Doctor Who: Difference between revisions
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It is soon established that this new person is the same character, physically different and with some new personality quirks, but still the same intensely curious and highly moral adventurer, who would rather solve problems with his wits than through violence. | It is soon established that this new person is the same character, physically different and with some new personality quirks, but still the same intensely curious and highly moral adventurer, who would rather solve problems with his wits than through violence. | ||
Other aspects of the Doctor's life remain less clear. There are suggestions of romantic feelings towards both Rose and others, but the his personal relationships are never humanlike. Though in the 2006 episode ''Fear Her'' it is revealed that he was once a father, and likewise ''Smith | Other aspects of the Doctor's life remain less clear. There are suggestions of romantic feelings towards both Rose and others, but the his personal relationships are never humanlike. Though in the 2006 episode ''Fear Her'' it is revealed that he was once a father, and likewise the third series (''Smith & Jones''; ''The Sound of Drums'', 2007) reveals that he had a brother - ''not'' his arch-enemy the Master - nothing more is known of what family he may have had. | ||
==Companions== | ==Companions== | ||
Revision as of 23:44, 9 May 2008
| Doctor Who |
| Format: Science Fiction; Drama |
| Country: United Kingdom |
| Channel: BBC One |
| First Aired: 23 November 1963 (original series) |
| 26 March 2005 (current series) |
| Creators: Sydney Newman |
| C. E. Webber |
| Donald Wilson |
| Russell T. Davies (current series) |
| Starring: David Tennant; Freema Agyeman |
| Picture format: 720x576 16:9 (2005–) |
- See also: Doctor Who (classic series)
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme, produced by the BBC, about the adventures of a time-traveller known as 'the Doctor'. His time machine, the TARDIS, is disguised as an old British police box, but is much bigger on the inside than out. Some recurrent adversaries include the 'Daleks' - mutants inside pepperpot-shaped casings - and the 'Cybermen'. The programme has lasted so long because the Doctor, an alien, can 'regenerate' his body when badly injured, allowing the lead actor to be recast. Traditionally, the Doctor is accompanied by at least one (usually human) companion, usually female, but with few romantic implications.
The programme is the longest-running science fiction television series in the world[1] and is also a significant part of British popular culture.[2][3] It has been recognised for its imaginative stories, creative low-budget special effects during its original run and pioneering use of electronic music (originally produced by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop). In Britain and elsewhere the show has become a cult favourite on a par with Star Trek. It has received recognition from critics and the public as one of the finest British television programmes, including a BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series in 2006.
The programme first ran from 1963 to 1989, with a television movie made in 1996. It was relaunched in 2005, produced in-house by BBC Wales.[4] Doctor Who has also spawned spin-offs in multiple media, including the current television series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
The relaunch of the programme has seen Christmas Day special episodes broadcast between series, the most recent being The Runaway Bride. Series three of the programme, starring David Tennant as the Doctor and Freema Agyeman as his 'companion' Martha Jones, followed in spring 2007 on BBC One. Series four, beginning in spring 2008, features Catherine Tate as the Doctor's latest companion, Donna. After this, three special adventures will be broadcast in 2009.
History
After the programme's cancellation in 1989 and the failure of a 1996 American-backed movie to secure a new series, as a television programme Doctor Who stayed 'on hiatus' until 2003. Its return in 2005 was largely due to the persistence of the controller of BBC One, Lorraine Heggessey,[5] who finally won the rights to the series from the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide. Several unsuccessful attempts by Worldwide to find backing for a feature film version finally convinced the BBC that an in-house series was the best way to secure the future of the programme.[6].
To bring back the series, the BBC approached writer Russell T. Davies, who had contributed to a range of Doctor Who novels, so had a love of the programme as well as considerable scriptwriting experience. Davies was appointed as executive producer and head writer on the programme. To date, he has also written most of the scripts for the series. Joining him to head up the programme at BBC Wales was the BBC Head of Drama, Julie Gardner.
