Dr Who???

Well it’s the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who.  And if you are reading this you must have at least heard of the long-running BBC show.  I admit that I’m an intermittent watcher and remember the show mainly for its cheesy (now) earlier beginnings.  Here are some quick facts;  7 series, 798 episodes (97 missing*), 12 doctors (Peter Capaldi announced August 2013),  nearly 40 companions (male, female, robitc dog), 3 main adversaries are daleks (machine-type cyborgs), cybermen (cyborgs), and the Master (a Time Lord). 28 composers of music, 1 TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space), New Zealand was the first overseas country to air the programme (Sept 1964), currently more than 75 countries air the show, one of the top 5 grossing titles for BBC, 2 Dr Who films, Torchwood spin off – (anagram of Dr Who), fans known as Whovians. 

Basically the series traces the Doctor’s adventures throughout time and space. Presumably he is called “Doctor” because of his vast intelligence; though he has demonstrated medical knowledge.  He is an “alien” from the Planet Gallifrey but is part human. His ship/box the TARDIS has become a commonplace word for a place that is much larger inside than it is outside.  By his reckoning he is about 1200 years old (“A Town Called Mercy”); however, writers maintain he is about (900 years old) and is regenerated each time he dies;  each regeneration mirrors the time in which he is created.  

Taken from Wikipedia

But what most interests me is The Doctor.  He reflects the time in which he is created and his clothes closely mirror his personality.  Here’s a summary of the Drs so far

1	William Hartnell (63-66)	Edwardian dress, older	Stern, patronising, distant
2	Patrick Troughton (66-69)	Scruffy	Energetic, clever
3	Jon Pertwee (70-74)	Romantic, ruffled shirt, cape, dandy	Suave, Bondish, technophile, physical
4	Tom Baker (74-81)	Looooong scarf and hat	Unpredictable, off-beat humour, moral philosopher
5	Peter Davison (81-84)	Designer cricket gear. celery stick, question mark	Boyish, warm, team leader
6	Colin Baker (84-86)	Colourful coat of many colours/patterns	Outlandish, egotist, volatile
7	Sylvester McCoy (87-89)	Question mark vest & umbrella, upturned hat	Magician, showman, vaudevillian
8	Paul McGann (96-	Elegant, velvet coat	Amnesiac, kissable
9	Christopher Eccleston (2005)	Punkish/gothic; black jeans, leather jacket	Intense, darker, brooding,  suffering
10	David Tennant (05-10)	Popstar, long coat, pinstripe suite, askew tie, converse sneakers	Cheeky, humorous
11	Matt Smith	Bow tie, tweedy jackets, looks like contemp Sherlock	Brash, lively, violent, unaware, Machiavellian
12	Peter  Capaldi

Sue Perkins

There was much speculation about the possibility of a female doctor in 2013;  especially after a hint in “The Doctor’s Wife”.  Many celebrities/actors were postulated as contenders, Catherine Tate, Heather Peace, Billie Piper, Joanna Lumley, Helen Mirren, Sue Perkins, Tilda Swinton.  It’s interesting to note the breadth in ages—they would all bring something wonderful to the tole.  My personal favourite – Joanna Lumley….or what about Judi Dench?  Much of the speculation reveals more about the speculators and their conception of what is the essence of The Doctor – beauty, brains, brawn, personality, style?  As television is a visual medium, looks are important and so it's interesting to note that the females proposed are slim and attractive--how much is acting ability considered?  What about ethnicity - so far all of the doctors have been human, white and British.  It comes down to the writer's vision  of course – how will a female Doctor interpret the contemporary world and the Doctor’s/show’s philosophy?

Helen Mirren 

On that note I can’t resist ending with some of my fave quotes from the recent series

“We’re all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?”
“900 years of time and space, and I’ve never been slapped by someone’s mother.”
“You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!”

Cheers til next time,

Toni

*Aside: missing episodes:  97 of 253 of first 6 years missing (mainly years 1 and 2) when BBC wiped or destroyed