Hello again…

Hello, folks. Just thought I’d try and write something while I’m out in the pub. As per usual, I feel like I have a lot to say but I don’t know how to say it. So forgive me if this is all a little bit disjointed.

I started getting into Doctor Who towards the end of last year when I started watching the Jon Pertwee and Christopher Eccleston eras. I loved both eras but for reasons unknown, I stopped watching the show after the 2005 Christmas special. Initially, my plan was to pick up where I left off in the New Year and start with the David Tennant era while continuing with the Pertwee era but alas, life got in the way and too much time had passed in the interim for the show to still be fresh in my mind, so I decided to start again from scratch. I rewatched “Spearhead from Space” when I came home from the pub last night — or early this morning depending on who you ask — and I still really love it. I tihnk it does a great job of introducing this new era of the Doctor — well, new for the 70s — where he’s on Earth and he’s dealing with affairs in more grounded English settings. Plus, I just love the Autons. Sure, the Daleks and the Cybermen might be more iconic but the Autons are so creepy and intimidating in their own right

I also rewatched “An Unearthly Child” earlier today. Overall, it’s a solid story and I especially love the first episode for how it introduces the Doctor but like most pilot episodes, it does have growing pains. That’s not necessarily a criticism, mind you. It’s more of an observation because I don’t feel like a lot of shows immediately find their footing until a few episodes in, and Doctor Who is no exception. Yeah, things like the TARDIS and the iconic theme tune are all there but it’s still trying to figure out what it wants to be. The show was originally intended to be more educational in nature but that’s obviously NOT what it wound up becoming in the long run. If I’m being honest, I don’t think Doctor Who would’ve become the pop culture juggernaut it is today if it had stayed this course, but that’s a story for another day. As it stands, “An Unearthly Child” is a good foundation for the 60+ years that would follow but even if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Whovian, I still think you might be a little taken aback by this very first adventure.

Now when I think about it, I’d like to write some kind of essay on TV show pilots at some point because I feel like there’s a lot more pressure on shows these days to have everything nailed from the get go. Maybe it’s just me but it feels like shows from yesteryear had a bit more time and a lot more leeway to settle into their own groove. Then again, that’s what research is for.

So… anything else? Not really. I didn’t initially intend for this to become a pseudo-review of a small handful of Doctor Who episodes but alas, that’s what happened. I may or may not write something when I get home from the pub but for now, I think I’ll wrap things with a random fact: Cairo is the most populated city in Africa. That may or may not be a surprise to anyone.

Take care.