Strange thing being a whovian is and why should it not be? Whovians of varied opinions who come together to discuss and rant and praise the show and we all know that there's a lot of all of that going on all the time. With so many heated discussions going on over a plethora of topics everywhere I began to wonder why we love this absolutely strange and funny and horrific and action packed show(there are more adjectives I could use but I think you get my point) and I think I have finally got it. Now I am not going to throw the this-is-the-best-show-ever ball at you, because I know this is not the only show out there and I personally believe that such a thing is purely subjective and varies from person to person. But I think if you are here reading this then there must be some love and affection that you feel towards this show and I am here to share a few thoughts on why I love this show.
The Big Question(s)-
If I offer you a ride across the whole of space and time, no strings attached, just plain fun and adventure, would you accept it? I am not going to answer that question but I think this question is one of the key things that I love about this show. Yes the question and not the answer. What if such a thing was really possible then what would you do? Where would you go? Who would you like to see? What if you never have to worry about shelter, food and money ever again? What would that feel like? Because for such a short lifetime there are so many things to do, so many places to be, so many great people to meet. Every day can be a new adventure. So many possibilities all arising from one simple question, because that is it isn't it? The ultimate fantasy, escape from our generally repetitious lives. Doctor Who provides a window through which we can experience what such a life would be like if we were to accept such an offer.
If I offer you a ride across the whole of space and time, no strings attached, just plain fun and adventure, would you accept it? I am not going to answer that question but I think this question is one of the key things that I love about this show. Yes the question and not the answer. What if such a thing was really possible then what would you do? Where would you go? Who would you like to see? What if you never have to worry about shelter, food and money ever again? What would that feel like? Because for such a short lifetime there are so many things to do, so many places to be, so many great people to meet. Every day can be a new adventure. So many possibilities all arising from one simple question, because that is it isn't it? The ultimate fantasy, escape from our generally repetitious lives. Doctor Who provides a window through which we can experience what such a life would be like if we were to accept such an offer.
The Doctor(s)-
The Oncoming Storm, The Bringer of Darkness, the renegade Time-lord from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous, THE MAN THAT STOPS THE MONSTERS, so many titles but only one title prevails. Firstly, whoever made the decision to call the protagonist of this show The Doctor/Doctor Who deserves to win a Nobel prize. Okay I am exaggerating for dramatic effect, but in all seriousness a title like The Doctor really gives us a sense of protection and security when relating to our protagonist and venturing into the unknown with him which this show does quite a lot. Secondly, the concept of regeneration is something so novel and powerful that it makes you wonder about the possibilities and consequences that it would entail given you yourself had such an ability. It adds a depth and mystery to the character of the Doctor that cannot be seen in other contemporary heroes. Plus it really is a testament to strength of this brilliant character that even after twelve different incarnations he still feels as fresh and familiar as he was 50 years ago. So in Clara's own words -
"His name is The Doctor. All the name that he needs. Everything you need to know about him."
The Oncoming Storm, The Bringer of Darkness, the renegade Time-lord from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous, THE MAN THAT STOPS THE MONSTERS, so many titles but only one title prevails. Firstly, whoever made the decision to call the protagonist of this show The Doctor/Doctor Who deserves to win a Nobel prize. Okay I am exaggerating for dramatic effect, but in all seriousness a title like The Doctor really gives us a sense of protection and security when relating to our protagonist and venturing into the unknown with him which this show does quite a lot. Secondly, the concept of regeneration is something so novel and powerful that it makes you wonder about the possibilities and consequences that it would entail given you yourself had such an ability. It adds a depth and mystery to the character of the Doctor that cannot be seen in other contemporary heroes. Plus it really is a testament to strength of this brilliant character that even after twelve different incarnations he still feels as fresh and familiar as he was 50 years ago. So in Clara's own words -
"His name is The Doctor. All the name that he needs. Everything you need to know about him."
The Story-
I will go out on philosophical tangent here and say that there is one thing that I think every human being that has ever been born has asked at some point in their life, what is my purpose here in this world? Why am I here? Is there a goal that I have to achieve? Because if not then it's all pretty pointless isn't it? This is something that I think this show portrays beautifully. There is no long story here. No predefined destination that we need to reach, just taking life one day at a time, going through all the troubles and hurdles that come in our way one by one until our last breath. We are not part of some story that has already been written, we have to define our own goals and dreams, so when you think about it, every life lived is a story, some good, some bad, but a story nonetheless. Similarly there is no place the Doctor has to be, no person that the Doctor has to help, nothing that the Doctor has to do. He is defined by his own choices which he has to make every second of every day, adding a new chapter to his story as he goes along. Sometimes I think Doctor Who is as close to life as it is away from it.
