dr. who

Have I mentioned that I have become a Dr. Who fanatic? PBS started broadcasting the newly revived Dr. Who series about three years ago, with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role, then transitioned into the tenth Doctor, David Tennant. Eccleston was a good intro into the new Doctor, but for my money, David Tennant is the perfect embodiment of the Time Lord. He is humorous in the face of danger, reveling in the adrenaline rush, yet lonely in his place in the universe and somewhat egomaniacal - in other words, the just-right, dashing hero figure for a tongue-in-cheek sci-fi series!

PBS is presently re-running the third season, but somehow I could not bring myself to wait for future installments (we're behind the BBC broadcasts by two years), so I purchased the remaining two-plus seasons (two seasons plus two extra episodes) from iTunes. Word has arrived that David Tennant is leaving the series to be replaced by a 25 year-old actor, Matt Smith, beginning in 2010. The producer, Russell T. Davies, will also be leaving the series. I attribute the brilliance (to coin a British phrase) of the show to Davies, so I have my doubts that the new Matt Smith series can live up to the whole David Tennant series run. I have to tell you however, that viewing all 5 seasons is a treat. The season (5) finale was one of the most climactic, emotionally pitched TV shows I have seen here to date. It was a two-parter that incorporated many of the elements from the five-year run, not to mention ongoing story lines from the original Dr. Who series dating back to 1963!

I even broke down about a year ago and ordered my toy replica of Dr. Who's sonic screwdriver, which I will occasionally bring out and wield while watching some of the episodes. There's also a USB hub shaped like the Tardis, the Doctor's time/space machine that I will undoubtedly be ordering soon . . .

If you enjoy a fun show with plenty of colorful characters and surprising emotional resonance, I highly recommend you purchase the series. Some shows are not as stellar as others, but there are enough gems to make it well worth the price of entry. Even the incidental episodes contribute to the character development and overall myth of Dr. Who.