Back on Sept. 12, 2007, Mad Ogre asked the immortal question....
What is it with Brits and Dr. Who?
(No permalinks, so you'll just have to scroll down to the correct day if you want to read his entry.)
Mad Ogre said that he just couldn't see why the original series ran for 26 seasons, or why the British have decided to bring it back for another go.
I have come across this opinion before, usually held by Americans who are puzzled by the enthusiasm that their British friends have for this admittedly poor example of science fiction storytelling. They can't understand why people with discerning tastes could enjoy a television show with simplistic dialogue, bad special effects, cartoonish villains, actors who chew the scenery, and broadly drawn characters. The plots are formulaic, there are about six bad guys who are cycled through endlessly, and the resolution usually insults your intelligence because the main character pulls a deus-ex-machina. How could any adult actually like this pile of juvenile tripe?
But that is the whole point. It isn't for adults at all.
The show is aimed squarely at youngsters, the same people that used to be referred to as "juveniles" by the entertainment industry. The plots are simplistic because they are supposed to appeal to the average 10 to 13 year old. There can occasionally be a very slight overtone of sexual tension, but most of the man-woman relationships can be defined by the word "avuncular". They use the same six villains over and over because it provides a sense of continuity to young people with short attention spans. Although there is violence, it is rather bloodless and sanitary.
The reason why adults like the show is mainly due to nostalgia. It is a treasured memory from their own formative years, and the writers are smart enough to have just enough complexity in the plots so a mature viewer can enjoy the show as long as they are in a forgiving frame of mind.
The problem with Dr. Who so far as American audiences are concerned is that we really don't have a venue for juvenile fiction. We have shows aimed at children (cartoons and some live action stuff), the high school and college crowd (mainly soap operas dressed up with a stylish gloss), and the mature crowd (cop shows and medical dramas, mostly). People who reach the tween years have to pretty much make do, either sticking with childish fare that is becoming increasingly boring or turning to more mature entertainment where the plots revolve around problems with which they can't yet relate.
Back in the late 1970's, several PBS affiliate stations in America picked up a few seasons of Dr. Who starring Tom Baker in the title role. They aired the show at 15:50 (3:30 PM), which meant that the kids coming home from school could either watch a soap opera, a talk show, or the good Doctor. They reran those same episodes for more than a decade, which is why there are still people over here that think Mr. Baker's interpretation is the standard by which all others must be judged. The time slot was just right to get the kids interested, and nostalgia did the rest.
The current series is invariably shown during prime time, sandwiched between decidedly mature shows, which is a shame. The people in charge of scheduling the show just don't seem to understand that it should be shown when the kids can see it. That is who the show is written for, and it is the audience that should be courted.
Comments (15)
The new series is definitely not made for children, although I do allow my kids to watch it.
The original series began as a kid's show but it evolved. The local PBS here ran the entire series through twice in the 80s, and they always aired at 10:00 PM, not exactly a kid time-slot.
I think some of these opinions are ill-informed based on not watching enough of it.
But as I said, if you think the new series is a kid's show, watch a few. It is not the same as the old series.
Posted by AlanDP | September 24, 2007 7:03 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 19:03
There's a lot of truth to this post. I was a huge "Doctor Who" fan - in middle school. It just doesn't age as well as other sci-fi shows, though I still remember the show fondly.
As for American examples, what about "Dark Shadows"? Didn't mostly tweens watch that show, too?
Posted by Mulliga | September 24, 2007 7:10 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 19:10
But as I said, if you think the new series is a kid's show, watch a few. It is not the same as the old series.
I didn't say it was a kids show, I said it was for juveniles. You know, tweeners. Something for those who are not exactly kids, but who haven't yet become immature adults yet either.
So far as watching the new series, I've seen every episode that the Sci-Fi Channel has aired so far. I agree that it isn't the same as the old series, but stuff marketed for the teen age market isn't the same as it was in the 1970's either.
James
Posted by James R. Rummel | September 24, 2007 7:13 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 19:13
As for American examples, what about "Dark Shadows"? Didn't mostly tweens watch that show, too?
I'm afraid that Dark Shadows is a little before my time. I know that it has a cult following, but I've never even seen a single episode. Since it was a true soap opera, it never was picked up for reruns in my area.
James
Posted by James R. Rummel | September 24, 2007 7:19 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 19:19
What about the new spin-off show "Torchwood"? Has anyone else seen it? It's decidedly more racy than Dr. Who. The second episode had two of the female characters making out. One of which was infected with an alien presence that was addicted to sex and would vaporise her male partners at the moment of climax. There's no "body parts" shown but the content is definitely not kids stuff.