I will go out on philosophical tangent here and say that there is one thing that I think every human being that has ever been born has asked at some point in their life, what is my purpose here in this world? Why am I here? Is there a goal that I have to achieve? Because if not then it's all pretty pointless isn't it? This is something that I think this show portrays beautifully. There is no long story here. No predefined destination that we need to reach, just taking life one day at a time, going through all the troubles and hurdles that come in our way one by one until our last breath. We are not part of some story that has already been written, we have to define our own goals and dreams, so when you think about it, every life lived is a story, some good, some bad, but a story nonetheless. Similarly there is no place the Doctor has to be, no person that the Doctor has to help, nothing that the Doctor has to do. He is defined by his own choices which he has to make every second of every day, adding a new chapter to his story as he goes along. Sometimes I think Doctor Who is as close to life as it is away from it.
The Monsters-
Oh how could I forget the monsters and the villains of this show. I think we have more types of Monsters in this show than the things that could fit in Santa's bag. Again I am overestimating but you get my point don't you? This is the only show that I think can provide such an immense creative outlet for the writers and the storytellers involved. Over the course of 50 years we have had scary monsters, crazy monsters and even some funny monsters *coughs...Abzorbaloff...coughs*, monsters as big as the Sun, as creepy as the Weeping Angels, as cunning and powerful as the Daleks and villains as intelligent and insane as the Master. How could I resist?
Oh how could I forget the monsters and the villains of this show. I think we have more types of Monsters in this show than the things that could fit in Santa's bag. Again I am overestimating but you get my point don't you? This is the only show that I think can provide such an immense creative outlet for the writers and the storytellers involved. Over the course of 50 years we have had scary monsters, crazy monsters and even some funny monsters *coughs...Abzorbaloff...coughs*, monsters as big as the Sun, as creepy as the Weeping Angels, as cunning and powerful as the Daleks and villains as intelligent and insane as the Master. How could I resist?
The Genre(s)-
Seriously what is the genre of this show? Comedy. Check. Action. Check. Drama. Check. Horror. Check. Sci-...Oh I can't do this. How can a show be all those things? Doesn't it get confusing? You might ask. Actually No, I think this setup is what makes this show so amazing, you never know what you're going to get next time, just like life (Oh there are so many parallels to consider). There are so many themes that this show has touched and there are countless more ready to be touched. The show is always brimming with potential and all because there are so many directions to take, so many dimensions to cover. How else do you think it has survived for so long? It's because of the fact that it never confined itself to only science fiction and I love that about this show. Such a setup allows the show to adapt with respect to both audience and time.
Seriously what is the genre of this show? Comedy. Check. Action. Check. Drama. Check. Horror. Check. Sci-...Oh I can't do this. How can a show be all those things? Doesn't it get confusing? You might ask. Actually No, I think this setup is what makes this show so amazing, you never know what you're going to get next time, just like life (Oh there are so many parallels to consider). There are so many themes that this show has touched and there are countless more ready to be touched. The show is always brimming with potential and all because there are so many directions to take, so many dimensions to cover. How else do you think it has survived for so long? It's because of the fact that it never confined itself to only science fiction and I love that about this show. Such a setup allows the show to adapt with respect to both audience and time.
Of course there are a lot of other things that I like about this show. But all the other things somehow fall into those five broad categories. Different companions can be identified by their different choices with respect to the Big Question. Change can be attributed to the ability of regeneration (of both the Doctor and the show). Different type of characters and life lessons can be attributed to wide domain of genres and themes the show has in its arsenal. But frankly speaking, trying to write/categorize the things that make me love this amazing show only made it more evident to me that matters of the heart are very complicated. There is so much that I feel about this show that directly corresponds with real life, which makes this process all the more difficult because isn't life the biggest enigma of them all? I think it is. I hope I have been able to convey my feelings properly for all of you to understand. I leave you with this brilliant quote from Mr. Peter Capaldi, which I think sums pretty much everything up quite perfectly.
"To me essentially, it is a mystery, and it should remain a mystery, the program is called Doctor Who. I think we should just leave it alone and let it look after itself because I think it will."
"To me essentially, it is a mystery, and it should remain a mystery, the program is called Doctor Who. I think we should just leave it alone and let it look after itself because I think it will."