Doctor Who: a look into the past and a guide for beginners

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

On October 7, the new season of the legendary series starts. Lifehacker tells what Doctor Who is famous for and where to start watching.

What is this show about?

Doctor Who is the world's longest running science fiction series. To date, 37 seasons and over 800 episodes have been released (including all sorts of Christmas episodes and the 1996 feature film).

The thrilling adventures of the main characters, the talented balancing act between drama and science fiction, moderate comic plots, creative low-budget special effects, innovative use of electronic music and a thoughtful concept of the world with its own story and characters - for this the series is loved all over the world.

When we talk about Doctor Who, we usually mean the last 10 seasons of the franchise. The show of the classic series ended in 1989, and in 2005 the revamped Doctor Who returned to the screens. From that moment on, the numbering of the seasons was reset, and the plot was built in such a way that you can watch it without even knowing the background.

Who is the Doctor?

The Doctor is a time lord from the planet Gallifrey. The Doctor's real name is unknown, and the very answer to this question may endanger the existence of the Universe. The doctor is called upon to save humanity from alien enemies. In the name of this good goal, he is always ready to sacrifice himself. On the verge of death, the Doctor regenerates, transforming into a completely new character with a different appearance, consciousness and character.

Who accompanies the Doctor on his travels?

From season to season, faithful companions help the protagonist to defeat enemies. Most often these are cute young girls, but sometimes there are men and even robotic dogs. In the classic episodes, the Doctor was deprived of human instincts, so love lines in the series between him and his companion, as a rule, did not arise. However, after the restart, some girls fell in love with the Doctor's young-looking reincarnations, and he reciprocated them.

What is a TARDIS?

The TARDIS is a vehicle that travels through time and space. She knows how to adapt to the environment and take on the most inconspicuous form. But the Doctor's TARDIS is broken and always looks like an old British police box. This is the main transport of the Doctor and his companions and one of the main symbols of the franchise.

Who is the Doctor fighting with?

On his travels, the Doctor constantly encounters various aggressive aliens. But there are also the main enemies, the battles with which take place in almost every season.

Daleks

Enemies of the human race, self-taught and very dangerous. Captivated by the idea of destroying everything and everyone.

Cybermen

People enclosed in a metal shell and completely devoid of human emotions. They strive to turn all living things into cybernetic ones.

Master

In the distant past - the Doctor's best friend from the planet Gallifrey. In the present, he is his worst enemy, although sometimes he tries to take the path of correction. The Master is another time lord who also regenerates when on the verge of death.

Are the episodes related?

Most often, each episode tells about a separate adventure, sometimes 2-3 episodes are combined into a common plot. But, as a rule, there is a common “arch” within each season. Heroes are faced with the mention of a character or phenomenon, and the meaning of this leitmotif is revealed in the last episodes of the season.

In what order should you watch the series?

It is recommended to start viewing with 10 seasons of modern Doctor Who in chronological order. Don't forget about the special editions leading up to each season. It has become traditional to broadcast the Christmas episode between seasons. Do not ignore the additional episodes that are related to the plot, reveal the mysteries of previous seasons or precede the first episode of the next.

If you have watched all the episodes of the modern "Doctor Who", proceed to the classic TV series. Try starting with the first season of 1963. If you haven't appreciated 1960s filmmaking, skip to season 12. By 1974, the picture had become color, and the quality had improved. The Fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker, is considered the best classic Doctor, and the screenwriter for several seasons was Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

What do you remember about the Ninth Doctor?

• Performer of the role of the Doctor: Christopher Eccleston.
• Satellites: Rose Tyler, Adam Mitchell, Jack Harkness.
• Favorite phrase: Fantastic!
• Season: 1.

A characteristic trait of the Ninth Doctor is sentimentality. In the first season, a rare case is demonstrated when the Doctor follows the lead of his companion and allows her to see her deceased father. The Ninth Doctor is in no hurry to get involved in the battle himself, preferring to motivate his companions for this, which does not in any way indicate his cowardice. The first of the Doctors, whose hair was very short, and the style was dominated by conciseness: trousers, a jacket, heavy boots and no bright accessories.

