Post by Fleur-de-lys on Apr 26, 2006 13:31:06 GMT -5
So what is it?
Doctor Who is a british Sci-Fi show that started airing first in 1963. The BBC produced 26 seasons until it was cancelled in the Eighties. 2005 BBC finally started airing a new series, which was an immediate hit, gaining audience figures of up to 40%.
Wait, so I have to catch up on 26 seasons!?
Nononono! There's absolutely no basic knowledge about the show necessary to understand it!
Alright, so what's it about?
Basically, it's about a 900 year old time traveller called "The Doctor" who explores time and space with his companions, fighting evil. (This often leads to the Dialogue: 'Who are you.'- 'The Doctor.' - 'Doctor Who?' which gave the show it's name.)
The Doctor is a renegade Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. The Time Lords are what you could call the elite of this planet and they can regenerate 12 times, which made it possible to have(until now) 10 different actors playing the Doctor, with each of his incarnations having their own quirks and abilities.
While the laws of Gallifrey forbid 'meddling' in time, it's what he does all. the. time. His time machine (here the time machines are called TARDIS, that's Time and Relative Dimension in Space) is much larger on the inside than on the outside, and is stuck in the shape of a 1950s-style British police box. It's much bigger on the inside than on the outside, and can travel through time, space and dimensions, but often doesn't quite land where he wants it to.
With this basic premise, one episode can be a ghost hunting romp with Charles Dickens, the next can be the end of the world in the year 5 billion or sightseeing in the year 200000, which gives the show endless plot possibilities.
To get rid of the back story ballast that Gallifrey could be, the 2005 series started with the premise that the Doctor's home planet was destroyed in the Time War, leaving him as the last Time Lord, and giving him an edgier, guilt-ridden character. Until now, it is not planned to return Gallifrey to the series.
Despite his shifts in personality, the Doctor has always remained an intensely curious and highly moral adventurer, who would rather solve problems with his wits and sonic screwdriver than through violence, which differentiates him from the typical action heroes. In the 2005 series which is currently being aired on SciFi, the Doctor is played by Christopher Eccleston.
The ten faces of the Doctor. Clockwise from top-left: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.
The Doctor almost always travels with companions, who give the audience a connection to the adventure.
In series 1 of the new show, the Doctor is played by Christopher Eccleston:
In the 2005 series, his companion is Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), a 19 year-old London shop girl, living in a council flat with her mum, who is bored to death by her life when she meets the Doctor, who, to safe the world, blows up her work place. After she assists him to safe the world, she joins him on the travels in the Tardis, but the story often returns to Rose's past life, with many stories taking place in modern day London.
Another companion from the 2005 series, who joins the Tardis crew for 5 episodes, is Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman).
Quote from Wikipedia:
"A time traveller and confidence trickster from the 51st century, he first appeared in the episode The Empty Child and remained for the rest of the 2005 series as the third known companion of the Ninth Doctor. He is also the first clearly bisexual companion.
A charming rogue who seems to flirt with everyone he meets, Jack had many adventures through time and space on his own before he began to travel with the Doctor. He was a Time Agent for a period, possibly the origin of his claimed rank of "Captain" (which is not a rank in the Royal Air Force). "
He is also the first Doctor Who character to appear naked on screen, in the episode Bad Wolf, alas discreetly shielded by strategically placed props.
In 2006 production started for Captain Jacks own show, called Torchwood, which is centered around a team of Alien investigators in modern day Cardiff (a bit like X-Files) and is aimed at a solely adult audience. Captain Jacks character is set to return to DW in the third series.
At the end of the first series of 2005, David Tennant (known to some for his portrayal of Barty Crouch Jr. in the 4th HP movie) took over from Eccleston for the second series, which is currently airing on BBC.
Alright, I'm interested. Where can I watch this frankly amazing show?
For all the Americans, it's on Sci-Fi channel every friday at 8 PM.
If you are somewhere else, check this guide to see if the show is currently available for you: This Week in Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a british Sci-Fi show that started airing first in 1963. The BBC produced 26 seasons until it was cancelled in the Eighties. 2005 BBC finally started airing a new series, which was an immediate hit, gaining audience figures of up to 40%.
Wait, so I have to catch up on 26 seasons!?
Nononono! There's absolutely no basic knowledge about the show necessary to understand it!
Alright, so what's it about?
