Doctor Who at Fifty-Two

Doctor Who at Fifty-Two

They say you never forget your first Doctor.  Even though I saw a couple of episodes of Doctor Who in the 1970’s and consider Tom Baker to be the ultimate Doctor,

it was Christopher Eccleston who pulled me into the world of Doctor Who.  And, despite his short run, and unwillingness to participate in the 50^th anniversary, he is still one of the best Doctors.  (They really should have made a wax figure of him for the event. )

The Anniversary festivities were not all I had hoped for.  Nothing like the “Three Doctors”,

or “The Five Doctors” of past Anniversary celebrations.

Only two Doctors for the 50^th, (plus a new one) took part in “Day of the Doctor”.  Although it was great that Paul McGann had the prequel (“Night of the Doctor”) which proved to those unfamiliar with his Big Finish Audio series, that the 8^th Doctor was one of the best.

I had actually hoped they would include the deaths of Sarah Jane and the Brigadier into the special, using footage from The Sarah Jane Adventures.  But, of course, I was only dreaming.

So, it was up to Peter Davison to write and produce the epic “Five-ish Doctors Reboot” , the fun half hour program which followed the efforts of the remaining Doctors to become part of the big show.

Starring Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Peter Davison, and John Barrowman (Capt. Jack Harkness),

with assist from Paul McGann,  David Tennant,  Georgia Moffett,  Russell T. Davies, and even Stephen Moffat, it was a blast !!  Beginning with a couple of actors (who are in just about everything), wondering why they were not asked to be in the official 50^th Anniversary episode.

But “The Day of the Doctor” came together well anyway, and there was even that moment when you held your breath,  and your heart skipped a beat when you heard Tom Baker’s voice, speaking to Matt Smith in the gallery.  Here was one Doctor who learned the hard way not to refuse a chance to celebrate Who.

I love all of the Doctors, some more than others, but a lot has to do with the writing.  Stephen Moffat, whose “Blink”, “Girl in the Fireplace”, and “The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances” proved him to be the best,  also took turns being the worst when he messed around with his creations.  In my opinion, he totally ruined the brilliant Weeping Angels with “Time of the Angels” when he added characteristics which were originally part of other monsters.

And the music also has a lot to do with the enjoyment.  Rose’s Theme,  I’m sure, made the romantic in us want something more than the usual Doctor and Companion dynamic, while the 11^th Doctor’s Theme was just so annoying, I wanted to turn it off every time I heard it.

But now that Peter Capaldi has taken the helm, and has re-discovered Gallifrey, anything is possible.  I love him as a Doctor, and I am looking forward to new adventures, as the saga continues.

The Moral of the Story is: You can never get enough of Doctor Who.