Aug 9, 2013

What The F**k is a Doctor Who?

If anyone was ever curious what the fuss is about, here's the bio for "The Doctor"  (I stole from IMDB and edited slightly for clarity)  The Doctor is the title character from Dr.Who, the BBC Sci Fi TV series that's having it's 50th Anniversary this year. Yes 50th.



"The Doctor is the last of an ancient, nearly God-like race called the Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey. He fled his home world to explore the universe. He travels in a living time machine known as the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space), which he stole from the Time Lords and which appears like a small London police box on the outside but which has nearly infinite dimensions on the inside. After some initial adventures in 1963 London, his odd lifestyle attracted the attention of two schoolteachers who forced their way into the TARDIS. The Doctor, wishing to keep secret his existence, essentially kidnapped the teachers and took them on a number of adventures, eventually returning them and traveling with other companions. He is described as the universes greatest defender and has saved it countless times from all manner of alien, war or other disaster. He shows a soft spot for humans.


Throughout the series, The Doctor has been forced to regenerate ten times, a process he can undergo when he is near death and which causes him to change appearance, but retain his memories (explaining the 11 doctors and actors who have played him). He has been hunted by his own kind, the Time Lords, but his main enemies are [but not limited to], the alien Dalek, from the planet Skaro; the Cybermen and his nemesis, The Master.

Specifics about The Doctor, including his name and other details, are shrouded in secrecy within the world of the show; only a few select characters on the show which become apparent as to why when you watch, are believed to know it. Supposedly the oldest and most dangerous question in the universe is "Doctor Who?" The Doctor's true name is apparently the answer, and if it is answered the Doctor's timeline could be accessed and corrupted, which could in turn lead to the destruction of the universe by reversing all of the times the Doctor has saved it.

He has been described as a doctor of everything. The Doctor is at least 900 years old. It has been said he can regenerate only 12 times, for 13 lives, but since this limit was set by the Time Lords, and because the series is now on its eleventh Doctor, this number is now seen as flexible. The Doctor himself once joked he could regenerate 507 times. He has two hearts, and a respiratory bypass system which allows him to go without air for a short while. His relationship with his traveling companions is general platonic, with two notable exceptions." 

The show started in 1963 and went till 1989. Early episodes had very limited budget and were really cheesy but the stories and characters were so engaging people still watched. The show was revamped in 2005 with a younger flair and a more slick production. The new version is currently still running on BBC and BBC America.  For the 50th anniversary special it looks like we're going to get a 12th Doctor.

So, now you know. It's incredibly dorky but once you start to watch you kind of get into it and sort of look past how ridiculous it all is.  There's a reason it's been going for so long.

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