Billie Piper as Rose on DOCTOR WHO.
© BBC TV
Who says you can never go home again?
By: Jason DavisDate: Monday, July 11, 2005
The Columnist, gripping his desk to stay standing, sighs his last exhalation of breath. He turns toward his readers with a smile that could easily double as a grimace and winces as every cell in his body dies. Yes, this was one hour of reality TV too much and the Columnist could not hope to survive. Then, to the astonishment of those reading this, his features begin to blur. The reddish brown hair melts into a dark brown even as he drops half a foot in height. With one last spasm of pain, another man stands in his place...another columnist?
For the uninitiated among you, this ingenious kind of metamorphosis is the manner by which the BBC have perpetuated the longest running science fiction television series of all time: DOCTOR WHO. I'm Jason Davis--pleased to meet you, and I'll be filling in for Dave while the lucky bugger frolics in San Diego. So, why the Whovian theatrics? I thought it would be a) an overly dramatic introduction to your interim columnist, and b) that it would serve as a mood setter for the subject at hand, the revival of series very near and dear to my heart.
A few weeks ago, someone noted the lack of DOCTOR WHO related coverage in the talk backs beneath one of my reviews. When Dave asked me to cover him, I thought it was time to address the good Doctor and his absence from these pages, and, more disturbingly, from the US TV schedules. As I understand it, the reasons for this heinous oversight have been attributed to everything from the fact that the show isn't shot on 35mm film to the rather obtuse observation that it's too British. The former is absurd as a number of American shows routinely shoot on other formats and the latter, well...THE OFFICE managed to win the Golden Globe on a cable station...and I think we're all a little past the point when a British accent renders dialogue incomprehensible. These issues aside, it's on everywhere but here and it seems like I can't go a day without running into someone who's raving about itcourtesy of Al Gore's greatest "contribution" to civilization, a quick trip to Amazon.co.uk, or (in my case) an English co-worker.
So, what does an American fan who arrived in the last years of the original show's run on his local PBS station think of this new incarnation? I think it's absolutely brilliant. Russell T. Davies has managed the incredible feet of bringing a 42-year old series back to the air with all the nostalgic magic intact. Not only that, but he and his associates created a season of television that is perfectly at home in the modern landscape of the medium. To tell the truth, I didn't think it could be done. The 1996 Fox version tried to be everything to old fans and new fans alike. The result was a disaster on both counts, though the casting of Paul McGann was faultless. Davies managed another piece of magical with Christopher Eccleston, but upped the ante with Billie Piper who simply captivates as Rose Tyler. Echoing his predecessor's portrayals while still infusing the part with his own artistic sensibilities, Eccleston gives an unearthly, yet honest interpretation of the part and has personally won over at least two acquaintances of mine who hated the original. Piper, following on from the 1963 show's final companion, Ace, is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Like her classic series forbear, she holds her own against the Doctor and even manages to claim a few episodes for herself.
The dynamic duo aside, this DOCTOR WHO's greatest strength seems to be in its ability to find the best aspects of the original and capitalize upon them. While I'll not venture into spoiler territory, lest the magic of experiencing 13 captivating hours of TV on your own be ruined, I'll obliquely examine a few points that really make the show in my book. As already mentioned, The Doctor and Rose are undoubtedly as iconic a pairing as any duo offered in the original 26 seasons. Their dynamic takes the best from what's gone before and somehow manages to serve as a surrogate romance. The Doctor is in love with life, and Rose is the representative of that life. It's an unconventional romance and, the fact remains that he's not humanhis cosmic view, morality, and biology are incompatible with the narrow limitations of humanity. Every now and again though, he finds a "stupid ape" capable of being more than the lowest common denominator of our gene pool should allow and offers his insight to him or her for a time. Too often, the classic series burdened the Doctor with unwilling or unwelcome companions unwilling to aspire to something better and they often proved as irritating to the audience as they did to the Doctor. Not only is Rose willing to grow, the series contrives to illustrate the Doctor's effect on his friend as never before. The slightly serialized nature of the season allows a number of windows into Rose's world where the audience can actually measure the difference between unambitious London shopgirl and the cosmic vagabond she'll become.
