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Doctor Who is a science fiction programme first started by the BBC in 1969. It tells the never ending tale of a last of his kind, Timelord ( a type of alien) who travels through time in his little-to-eye police phone box called the TARDIS: Time and relative dimension in space; The TARDIS is bigger on the inside. The Doctor has lived 1100 years and throughout these extensive years has saved millions of lives using only his vast knowledge of the universe, being a Timelord this knowledge is bestowed on him as a child; oh yes and with the help of his clever little Sonic Screwdriver. Along with a chain of human companions, the Doctor travels time and space only to save worlds and civilizations.
The reason for the longevity of the show is because, when the Doctor is dying, he uses this trick Timelords evolved to stay alive, Regeneration. Using this, every cell in his body dies and is replaced with new cells, resulting in an overall change in appearance and personality. The Doctor has regenerated a total of 11 time since the show first aired; the first being William Hartnell and the current being Matt Smith.
Travelling around the universe The Doctor has made some friends, but more than that he has made foes. His mortal enemies: The Daleks, a genetically constructed creature, trapped in a metal exterior body and one eye socket to look out from. They have been majorly responsible for the deaths of the Doctor. He has defeated them time after time only to find out that somehow, they survived. Their phrase “EXTERMINATE” which they say before killing someone has brought fear into the hearts of his companions and others alike. Other major foes include: The Cybermen; robots bent on the ‘purification’ of mankind by making them into robots like themselves and The Master: A rogue Timelord whose only objective is to kill the doctor and enslave humanity, but still the Doctor treats him like a brother since he is the only one of his species left.
The show has gained itself a cult following over the years. Better known as ‘Whovians’ these fans hold meetings to watch Doctor Who episode premieres and other conventions such as Comic Con where actors of various shows and video games come to meet fans. Many blogs, websites and pages have been dedicated to discussion on the Doctor and truth behind some stories in episodes.
The series has won five BAFTA TV awards, including Best Drama series, the highest-profile and most prestigious British television award for which the series has ever been nominated. It was very popular at the BAFTA Cymru Awards, with 25 wins overall including Best Drama Series (twice). In 2009, Doctor Who was voted the 3rd greatest show of the 2000s by Channel 4, behind Top Gear and The Apprentice. The episode "Vincent and the Doctor” was shortlisted for a Mind Award at the 2010 Mind Mental Health Media Awards for its "touching" portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh. It has won every year since 2006 (except in 2009) the Short Form of the Hugo Award for best Dramatic Presentation, the oldest science fiction/fantasy award for films and series. The winning episodes were "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" (2006), "The Girl in the Fireplace" (2007), "Blink" (2008), "The Waters of Mars" (2010), "The Pandorica Opens”/"The Big Bang" (2011), and "The Doctor’s Wife”. Doctor Who star Matt Smith won Best Actor in the 2012 National Television Awards alongside Karen Gillan who won Best Actress. Doctor Who has been nominated for over 200 awards and has won over a hundred of them.
The series continues with the Doctor uncovering the truth behind his new companion Oswin Oswald portrayed by Jenna Louise Coleman and hiding his deepest and darkest secret. So as the Doctor would say “GERONIMO!”
Written by: Ammar Khan