The new series began with the episode Rose on BBC One on 26 March 2005, and the show has since been sold to many other countries. Due to an initial lack of interest by networks in the USA, it only debuted on the Sci Fi Channel on 17 March 2006, one year after the Canadian and UK showings. The BBC subsequently commissioned more series and Christmas specials. Series 2 in the UK was followed by The Runaway Bride in December 2006. Series 2 began airing in the US on the Sci-Fi Channel on 29 September 2006, followed by the CBC on 9 October.
Public consciousness
The Doctor
The newest episodes reveal various aspects of The Doctor's character and past, but much remains mysterious.
Warning: Spoilers follow below
In Rose (2005) the viewer is introduced to what appears to be a leather-jacketed man of action, mid-way through a conflict with a creature known as the Nestene. It becomes clear that he is not a human being, and that he travels in time and space in a machine disguised as a 1950s police telephone box, and which is much bigger on the inside. This story also reveals that he believes himself to be the last of his own people, who were destroyed in a battle known as the 'Time War'. Throughout this season of adventures, it is emphasised that this individual is "damaged", in Russell T. Davies's words, by his experiences, which make him somewhat unpredictable.
The Doctor's physiology is unlike that of a human; he has two hearts, and is capable of physical and mental feats beyond those of an ordinary human. Most usefully, he has the ability to regenerate - what he calls a trick for "cheating death". When he is fatally injured in the course of saving his companion Rose's life (The Parting of the Ways, 2005), she and the viewer witness a burst of energy released from his body, as his features melt into those of a new individual - the Doctor's present incarnation, portrayed by David Tennant.
It is soon established that this new person is the same character, physically different and with some new personality quirks, but still the same intensely curious and highly moral adventurer, who would rather solve problems with his wits than through violence.
Other aspects of the Doctor's life remain less clear. There are suggestions of romantic feelings towards both Rose and others, but the his personal relationships are never humanlike. Though in the 2006 episode Fear Her it is revealed that he was once a father, and likewise the third series (Smith & Jones; The Sound of Drums, 2007) reveals that he had a brother - not his arch-enemy the Master - nothing more is known of what family he may have had.
Companions
Warning: Spoilers follow below
The Doctor is initially travelling alone, but former London shop assistant Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) joins him at the close of the opening adventure, with others appearing later. It becomes clear that the Doctor's new friends were not the first to join him in the TARDIS, but so far only two of his 'companions' from the past have appeared, and others have not been discussed. Though the relationship between the Doctor and Rose is initially rocky, they come to trust and rely on each other through experience; her departure in 2006's Doomsday seemed to affect the Doctor deeply.
In terms of programme-making, the idea of having a companion is to provide a surrogate with whom the audience can identify and to further the story by asking questions and getting into trouble. Any kind of intimate relationship is out: the series played with this idea by having various characters think that the Doctor and Rose were a couple, which they vehemently denied.
From the beginning of the 2008 series, Catherine Tate played Donna, the Doctor's next ongoing companion, returning from her first appearance in The Runaway Bride.
Adversaries
Warning: Spoilers follow below
In Doctor Who, the universe is a dangerous place. A frequently occurring theme is that of various alien races attempting to conquer the Earth or otherwise threatening the human race,[7] only to be foiled by the Doctor. Perhaps the best-known example of this in the new series concerns the attempts of the Slitheen family to take over the planet and sell it for scrap. Other villians appearing include the Autons (Rose), the Cybermen (in the 2006 series) and Cassandra, the last human being alive five billion years in the future (The End of the World, 2005; Ew Earth, 2006).
