Rumors are flying that the new Doctor Who , Matt Smith, will be traveling in a completely redesigned TARDIS.  “It will be the most hi-tech, intricate TARDIS ever,” an unnamed source reported to the Daily Mirror on Tuesday.  It has also been rumored that Steven Moffat, the show’s new writer and executive producer, wants to separate himself from the way previous writer/producer Russell T Davies did things.  A new Doctor, a new companion, a new writer/producer  and a new TARDIS…so what’s next?

The Changing Look of the TARDIS

The article states that the big brass in the BBC have given permission to redo the interior as well as the exterior of the TARDIS.  It’s quoted as describing it as “a radical new look”.  This fills me with both excitement and dread.  It’s great to hear that the show’s progressing, continuing to grow.  That is a good indicator of the faith the BBC put it in.  As well as a hopeful sign for many more seasons of Doctor Who to come.  And yet, I worry. 

The console of the First Doctor's TARDIS

The TARDIS is an enduring symbol of Doctor Who.  That big blue box has been there since the very first episode.  It’s exterior has changed only a little through the Doctor’s ups and downs of the past forty five years.  I hope that it will remain basically untouched. I would hate to see them fiddle around or modernize what to me is an icon.

On the other hand, the interior has changed, for the better and worse, many times during that period.  I can plainly remember some of the more disturbing TARDIS console changes from the past, such as the Sixth Doctor Colin Baker’s blinding white, 80′s music video console room or the erector set version used for the Eighth Doctor Paul McGann’s movie .  Memories of them make me shudder.

Other Changes on the Horizon

The Eighth Doctor's TARDIS

The upcoming season of Doctor Who promises many changes. With Steven Moffat taking the helm, a new Doctor in the form of Matt Smith and a newly redesigned TARDIS, what else can we expect to change. I’m wondering about the intro. The opening and music, like the interior of the TARDIS, have changed many times in the past. I really like the current title sequence. It’s been updated a bit but still has some of the old Doctor Who flair. I am looking forward to see what Moffat does with it this time. If you’d like to check out some of the old opening title sequences from past Doctor Who’s, check this out.

The Fifth Doctor's console

There’s also the question of a new companion. Rose is gone. Donna is incapacitated. Nothing definite has been released to the press but the rumors are flying. Everyone from Georgina Moffett, who played the Doctor’s daughter in last season’s The Doctor’s Daughter, to Michelle Ryan, former Bionic Woman star who is starring in the Doctor Who Easter Special. It’s impossible to say at this point. Unlike the changes to the TARDIS, Moffat’s keeping mum about this one.

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the new season of Doctor Who. The potential changes only pique my interest. Despite the specials that we have to look forward to in the coming year, 2010 seems a long way off. Until then, I’ll do my best to keep you informed on all the newest Doctor Who news. Oh, and the first installment of my in depth look at the past Doctors is coming soon. It all begins with William Hartnell.  So check back soon…

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Who is Doctor Who?

  At over 900 years of age, he has worn many faces, traveled with a variety of different companions and battled a cornucopia of villains.  Since 1963, the role of Doctor Who has been played by ten, soon to be eleven, different actors on television.  A twelfth actor, Peter Cushing, portrayed the Doctor in two cinematic films.  Each of these actors has molded the character a little bit, making it their own.  Each of these Doctors has been unique and special in their own way.  Every fan has their personal favorite.  I would like to spend the next few weeks exploring each Doctor individually.
 

The First Ten Doctors

Being cast in this role has been both a blessing and a curse to the men who have portrayed Doctor Who.  And each has had a profound effect on the role, in turn.   I will be profiling each Doctor individually.  For each Doctor, starting with William Hartnell, there will be a brief description of the Doctor and what makes each one stand out from the pack.  Then we will explore the ongoing issues between Doctor Who and the BBC.  Each post will also highlight some of the more memorable episodes from that particular Doctor and of course, their companions. 

I hope these profiles will help new viewers and fans become more familiar with some of the older Doctors that they have yet to discover.  They will also allow those of us who have followed the Doctor’s escapades for many years to remember both our favorite episodes as well as our favorite Doctor.  So stayed tuned.  William Hartnell will begin our journey through time.  Hurry back to see how it all begin.

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It’s official…David Tennant has announced that he will be leaving Doctor Who following the filming of four specials in 2009.  After three and a half years, Tennant will say goodbye to the TARDIS. 

