The Good Doctor

When you find yourself staring at a blank page, do what I do. Dance. No. Not really. First off, I am not that good of a dancer. Second, I might damage the rusty remains of my two metallic hips. Honestly, one more hunk of metal added to my anatomy, and I will start to resemble a Cyberman from Doctor Who.

And speaking of Doctor Who. I have been in and ongoing relationship with the Doctor since Tom Baker in the 70s. It is not really what I’d call a serious relationship, more of a Netflix and chill with me having the freedom to walk away and come back when I couldn’t find something better to watch.

This all changed recently with a viewing of the excellent bio picture An Adventure in Space and Time. The film recounts the creation of the good Doctor and the person who embodied his first earthy appearance, William Hartnell. I enjoyed this production a great deal and it inspired me to revisit the later episodes (90s on) with the intention of returning to the older shows.

For the record, here are some things that I like about the show in general.

It is literate, with a dramatic foot hovering in and around history, literature, art and the sciences. In short, it does what real science fiction does well.

It is well crafted. Even in early episodes they did amazing work with very limited budgets and resources. It was very much Independent filmmaking on a grander scale. The Doctor materialized at a time where rationing was still a thing. Budgets were smaller, and imaginations tended to be larger. It was a perfect balance for a startling new character.

The actors, even in the later ones, are all top-notch!  Pick and old episode and scroll through a random star or guest star’s credits. You will see credits ranging from Shakespeare to Rasputin. 
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And, most important, Doctor Who is fun. Sometimes bordering on silly, while still be able to produce a tear. It is great television and worthy of a look.