I’m arbitrarily declaring it Science Fiction Week at It’s Okay with Me (running till next Wednesday since I just got the idea today), just because that’s the mood I’m in. And what better character to be spotlighted for Sci Fi Week than the nameless hero of the longest running science fiction TV show of all time, Doctor Who.
The series has been around since 1963 (with a 16-year hiatus), but the character of the Doctor is portrayed these days as somewhere around 1000 years old. Whenever he gets too old or too badly injured, he regenerates, resulting in a different appearance and personality (that is to say, a different actor). He’s been a cantankerous old man. He’s been a caped action hero. He’s been a hippie, a clean-cut athlete, and a funny little man in a panama hat. A few years back, he spent some time as a moody erratic guy in black leather, but for the last several years he’s been the ultimate teen idol of geekdom: a skinny, incredibly charismatic young man in a three-piece suit and sneakers. Next season, he’s due to get even younger, but also less conventionally handsome.
Despite changes in appearance and demeanor, the essential character is the same. He’s a hero, certainly, but not the sort of rakish but morally pure character we’ve always preferred in America. Nor is he the traditionally British passive hero (although a great many of his companions have been). The Doctor’s defining characteristic is curiosity. He travels through space and time because he wants to learn more about the universe, and he prefers firsthand knowledge. Even when his ship, the TARDIS, sets down on what he knows to be terribly dangerous planet, he can’t resist stepping outside, just to see what it’s like.
The other key thing about the Doctor is his loneliness. Even when there was a whole planet full of Time Lords, the Doctor was alienated from nearly all of them. So he seeks out friends on Earth, and occasionally other places, and invites them to travel with him. He has the tools at hand to appreciate all of space and time, and he needs somebody to show it off to.
The Doctor is a staunch pacifist, refusing to use guns and discouraging others from using them. Nevertheless, he has an unfortunate habit of getting people killed. The danger that the Doctor brings comes from his curiosity, and his occasional recklessness. He puts people in harm’s way, seeming to forget how fragile humans are. His actions frequently attract the attention of malevolent forces, who strike out at those around him. He’s even been responsible for a war or two. When this problem is pointed out to him, he’s very regretful (in fact, his most recent incarnation’s catch phrase is “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry”), but he’ll always end up doing it again, because he can’t imagine another way to live.
For a 46-year-old television character, this is pretty morally complex stuff. Of course, along the way, there are plenty of carefree screwball adventures too. There’s also some intelligent writing, great recurring villains, and some of the worst special effects of all time. I realize that for those who’ve never watched it, Doctor Who can seem pretty intimidating. It has a frighteningly devoted fan following, and there’s just so damn much of it. It is to television what Frank Herbert’s Dune is to books. The great thing about the show, though, is that you can pretty much jump on wherever you like with no problem. The beginning of the 2005 revival is a good place to start (that would be the DVD set labeled Doctor Who: Season One). If you’re looking to experience some great older episodes, I recommend City of Death, Tomb of the Cybermen, or The Time Warrior.
