let go. “It was sad, and it was beautiful.”

3. The villains. Even when they are trying to kill the Doctor and the companions, they are also trying to save the villains. In the first episode with Rose Tyler, Doctor Who number Nine played by Christopher Eccleston tries to negotiate with the Nestene Consciousness, but it wants revenge against the doctor too much. Even the Doctor’s former childhood friend, the Master, he cannot help but try to save over and over again. The Doctor teaches us to “kill our enemies with kindness”, as the saying goes. Everyone deserves a chance at redemption.Even if he fails to save the villain, he still manages to save someone. The Doctor wishes beyond anything that he could save everyone, but as Donna was piteously cries, “Just save someone.”

4. The history! I am a big fan of learning anything, or re-learning in some cases. Seeing historical moments and figures in action, and giving them some kind of context is fascinating. The blending of “what could have happened” and the real-life facts is so smooth, that more than one history teacher has had a student write about it in an essay at some point.

5. It’s clever! It teaches the audience to never accept just one outcome. That there could be hundred, thousands, or even just two, but never only one. Use your brains! Or as Clara would say, “Run, you clever boy, and remember.”

6. Mainly it’s exciting. The idea that a person can run away and have all kinds of adventures. It’s what every child dreams about. Instead of going to the circus, why not go to another planet? You can meet all kinds of people and be changed, hopefully for the better. Meet someone as great as Rosa Parks, or someone as loved like your own father. It doesn’t matter because the possibilities are endless.

At the end of the day, each episode brings a sense of wonder. Each new adventure brings a new longing and a round of bravery. Each person brings a new role model or a sense of belonging. Each time the Doctor Who theme some plays, or the TARDIS engine is wheezing, brings a new thought, a new concept, and a new idea. Shouldn’t all lines of entertainment be so encouraging, educational, and fun?