|
Opinions>> ...........................................................Last updated: 3/22/2010 |
Who are you?
Sophie Hill ~ Opinions Editor
Cue music…and a spinning blue box fills the television screen, turning and bobbing through the computer-generated realm of space. The rapidly changing swirls of color give the illusion of speeding through space and time at the speed of light.
This may sound like a description of that antiquated classic 2001: A Space Odyssey but it is much more than that. It is the opening credits of the British cult classic T.V. show Doctor Who.
I will unashamedly admit that I absolutely love Doctor Who; it’s by far my favorite show. Reality TV? American sitcoms? No thanks. I’ll stick with the wonderfully thought-provoking Doctor Who.
The original Doctor Who was broadcast decades ago. To the delight of Doctor Who fans around the world, it returned in 2005 with an entirely new cast and production staff, as well as state of the art special effects. And I was hooked.
Think about it. The whole premise of Doctor Who is absolutely thrilling. The Doctor—he goes by no other name—travels through time and space, saving planets and species wherever he goes.
The Doctor is a Time Lord, the last of a species of aliens who look like humans but possess two hearts. Armed with only a sonic screwdriver—after all, one may have a lot of shelves to put up—the Doctor solves the problems he encounters through peaceful means. Many of the situations and species he encounters are not so peaceful.
But the theme throughout the series is that the Doctor doesn’t kill. And for a children’s show in the twenty-first century, that is an excellent message.
However, don’t think that “children’s television show” means lots of happy cartoon animals singing about how love will solve the world’s problems. Doctor Who is an incredibly intense show about one man’s quest to do good in the world and to help, to heal wherever and whoever he can.
Despite this underlying theme, Doctor Who is still entertainment. I like seeing all the different types of aliens and I simply love the idea of traveling through time and space. But, at the same time, the show still sends a good message in this day and age: live in peace, and do good in the world.
But I do love seeing a big green alien at 10 Downing Street in London.
The new season of Doctor Who will be broadcast in the U.S. on BBC America starting Apr. 17, but until then catch up on episodes from past seasons on BBC America throughout the week or tune into WTTW-PBS on Sundays at 11 p.m. It’ll be worth your time.
Comments
|
|
|
