Ditch the Rote Hog

Inspired largely because several of my friends have decided to watch the latest few series of Doctor Who, and by the fact that I've been largely enjoying the new Matt Smith episodes (despite being finished in the UK, the last few are still to air here in Canada), I've decided to go back and watch the previous episodes.  I've also decided to see if I can lay my hands on earlier material, after looking through considerable histories of episodes, radioplays, novels and such and reading up on many of the past incarnations.

I know that I've seen many of the Tom Baker episodes, and at least a handful of the Jon Pertwee episodes, as I can remember watching them early mornings before going to school either on A&E, PBS, or TVO.  Looking at the DVD releases, though, it seems nigh ridiculous what's been released and what hasn't, haphazard and all over the place.  I also remember the TV movie; I know that I watched it, but I can't remember much about it.  I think I may start there, since I can find a copy, and the BBC radioplays with Paul McGann also seem to be available.

The New Doctor

Up until the David Tennant run on Doctor Who, there had always been an odd quirk, something that I just couldn't take seriously, that would keep me away from regularly watching any run of the series.  I enjoyed watching the old Tom Baker reruns when I was a kid on the CBC, much in the same way I enjoyed watching the black and white sci-fi movies, but there was always something hokey about them that kept me from really being a fan.  The Christopher Eccleston series started to change a lot of that, and then with Tennant, I was watching as soon as they aired.

Unfortunately, that hokey quality seems to be creeping back in to this new run with Matt Smith.  Now, I like Smith as the Doctor.  He's not as good as Tennant, Eccleston or Baker, but he's still rather endearing, and Karen Gillan is quickly becoming my favourite companion since Billie Piper, but...Daleks in WWII facing off against Winston Churchill?  Part of me liked the absurdity, part of me wanted to change the station.  This week's episode, with the weeping angels, however, seemed to appeal to me more.  I'm still watching, but it may turn out to just be an occasional thing if nothing else is on and I'm home.