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Doctor Who - my avatar explained.

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posted on Dec, 30 2005 @ 05:48 AM
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Not for the first time, I have had a question asked on a thread about my avatar “who is Dr Who?” so here is an explanation for anyone interested, If you have the ability to download the latest episode “The Christmas Invasion” and your appetite is, in any way, wetted by this post I recommend that you watch it, the very first adventure of the tenth doctor. What do I mean TENTH Doctor? Read on;

Doctor Who is the longest running Sci Fi Show in the world, the first ever episode was broadcast in November 1963, the day after President Kennedy was assassinated and it continued for 26 consecutive seasons until 1989, then it was revived for a joint BBC-Fox TVM in 1996 before finally returning to its rightful place as a weekly BBC series in March 2005.

The premise of the show is a mysterious traveller, a renegade timelord from the planet Gallifrey who stole a type 40 TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space) which, as its name implies can travel anywhere in time and Space. It also has the ability to disguise itself to blend in with its surroundings, however whilst in 1960’s London this ‘Chameleon Circuit’ failed and was never repaired, hence the TARDIS always looks like a blue police box. The Doctor is a renegade because his race have a strict non-interference policy in the affairs of the universe, however the Doctor (never actually called ‘Doctor Who’ – the title of the show is a question you see?) cannot simply stand by when there is evil to be defeated!

When the show started in 1963 the Doctor was played by William Hartnell, then very well known for his villainous and sergeant major roles, playing the Doctor took him in a new direction;



When he decided to leave the show in 1966 the BBC faced a dilemma as they didn’t want this, by now, hugely successful show to die so they hit upon a brilliant solution. Rather than simply re-casting, they made it part of the mythology of the show that when a timelord is mortally wounded his body regenerates into a new form, at a stroke another layer was added to the show and it could continue for as long as the BBC saw fit!

Thus the second Doctor, played by Patrick Troughton, made his appearance at the end of ‘The Daleks Master Plan’ in a now iconic regeneration sequence.



When Troughton left at the end of 1969 the show simply required a further regeneration sequence and this has been the pattern ever since and rather than the star leaving the show being a traumatic experience for fans, the regeneration is always eagerly anticipated!

Here are the remaining Doctors to date;

Third Doctor – Jon Pertwee 1970-74


Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker 1974-81


Fifth Doctor – Peter Davison 1981-84


Sixth Doctor – Colin Baker – 1984-87


Seventh Doctor – Sylvester McCoy 1987-96


Eighth Doctor – Paul McGann 1996


Ninth Doctor – Christopher Eccleston 2005


Tenth Doctor – David Tennant 2005-?



As you can imagine, over the past 42 years the show has built up a whole mythology which I cannot hope to explain here, but it is easily accessible to those who wish to know more; the official BBC online archive contains almost everything you would wish to see, including video clips, and comedy mickey-takes, just follow the link below to find the site.

www.bbc.co.uk...


[edit on 30-12-2005 by waynos]



posted on Dec, 30 2005 @ 09:40 AM
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I've only really started watching it for the past year mainly because of my younger brother, but I did watch a few of the feature length episodes before. I've noticed a lot more people are watching it now because its been glamourised? buy the bbc



posted on Dec, 30 2005 @ 09:50 AM
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Hello

As a Brit-in-Exile, I was overjoyed to see that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation showed the Xmas invasion special. Am enjoying the New Series much more than any of the Dr Who stuff in the 80's - better written, acted and scripted imo.

Cheers

TD



posted on Dec, 30 2005 @ 10:06 AM
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There have been other people to play the Doctor or a "version" of him in other things such as plays and another movie that is really old.
Not to forget the doctors played by Rowan Atkinson and all the other regenerations that happened within 10 minutes during the comic relief episode Doctor Who and the Curse Of Fatal Death
i8.photobucket.com...



posted on Dec, 30 2005 @ 11:29 AM
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I love Dr.Who but Tom Baker is by far my all time favorite incarnation of "the doctor"

nice summary btw.



posted on Dec, 30 2005 @ 11:41 AM
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What the..?
I thought Dr Who was as well known as Captain Kirk.

Really good post waynos
.



posted on Dec, 31 2005 @ 03:18 AM
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Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker 1974-81
Was my favourite doctor but i do like Ninth Doctor – Christopher Eccleston 2005

It was a shame he didnt continue. Havent seen the new doctor yet David Tennant but will in due course.

ABC in Australia is currently doing re-runs of the old doctors.
ABC IS THE SAME AS BBC in UK..



posted on Dec, 31 2005 @ 04:06 AM
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So, is it something like Red Dwarf or more "serious"?



posted on Jan, 1 2006 @ 09:02 AM
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Was Red Dwarf a comedy?


Ahah. The Dr Who Xmas special is available on Bit Torrent, it you're keen. It can be quite frightening (and I'm 30-something), but a lot of it is tongue in cheek. The classic observation that most middle-aged Brits will make is that they 'hid behind the sofa' during scary bits.

There was a big hiatus between 89 and 2005 (TV films notwithstanding). The 'new' series is written by Russell T Davies, who did 'Queer as Folk', and is a pretty good writer who got a bigger budget - the 'old' Dr Who was notorious for ridiculous-looking monsters made out of papier mache.

I'm not sure but I think there has been a bit of animosity between the 'old faithfuls' and people who have come to the series 'new' - it got relaunched to huge fanfare in the UK in 2005 and got a whole new audience as a result.

Have a good 2006!

TD



posted on Jan, 1 2006 @ 09:25 AM
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Doctor who relies on a lot of dry british humor. Witty remarks and raipier wits. But tends to be more of a drama... example:

Doctor: Lets go .. this way.. um.. east
Leela: What if that isn't east? but north?
Doctor: lets just go this way and call it East

(btw, they were on the planet Eden")



posted on Jan, 1 2006 @ 11:44 AM
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Or, now it has grown up a little;

Doctor; The Nestense conciousness is controlling all the plastic, living plastic out to kill the human race,

Rose; Even breast implants?



Paraphrased a little, before someone picks me up on a wrong word!

or

the naked captain Jack suddenly produces a gun from 'behind' him;

trinnydroid: Where did you get that from?

Jack: You REALLY don't wanna know!



posted on Jan, 1 2006 @ 12:46 PM
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I had heard they wanted to make a Captain Jack spin off. Is there any news on that?



posted on Jan, 1 2006 @ 01:14 PM
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Yes, it's called TORCHWOOD, which is apparently an anagram of Dr Who. It was referenced in the Xmas special. Not sure if the writing has been finished for it yet.

TD



posted on Apr, 1 2006 @ 09:12 AM
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series two of Doctor Who begins broadcasting on BBC 1 on April 15th, two weeks today!

Series one is currently showing on friday nights in the USA on the Sci Fi channel and started on Russian TV (don't know which channel) this week.

Torchwood begins filming in May for a BBC broadcast 'around October'.

Yay! The Doctor is coming back!



posted on Apr, 1 2006 @ 09:20 AM
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Originally posted by waynos
Not for the first time, I have had a question asked on a thread about my avatar “who is Dr Who?”


No explanation is necessary.

For those who don't know, you don't know what your missing!!

Tom Baker was one of my favorite Doctor's.



posted on Apr, 2 2006 @ 06:39 AM
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Get the trailer for the new series here

www.bbc.co.uk... html

Mmmmmm, Werewolves and Cybermen! Fantastic!

[edit on 2-4-2006 by waynos]



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