# Tell me about Dr. Who **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635 "2010-08-18T16:58:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/41 "2010-08-19T07:34:27Z")
Well, here’s a start! 🙂 > [@Anaamika](#): > > - There is a time traveling doctor who uses a time machine called a TARDIS He’s not a doctor, he’s called The Doctor. > [@](#): > > - his enemy is the Daleks, these weird little robots They ain’t little! 🙂 > [@](#): > > - he has many different forms. I don’t remember if he’s reborn as different doctors, or what. When badly injured he regenerates into a new body. He’s the same person, just played by a new actor. I have no idea what else he does. I do know that what I’ve heard of him sounds delightfully snarky. Will I enjoy this show? What’s the plot, his reason for being? Where do I even start? Help! [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/42 "2010-08-19T17:52:30Z")
As an aside, is Dr Who as popular in the US as you lot make it seem, or does the SD have the monopoly on Who Love? Because, as a Brit, I understand the love - we all grew up with him - but I would’ve thought US viewers would find it all a bit cardboard low tech and annoyingly quirkily British. No? Don’t you all find it a bit daft that every alien invasion of earth starts in Cardiff? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/43 "2010-08-19T18:01:16Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > As an aside, is Dr Who as popular in the US as you lot make it seem, or does the SD have the monopoly on Who Love? Because, as a Brit, I understand the love - we all grew up with him - but I would’ve thought US viewers would find it all a bit cardboard low tech and annoyingly quirkily British. No? > > Don’t you all find it a bit daft that every alien invasion of earth starts in Cardiff? It’s not nearly as well-known or widespread as in the UK, but the new rebooted series is definitely getting more popular in the US than in the past. I would regularly see new episodes mentioned in Entertainment Weekly and ads for the Matt Smith series showed up on buses & billboards in New York City. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/44 "2010-08-19T18:26:37Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > **Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker (1984–1986)** > Occasionally, someone will admit to liking this doctor. I don’t know of anyone who admits to liking Peri or Melanie. I have yet to manage to sit through the whole Trial of the Timelord. I liked Peri. 'Course, I always focused on her chest… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/45 "2010-08-19T18:41:02Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > > [@SanVito](#): > > > > As an aside, is Dr Who as popular in the US as you lot make it seem, or does the SD have the monopoly on Who Love? Because, as a Brit, I understand the love - we all grew up with him - but I would’ve thought US viewers would find it all a bit cardboard low tech and annoyingly quirkily British. No? > > > > Don’t you all find it a bit daft that every alien invasion of earth starts in Cardiff? > > It’s not nearly as well-known or widespread as in the UK, but the new rebooted series is definitely getting more popular in the US than in the past. I would regularly see new episodes mentioned in Entertainment Weekly and ads for the Matt Smith series showed up on buses & billboards in New York City. Yeah, here in Canada the new series is far from ‘mainstream’, but it’s about as popular as many homegrown or American sci-fi franchises. I went to Polaris convention this year in Toronto, and Whoniverse was definitely well represented - somebody from Torchwood was attending as a special guest, there was a Whoniverse trivia contest, and a few other panels IIRC, and many Who-themed t shirts, (I bough a Tard-Ex shirt :).) It also showed up repeatedly in the costume masquerade contest, and got several nominations and one award in the Constellation ceremony, for best sci-fi in the past year, (which mostly aren’t limited to canadian productions.) ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/46 "2010-08-19T18:44:26Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > As an aside, is Dr Who as popular in the US as you lot make it seem, or does the SD have the monopoly on Who Love? Because, as a Brit, I understand the love - we all grew up with him - but I would’ve thought US viewers would find it all a bit cardboard low tech and annoyingly quirkily British. No? > > Don’t you all find it a bit daft that every alien invasion of earth starts in Cardiff? I can’t speak for all of the US but it’s my understanding it’s generally been popular in my state, Iowa. It was on PBS for years and the yearly fundraiser usually did well with Who support. Further, I grew up with it as well! I think we had episodes here as early as the late 70s and definitely by the 80s this was my show to watch! I was very excited when it started again. Actually, I find it fun that it puts its home country at the center of earth. Probably no worse than what we do with our own shows. Nothing wrong with that! vislor ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/47 "2010-08-19T18:48:51Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Now I find i kind of miss that. I want to watch a new show, but I’m not sure what to watch. > > I love paranormal or sci-fi type stories, but i vastly prefer “professionals looking into the unknown” rather than kids chasing it down or even family. This is why I don’t just watch Supernatural, btw, it seems entertaining enough, but I am just not as interested in the antics of two young men doing this on their own. Everyone has answered about Doctor Who and done so well. I won’t bother with that. What I do feel the need to say is that Supernatural is a great show. And they are professionals in that they have been doing it since they were kids. Further, this has had one of the strongest story arc I have seen in TV in a long time! This show started out well and only got better. Further, the creator of it got to tell his story in the first five seasons and told it well. It is coming back for a sixth but not sure that it is the same guy, so I will see how well it does but the first five seasons were excellent! vislor ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/48 "2010-08-19T18:51:49Z")