Of all the monsters and villains, the best-known in the series and wider UK culture are the Daleks: deadly mutants in tank-like mechanical armour from the planet Skaro. Envisaged as representing the Nazis, their best-known characteristic is frequently screaming "Exterminate!" at and destroying anything un-Dalek. They Daleks have appeared several times in the new series, firstly in Dalek (2005), where it appears that only one individual had survived a previous encounter with their nemesis, the Doctor (known in Skaroene lore as 'The Oncoming Storm'. The Daleks have made more regular appearances in the relaunched programme than in the original 1963-1989 series, returning at least once a year. At present, their numbers appear to once again have been reduced to one (Evolution of the Daleks, 2007).
Music
For the new series in 2005, Murray Gold provided a new arrangement which featured samples from the 1963 original with further elements added. A soundtrack CD of Gold's music for the new series was released on 4 December 2006 by Silva Screen Records.[8]. Gold also created a variation on his arrangement for the closing credits of The Christmas Invasion, which was performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Unlike his arrangement for the 2005 series, this version restored the 'middle eight'; it was also used for the closing credits of the 2006 series.
Viewership
Doctor Who has always appeared on the BBC's mainstream BBC One channel, drawing audiences of many millions of viewers. The BBC One broadcast of Rose, the first episode of the 2005 revival, drew an average audience of 10.81 million, third highest for BBC One that week and seventh across all channels. The 2005 series had an average audience of 7.95 million viewers, and the 2006 series achieved an average audience of about 7.71 million in the context of declining year-to-year viewership for all television channels. The episode Rise of the Cybermen managed sixth place in the charts across the week with 9.22 million viewers.[9]
The programme has been widely sold abroad, both in the English-speaking world and further afield with dubbing or subtitling.[10] The Japanese version, for example, includes a new logo in the native katakana writing system: ドクター・フー (Dokutaa Fuu)[11]
The series has been released on DVD as both boxed sets of the first two seasons, with extras including a documentary for most episodes, and as single no-frills discs, for both Region 1 and Region 2 players. The 2005 series is also available on UMD for the PlayStation Portable.
Format
Each series consists of thirteen 45-minute, self-contained episodes. This includes three two-parters and a loose story arc per season whose elements are brought together in the season finale. Like the original serial format, two-part episodes have separate titles. From series two, the regular characters have been largely absent from one episode so the leads can concentrate on filming others; this led to criticism of the first 'Doctor-lite' adventure, 2006's Love and Monsters. Doctor Who, having already completed 724 episodes, will surpass the number of instalments of the Star Trek franchise (726 episodes over five programmes) during the 2007 series.
The current series is filmed in 576i25 DigiBeta widescreen format and then filmised to give a 25p image in post-production using a Snell and Wilcox Alchemist Platinum.
Fandom
Doctor Who has amassed a large number of fans[12] from all over the world, and appears to have won a new generation of followers of varying ages: the UK children's magazine show Blue Peter reported that their 'Design a Doctor Who Monster' competition received the largest number of entries for any such event since 1993.[13] The series is more a mainstream part of popular culture in its native UK, where it is regarded as a family show and is shown on the main public service broadcasting channel, BBC One. In an example of how British culture has taken the programme to heart, on the occasion when London's Metropolitan Police challenged the BBC's ownership of the police box design, they lost as the court ruled that people associate such boxes with time machines rather than the police.[14]
Celebrity fans include comedians Jon Culshaw, David Walliams[15], Mitch Benn, Peter Kay (who appeared in Love & Monsters), Mark Gatiss (writer of several episodes, who also appears in the third series), Stewart Lee and Matt Lucas, cricketers Mike Gatting and Graham Gooch, singer and actress Toyah Willcox, Cedric Bixler-Zavala of the Mars Volta, singer Meat Loaf, Simpsons creator Matt Groening, graphic novelist and fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, horror novelist Brian Keene, and science-fiction writer and critic Harlan Ellison.
