30 Days of New Who: Day 30 - Why Do YOU Love Doctor Who

Wow - last day of the meme. And I saved the mushiest for last.

First, a video that'll probably convey more meaning than I ever blather on about (this was one I made and that I'm particularly proud of). So, if you're one of those people that doesn't want to get too personal, watch the video and consider that you've gotten the point:



If that didn't do it - let me spell it out for you -

My reasons for loving "Doctor Who" are actually very deep and personal. I'm going to say right now that it's strange that this show means so much to me (trust me, it was a surprise to me). When I discovered "Doctor Who," I was in a really rough place in my life. I didn't have a job, I was living with my parents, my family was going through some really bad times and I didn't know what to do with myself. I had very little to be happy or excited about. Everywhere I looked, there was more bad than good and I hated it. I wanted something to help me get my mind off my misery, but everything else I found just reminded me how sad and depressed I was and how terrible things were for me. But then I found "Doctor Who" and it was amazing. It was as though someone had grabbed me by the shirt collar, sat me down and said "There are things to be happy about and I'm going to show you something to be happy about and you will just love it."

As things in my real life got worse and worse, I turned to "Doctor Who" more and more. I was enchanted by the wonderful stories of a kind, wise and funny alien that shows his human companions the wonders of traveling through time and space. Everyone in real life was angry and negative about their circumstances, but the Doctor could always help me see the good things and that there were so many reasons to be happy.  Even though he constantly runs into so much trouble, there is still something fun, uplifting and even hopeful about his adventures.

I actually didn't realize any of this until Series 5 - after so much had actually gone wrong for the Doctor, ironically enough. But there are two quotes that will always stick with me:

1. From "The Beast Below" - "If you were that old and that kind and the very last of your kind, you couldn't just sit there and watch children cry."
            - I know this scene gets some flack from the fandom over being too obvious or too sentimental, but this line of Amy's meant the world to me when I heard it. It seems like it was meant just for me (haters to the left). Compared to the Doctor, everyone is a child. He's a 900+ year old Time Lord and he's seen so much, yet he chooses to spend his time traveling with human companions who will only ever live to be a tenth of his lifespan (he even says at one point that 90 years old is considered to be "just a kid" for Time Lords). Personally, I had done so much crying over the past few months and I don't know whether to call it fate or a blessing or whatever - but that's what happened to me. The Doctor (or whatever) saw me crying and he came into my life and showed me something good and I am so grateful for it.

2. From "Vincent and the Doctor" - "Every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't always spoil the good things or make them unimportant."
            - While I was watching "Doctor Who" for the first time, many of the people who were causing so much grief and negativity scoffed at me for watching this show and becoming - well, honestly - kind of obsessed with it. Some of them even went so far as to say that there was nothing good in life anymore so I shouldn't even bother trying to be happy. But I was determined that nothing was going to ruin this one good thing in my life. It might not have been a job or a romance or a friendship or any of those other things most people equate with happiness, but "Doctor Who" was important to me. I hesitated to share it with anyone else (in real life or online) because I was afraid someone who come along and ruin it for me, much the way Harry Potter had been ruined for me by some in the online fandom (luckily - for the most part - "Doctor Who" fans are pretty mature in their conduct and there are so many different opinions that I don't feel like I have to agree with everything everybody says).

To sum up - I love "Doctor Who" because of how much happiness and hope it brought to me at a time when I sorely needed something to be happy and hopeful about. I was living with a very narrow vision of the world around me and the Doctor came along and showed me the wonders of the universe and expanded my vision. In that sense, I feel like I've become one of the Doctor's companions, traveling in the TARDIS, saving planets, fighting monsters and running through time and space. And just like the Doctor's other companions, my life will be forever changed for it.

(And no, I don't feel like it's over-the-top to say that.)

30 Days of New Who: Day 29 - Favorite Music/Song

Both "This is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home" and "I Am the Doctor" get the most playing time on my iTunes, so they both get the nod (Murray Gold is just fantastic.  The end).

First - "This is Gallifrey" as played at the 2010 Proms (with "Vale Decem" tacked on there for good measure).  I admit, I got a little misty-eyed at this presentation:



Second - "I Am The Doctor" (best music for speeding driving the legal speed limit down the freeway) -

30 Days of New Who: Day 28 - Favorite Series Arc

So far, my favorite series arc is Series 5 -



Cracks in time, the end of the universe, exploding TARDIS, Silence Will Fall (to be resolved in Series 6!) Solid storytelling, loose ends tied up, intriguing plot developments in a 13-episode stretch.

To sum up: STEVEN MOFFAT IS A FRICKIN' GENIUS!!

