Doctor Who: In Perfect Health

Dr Who
In perfect health

Doctor Who is one of the very few shows on TV today that I would call great entertainment. I have been a fan for over twenty years and yes it was hard to watch when it began spiraling out of control during the years of the 7th Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and his companion Ace (Sophie Aldred). I was happy to see that when the show was resurrected the producers went back to the roots of the original show and brought back old enemies like the Daleks, the Sontarans, and the Cyberman. In addition to writing good stories they also did a great job with casting the actors. Life was good, so you can image my surprise when I heard that Russell T. Davies and David Tennant were both leaving the show.

I recently attended this year’s PhilCon 2009 and listened to a group of Dr. Who panelist share their thoughts about the new Doctor. Although there were a few cracks about the age of the new Doctor for the most part the general consensus was to take a wait and see attitude. I am, on the other hand less optimistic that the 26 year old Matt Smith can pull it off.

Will the new young Doctor be pulled over by the Inter Galactic Police for flying the Tardis under age?

Also discussed was the upcoming (for us who have to wait for BBC America) Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars. I wondered how so many people were able to see the special before I did, but my daughter explained that there are ways. I think I'll just sit tight and wait for it to air. The panelists had very good things to say about the special so my interest is a bit more than just piqued.

I suspect that the new producer/writer Steven Moffat wanted a younger doctor so that he could add more romance to the show. I read somewhere that he intends to make several changes. Mr. Moffat’s resume is solid and he appears to be the logical replacement for the departing Davies but new guys always want to leave their mark and that makes me nervous. Will he redesign the Tardis? Will the doctor have a girlfriend? Will he bring back the Time Lords planet of Gallifrey, only time will tell?