Adaptations and other appearances
Torchwood
Following the success of the 2005 series produced by Russell T. Davies, the BBC commissioned Davies to produce a 13-part spin-off series titled Torchwood (an anagram of "Doctor Who"), set in modern-day Wales and investigating alien activities and crime. The series debuted on BBC Three on 22 October 2006. John Barrowman reprises his role of Jack Harkness from the 2005 series of Doctor Who. [16] Eve Myles, who was in the 2005 Doctor Who episode The Unquiet Dead, and Naoko Mori (Aliens of London) also star, the latter reprising her role as Dr Toshiko Sato.[17] Torchwood returned for a second series in 2008.
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures, starring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, has been developed by CBBC; a special aired on New Year's Day 2007, and a full series followed later in 2007.[18]
Other episodes
A new K-9 children's series, K-9 Adventures, is in development, but not by the BBC.[19]
One episode of Doctor Who which was not broadcast as part of the new series was an untitled seven-minute feature, set in the immediate aftermath of The Parting of the Ways and leading directly into The Christmas Invasion, shown as part of the Children in Need telethon. Unlike other 'charity' episodes made before the 2005 comeback, this episode forms part of the official continuity 'canon'. Similarly, a second short Children in Need adventure, Time Crash (2007), is regarded as contributing to the series' continuity.
Awards
The revived series has received particular recognition from critics and the public. In 2005, at the National Television Awards (voted on by members of the British public), Doctor Who won "Most Popular Drama", Christopher Eccleston won "Most Popular Actor" and Billie Piper won "Most Popular Actress". The series and Piper repeated their wins at the 2006 National Television Awards, and David Tennant won "Most Popular Actor".[20] A scene from The Doctor Dances won "Golden Moment" in the BBC's "2005 TV Moments" awards,[21] and Doctor Who swept all the categories in BBC.co.uk's online "Best of Drama" poll in both 2005[22] and 2006.[23] The programme also won the Broadcast Magazine Award for Best Drama.[24][25] Eccleston was awarded the TV Quick and TV Choice award for Best Actor in 2005; in the same awards in 2006 Tennant won Best Actor, Piper won Best Actress and Doctor Who won Best-Loved Drama.[26][27]
Doctor Who was nominated in the Best Drama Series category at the 2006 Royal Television Society awards,[28] but lost to BBC Three's medical drama Bodies.[29]
Doctor Who also received several nominations for the 2006 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards: the programme for Best Drama, Eccleston for Best Actor (David Tennant was also nominated for Secret Smile), Piper for Best Actress and Davies for Best Writer, but it did not win any of these categories.[30]
Several episodes of the 2005 series of Doctor Who were nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: Dalek, Father's Day and the double episode The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. At a ceremony at the Worldcon (64th World Science Fiction Convention) in Los Angeles on 27 August 2006, the Hugo was awarded to The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.[31] Dalek and Father's Day came in second and third places respectively.[32]
The British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA) nominations, released on March 27 2006, revealed that Doctor Who had been shortlisted in the category of Best Drama Series. This is the highest-profile and most prestigious British television award for which the series has ever been nominated. Doctor Who was also nominated in several other categories in the BAFTA Craft Awards, including Best Writer (Russell T. Davies), Best Director (Joe Ahearne), and Break-through Talent (production designer Edward Thomas). However, it did not eventually win any of its categories at the Craft Awards.
On Sunday May 7 2006, the main BAFTA award winners were announced, and Doctor Who won both of the categories it was nominated for, the Best Drama Series and audience-voted Pioneer Award. Russell T. Davies also won the Dennis Potter Award for Outstanding Writing for Television.[33]
On April 22 2006, the programme won five categories (of fourteen nominations) at the BAFTA Cymru awards, given to programmes made in Wales. It won Best Drama Series, Drama Director (James Hawes), Costume, Make-up and Photography Direction. Russell T Davies also won the Sian Phillips Award for Outstanding Contribution to Network Television.[34]
Footnotes
- ↑ Dr Who 'longest-running sci-fi', BBC News, 2006-09-28. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
- ↑ (2006-09-14) "The end of Olde Englande: A lament for Blighty". The Economist. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
- ↑ ICONS. A Portrait of England. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
- ↑ Some development money for the new series is contributed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which is credited as a co-producer, although they do not have creative input into the show.