> [@vislor](#): > > > [@SanVito](#): > > > > As an aside, is Dr Who as popular in the US as you lot make it seem, or does the SD have the monopoly on Who Love? Because, as a Brit, I understand the love - we all grew up with him - but I would’ve thought US viewers would find it all a bit cardboard low tech and annoyingly quirkily British. No? > > > > Don’t you all find it a bit daft that every alien invasion of earth starts in Cardiff? > > I can’t speak for all of the US but it’s my understanding it’s generally been popular in my state, Iowa. It was on PBS for years and the yearly fundraiser usually did well with Who support. Further, I grew up with it as well! I think we had episodes here as early as the late 70s and definitely by the 80s this was my show to watch! > > I was very excited when it started again. > > Actually, I find it fun that it puts its home country at the center of earth. Probably no worse than what we do with our own shows. Nothing wrong with that! > > vislor Good to hear! I have an ongoing joke with my Welsh girlfriend that the Welsh are mounting a none too subtle invasion of England - for a tiny population, they suddenly seem to be everywhere on TV. Alien invasions coming from Cardiff only reinforces my argument. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/49 "2010-08-19T19:31:00Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > As an aside, is Dr Who as popular in the US as you lot make it seem, or does the SD have the monopoly on Who Love? Because, as a Brit, I understand the love - we all grew up with him - but I would’ve thought US viewers would find it all a bit cardboard low tech and annoyingly quirkily British. No? > > Don’t you all find it a bit daft that every alien invasion of earth starts in Cardiff? For decades, the show was generally followed in the U.S. by the sorts of people who were watching a lot of PBS anyway, on which one got exposed to a lot of BBC. You just sort of get used to a different sensibility. You know – ‘pee’ is money, h’s are optional, cross-dressing is hilarious, you can end any sentence with ‘innit?’ What was surprising was that with the rise of the internet I came to discover that Doctor Who fans were social pariahs in much the way that Star Trek fans are in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/50 "2010-08-19T19:37:07Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > > [@KneadToKnow](#): > > > > **Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker (1984–1986)** > > Occasionally, someone will admit to liking this doctor. I don’t know of anyone who admits to liking Peri or Melanie. I have yet to manage to sit through the whole Trial of the Timelord. > > I liked Peri. 'Course, I always focused on her chest… 😃 Just to put the attribution straight, you quoted me quoting **Johnny Angel** there. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/51 "2010-08-19T19:58:57Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > **Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker (1984–1986)** > > Occasionally, someone will admit to liking this doctor. I don’t know of anyone who admits to liking Peri or Melanie. I have yet to manage to sit through the whole Trial of the Timelord. > > I liked Peri. 'Course, I always focused on her chest… 😃 Which explains why, even though I’ve seen Peter Davidson’s regeneration scene several times, but I don’t actually remember it. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/52 "2010-08-19T20:02:44Z")
I hope this isn’t a hijack, but I’ve got a couple of Doctor Who questions as well, regarding viewing order. I’m almost done with Season 1 (Eccleston), and I’ll be making my way through Tennant’s episodes shortly (I’ve seen many of them, but not consecutively). I know that “The End of Time” represents the very end of Tennant’s tenure, but there are two more episodes that appear to be stand-alones - “Planet of the Dead” and “The Waters of Mars.” Where should they be in viewing order? After Season 4 but before “The End of Time?” In which order should I watch these two episodes? And, in a related note, where does “Torchwood” fit into all this? Can I just start that after I complete my backlog of “Doctor Who”, or would it make more sense to watch them concurrently, and if so, when? Gotta admit, I’m a bit surprised how much I’ve gotten into it. It’s a lot of fun! ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/53 "2010-08-19T20:20:02Z")
For various reasons, they only did specials in 2009. So, it’s the Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, Water of Mars and then End of Time, parts 1 and 2. That’s the order in which to watch them. As for Torchwood, it’s mostly stand alone . . . except the finale of its first season ties into the final arc of series three. Other than that, and it’s a tiny part really, it’s on its own. I have enjoyed Doctor Who for a long time now. And, admittedly, I also liked Peri for the reason(s) stated above but I was a geeky teenage kid (read hormones) at the time I saw her. I got to meet Colin Baker several years ago and talk to him. What a wonderful man and he liked Nicola Bryant as well, who was apparently having some legal issues or something. It didn’t sound fun but it was a good talk and fun to meet him! vislor (\<- who is using this name from Doctor Who) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/54 "2010-08-19T20:21:53Z")
