Doctor What?

So in the course of the last month or so, I've continually plopped down in front of the TV to catch up on this "Doctor Who" thing people are raving about. I've read up on the subject, perused Wikipedia entries for hours, and put all other TV shows on the back burner.

Suffice to say, I'm on board.

Now, being a Doctor Who rookie, I had to start from a good jumping-on point. The beginning of the 2005 series is perfect for this. My first Doctor was Christopher Eccleston. While he was only there for one season, he did a great job of pulling me in and getting me attached to the character. He was strange and quirky, and absolutely believable when he threw down the gauntlet and pulled the bad-ass card. I had heard great things about David Tennant, but I wanted to reserve judgement until I saw him. After all, Eccleston was my Doctor! My doubts instantly faded as soon as Tennant's season started. He was a brilliant Doctor. One thing he did well was portray this great sadness behind most of his actions. There was a long history of tragedy in his eyes, and every time he had to make a hard decision, his pain was believable. I knew Tennant would end up leaving, but I put it out of my mind and enjoyed his time as The Doctor. So when Tennant regenerated into Matt Smith, I was legitimately bummed. Smith had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, he fit in well and ended up being a great Doctor in his own right.

The series has a great crew of writers, and I've found plenty of favorite moments across all of the new seasons. Some may criticize the show for its use of techno-babble and deus ex machina, but in the setting of Doctor Who, it feels fine to me. The series is so fantastical, I don't waste time commenting on how "that could never happen," or "that made no sense." It just somehow works.

Another thing I love is the writer's attention to continuity. Things that are done and said matter for many episodes to come. I like it when a show makes you pay attention, because usually, the payoff for it is pretty ingenious.

I've just finished with Season 5, and I'm about to try and catch up with the current episodes. Overall, I love the show. It's entertaining, funny, and has some genuine heart. The characterization is far above most on television. It just makes me feel like a kid again, and that is never bad.

ABIDE

-Dru