Rumors have been circulating for months regarding Tennant’s possible departure from the BBC program but now it’s been confirmed. You can check out his official announcement, made while accepting the award for Outstanding Drama Performance at National Television Awards, here. Tennant was quoted by the BBC as saying,

“I’ve had the most brilliant, bewildering and life changing time working on Doctor Who. I have loved every day of it. It would be very easy to cling on to the TARDIS console forever and I fear that if I don’t take a deep breath and make the decision to move on now, then I simply never will. You would be prising the TARDIS key out of my cold dead hand. This show has been so special to me, I don’t want to outstay my welcome.”

The start of the fifth season of Doctor Who will bring many changes. First and foremost, a new Doctor. Also, Russell T Davies will be turning over helm of the program to Steven Moffat. Questions abound on the direction the show will take. And now, even more questions linger in the air as to who will take on the role of Eleventh Doctor. Since the final four specials featuring Tennant will air in 2009, and season 5 not beginning until the following, it will be sometime before his successor will actually take the role of the Doctor.

I, personally, am sad to see David Tennant go. I was initially resistant to his portrayal of Doctor Who but I have grown to love his trademark mixture of impish playfulness and haunted melancholy. The new Doctor will have some big shoes to fill, in my opinion. And so, it is with a sad heart that I say goodbye to the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant. To paraphrase the Master, “A cosmos without David Tennant as the Doctor scarcely bares thinking about.” But somehow, we must manage.

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According to a recent article in Great Britian’s infamous paper, The Sun, Patrick Stewart has agreed to a role in next season’s Doctor Who series.

As reported by The Sun, Stewart, best known as captain Jean-Luc Picard of television’s Star Trek The Next Generation, is a long time fan of Doctor Who. After appearing with the current Doctor, David Tennant, on stage in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Hamlet, Stewart and Tennant have reportedly become friends. Tennant reportedly suggested Stewart should appear on Doctor Who with him. The role planned for Stewart is that of a renegade Time Lord known as the Meddling Monk. The character was first seen in the series in the 1960′s.

Nothing is set in stone but talks are continuing between BBC officials and Stewart’s agent. Patrick Stewart would be a wonderful addition to the current cast of Doctor Who so I remain hopeful that this is more than just a rumor. I’ll keep you informed!

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Not long ago I was directed to a Doctor Who goodie that many of the American viewers may have missed.  Last November, as part of the BBC Children In Need telethon 2007, aired a wonderful mini-episode of Doctor Who titled Time Crash. 


 
Time Crash was a comedic skit for BBC viewers that bridged the last episode of Season 3′s Last of the Timelords and the beginning of the 2007Christmas Special Voyage of the Damned. The mini-episode depicts a chance encounter between the tenth Doctor David Tennant and the fifth, Peter Davison. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly recommend it. You can find it here.

This delightful and funny exchange between the two Doctors ends with a sentimental comment from Tennant’s Doctor,

“You know, I loved being you. Back when I first started, at the very beginning, I was always trying to be old and grumpy and important—like you do, when you’re young. And then I was you, and it was all dashing about and playing cricket and my voice going all squeaky when I shouted. I still do that, the voice thing, I got that from you. Oh, and the trainers. And… [putting his glasses on] snap! You know what, Doctor? You were my Doctor.”

This simple, heart-felt sentiment started me thinking.  Who was MY Doctor?  We all have one.  Which one is yours?  Which one personifies all that is great about Doctor Who?  Which one first captured your heart by opening up his magical world of wonder and time to you?  In my next post, I’ll share MY Doctor with you.  I hope you’ll give it some thought and share yours with me as well.

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Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one. – Friedrich Nietzsche

     Humans instinctively fear that which we do not understand, that which is different. We fear the dark because we don’t know what might be lurking out there, waiting and watching. This fear has kept us alive for millienia. It is this fear that takes center stage in Midnight, the latest episode of Doctor Who to air on the SciFi Channel. Trapped on a disabled cruise liner during a daytrip to the crystalline planet Midnight, fear of the unknown grows into a deadly paranoia that threatens the life of the Doctor as well as another passenger.

The following recap contains spoilers.