“Planet of the Dead” and “Waters of Mars” are stand-alone episodes, so it really doesn’t matter. “Planet of the Dead” was broadcast first. As for\*\* Torchwood\*\* – it’s convoluted. The first season of \*\*Torchwood \*\*sort of meshed with **Doctor Who**. Since you’ve already seen enough of **Doctor Who** to eliminate a few of **Torchwood’s** surprises, it’s best to just watch it separately after you’ve finished with the Doctor. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/55 "2010-08-19T20:35:36Z")
The order my girlfriend and I will follow, given to us by my Doctor Who-loving friend, is: watch seasons 1-3 of _Doctor Who_, but stop before “Utopia” watch season 1 of _Torchwood_ resume _Doctor Who_ season 3 with “Utopia” onwards watch season 2 of _Torchwood_ watch season 4 of _Doctor Who_ watch _Torchwood: Children of Earth_ (optional: weep, gnash teeth, express desire to physically harm Russell T. Davies) watch the five Tenth Doctor specials watch season 5 of _Doctor Who_ ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/56 "2010-08-19T21:22:35Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > As an aside, is Dr Who as popular in the US as you lot make it seem, or does the SD have the monopoly on Who Love? Because, as a Brit, I understand the love - we all grew up with him - but I would’ve thought US viewers would find it all a bit cardboard low tech and annoyingly quirkily British. No? > > Don’t you all find it a bit daft that every alien invasion of earth starts in Cardiff? Every month in San Antonio, a group meets called “Doctor Who Fans Unite” ([http://www.doctorwhofansunite.com/](http://www.doctorwhofansunite.com/)) which meets every third Wednesday to watch DW episodes on the big screen at the local Alamo Draft House (a theater that serves food and beer). Every time they sell out two theaters of 250 seats each (except December, which is impacted by Christmas). ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/57 "2010-08-19T22:17:42Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Don’t you all find it a bit daft that every alien invasion of earth starts in Cardiff? Totally. All alien invasions should begin in New York City, as God intended. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/58 "2010-08-19T22:23:40Z")
> [@Oregon\_sunshine](#): > > For the love of all that is right and good, _watch the Tom Baker eps first!!!_ :cough cough: Jon Pertwee (Doctor number Three) is cooler. You have to watch out for the Bakerites. See, Tom Baker’s drug-addled, scenery-chewing portrayal was the first to be imported to the colonies, & so for many Yanks he was THE Doctor. They’re still around insisting he’s the best. Whatever. Tom Baker was the first one I saw & heard. Pertwee was the first I got to _know_ as a character. It’s a matter of where you come in I guess. The new guys are all good actors, pity about the scripts David “Ten” Tennant was stuck with at times. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/59 "2010-08-19T22:32:51Z")
> [@vislor](#): > > I was very excited when it started again. So was I once I actually saw some episodes over here. > [@](#): > > Actually, I find it fun that it puts its home country at the center of earth. Probably no worse than what we do with our own shows. Nothing wrong with that! Yeah, that’s a normal trope. My uncle was a Whoie (due to PBS stations running the Tom Baker stuff) & had a bunch of the novelisations. Terrance Dicks did a lot of them, quite a good job as I recall. I knew Doctors Three, Four, & Five as literary characters. (Also companions like Adric, Jo, Tegan, and **vislor** ’s namesake Vislor Turlough.) The actual shows I eventually saw with Peter Davison (Five) & later Sylvester McCoy (Seven) were a bit disappointing. But years later I actually got to see Pertwee as the Doctor via illicit YouTube videos–he was actually that cool onscreen. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635/60 "2010-08-19T22:47:36Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > As an aside, is Dr Who as popular in the US as you lot make it seem, or does the SD have the monopoly on Who Love? Because, as a Brit, I understand the love - we all grew up with him - but I would’ve thought US viewers would find it all a bit cardboard low tech and annoyingly quirkily British. No? > > Don’t you all find it a bit daft that every alien invasion of earth starts in Cardiff? Well, back in the '80’s when I was watching Tom Baker and Peter Davison on public TV, _Doctor Who_ was very much a cult fave - being a Whovian was a way of proclaiming your intellectual superiority to all the Trekkies and Jedi Knights. (Episodes ran on Saturday nights at ten o’clock, because PBS knew that if you were a **Doctor Who** fan, you certainly weren’t out with a girl on the weekend.) The New Who seems to be much more broadbased, probably because it’s much easier to find, thanks to BBCA. Most of my friends are Whovians - although that is subject to selection bias. As far as the somewhat cheesy effects, they never really bothered me. I like that the early series had such a low budget - the producers were forced to distract the audience with clever writing and intelligent plots. In fact, _Doctor Who_ is the best evidence I can find that a strong story is really all that you need, and that intelligent writing, like charity, covers a multitude of sins. A lesson that George Lucas seems to have forgotten. The only thing “quirkly British” that I notice is that whenever the Doctor comes to Earth, he inevitably goes to London or Cardiff. Understandable, but in my (arguably faulty) memory, Classic _Who_ had lot more episodes set in other lands and on other planets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dr-who/550635.md?page=4)