Real life, with a dash of Doctor Who

AKA: 30 Days of Nu-Who: Day 30

When it comes to liking something, I usually fall back on my old standby explanation of, "I just do." Shouldn't that be good enough? But my love of Doctor Who goes beyond mere like and borders on obsession. When you like something that much you should probably examine why.

In order to understand why I love Doctor Who so much, you must first understand why I love TV. Television, in general, has a terrible reputation and it's not unearned, but television has potential to do a significant amount of good. In addition to the dissemination of information that television allows through programs such as the evening news, TV eliminates the boundaries of oral tradition and opens the doors to rich new worlds of stories, images, and sounds.

Fred Rogers once sat before Congress and argued that funding to PBS should not be cut because programs such as his Neighborhood helped children to become well-adjusted members of society. He also fought for the production of the VCR so families could record live shows and watch them later, when they could all be together. This is a clip of Rogers' testimony before Congress. In it, he explains his concern about what he sees on broadcast television and contrasts it with the things that are shown on his show. He says he finds it "much more dramatic that two men could be working out their feelings of anger... much more dramatic than showing something of gunfire." In Doctor Who, the Doctor always gives the baddies a chance and only resorts to violence when all other options have been exhausted.



I admit, we also programs with very few redeeming qualities. Many shows seem to be produced specifically for shock value, or to see how "the other half" live, or to throw people into unusual situations and see how they'll react. These shows are not my cup of tea, but I'm not going to judge anyone for watching and enjoying them. My point is, we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. In addition to children's educational programming such as Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, there are shows dedicated to teaching adults valuable skills such as woodworking or home improvement. There are programs that can show us parts of the world we will never get to see with our own eyes. There are entire networks dedicated to teaching history, science, and technology.

Also, there is storytelling. And this is where Doctor Who comes in.

I recently dedicated 29 entries to what I do or do not like about Doctor Who. Going back through my entries, clear patterns emerge. Passion, humor, relationships, intelligence, conflict, and conflict resolution. Also, I'm a sucker for scary stories. But it also goes beyond good storytelling.

Doctor Who can show you how to be a better person. "That you don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand. You say no. You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away."

And that's why I like it. Because it can teach you how to live a bigger, better life. I'm not going to go hop into my space and time machine any time soon, but I have been (and will be) faced with difficult choices in my life, and Doctor Who, among other things, will help (and has helped) me make the right decision.

You might think I'm overstating the importance of a British science fiction television show. I might be, but I think I'm far from the only person this show has affected so profoundly. This show is nearly 50 years old and has a rabid international fanbase. My reasons are my own, but I don't think I'm alone.

What do you think?

Day 1 - Favorite Incarnation of the Doctor: Nine
Day 2 - Favorite Companion: Donna Noble
Day 3 - Favorite Villain/Monster/Alien/Baddie of the Week: The Entity from "Midnight"
Day 4 - Favorite Character: Wilfred Mott
Day 5 - Favorite Guest Star: Anthony Stewart Head
Day 6 - Least Favorite Character: Lady Christina de Souza
Day 7 - Favorite Episode: "Midnight"
Day 8 - Favorite Series: Series Four
Day 9 - Least Favorite Episode: "Planet of the Dead"
Day 10 - Favorite Scene/Moment: "Don't... just don't."
Day 11 - Scene/Moment that makes you cry: Ten rages against the dying of the light
Day 12 - Scene/Moment that makes you giggle: Jackie Tyler smacks the Doctor
Day 13 - Favorite Era visited by The Doctor & Co: The End of the World
Day 14 - Fave Doctor Moment: "Basically, run."
Day 15 - Fave Rose Moment: "The Doctor showed me a better way of living your life."
Day 16 - Fave Martha Moment: "This is me, getting out."
Day 17 - Fave Donna Moment: "If I change things, I don't die? That's... that's right, isn't it?"
Day 18 - Fave Amy Moment: "Must be a hell of a scary crack in your wall."
Day 19 - Favorite Ship: TenII/Rose
Day 20 - Prettiest Scene: "Vincent and the Doctor"
Day 21 - Favorite Location: The TARDIS
Day 22 - Something Silly: "Partners in Crime" and "The Unicorn and the Wasp" Charades
Day 23 - Something Epic: "Vale Decem"
Day 24 - Favorite Accessory of the Doctor's: Ten's maroon Chucks
Day 25 - Favorite TARDIS Team: Nine, Rose, and Jack
Day 26 - Scene/Moment that made you go 'awww': The Doctor cuddles kittens
Day 27 - Scene/Moment that made you go 'argh': Dalek Sec becomes Dalek-Human
Day 28 - Favorite Series Arc: Series 4
Day 29 - Favorite Music/Song: "This is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home"
Day 30 - Why Do YOU Love Doctor Who

Day 28 - Favorite Series Arc

( Series 4 )

Day 25 - Favorite TARDIS Team

( Into time and space! )

Day 23 - Something Epic

( Vale Decem )

Day 21 - Favorite Location

( The TARDIS )

Day 19 - Favorite Ship

( Oh, that's easy! )

Day 17 - Fave Donna Moment

( If I change things, I don't die? That's... that's right, isn't it? )

Day 14 - Favorite Doctor Moment

( Basically, run. )

Day 12 - Scene/Moment that makes you giggle

( Stitch this, Mate! )

Day 10 - Favorite Scene/Moment

( In which I try not to talk about “Midnight” AGAIN… and fail. )