So there we were just outside Virginia City a few years ago, minding our own business, when I looked up and saw a big blue police box. Of course I had to check it out. It was locked, but i can tell you it was bigger on the inside than on the outside.
I only know that because I’m a Whovian. You know, a fan of Doctor Who, the iconic British sci-fi TV show. Of course there are fans and then there are FANS, the ones who go to Comic-Con dressed up like Clara Oswald or River Song and get their pictures taken with Amy and Rory, River Song and The Doctor. I may or may not have someone in my family who is a FAN. I’m only a lower-case fan, but I still consider myself a Whovian, because I do love the Doctor.
A long time ago in a Gallifrey far, far away…
Doctor Who is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels through time and space in a blue police call box known as the TARDIS (which stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space). Since The Doctor is a time traveler, the TARDIS appears, disappears, and reappears at will and as needed in its travels through the universe. It occasionally makes me think of the faithful horse in the old Westerns who came to the rescue when the cowboy hero whistled. The TARDIS has come to the rescue of the Doctor and companions many, many times in many, many dimensions.
Since the TARDIS we came across was empty, apparently the Doctor and his companions were off saving the universe. Unfortunately we didn’t run across them. But obviously they were successful, because we are still here.
Back in the day…
Richard and I watched the old iteration—or should I say regeneration—of Doctor Who on PBS in the 80s, and got to know The Doctor. Our Doctor then was Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor, with his trademark curls, hat, and long striped scarf. He’s the one who went back in time to try to prevent the creation of the Daleks—too bad he didn’t succeed!
PBS didn’t broadcast the series when it originally aired across the pond, so we were watching reruns by the time it made it to America. Not that it makes any difference because of the whole timey-wimey business. The show was a little cheesy, a lot campy, and had special effects that made you groan. And we didn’t know that we were watching the inception of a television phenomenon.
And then it happened…
Somewhere along the line the show just disappeared like the TARDIS, as far as we were concerned. As it happened, America had stopped broadcasting the show, for reasons unknown, before the BBC cancelled it in 1989 after 26 seasons….
The next time we heard of it was decades later when one of our daughters discovered what turned out to be new episodes of the old series. She was immediately hooked. The show had been regenerated in 2005, after 16 years.
She got us watching it again, and we rediscovered what was now becoming a cult classic. Everything was sleeker, the plots were tighter, the alien villains were creepier, and the special effects were more…well…special. And I became a Whovian. The level of involvement in the new series felt different than the awkward entertainment of the original. I’d missed a few Doctors along the way, but was able to catch up eventually. Binge watching is a thing.
Our daughter was also thrilled to come home from college and find the door to her bedroom had become a door into the TARDIS. The foldable “door” I made has moved thousands of miles with her as she’s traveled through time and space. It’s pretty cool, if I do say so myself! 😏
Proud to be a Whovian
Richard and I feel pretty smug about the fact that we discovered the show way back when. We were Whovians before Whovians were Whovians. Back before Doctor Who became something you invited your friends over to watch and delighted in introducing to non-Whovians. Clearly we were cool and “with it.” We were just quirky enough to find it entertaining. But we didn’t share it with our friends, because at the time it was also a little… weird.
The “new” show, while retaining the premise, the regenerations, and the Daleks of the original (well actually the ORIGINAL original was a kid’s show in Britain), has a bit more style and flair. And everyone has their favorite Doctor. “My” Doctor, and my husband’s, is the 11th Doctor, Matt Smith, and his companion Clara was our favorite. Our daughter’s is the 10th, David Tennant.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m very impressed that you’ve made it this far in the post.
Let me explain…
Doctor Who is a classic tale of good versus evil, and the adventures shared by the Doctor and his (or her) companions are in turn fun, campy, heartening, chilling, poignant, and downright heartbreaking. But good always overcomes evil, and I like that about the show.
The Master is terrifying, and the weeping angels are the stuff of nightmares, but The Doctor has courage. It just takes a word or two to elicit strong memories of epic episodes: “Sonic screwdriver.” “Bad wolf.” “Don’t blink.” “The Silence.” “Fezzes are cool!” “The girl in the fireplace.” “The crack in the universe.” “Run, you clever boy.” “Hello, Sweetie.”
Who can forget saying goodbye to Donna with our hearts breaking to know she would never remember her Doctor? Will we ever get over the tragic departure of Amy and Rory and their eternal love story? And how many of us are willing to admit that we cried with Vincent Van Gogh in the art gallery? Also, wouldn’t you just love to get a peek at River’s Tardis-blue diary? “Spoilers.”
Okay, it can’t really be explained
Actually, it is nigh-unto impossible to explain the show. It takes watching a few episodes even to begin to get a handle on it, and every few seasons most of the major stars change because…regeneration. It sometimes takes a minute to accept and adjust to the new Doctor. While the Doctor is the same person inside and always remembers the past regenerations and what has happened during his or her 900-year (and counting) lifetime, each new incarnation has unique quirks, clothing styles, and personalities, while retaining the basic nature of The Doctor.
It’s everywhere!
It’s fun to see the impact Doctor Who has on sometimes unexpected things and people. For instance, I play Words with Friends on my phone, and I was bummed but not surprised that they didn’t accept Daleks as a word. Except now they do! Affirmation of the inevitability of The Doctor in cultural literacy.
Related post: 21 Tips to Stay Inspired During 2021
I was in Bible class one Wednesday night when the preacher (whose daughter may or may not wear the TARDIS to church occasionally) was projecting his computer screen for the class. When he paused in using it, his screen saver came on and I was completely startled and distracted to see the crack in the universe! I think he was equally surprised that I knew what it was, when I mentioned it after class. He’s just a young whippersnapper, and I think he assumed I was not cool enough (or young enough?) to be a Whovian. Ha! I did surreptitiously check his arms for tally marks (reference to the Silence), but there were none. Whew!
The Doctor Who seasons—or series, as the Brits call them—are usually short and sweet. Their broadcast schedule is also unpredictable (and was even before everything became unpredictable with COVID). You sometimes have to wait a year or more for the next series (season) to air. That’s tough for a hard-core FAN.
Come back, Doctor!
But all true Whovians follow the intel to know when the next episodes will be shown. BBC famously has broadcast Christmas specials simultaneously all over the world. The producers have even premiered a few episodes in theaters. And fans generally welcome each new regeneration with excitement, often tempered by a bittersweet farewell to the outgoing Doctor.
The Doctor inspires me and makes me feel hopeful. I know, he’s not real and neither are the Daleks, thank goodness. Or the Silence. I hope. Or the weeping angels, although angelic statues sometimes give me the heebie jeebies now. But having a hero with two hugely compassionate and caring hearts is sometimes just what The Doctor ordered.
Never be cruel. Never be cowardly. Remember, hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.
-the 12th Doctor
If you ever see the TARDIS (even if it’s in disguise), why don’t you use the inspiration from The Doctor and go thank a real doctor who is the hero of your story. You don’t even have to travel through space and time to do that. But whatever you do, don’t blink. 😉
Which Doctor is your Doctor? Let me know in the comments! And sign up below if you want to get more good stuff via email!