New "Who" has Head for History

Finally, we bring you part three of our Whovian triptych, as author Brandie Tarvin ruminates on a by-gone era.

There are some things which make an indelible mark upon one’s soul. Historical events like the end of World War II or the fall of the Berlin Wall send shockwaves through the zeitgeist, while more personal events like your first crush or your first successful job remain in the consciousness of few people. And then there are events like the cancellation of BBC’s Doctor Who that fall somewhere in the middle.

The old show featured incredibly talented actors working with fragile props and lousy special effects. Sometimes the scripts came across as mundane and clichéd. I suppose this was the price of a show living at the bottom of BBC’s budget chain. But I loved the show with a passion, as did many of my friends. And if the people around me didn’t love Doctor Who, they hated it with just as much passion. There seemed to be no middle ground. So when I heard the somber news, that the Doctor had made his last trip in the TARDIS, I was crushed.

So, apparently, were lots of fans. No one could bring themselves to admit the ride was over. Fanfic abounded, as did the conventions, and eventually legitimate publishing houses saw a market in publishing further adventures and missing adventures.

For over twenty-five years, the fans greedily devoured tales of the Doctor. Then, around 2004, someone at the BBC realized they weren’t quite through telling their own stories. And a new Doctor Who was born. Bigger budget, better special effects, sturdier props and actors who, in the words of the Doctor himself, are “absolutely brilliant.”

For those of you new to the franchise, here’s a little recap. The Doctor is a Timelord, an alien from the planet Gallifrey. He has two hearts, a time machine, and penchant for getting himself into trouble. Enjoying the new series does not require knowledge of the previous. However, there are a lot of little details to the history, presented in the new series as in-jokes or presents to the old fan base. If you want to know what these moments are, Wikipedia and other fan websites can catch you up very quickly.

The series itself has taken a rather dark turn. The Doctor is alone now, the last of his kind. He wanders the universe seeking redemption and at times doesn’t seem to play well with others. The first season presents a never-ending cast of greedy bystanders that would not be out of place in Dante’s fourth circle of hell. They are always looking for “compensation” and mostly getting their comeuppance by the time the episode is over. Rose Tyler, the first of the new companions, is the everyman counterpoint to this horror as she willingly jumps into the fray with no thought of personal gain.

Where the first season is an introduction to the universe of the Doctor, the second is full-on old-fashioned mayhem. The plots take a turn from the previous string of morality plays. While the series still follows its “war is horrible” philosophy, we are given sympathetic side characters who find strength in adversity, even if they do have to die by the end of the episode.

I don’t claim to see such weighty themes in every story. I’m hard pressed, in fact, to come up with a common one for season three. And season four harkens back to the original series, incorporating the sense of exploration and adventure the fans were beginning to miss. The writers stick in references to the old series, like presents on Christmas morning. Yet understanding these references are hardly integral to enjoying the show. Thousands of brand new fans enjoy the new version of Doctor Who without carrying the baggage of the old. And as well they should.

There are few series which can claim success in a second incarnation. Die-hard fans give short shrift to anything that doesn’t fit their notion of “how it should be.” It is impossible to compare the new series with the old. There is no better and no worse. “Who” simply is. Its constantly evolving canon keeps to the rules we know while delightfully pushing the boundaries.

In the four years since the Doctor’s re-introduction to television, we’ve seen two actors come and go in the role of our beloved time-traveler. A third actor, Matt Smith, is poised to pick up the reins. What he brings to the role we have yet to see. If historical trends hold true, I foresee a bright future for all of us, including the Doctor.

Brandie Tarvin lives in Florida with her fiancé and is owned by two cats. She has written several short stories, including “Just My Luck” in Pirates of the Blue Kingdoms and “The Monster of Mogahnee Bay” in Blue Kingdoms Shades & Specters. Both are available through Amazon.com. For more details, check out her website at www.brandietarvin.net.

Photos by Newscom

Read the other two Doctor Who essays by Karen Miller and Keith DeCandido