5 Reasons Why You Should Watch Doctor Who
Details- Details
- Category: Idiot Box
- Published on Friday, 09 September 2011 04:00
- Written by Ade Magnaye
I know, Doctor Who is one of the oldest and biggest sci-fi franchises ever and jumping into almost 50 years of continuity is going to hard to follow. Or maybe you just don't know what the heck is going on. Worry not, because I'm here to help you discover the most awesome parts of Doctor Who and why you should watch it.
1) The Doctor
The show revolves around him. He's the Doctor, for crying out loud! He is a Time Lord, an alien race from the planet Gallifrey. Time Lords have the power to travel through time and space, and this is what he does. Unlike the rest of his race, though, he blatantly disregards their rules against non-interference by saving lives left and right. Oh, have I mentioned that he's also a the last of his kind? A great time war wiped out his race, and he's left floating alone in space. Imagine how that can screw over one's mind. He's a mad man with a box, and he's well-loved for it.
2) The TARDIS
Doctor Who is a show about time travel, and any discussion about it is impossible without mentioning the TARDS. The TARDIS is the Doctor's time machine, and it helps him jump from one point in time to another. It's shaped like an old Police Box from the 60's, but it's bigger on the inside. The Doctor stole the TARDIS from a junkshop. It's an old, old Type 40 TARDIS and is prone to breaking down. As a consequence, the Doctor often ends up far away where - and when - he wants to be. But he loves that time machine so much. And the TARDIS has showed so many times that she (yes, it's alive) loves him back, so the "getting lost in time and space thing" is cool.
3) The Sonic Screwdriver
The Doctor's tool of choice, the sonic screwdriver. It can do whatever he wants to, like defuse bombs, unlock doors, get radiation readings, shoot down enemies, blow up stuff, and all those things. Yes, it's a deus ex machina of sorts, just don't use it on wood. It doesn't work on wood. The sonic screwdriver's a scumbag that way.
4) Regeneration
So you're wondering why and how the show managed to become one of the longest-running televison franchises while focused on a singular character, here's the secret to its longetivity: the Doctor regenerates. Saving lives can be a dangerous task, and the Doctor, badass motherfucker that he is, isn't immune to getting hurt - sometimes even to the point of death. But here's a trick the Gallifreyans have - at the moment of death, all his cells renew and he changes into a different body. But the process of regeneration has a price - he becomes a totally different person. New body, new personality, new personality quirks. He becomes a new person, only with the memories and experiences of the previous Doctor who died.
5) The Companions
What, you expect the Doctor to bounce around time and space alone? The TARDIS is huge and the space inside it is almost infinite, there's no reason to drag somebody along for the ride, right? The Doctor's a badass old man, who else should he take for a ride other than hot, young, female companions? Yes, the show is full of eye candy, and if that's your thing, that's more than enough reason to keep on watching Doctor Who.
I hope that's more than enough reason for you to watch this great, great British sci-fi show. If you feel that catching up on 50 years of history is a daunting task, don't worry - I've written a beginner's guide to Doctor Who a few months back, and it should get you up to speed.
What are you waiting for? Go and watch Doctor Who, now!
Ade Magnaye is obsessed with Doctor Who and Batman. As in really obsessed. Make fun of him over at his blog at Noisy, Noisy Man and his comic book blog at Comicgasm.
Get fed!