And the tenth?

• Performer of the role of the Doctor: David Tennant.
• Satellites: Rose Tyler, Donna Noble, Martha Jones, Jack Harkness.
• Favorite phrase: Molto bene, Allons-y!
• Season: 2–4.

The Tenth Doctor appears to the viewer to be talkative, good-natured, witty and cocky, but he becomes more serious when meeting enemies. Despite the outward carelessness, the Doctor is deeply lonely in his soul. He is distressed by the thought that the companions will sooner or later leave him. In addition, the charming character began an affair with his companion Rose Tyler.

David Tennat was named the best performer of the role of the Doctor since Tom Baker. He played this role for three seasons, and then starred in several more global specials.

What surprised the Eleventh Doctor?

• Performer of the role of the Doctor: Matt Smith.
• Satellites: Amy Pond, Rory Williams, Clara Oswald.
• Favorite phrase: Geronimo!
• Season: 5–7.

With the arrival of the eleventh Doctor, the showrunner changed. The main author of Doctor Who is Stephen Moffat (Sherlock). In the new version, the character is similar to the previous one. He is light-hearted, talkative, cheerful and cunning. But they added more funny antics and childish features to him. He also cares very much about his appearance: he strives to look good in front of enemies, even if the fate of the whole planet hangs in the balance.

As part of the adventures of the eleventh Doctor, the series celebrated its 50th anniversary. A special episode was released in which the tenth Doctor appeared, a previously unknown reincarnation of the War Doctor (John Hurt), and all previous performers of the role were also mentioned.

How did the twelfth Doctor stand out?

• Performer of the role of the Doctor: Peter Capaldi.
• Companion: Clara Oswald, Bill Potts.
• Season: 8–10.

The Twelfth Doctor was in some way a return to the roots of the franchise. At the time of the release of the eighth season, Peter Capaldi was 55 years old, as well as the performer of the role of the first Doctor, William Hartnell, and in his behavior he often copies the third Doctor, played by John Pertwee. Also, in the image of the twelfth Doctor, there are more "alien" features.

The Doctor performed by Peter Capaldi is focused and determined in his fight against enemies. He doesn't care if he is considered a hero by those he saves. The seriousness of the character is also evidenced by the absence of the twelfth Doctor's favorite catchphrase. The final tenth season of his adventures was announced as a "soft reboot", starting a new storyline to attract viewers to the screens.

What to expect from the new season?

The eleventh season of Doctor Who brings a lot of changes to the series. The Doctor was first regenerated into a woman (Jody Whittaker). This was to be expected, since the previous season saw the first show of the Female Master. In addition, the new heroine will have three companions at once, which happened extremely rarely in the series.

Also, Doctor Who changed its showrunner. Steven Moffat, who has directed the show since 2010, has left office. The production is now in charge of Chris Chibnell, who has already scripted some of the episodes. He is known to the general public for the TV series Broadchurch.

What else to see while waiting for the premiere?

The eleventh season of Doctor Who is expected to have 10 episodes plus a Christmas special. But in addition to the main series, there are several spin-offs that will help brighten up the anticipation of a sequel.

Torchwood

The series tells the story of the events in the Cardiff branch of the fictional Torchwood Institute, which deals with the study of supernatural phenomena. Unlike an older friend, "Torchwood" has an age limit and is not recommended for family viewing. By the way, the main character of the series is Jack Harkness, who, as in Doctor Who, was played by John Barrowman.

The Sarah Jane Adventure

A spin-off directed at children and teens about the adventures of Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah is one of the most popular companions of the classic Doctor Who. To fans of modern adaptation, she is known for the second and fourth seasons, where she appeared in several episodes. The Doctor himself dropped in on The Sarah Jane Adventures about once a season.

Class

Spin-off "Doctor Who", filmed in the genre of youth science fiction and tells the story of the events taking place at the Academy of Koal Hill. A kind of cameo - the appearance in the series of the twelfth Doctor performed by Peter Capaldi.