30 Days of New Who: Day 27 - Scene/Moment that Made You Go "Argh!"

The Doctor having to mind-wipe Donna at the end of Series 4 (WHY????)



See why I said I pretend "Journey's End" ends after the TARDIS hauls Earth back to where it should be?

(Actually, my head-canon says that TenTwo didn't stay at Bad Wolf Bay, but he took up residence next door to the Noble household and becomes friends with Donna and keeps an eye on her without actually ever talking about their adventures. Or even that Donna's subconscious remembers her travels with the Doctor and she slowly is allowed to remember it and she doesn't burn up. At least that part of her mind remembers and she is still better for it. You can't run with the Doctor without it having some effect on you - even if you do have your memories wiped).

Seriously - I am NOT okay with how Donna's story ended in Series 4. "The End of Time" partially made up for it - but not entirely.

30 Days of New Who: Day 26 - Scene That Made You Go "Awww"

BIG Hug Time at the end of "The Satan Pit"





Second Place - "You were my Doctor." - from "Time Crash"


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(See Day 10 for a larger commentary on that bit of awesomeness)

30 Days of New Who: Day 25 - Favorite TARDIS "Team"

I don't know how other people would answer this one, but I personally consider a TARDIS "Team" to consist of the Doctor and at least two other companions. I'm not really sure we've had one of those in the new series other than the Doctor, Amy and Rory, so they get the title of "Favorite" (I'm sure someone's going to come in and slap me around for saying that, but they can do the meme themselves if they want to).

And I couldn't find a suitable video or picture of the Doctor, Amy and Rory that I wanted to post here, so have a video of Matt, Karen and Arthur singing Christmas carols.  Because those three are just plain adorable and awesome and I love them:



(ETA: Okay, okay - Series 1 did have the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack for three stories - even threw Mickey in the mix there for a bit. But I stand by my choice of the Doctor and la familia Pond).

30 Days of New Who: Day 24 - Favorite Accessory of the Doctor's

(It's a good thing I have all these written up just ready to be posted because I don't think I could have composed a coherent response after last night's episode).

And out they come - the brainy specs!



I was sooo thrilled to learn that Doctor doesn't really need glasses - that he only wears them because they make him look clever because I did the exact same thing when I was little! I've posted this picture before, but it is quite relevant (that's my sister in the stroller):



When I was three, I had a pair of plastic red frames that used to be toy sunglasses until the lenses got knocked out. I wore those suckers everywhere I went because I wanted to look smart. I didn't need glasses at the time, but I fully intended on wearing them when I went to school because that's what smart people did (and I swear that I wore them to preschool). This was well before I knew that "Doctor Who" even existed - probably before I even understood the concept of science fiction - I was sort of a hipster back then. I wonder where those frames are now...

But yeah - brainy specs - LOVE 'EM!

Off to rewatch "The Impossible Astronaut!"

30 Days of New Who: Day 23 - Something Epic

It's fitting that this one falls on the day that DOCTOR WHO SERIES 6 PREMIERES!! (omg - yay!) Right now, I can't think of anything more epic.

But for the meme's sake, I chose "Journey's End" - The Doctor and his many companions all piloting the TARDIS and towing the Earth back to where it belongs.


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Massive amounts of hugging ensues. Everyone is happy.



I often pretend that this is where the episode ends (DAMN YOU, RUSSELL! *shakes fist*)

30 Days of New Who: Day 22 - Something Silly

From "Smith and Jones" -


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The Doctor trying to get the excess radiation out of his left shoe - and later realizing he looks "daft with only one shoe."

30 Days of New Who: Day 21 - Favorite Location

For those that know me, this may be uber-obvious and a little redundant - my favorite location is The Library from "Silence in the Library."



An ENTIRE PLANET that is nothing but books??? Where do I get me one of those? (preferably free of carnivorous microorganisms that hatch inside paper, of course)

Seriously, when I saw this:



And this:



I did this:

30 Days of New Who: Day 20 - Prettiest Scene

I'm still not quite over Elisabeth Sladen, though there are many wonderful tributes out there this morning.  However, as they said over at brb_gallifrey - We keep buggering on.  But know that Sarah Jane will never be forgotten.

Okay... deep breaths... Prettiest scene.  I've got two for this one. First is the shiiiiiny planet of Midnight. The little bit we get to see, anyway.



The second is New Earth - the first "alien" planet onscreen in the new series -


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30 Days of New Who: Day 19 - Favorite Ship

The TARDIS! (duh…)



Oh wait - you mean that other kind of ship. My bad.