Through Rose, the Doctor's mission is made manifesthe shows her the scope of the Universe and she rises to his lofty standards of courage and compassion. While Rose Tyler might not be able to ever go home again in the metaphysical or psychological sense, DOCTOR WHO itself, has come home to the medium that gave birth to it, and it's about time. Now, if only someone would buy the US rights...
MONDAY, JULY 11
OFFICE SPACE (8pm PST, AMC) Quick! Watch it on TV before the special edition DVD hits the shelves next month...
ROCK STAR: INXS (9pm PST, CBS) Reality TV guru Mark Burnett produces this star search for a lead singer to replace the late Michael Hutchence of INXS. Elegantly wasted indeed.
MEDIUM (10pm PST, NBC) "Coming Soon" has come again, but it's probably a good idea to start catching up with this one before season two premieres. You know, I think THE DEAD ZONE's Johnny Smith should ask her out...
WALKER, TEXAS RANGER (8pm PST, Hallmark) Noreally! I'm certain that one of these days, I'll catch the episode written by BABYLON 5 creator Joe Straczynski...some things just have to be seen to be believed.
TUESDAY, JULY 12
STEPHEN KING'S ROSE RED (9pm PST, Sci-Fi Channel) An avowed fan of Richard Matheson and Shirley Jackson's work in the genre, King tries his hand at a haunted house story, but seems like an echo of what came before.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (9pm PST, Spike TV) Connery's second outing as Ian Fleming's super spy. Not as rough as DOCTOR NO, but not as refined as GOLDFINGER.
EMPIRE (10pm PST, ABC) Last week's visit to Arkhamthe gladiator camp, not the asylum, made for a few interesting moments, but I'm still not sure where this show is going and HBO's ROME is just around the corner.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
THAT 70'S SHOW (8pm PST, Fox) Enjoy Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher while they last. What's that surfacing in the ocean? A dorsal fin? Someone tell the Fonze to suit up...
BEAUTY AND THE GEEK (8pm PST, WB) There's something perversely appealing about this...I think it's time for me to trade in my remote for a little room with rubber wallpaper.
THE INSIDE (9pm PST, Fox) Alas, my favorite new show this year was quietly cancelled before last week's double helping, and they ran a captivating trailer for tonight's episodewho's betting it doesn't even air?
STEPHEN KING'S ROSE RED (9pm PST, Sci-Fi Channel) Part Two has its moments.
THURSDAY, JULY 14
AMERICAN GRAFFITI (10pm PST, TCM) George Lucas's best film revisits his adolescence as a small town Californian with a fast car.
FRIDAY, JULY 15
BIOGRAPHY (8pm PST, A&E) Michael Landon is profiled in this two hour examination of the actor-producer-writer-director's career with friends and family recalling his life and how, sometimes, it didn't reflect his respectable TV image.
STARGATE SG-1 (8PM pst, Sci-Fi Channel) Season nine begins with FARSCAPE's Ben Browder and Claudia Christian on hand to launch a new O'Neill Lite era.
STARGATE ATLANTIS (9pm PST, Sci-Fi Channel) Though last year's finale left me cold, I'm gonna give this one another chance and welcome Mitch Pileggi back to Vancouver.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (10pm PST, Sci-Fi Channel) Boomer just blasted Commander Adama, President Roslin is imprisoned, and Starbuck's back on Cylon occupied Capricacan it be Friday already please?
SATURDAY, JULY 16
GODZILLA (8pm PST, NBC) You could watch this 1998 atrocity, or, you could hunt down the Japanese original and be humming that catchy theme tune for weeks.
STIGMATA (8pm PST, WB) And you though psychic powers were all Patricia Arquette had up her sleeve.
ISAAC'S STORM (8pm PST, History Channel) This two hour film documents the 1900 hurricane that devastated Galveston, TX and remains one of the worst in recorded history.
O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (10pm PST, TNT) You too will be "A Man of Constant Sorrow" if you miss this Coen Brothers classic that borrows a bit from Homer.
SUNDAY, JULY 17
SIX FEET UNDER (9pm PST, HBO) Don't miss a minute of this morose show's final season. This year has brought the Fisher family greater depths of depression, even longer uncomfortable pauses, and an unhealthy dose of disfunction that make previous seasons seem quite nurturing by comparison.
ENTOURAGE (10pm PST, HBO) Become a hanger on as Vince chases the scaly tights of Aquaman in a bid to finance his expensive Hollywood lifestyle.