- ↑ Born in 1956, Heggessey was amongst the first generation of BBC executives and Doctor Who contributors who had grown up with the original programme. It has been suggested that this childhood love of the series, emerging as these people reached the senior ranks of the BBC, was a factor in the show's resurrection in 2003.
- ↑ Daily Telegraph: 'Doctor Who ready to come out of the Tardis for Saturday TV series' 26th September 2003.
- ↑ A new, enforced guideline for the new series so far is that all stories must involve humanity in some way.
- ↑ BBC: Who soundtrack soon. 11th November 2006.
- ↑ Spilsbury, T.: 'Public Image'. Doctor Who Magazine #373:8, 13th September 2006.
- ↑ As of October 2006, the new series has been, or is currently, broadcast weekly in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Latin America (People+Arts), South Korea, the USA, Greece, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Levant territories. The series has also been sold to, but not yet shown in, Germany (Pro 7), Sweden and Romania.
- ↑ BBC: Turning Japanese. 30th June 2006. Although Fuu is an accurate romanisation of the Japanese name, the Japanese version of the programme also employs the English name alongside the Japanese equivalent. Additionally, many speakers will pronounce Fuu as Huu. See also NHK's Doctor Who website.
- ↑ The term 'Whovian' (similar to Trekkie for Star Trek) is often used by the press to refer to Doctor Who fans, although the term is not often used by fans themselves.
- ↑ BBC: Monster Success. 18th August 2005. The winning entry appeared in 2006's 'Love & Monsters' as the fearsome 'Abzorbaloff'. Its creator, 13-year-old William Grantham, reportedly gave the seal of approval to the BBC's interpretation, though remarked that "it was supposed to be the size of a double-decker bus".
- ↑ BBC: BBC Wins Police Tardis Case. 23rd October 2002.
- ↑ davidwalliams.com. Walliams appeared as the programme's creator, Sydney Newman, in a 1999 sketch with Mark Gatiss.
- ↑ BBC: Doctor Who spin-off made in Wales. 17th October 2005.
- ↑ BBC: Team Torchwood. 24th February 2006.
- ↑ BBC (2006-09-14). Russell T Davies creates new series for CBBC, starring Doctor Who's Sarah Jane Smith. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-09-14.
- ↑ BBC: Doctor Who dog K9 gets spin-off. 26th July 2006.
- ↑ Dr Who scores TV awards hat-trick, BBC News, bbc.co.uk, 2006-10-31. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
- ↑ 2005 TV Moments. bbc.co.uk (December 2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
- ↑ Drama Best of 2005. bbc.co.uk (December 2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
- ↑ Drama Best of 2006. bbc.co.uk (January 2007). Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
- ↑ Doctor Who wins Broadcast Award. bbc.co.uk (2006-01-26). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
- ↑ 2006 Winners. Broadcast Magazine (2006). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
- ↑ Street is best soap at TV awards, BBC News, 2005-09-06. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ↑ Doctor Who lands three TV awards, BBC News, 2006-09-05. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ↑ RTS Programme Awards - Nominations, The Guardian, 2006-02-21. Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
- ↑ Bleak House wins TV drama award, BBC News, 2006-03-15. Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
- ↑ Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 2006. Broadcasting Press Guild (March 31 2006). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
- ↑ Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners. Locus Online (2006-08-26). Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
- ↑ Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. 2006 Hugo Award & Campbell Award Winners (2006-08-26). Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
- ↑ Doctor Who is Bafta award winner, BBC News, 2006-05-08. Retrieved on 2006-05-08.
- ↑ Doctor leads Bafta Cymru winners, BBC News, 2006-04-22. Retrieved on 2006-04-24.