Posted by Yuri Orlov | September 24, 2007 7:41 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 19:41
I've heard it said that whichever Doctor you saw first remains your favorite. Tom Baker was my first, in 1980, and he remains the best. Droll, witty, odd looking. LOL And the two versions of Romana didn't exactly hurt. The first was Mary Tamm, foxy brunette. The second was Lalla Ward, waifish blonde. They had great chemistry, and did some memorable episodes. Baker and Ward wound up getting married, and came to the USA to try and make their mark in Hollywood. They were not very successful in their endeavor.
I think part of the attraction for the juvies (or young adults, as I was at the time), was the Doctor's various girl Fridays. Everybody loved Sarah Jane!
Posted by Darrell | September 24, 2007 8:28 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 20:28
You're right, I've fond memories of Tom Baker as the Doctor, but what I remember most is the lesson that no supernatural/alien/robot encounters can be solved with a platoon of disposable infantry led by "The Brigadier". I always felt sorry that the FN toting soldiers were doomed before they'd even arrived.
I hoped against hope that once, just once, the infantry would arrive and some fast moving lead would solve the problem that a sonic-screwdriver had entirely failed at.
Sadly it was never meant to be.
The new series is ok, but hardly earth shattering, and it is nostalgia that keeps me watching when I run across the show.
Posted by Mugwug | September 24, 2007 8:41 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 20:41
What about the new spin-off show "Torchwood"? Has anyone else seen it?
Alas, it doesn't seem to be available in my area.
James
Posted by James R. Rummel | September 24, 2007 10:16 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 22:16
I (along with my brother and sister) diligently watched Doctor Who on PBS from the time I was about 5 until the local PBS station stopped airing it... and now I watch old episodes on DVD.
My sister presented her high school prom date a leafy celery stalk for his lapel instead of a boring boutoneirre... she was a fan of the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison.
Tom Baker's Doctor was by far the best, and it WAS rather juvenile humor- I watch it (and love it) for the same reason I still love "The Muppet Show" and the rare 70's style cartoon clips from Sesame Street... nostalgia, but also, with the Fourth and Fifth Doctor- there is a dry and clever but silly humor that is difficult to find these days in most media. The humor is dry, but not snotty or pretentious.
And who (at 8 or 10 or 12 or 17) didn't dream of having a 21-foot scarf, a sonic screwdriver, a time-travelling police-box with bigger insides than out, crazy adventures and companions who included robotic dogs?
There is still a part of me that wishes I was Romana #2... there is a simplicity to her that "real" life never had.
Posted by Megret | September 24, 2007 10:26 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 22:26
I love Doctor Who! I grew up watching Tom Baker, Peter Davidson and Jon Pertwee (actually met him). I think the new shows are better due mostly to a bigger budget. They are kinda campy and you really have to dig campy to enjoy them. "Torchwood" is a good spinoff that is designed as a more adult themed show with some dark subject matter. "The Sarah Jane Adventures" is designed for younger viewers with lighter subject matter. I happen to like them all for various reasons. DW has a huge following here in America that has grown since the early 80's when I first got into it. I hope to see many more years of Doctor Who!
Posted by Diamondback | September 25, 2007 12:29 PM
Posted on September 25, 2007 12:29
Torchwood seems a little better to me, a blatant and unapologetic American... But it is kind of a Men In Back with a chick.
Posted by The Mad Ogre | September 25, 2007 4:32 PM
Posted on September 25, 2007 16:32
I thought Jon Pertwee did a nice job as the 3rd doctor. Better than Davison as #5
Posted by Zendo Deb | September 25, 2007 8:07 PM
Posted on September 25, 2007 20:07
The local PBS affiliate is airing Doctor Who here and I think Torchwood too. Though I watch it on Saturday Nights on BBC America since I have Direct TV.
Posted by Yuri Orlov | September 26, 2007 6:43 AM
Posted on September 26, 2007 06:43
Pertwee was a nice guy...sadly died some years ago while visiting America for a convention. Peter Davison I liked from "All Creatures Great and Small" where he played Tristan Farnon. He didn't really have much time to develop his Doctor. I never really cared for Colin Baker that came after and still haven't seen many of Sylvester McCoy's episodes as I've had to buy them to see them. Most of the first and second Doctor's episodes were lost when the BBC burned old stock film footage to "clear out some space". Some but not all of the remaining series 1&2 episodes that have survived have come from other countries that bought episodes to air and have been restored. Baker is "of course" where I started and what drew me into the show.
Posted by Diamondback | September 28, 2007 2:26 PM
Posted on September 28, 2007 14:26
err, lol, well, im a "brit" as you have put it, but i love it because its NOT a british show, its welsh.
and before any of you say wales is part of britain, it isnt, its part of the UK.
thisnk what you would be like if i said canada and The U.S were the same country...
your both in north america, BUT you are NOT the same country.
so, back to the point at hand.
Dr.Who, is definently a well written bit of comedy sci-fi.
if it doesnt get your adrenilin pumping AND make you laugh, then your obviously watching it wrong. lol.
Posted by Morgan Bowler | December 30, 2007 9:43 AM
Posted on December 30, 2007 09:43