Television Programs You Must Watch – Doctor Who

Doctor Who is has been running since 1963; and that is a surely a record.

Doctor Who  is a British Science Fiction/Fantasy show about a ‘Time Lord’  who is called no more than “The Doctor”.   He explores the universe by time travel.   His ‘ship’  looks like a police call box, but is actually a space/time ship called the Tardis.

He looks human but has some extra powers, and often takes a human companion with him.   His basic premise for flying around is to protect civilisations that are under threat.

Dr. Who  has gained ‘Cult’ status, (something like Star Trek).   Due to it’s long life it has a number of ‘spin offs’ most memorably, Torchwood.

As of present, there have been twelve different actors who have played The Doctor.  This change of actor is deliberate.  The ability of The Doctor to take on different bodies when injured is part of the script.

The basic plot is that The Doctor left his planet in the stolen Tardis (Time and Relative Dimension in Space)  machine and has been flying all over the Universe ever since.   He is fascinated by Earth and likes to pop in and out of time interfering in various events.

The show is often a bit funny, a bit silly, a bit light, but has caught the public’s attention.  It is virtually episodic, so although there is thread from one episode to another, it is not story arc, meaning you can miss seasons if you want.

There have been many references to Doctor Who in popular culture and it has been mentioned in other science fiction programmes, for example, it has been referred to in Star Trek, as well as in novels and video games.

It has won a number of awards.

I suggest you watch a few episodes so that you get a taste of the excitement around it.