Return of the Time Lord

Last year the BBC struck up production on a new Doctor Who series. This set my geek heart to glowing. The original Doctor Who started in 1963. I started watching right after the third Doctor played by Jon Pertwee, regenerated. Growing up in the seventies Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor, was the one I was most familiar with. You know they guy – frizzy hair, long scarf? He and his companions would travel through time and space righting wrongs, dispensing justice and exploring the time stream. After Baker regenerated and Peter Davidson became Doctor number five, I still watched. I watched until PBS, the only station that carried it in my neck of the woods, dropped it altogether. I loved that show and, shock and awe, I still do.

The BBC waited a year to ship it to the United States to be broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. It was worth the wait. Christopher Eccleston played the Ninth regeneration of the Doctor and Billie Piper plays his companion, Rose Tyler. It’s through Rose’s eye’s that a new generation of Whovians are introduced to the universe of Doctor Who. Rose is a contemporary young woman from South London. Seeing her discover who the Doctor is and what he’s about is pure frosting. The TARDIS the Doctor’s time/space ship is back with its damaged chameleon circuit leaving it stuck in the shape of a 1950s Police Box. Having the Doctor back has been delightful.

If you get it then good on you mate. If you don’t then you’ve probably stopped reading by now. Here’s an excellent site (http://www.drwhoguide.com/who.htm) for the history of the Doctor and his now 10 regenerations. Mr. Eccleston has left the show (I just saw it happen on the Sci-Fi Channel) and now the Doctor is on his tenth regeneration played by David Tennant. Rose is still his companion and I hope it stays that way for a long time.

The newest season has just finished up in England. That means the there is whole other season of new Doctor Who that has yet to reach American shores. It can’t happen soon enough for this fan boy. I loved Eccleston in the role but I’m looking forward to seeing Tennant do his thing.

Until the next season splashes across American television, may the face of Rassilon smile upon you.