Things that go bump in the night…

     Midnight is a terse, psychological drama, reminiscent of old school television series like Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. It examines the monsters that creep around in the darkness as well those that lie deep within all of us. Except for brief moments at the beginning and end of the episode, the action takes places completely within the confines of a small space shuttle carrying the Doctor and six other passengers to the Sapphire Waterfall of planet Midnight. A crystalline planet that orbits so close to it’s sun that direct exposure would vaporize all living creatures within seconds. Due to this extreme environment, the shuttle travels in complete blindness. Unable to view the planet around them, the passengers turn to each other for a means to alleviate the boredom of the four hour trip. After a change in course and unexpected mechanical problems, the cruiser stalls. A brief glimpse of a shadow moving towards the ship, followed by a series of unexplained knocks eminating from outside the vessel, leaves the group shaken. As the action intensifies, fear and paranoia slowly takes control of each rational mind except the Doctor. The small group slowly turn on one of their own. When the doctor attempts to reason with them, they turn on him as well. Suddenly, the Doctor’s sonic screw driver and psychic paper are useless to him. Even his clever mind can’t help him. For once, the Doctor is helpless.

Here there be monsters…

     This episode lacks the special effects and dazzling aliens that have become the hallmark of the Doctor Who episodes of late. But it makes up for that by focusing on the characters. It begins slowly, allowing the viewer to meet each of the passengers individually. The dysfunctional Cane family – Biff, Val and their rebellious, goth son Jethro are the typical middle class family. In the beginning they are friendly and interested in the other passengers but when things begin to go wrong, they are quick to alienate the mysteriously stricken Mrs. Silvestry. Professor Hobbes and his student/assistant Dee Dee are traveling together to study the Sapphire Waterfall. Professor Hobbes considers himself an authority on Midnight. (An interesting side note: Professor Hobbes character is played David Troughton, the son of the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton) Mrs. Sky Silvestry is a single woman traveling alone. She keeps separate from the other passengers in the beginning, chatting briefly only with the Doctor. The Doctor and an hostess, a stewardess of sorts for the shuttle company, round out the party.

In the end…

     After an uneventful beginning, the small group find themselves trapped, alone in the darkness, awaiting rescue by the company. When a presence from outside moves among them, they begin to panic. Their slow descent into paranoia is remarkably well written. The unknown that mocks them wearing the face of Sky Silvestry is too much. As their fear rises, the vestiges of humanity fall slowly away. It demonstrates how, when removed from the touchstones of our civilized lives, humans can quickly dissolve to their more primitive state. Their fear and panic triggers a desperate survival instinct. Except for the doctor, it would be easy to see them standing in front of the cave, throwing stone at the darkness. This episode is deceptively quiet and a bit different from we’ve come to expect of the current Doctor Who series. It would be easy to dismiss it a a filler episode. But things are not what they seem on the surface. The ending doesn’t tie itself up in a neat little bundle. Questions remain. Midnight will linger with you long after the closing credits roll.

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      The past week has been a wild time for Doctor Who fans in Great Britain.  Following a week of frenzied publicity and rumors, a record breaking number of viewers tuned in for the season finale on Saturday night.  The highly anticipated episode, Journey’s End, was the end of a two parter that is reported to be both exciting and shocking.  The unofficial numbers ranked this episode as one of the highest rated ever on the BBC Saturday nights.  Drawing in over 9 million viewers, it’s estimated that this episode attracted 45.9% of the total British television audience.  That means that nearly half of the people watching television on Saturday, were watching the season finale of Doctor Who.  Further figures indicate that after the episode ended, BBC 1 lost 5 million viewers  These impressive numbers will hopefully help ensure the series continued production for quite some time. 

     The question is will star David Tennant be along for the ride?  Rumors are also running rampant that David Tennant intends to retire from the role of the Doctor and that the BBC has already approached Trainspotting star Robert Carlyle as a possible replacement.  Nothing has been confirmed as Tennant continues to remain vague on whether he will return to the role of The Doctor beyond 2009.  But the controversy raises an interesting question. How many times can the role be recast?  How many times can the Doctor be regenerated?

 Ready, Set…Regenerate!

