Geeks logo

Doctor Who

Supernatural and Stargate SG-1 may hold the consecutive longest-running sci-fi record but Doctor Who is over 50 years old, boasts over three times the number of episodes and is an all-time favourite.

By Sapphire RavenclawPublished 7 years ago 4 min read
Like
Time and Relative Dimension in Space. The iconic blue box known as the TARDIS. Photo courtesy of Chanel Beck

“Never knowingly be serious.” Great advice from one of the oldest and newest favourite characters of science fiction. The Doctor is an alien. A Time Lord, in fact, from a planet called Gallifrey who travels through time and space in his iconic blue box, the TARDIS.

History of Doctor Who

He hit the nation’s television screens on Saturday, 23rd November 1963, and the first episode was shown again, a week later, immediately before episode 2, due to the breaking news and extended coverage of John F. Kennedy's assassination being blamed for BBC believing that viewers had missed the introduction to this new show. Played by William Hartnell, the First Doctor had a granddaughter, schoolgirl Susan, with whom he travelled.

The Doctor has been played by 13 different actors (although it continues to be debated as to where other versions outside of these 13 fit in). The Doctor is always the same man and is reintroduced with each new actor through regeneration. Instead of dying, a Time Lord's body replenishes - the same man with the same thoughts, feelings, memories, but with a new body and a different personality. As David Tennant's 10th Doctor described just before his regeneration, "Even if I change, it feels like dying. Everything I am dies. Some new man goes sauntering away. And I’m dead."

One of the many joys of watching Doctor Who is the process of watching the transition and of seeing the Doctor develop and learn about himself with each regeneration.

A Brief Resurgence

After a hiatus of 7 years, a made for TV film was made starring Paul McGann as the eighth incarnation of the Doctor. The ratings were a success in the UK but not in the US so another series did not go ahead until 9 more years later when, in 2005, Christopher Eccleston became the 9th Doctor, with Billie Piper starring as his companion, Rose Tyler.

Successful Resurrection of Doctor Who

Visitors to Cardiff's Doctor Who Experience have fun in a TARDIS photo booth

The 2005 series was a success and now, more than 50 years since it first aired, Doctor Who has its own cult following. It has spawned two major spin-offs (Torchwood, with flirty Captain Jack Harkness played by Scottish-American John Barrowman, and The Sarah Jane Adventures which starred the late Elisabeth Sladen as journalist Sarah Jane Smith. Smith had previously travelled with the 3rd and 4th Doctors, played by Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, respectively). A short-lived cartoon (K-9, about the Doctor's robot dog), as well as countless audios and fanfiction, have also resulted from this timeless classic. There is a plethora of websites and social media pages dedicated to the show, the characters, monsters, and even the language of the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey.

The Doctor spends most of his time with a companion or two, traversing time and space, meeting aliens, and visiting new worlds. The intention is for adventure but the Doctor regularly finds himself in trouble, having to save planets or to make impossible choices.

Many characters are lost but others return, sometimes in mysterious or unexpected ways. Series 10 of the modern era shows what new companion, Bill (Pearl Mackie) can bring and how she fits in with Peter Capaldi's grumpy old man portrayal of the Doctor in his 12th incarnation. Capaldi has said “I don’t think [the Doctor] was grumpy [in Season 8], he just can’t be bothered with dull human beings and their concerns."

The Doctor and his companions come face to face with many enemies, such as the Daleks, seen originally in the very first series, a race of mechanical creatures created by elite scientist Davros on the planet Skaro. These aliens, along with Cybermen, Zygons, and The Master, have met the Doctor again in the new Doctor Who era. There have also been many friends and the latest series has seen comedian Matt Lucas reprise his role as Nardole, first seen in 2015's Christmas episode entitled 'The Husbands of River Song', which also saw Alex Kingston return as the formidable River Song.

The resurrection of Doctor Who has gleaned this wonderful sci-fi a whole new generation of fans. As a family show, it brings together geeks of all ages to share in its magic, hopefully for generations to come.

pop culturetvsuperheroes
Like

About the Creator

Sapphire Ravenclaw

I am, among other things, a freelance writer and mother. I enjoy writing poetry and articles. Currently, much of my spare time is spent working on a book about Paganism (one of many subjects which interests me).

More of me:

WordPress

My Poetry

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.