Doctor Who is coming to the United States nearly a year after the series aired in the UK. And we should pay attention. I don't say this because Im a fan of the show and want it to do well ratings wise-but of course I am and I do-rather I say this because it's a piece of popular culture that has global appeal and its not American. It is a different perspective from the United States, but its in English. In a way, it's a source for us to see how the rest of the world views....us.
Doctor Who ran on British television from 1963-1989. It's a science-fiction/fantasy program about a quirky eccentric man who travels through time and space with various human companions at his side. And it's the longest running sci-fi program ever. The show explored some themes and ideas long before Star Trek engaged them. The program was cancelled in 1989 and currently only two US stations carry the reruns of the original series. There was a film made in 1994 by the BBC in conjunction with FOX which was actually a pilot for a potential US series. The film wasn't very good and the pilot went no where. Then in March 2005, the series reappeared on the BBC and went on to become a phenomenal success in the UK. The show is already airing in eleven other European countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and now even South Korea. It will debut on the Sci Fi channel, probably on March 17th, though the airing date is still unconfirmed.
This isn't the Doctor Who of the 1970s with cheesy sets, foam rubber monsters, endless rock quarries and cheap video quality. And long scarfs. While the BBC operates with lower budgets than NBC or CBS, they put a good amount of money into the show and have provided very high production values. The executive producer, Russell T. Davies, has done a fantastic job. The program is well written and, while it is mature, it is uniquely family oriented entertainment that many generations can enjoy. When was the last time we could say that about an American television program? When was the last time a 9 year old, a 40 year old and a 62 year old could all enjoy the same television program here in the US?
What the Daily Kos community should take notice of is the social commentary in the show. It may be 6 months or more before they show this scene on US televison, but in the Christmas special they aired a few weeks ago there was an exchange between the prime minister of England (a fictional woman of mostly high morals and character) and an unnamed President of the United States. In the episode there was an incident involving Earth and Aliens. When told the President was on the phone for her, the prime minister replied "Tell him he's not my boss and he's not turning this into a war."
The social commentary is mostly contained in throw away lines like that in the dialog. Usually they are "matter of fact" rather than the central themes of the program. The main human character (The Doctor, as he is properly called, is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey) is a perky attractive 19-22 year old blonde woman played by the actress Billy Piper. Ms. Piper, prior to this program, was a pop singer--possibly comparable to our own "beloved" Brittany Spears or Jessica Simpson--though not nearly as thin or as voluptuous as American perky attractive blonde pop stars. On Earth, Ms. Piper's character-- Rose--is in an interracial romance that is presented in a total "matter of fact" manner. No attention is drawn to it. No mention of the fact that her boyfriend is black is ever stated. The actor who plays Rose's boyfriend Mickey, Noel Clarke, just happens to be black and Piper just happens to be white...and blonde. No one cares. No one should. When was the last time that happened on US television?
I don't want to say too much too soon. And I certainly don't want to give any "spoilers." There are 13 episodes in the first season (series, as they are referred to in the UK). The first episode is weaker than the second and third. The second episode contains an ambiguous reference to the "Deep South" where the Doctor makes a joke about the region with slight disdain. I say "ambiguous" because...well..lots of planets have a south. The fourth and fifth episode, a two part story, revolve around an alien invasion and..um..."massive weapons of destruction." Unfortunately, these two episode are perhaps the weakest of the series. Later in the series, an episode is based around a news broadcast station and the control of information by the media.
The final five episodes introduce an omni-sexual character. "Omni" because "bisexual" isn't encompassing enough....so many aliens, so little time. While some minor attention is given to this idea, more than with the interracial romance, it is also mostly just a feature of the character and not a source of critique of non-hetero or hetero lifestyles nor is it a stereotyped exploration of the potential outrageousness of gay culture. Its just a statement that in the future, humans wont be tied to the puritanical views on sexuality that we tend to hold in contemporary times. And this character has an American accent.
The big blue police box in which The Doctor travels through time and space is of course present. So is the last Dalek. The Doctor is masterfully played by Christopher Eccleston. The Doctor and Rose even meet up with Charles Dickens at one point. When was the last time a literary figure appeared in a US television program not on PBS?
Finally, it is worth noting the BBC ingeniously integrated the internet into the series' initial run last year. The character Mickey "ran" a website which was updated every week. A few other websites popped up over the course of the 13 week run, one dealing with a mysterious phrase that appears in most episodes. It should be a lesson to US broadcast stations looking for creative ways to integrate the internet with their programs. One can look at these websites now without having watched the series and very little will be given away.
In fact, if you would like to get started now, try only this page and the links available as they are on the site.
http://www.whoisdoctorwho.co.uk/...
But this is less about the social commentary and more about the fun of the program.
Its doubtful this program will become the sensation in the US that it was in the UK. The show is very very British...."beans on toast" "chips" "nutters" and accents where a "th" sound resonates more as an "f" sound to my New Jersey ears. But hopefully it will do well here "across the pond." Regardless, it is popular culture made outside of the US that contains several slight "digs" at the US and a generally different perspective than we often see here. And for that reason alone, we should pay attention and maybe even watch the show.
Bad Wolf