What is
?
Doctor Who ran as a television series on British television from 1963 to 1989, and has continued in the form of an ongoing line of books and audio dramas. There is also a comic strip in Doctor Who Magazine and spin-off videos, books and audio dramas. In 1996 there was an American TV movie, which failed to be followed up by a new series.
Who is the Doctor?
The Doctor is a mysterious wanderer in time and space, who travels by means of an erratically functioning time and space machine called the TARDIS. The Doctor is a Time Lord, who was for a time on the run from the Time Lords for interfering in the affairs of others. He was for a time exiled to earth by them as a punishment for interfering in time and space, but they now turn a blind eye to some of his unorthodox means to ensure his occasional co-operation. The Doctor also has the ability to regenerate his body when he would normally die, resulting in a new body and personality.
Enemies and Monsters
The Doctor's most famous enemies include the Daleks and the Cybermen. The Daleks were created by the twisted scientist Davros to carry on the Kaled race. They live inside a metal travel machine, and Davros' modifications made them creatures without mercy or conscience. The Daleks believe themselves to be the supreme creatures of the universe, and have repeatedly attempted to conquer, destroy or enslave anyone else, frequently foiled by the Doctor.
The Cybermen are men from the planet Mondas, gradually used cybernetic parts to replace their limbs, body systems, and eventually their brains. They are ruthless and logical, and their aim for the earth was to transform its population into Cybermen.
The Doctor also fought against the Master, another Time Lord who tried to gain power through evil means. The Master was repeatedly defeated by the Third Doctor on Earth while the Doctor was exiled there. The Master, reaching the end of his natural life sought various means to prolong his life, almost destroying Gallifrey in the process. He eventually gained a new body, but became obsessed with having revenge on the Doctor.
What's so special about it?
The television series often didn't have the budget to do justice to the scripts and ideas in it. Often the monsters would look like people in a rubber suit, the effects would look dodgy and the sets are reputed to wobble. It's a pity that Doctor Who never got a bigger budget to make it look better. It's regrettable, but it can be somewhat charming. The stories varied - reading Doctor Who Magazine reviews of the latest video releases there seem to be a fair few that are thought of as not being very good. But the series is unique in its sheer variety, for one. Even in 10 years the program would change almost beyond recognition, even the Doctor being played by different actors in different ways. The stories may sometimes be silly, the effects often are dodgy, but often Doctor Who stories were real classics of television. Doctor Who varied comedy, science fiction, adventure, drama, historical, from show to show, but almost always succeeds in entertaining.
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Last updated 11-Apr-01 by Caleb Woodbridge 
