The Doctor

There's another significant (to some) anniversary this weekend. Today, Sunday November 23rd, marks the 40th anniversary of the premiere of Doctor Who on BBC television.

While this may not be big news to most people, it is special to me since this was my favorite childhood TV program. I was a devoted fan of the show for several years. Tom Baker was my favorite Doctor, followed by Jon Pertwee (who preceded Baker), and Peter Davison (whom I also loved on All Creatures Great and Small), the fifth actor to play the Doctor. By the time programs from the earlier two Doctors and the last two Doctors aired on American television, I had kind of outgrown the program, so I didn't get into them as much.

Although production of the TV program ended years ago (it became too expensive), the characters surprisingly live on amongst a hardcore cult of fans around the world. There are books, radio programs, CDs, even an online animated version that continue the adventures of the Doctor and his companions. There's still an annual Doctor Who fan club gathering here in LA that lasts a whole weekend every February. I've been meaning for years to attend, but never quite seem to make it. Maybe next year??

What I loved about Doctor Who, besides the time-traveling science fiction setting of the show, was that his character loved to travel, he had a tremendous thirst for knowledge, he stood up for justice and equality for everyone, and he was extremely open-minded and non-judgmental. It didn't hurt that he had a bevy of beautiful babes accompanying him in his spacecraft!!

To celebrate, I might dig through my video tapes and see if I've a few old episodes to throw on the VCR. A nice cup of tea and few jellybabies would fill the bill....