      Gallifreyan Time Lords, such as Doctor Who, can regenerate when they become old or are facing death.  This plot device was inserted into the Doctor Who series back in 1966 when the actor who played first Doctor, William Hartnell, began facing health problems of his own.  It has been used nine times now to recast the role and invigorate the series.  In the beginning it was referred to as “renewal”  It wasn’t until the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, transformed into the fourth, Tom Baker, that it was called regeneration. It was explained to fans, via the show, that the process of regeneration changed not only the Doctor’s physical form but his personality as well.  But there are limits to this Time Lord ability.    According to the Doctor, a Time Lord can only regenerate thirteen times.  After that, he is mortal and subject to the same limitations of a human.  He will grow old and he will eventually die. 

Unlucky Thirteen…
    
There have been instances of Time Lords cheating this unlucky 13 rule though.  The Master, the Doctor’s nemesis, has regenerated himself numerous times.  Over the course of the series, he has possessed the bodies of other species as well as having been granted further regenerations by the High council of the Time Lords in exchange for his help.  The last time being during the infamous Time War between the Daleks and the Time Lords. 

Turn and Face the Strange Changes… 
    
So the question remains, how many times can the role of Doctor Who be recast?  I am confident that when faced with the fourteenth Doctor, the writers will come up with an inventive way to circumnavigate this rule.  In the meantime, I hope that the series will continue with the tenth and current Doctor Who, David Tennant, for awhile longer.  I was uncertain about his ability to capture the magic and the wonder of Doctor Who when he was originally cast but his performance has swayed me.  He is a truly wonderful Doctor Who and I hope he will remain in the role for several more seasons at least.  But if not, there’s always regeneration. 

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Keep out of the shadows and avoid spoilers. This is good advice coming from the latest two part Doctor Who episodes, “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead”. In these episodes the Doctor and Donna encounter creatures so deadly, the best advice he has is to run. From a man as resourceful as the Doctor, this is a very bad sign.

SPOILERS…

Who turned out the lights? Who is Professor River Song? How well does she know the Doctor? A former lover or even a wife, perhaps? Who is the little girl and Dr. Moon? And who or what is Cal? What about the 4022 souls saved? What does this mean? What is waiting in the shadows? What is ghosting? So many questions….and I can’t give away any spoilers.

These episodes are all about spoilers. It begins with the Doctor not wanting to give Donna any spoilers as they land at the Library, the universe’s largest library. A planet sized library housing every book ever written. A library that is unusually quiet. Donna and the Doctor find the sprawling archive completely absent of life…or is it?

CROSSING TIME LINES…

The sudden arrival of an archaeological team, headed by Professor River Song, coincides with the Doctor and Donna’s visit. Professor Song and her team have come to investigate the disappearance of over four thousand people from the Library. The plot twists as you discover that she not only knows the Doctor but she sent for him. Her plea for help arrived too soon, though. You see, River Song knew the Doctor in her past, but his future. The action accelerates as the team as well as Donna and the Doctor realize just how dangerous the Library is.

COUNT THE SHADOWS…

Hidden in the shadows of the Library are the Vashta Nerada, creatures that exist on all worlds where life dwells. Where there is meat, you’ll find the Vashta Nerada. These piranhas of the air hide in the darkness, waiting to devour their prey. They aren’t in every shadow but they could be in any shadow. They are responsible for the silence in the library. As members of Professor Song’s team fall victim to their ferocity you realize that they are very hungry.

THE HEART OF A CHILD…

All of the activity in the Library is being observed by a young girl from the relative safety of her home. Her reality keeps shifting from the danger and death stalking the Doctor to her comfortable, quiet house. Her father has called a doctor, Dr. Moon, to help with her hallucinations. It soon becomes apparent that what is real and what is an illusion isn’t always so clear.

FINAL IMPRESSIONS…

I liked the two part episode but I thought they all, particularly the Doctor, seemed a little dense. One of the things I love about Doctor Who is how sharp he is. He sees connections that the rest of us take for granted. Surely, one of the benefits of living for nearly a thousand years and being a time traveling trouble maker. This episode would have been better as a single episode. With faster resolutions and more action, the suspense would have been heightened. Seriously, if anyone’s going to understand convoluted time lines, it’s Doctor Who. Overall, it’s a good episode with a lot of interesting tidbits for fans but it could have been better.

WHAT’S NEW, DR WHO?

One final note, The doctor eventually takes care of the trouble in the Library but I think it should be pointed out that perhaps Professor River Song called the wrong person to help. The Scooby Gang has experience with this kind of thing!

