[ by Austin H. ]
The Success Behind Doctor Who
Broadcasted in over 70 countries, Doctor Who has won 128 awards, both nationally and internationally, turning it into the most popular sci-fi show in Britain and the US. Running for over 50 years, it is also one of the oldest shows to date. 11 incarnations of the Doctor have entertained viewers ever since 1963, each one demonstrating the uniqueness of the show. How have the Time lord’s adventures become so popular, especially when, in the past, the show was on the verge of collapsing?
The Beginnings of Something Special
The death of John F. Kennedy shocked the world on November 22nd 1963. But few actually know that the first episode of Doctor Who was aired one day after his death, on the 23rd. After 3 years of the show, the first incarnation of the Doctor (William Hartnell) contracted a medical condition and was unable to continue the show. So, how would they continue? Since the Doctor is an alien, the writer got an ingenious idea to introduce the act of regeneration. In this process, the Doctor changes every single cell on his body to stay alive. After this process, there is a different face, represented by a different actor. This is the main secret as to how the show lasts so long.
Life After Death
The great thing about regeneration is the fact that each face of the Doctor brings a whole new dimension to the show. It showcases the diverse personalities of the Doctor, so that it never gets old. Audiences don’t want to watch a man that always acts the same, so regeneration keeps them happy to watch the show. Also, the actual regeneration is always quite a spectacle!
Alien Love
The show couldn’t be successful without the Doctor’s trusty companions – over the years there have been 38 different companions, usually feminine. He enjoys having company around him, sometimes turning his companion into “more” than just a friend. Keeping in mind that the Doctor is an alien, surely he shouldn’t be messing around with Earth women? The age gap is a little awkward as well, due to the fact that he is now approximately 1500 years old.
Raggedy Doctor in a Blue Box
The main prop (designed as a telephone box) in the set of Doctor Who has to be the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space), something that the Doctor describes as, “The best ship in the universe”. He apparently stole it at a young age, and uses it to travel in different dimensions, different time-lines and to visit different planets. Without this machine, the Doctor is left stranded with nowhere to go. What grabs audiences is that fact that it is bigger on the inside than the outside, which somewhat baffles his companions even today.
The Final Time lords
As the Doctor enters the next chapter of his life, he’ll have to someday face his arch-nemesis, the Master. The pair of them are the last surviving Time Lords in existence, but the Master has picked the dark side over the light. Just one of his many schemes is turning everyone into himself, so instead of the human kind, there is the Master kind. He is just one of over 400 villainous creatures in the Doctor’s life. Other f eared races in the Doctor’s life include the Daleks, the Cybermen and the Weeping Angels.
What’s next?
What is certain is that Doctor Who isn’t disappearing from our television screens for a long time. Whilst just discovering that he is immortal, I’ll say that he will get to voyage deeper into the so-called “empty space”.
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