Basically, it's about a 900 year old time traveller called "The Doctor" who explores time and space with his companions, fighting evil. (This often leads to the Dialogue: 'Who are you.'- 'The Doctor.' - 'Doctor Who?' which gave the show it's name.)
The Doctor is a renegade Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. The Time Lords are what you could call the elite of this planet and they can regenerate 12 times, which made it possible to have(until now) 10 different actors playing the Doctor, with each of his incarnations having their own quirks and abilities.
Do you know like they are saying, about the Earth revolving? It's like when you're a kid the first time they tell you that the world's turning, and you just can't quite believe it, because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the Sun at 67,000 miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go... That's who I am. Now forget me, Rose Tyler. Go home.
While the laws of Gallifrey forbid 'meddling' in time, it's what he does all. the. time. His time machine (here the time machines are called TARDIS, that's Time and Relative Dimension in Space) is much larger on the inside than on the outside, and is stuck in the shape of a 1950s-style British police box. It's much bigger on the inside than on the outside, and can travel through time, space and dimensions, but often doesn't quite land where he wants it to.
With this basic premise, one episode can be a ghost hunting romp with Charles Dickens, the next can be the end of the world in the year 5 billion or sightseeing in the year 200000, which gives the show endless plot possibilities.
To get rid of the back story ballast that Gallifrey could be, the 2005 series started with the premise that the Doctor's home planet was destroyed in the Time War, leaving him as the last Time Lord, and giving him an edgier, guilt-ridden character. Until now, it is not planned to return Gallifrey to the series.
"You think it'll last forever, the people and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day it's all gone, even the sky. My planets gone. It's dead. It burned like the earth. It's just rocks and dust. Before it's time."
-What happened?
"There was a war and we lost."
-A war with who? What about your people?
"I'm a Time lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left traveling on my own 'cause there's no one else...."
-There's me.
-What happened?
"There was a war and we lost."
-A war with who? What about your people?
"I'm a Time lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left traveling on my own 'cause there's no one else...."
-There's me.
Despite his shifts in personality, the Doctor has always remained an intensely curious and highly moral adventurer, who would rather solve problems with his wits and sonic screwdriver than through violence, which differentiates him from the typical action heroes. In the 2005 series which is currently being aired on SciFi, the Doctor is played by Christopher Eccleston.
The ten faces of the Doctor. Clockwise from top-left: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.
The Doctor almost always travels with companions, who give the audience a connection to the adventure.
In series 1 of the new show, the Doctor is played by Christopher Eccleston:
In the 2005 series, his companion is Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), a 19 year-old London shop girl, living in a council flat with her mum, who is bored to death by her life when she meets the Doctor, who, to safe the world, blows up her work place. After she assists him to safe the world, she joins him on the travels in the Tardis, but the story often returns to Rose's past life, with many stories taking place in modern day London.
I've got no A-Levels, no job, no future... but I tell ya what I have got - Jericho Street Junior School - Under Sevens Gymnastic Team - I got the Bronze!
Another companion from the 2005 series, who joins the Tardis crew for 5 episodes, is Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman).
Quote from Wikipedia:
"A time traveller and confidence trickster from the 51st century, he first appeared in the episode The Empty Child and remained for the rest of the 2005 series as the third known companion of the Ninth Doctor. He is also the first clearly bisexual companion.
A charming rogue who seems to flirt with everyone he meets, Jack had many adventures through time and space on his own before he began to travel with the Doctor. He was a Time Agent for a period, possibly the origin of his claimed rank of "Captain" (which is not a rank in the Royal Air Force). "
He is also the first Doctor Who character to appear naked on screen, in the episode Bad Wolf, alas discreetly shielded by strategically placed props.
- "Am I naked in front of millions of viewers?"
- Absolutely.
- "Ladies, your viewing figures just went up."
- Absolutely.
- "Ladies, your viewing figures just went up."
In 2006 production started for Captain Jacks own show, called Torchwood, which is centered around a team of Alien investigators in modern day Cardiff (a bit like X-Files) and is aimed at a solely adult audience. Captain Jacks character is set to return to DW in the third series.
At the end of the first series of 2005, David Tennant (known to some for his portrayal of Barty Crouch Jr. in the 4th HP movie) took over from Eccleston for the second series, which is currently airing on BBC.
Alright, I'm interested. Where can I watch this frankly amazing show?
For all the Americans, it's on Sci-Fi channel every friday at 8 PM.
If you are somewhere else, check this guide to see if the show is currently available for you: This Week in Doctor Who