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Starting this week, I’d like to provide you with a review of the latest episode of Doctor Who to air in the US. Doctor Who is currently in it’s fourth season and airing in this country on the Scifi Channel Fridays at 9 PM. The British fans of the Doctor are several episodes ahead of us Americans. My goal is to remain spoiler free while still discussing an overview of the episodes.

I’ll begin with my review of last week’s episode “The Unicorn and the Wasp”. It is the seventh episode of the season. I realize that episode eight aired Friday night but I’m holding back that recap for a couple of reasons. First, “The Unicorn and the Wasp” was a wonderful episode and I can’t wait to tell you about it. Second, episode eight is a two-parter. I’d like to wait and cover both parts at once. Finally, with only five new episodes remaining in season four, I don’t want to miss a single one.

Murder, mystery and mutant wasps all lie at the heart of “The Unicorn and the Wasp” episode. While visiting the English countryside in 1926, The Doctor and his companion, Donna Noble, stumble onto a classic whodunit, complete with Dame Agatha Christie. Set amid the quiet elegance and propriety of a British manorhouse, this episode is a rollicking adventure.

The Doctor and Donna crash a weekend gathering of the social elite. The guests include potential victims who bear a striking resemblance to Clue game characters including Miss Redman and Professor Peach (who’s killed in the library with a lead pipe, no less). Also present is legendary mystery author Agatha Christie. As the mysteries unfold and more murders occur, she helps the Doctor to solve the strange goings-on.

This episode really showcases the Doctor’s current companion, Donna Noble. Donna is not particularly well-liked by many fans but I love her. She brings a maturity and wry sense of humor to the position that few of his recent traveling partners could match. The scene in which the Doctor is poisoned is the perfect example of her delightful commaraderie with the Doctor. Overall, this is one of my favorite episodes of this season. It has humor, intrigue and just the right amount of other-worldliness. For a closer look at the episode, check out a trailer here. I give “The Unicorn and the Wasp” 7 out of 10 stars!

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“Think you’ve seen it all? Think again. Outside those doors, we might see anything. We could find new worlds; terrifying monsters; impossible things. And if you come with me… nothing will ever be the same again!” – The Doctor

 Doctor Who…a man of many faces, spanning decades, and uniting fans of all ages.  You would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t at least heard of the Doctor.  Most who have seen the series either are fans or soon become fans.  It’s hard to resist.  A delightful combination of science fiction, fantasy, humor, horror and a charismatic central character that carries viewers on a trip through time and space each week. 

 This is the first in my new weekly series on the good Doctor.  I plan on exploring the former Doctors and their companions.  The villians and strange, new worlds.  I hope to provide reviews and opinions on the episodes as well.  Basically, I want to share my love for Doctor Who with you. 

 My fascination with Doctor Who began as a child.  As an impressionable pre-teen, I discovered Tom Baker’s Doctor Who on my local public broadcasting channel.  It didn’t take more than an episode or two to hook me.  Maybe it was the scarf.  Or maybe it was his crooked grin.  More likely, it was the imaginative story telling and light-hearted feel of the show.  That combined with a science fiction base made for the perfect combination.  As the episodes unfolded, I discovered other Doctors.  Each traveling through time in the TARDIS.  Each unique and special in their own way.  So far there have been ten incarnations of Doctor Who.  The latest is played by David Tennant, a classically trained Scottish actor. 

 Doctor Who was first broadcast on BBC in 1963.  The story of the time-traveling alien and his many different companions became a popular British science fiction television show.  The original show ran until 1989 and has been listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world.  Then the series returned again in 2005, fresh, new and ready to win new fans worldwide.  Currently, Doctor Who is being broadcast in the UK on BBC One on Saturday nights.  If you’re like me and stuck in the United States, you can catch the Doctor on the Scifi Channel on Friday nights.  Both are in the midst of the fourth season, though the American run episodes are trailing the first run British episodes by four.

 So what is the allure of Doctor Who?  It’s hard to pinpoint but it remains undeniable.  The series has run for nearly thirty years.  It has spawned at least two other scifi series, Torchwood and The Adventures of Sarah Jane.  The fans of the show are some of the most diehard fans in all of fandom.  I include myself in their numbers.  So each week, I’ll be here to explore the world of Doctor Who.  Since it defies time and space, this could take awhile.  If you have questions or topics that you’d like me explore, please feel free to let me know.  You can find me hanging out in the TARDIS…

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