The new season of the legendary series Doctor Who will begin very soon. For more than 60 years, the time lord has delighted viewers with his adventures. But how does a franchise that started before Star Wars remain popular and significant?
On the eve of the second reboot of the series (after all, the new season will again be the “first”), we talk about the main features of the show.
“Doctor Who”: information about the series
Name: Doctor WhoAuthor: Russell T. DaviesactorsStars: Shuti Gatva, Millie Gibson and others. release date: May 11 (new season)Gender: drama, comedy, fantasySeries: 8 episodes (new season)Where to see: BBC, Disney+
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Premiere schedule for the new season of Doctor Who with Shuti Gatva
The video is available on the Doctor Who YouTube channel. The video rights belong to the BBC.
The doctor changes constantly.
One of the main reasons for the success of the series lies in the personality of the main character. The Doctor is not just an alien, but a time lord who travels through time in his TARDIS ship. He is far from the image of a stereotypical protagonist, combining eccentricity, temperament, wisdom, mystery, sensitivity and affection.
The Doctor is also a fierce pacifist who prefers to solve problems with words and… a sonic screwdriver. But he sometimes still displays the traits of an antihero, capable of committing extremely cruel acts if circumstances force him to. Some enemies fully felt his wrath, and it is not in vain that they say that he would have been an “ideal Dalek” (the Daleks are the sworn enemies of the time lords, true fighters whom nothing can stop).
However, no matter how great the character is, after so many years it is impossible not to get bored of the public. But the concept of the main character’s rebirth helps avoid that. The fact is that at the moment of death, the time lord regenerates, receiving a new body and character. This feature gave the writers enormous scope for creativity, allowing them to seamlessly “refresh” the series and avoid stagnation.
The Fourteenth Doctor played by David Tennant
Photo: BBC
Once the Doctor’s story reaches a logical conclusion, he is reincarnated, acquires other companions, updates the design of the TARDIS and sets out on a new journey. In total, at the moment there are already 15 “versions” of the character. In the next season, for the first time, dark-skinned actor Shuti Gatwa, known for the series “Sex Education”, will try on the image of a Galifreyan.
The series is constantly adapting.
However, Doctor Who is changing not only the cast and writers, but also the series itself. Writers have never been afraid to touch on current issues, revealing them through the prism of their creation. Thanks to this, at different times the adventures change their tone, and sometimes the episodes have the most dissimilar atmosphere and even genre affiliation. All this gives it a special atmosphere, which is obtained by mixing old school environments and modern elements.
The early seasons seem like naïve but inspiring stories about the wise Doctor acting as a mentor to his companions, technological progress and new discoveries. During the Cold War era, the series fully explored the theme of pacifism, talking about the complex relationships between people and races. In the reboot, the Ninth Doctor appeared as a war-traumatized hero and the last representative of his race.
The series constantly adapts to new times and audiences, it does not stagnate and tries not to use the same movements. Because of this, the main character constantly rewrites the laws of his universe, updates and rewrites the internal lore, complementing the past without contradicting it. You could say that each generation of viewers has its own Doctor Who.
Below: One of the most famous scenes from the new Doctor Who, which even those who don’t watch the series can understand.
The video is available on Adoniy’s global YouTube channel. The video rights belong to the BBC.
You can start watching the series from any episode.
Even though Doctor Who is now in its seventh decade, getting familiar with it is very easy. You can start watching the series literally at any time, because most of the episodes are self-contained stories, each of which is easy to watch in isolation from the rest. The same applies to crossover stories. After all, you can understand what exactly is happening on the screen and what is at stake this time in just a couple of episodes.
Moreover, even the crossovers are built in such a way that both beginners and the most devoted fans will be satisfied. The first will receive an epic and spectacular story, while the second will be rewarded with numerous references to the glorious past, right up to the classics. This applies not only to the stories, but also to the villains, characters, alien races, and planets.
New Doctor (left) – 15th played by Shuti Gatva
Photo: BBC
Additionally, thanks to the protagonist regeneration feature, you can watch the adventures of a specific Doctor. If you’re a fan of David Tennant, but for some reason you don’t like Matt Smith, just watch the reboot of seasons two through four and stop there.
Of course, fans have long noted several “entry” points from which it is most convenient to start watching. But most agree that it is better to limit ourselves to the “new school”, that is, the reboot of 2005. In it, the authors managed to preserve the rich heritage of bygone years and at the same time skillfully package adventures in time and space in a modern package. Well, the classic episodes are best left to the true Whovians, because although they have historical value, they are extremely difficult to watch in 2024.
We recommend familiarizing yourself with the series from the fifth season, where Matt Smith debuted. This is an ideal entry point: these episodes still feel quite modern and the stories are compelling from the first few episodes, with a complete plot for several seasons to come.
The 11th Doctor popularized butterflies around the world
Photo: BBC
Doctor Who remains exemplary science fiction
Despite its age, Doctor Who remains an example of exemplary science fiction. Showrunners and writers are not afraid to take the most daring and unusual ideas and concepts and then implement them on the screen. While the low budget can make the end result visually unimpressive, few shows can afford to experiment like this for so many years.
Every time the TARDIS leaps through time and space, there is a sense of magic emanating from the action. And it doesn’t matter where the Doctor looks, to an unknown planet or a ship lost in the depths of space, nor which historical figures he interacts with this time. It is important that viewers once again enjoy the flight of unlimited imagination, along with scientific ideas.
How much are crosses with “themselves” worth? The scriptwriters have repeatedly delighted fans with on-screen meetings of several versions of the hero at once. It was thanks to this that Peter Capaldi met the first Doctor, and in the final episode with the Thirteenth, elderly actors from the classics were invited.
TARDIS: The Doctor’s time machine, looks like a normal cabin
Photo: BBC
Of course, the series cannot boast of pure science when it comes to substantiating its stories or even individual concepts. Even the Doctor himself likes to say that “paradoxes resolve themselves”, he easily intervenes in the events happening around him and rewrites his own laws. And that spontaneity captivates all viewers, regardless of their age.
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