I'm not really one for shipping, honestly. I usually just go with whatever's established in canon - that way I don't get eaten by the rabid-shipper-people (even then I'm not 100% safe). But I think that Sally Sparrow and Larry Nightingale from "Blink" are particularly adorable.



Wouldn't it have been cool to have Sally and Larry on board the TARDIS, though? Yet another instance of What Could Have Been (in my head, anyway).

30 Days of New Who: Day 18 - Favorite Amy Moment

"Raggedy Man - I remember you and you are LATE for my wedding!"
         - Amy Pond remembers the Doctor, thereby saving him from being completely erased from history by Michael Grade the Cracks in Time.



[More videos from wildcat_media]

This scene at the end of Series 5 had me jumping up and down like an excited little kid. It completely validates Amy Pond as a character and as a companion of the Doctor.

Put yourself in Amy's position for a minute - she met this silly, quirky, raggedy, awesome, strange man when his blue box crash landed in her backyard in the middle of the night. He disappears for 12 years - leaving little Amy to endure the disbelief and disdain of her family and friends at this story that she insists happened. All of a sudden, he shows up again and takes her off on fantastic adventures - only to be erased from history when things start getting a little rocky (yeah - end of the universe. It doesn't get much rockier than that).

But he leaves his story behind for the young girl - a story that she will carry with her all her life until her wedding day. Amy is now an adult - grown-up and expected to put away "childish things." But a mysterious blank book left by a mysterious woman triggers a stream of memories in Amy's mind. She then stands up (to the horror and embarrassment of her family and friends) and proclaims that there's someone missing. Someone so important - her very best friend - that should be at her wedding.

Anyone who has loved something so much in their childhood, only to have it taken away when they grow up (whether by parents or peers or society or BBC Executive Meddling) can relate to this moment. Even though I didn't experience the Wilderness Years of Doctor Who the way many fans did, I can understand having something you treasure - something you think is so very special - be criticized and derided by people who think they're above all that "childish crap." The moment when the TARDIS materializes is the biggest Take That moment for any kid - or kid-at-heart - who gets picked on because of what they're favorite TV show or movie or book might be.

What's even more fun about this is that Amy and Rory are now a married couple. They should be all "settled down" and mature, responsible adults. Yet, they still jump in the TARDIS for at least one more season of fabulous adventures with the Doctor (this also marks the first time for the new series we have the same Doctor and set of companions two seasons in a row. Given how awesome Amy and Rory are together, I could get used to this).

30 Days of new Who: Day 17 - Favorite Donna Moment

DONNA!! WHEE!! (I love Donna - but you all know that already)

From "The Fires of Pompeii:



The Doctor is used to saving everyone. Or at least, that's his goal: to save everyone. But sometimes, that just doesn't happen - for all of the Doctor's best intentions. So what does he do? If he can't save everyone, then might as well make sure everyone dies. Why not? He's a Time Lord - he's seen planets and galaxies die. He even witness the death of his own planet and his own people. What's one more insignificant city on a backwater planet?

But Donna is not having that. Not at all. Earlier in this episode, she asserts her own authority over the Doctor - simply by being a human. She thinks ought to have a say in what happens to people on her planet, even if those people died centuries before she was born.

That's not to say Donna is arrogant or smug about the situation.  Far from it, actually. Beyond being a human and caring what happens to people on her planet, Donna really gets the Doctor. She understands that he feels guilty about what happened to his own people. On one level, she even understands the Time Lord rules that he still follows, even with him being the only one. But she also believes that he can be better than all that, if only he would let himself move past the bad things he's witnessed and done - including how things with Rose and Martha ended. Donna doesn't want him to bury himself in his grief. She spends all of Series 4 bringing out the best in her friend - and this scene is really the beginning of that.

While "Partners in Crime" showcased how much fun Donna was as a companion, "The Fires of Pompeii" shows that there's more to her than being comic relief.  Donna keeps things in perspective for the Doctor.  Even if he can't save the whole town - he can save somebody.  That's a small victory, at least.

Heaven only knows how much help she would have been on Mars.

30 Days of New Who: Day 16 - Favorite Martha Moment

From the Series 3 two-parter "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood."



This story is where Martha really shines. I don't think that any other companion could have dealt with this situation well as she did. She has to keep an eye on human!Doctor while the two of them hide out from the Family, make sure he doesn't wander off and get into trouble (or fall in love... heh heh).  But when the Doctor is finally needed, she's got to convince John Smith he's really the Doctor and not this crappy human personality as well as contend with the culture of the time period she's stuck in.  And she does it brilliantly.  This is one of my absolute favorite two-parters and a big reason is that Martha is so amazing in this story.

The Doctor says that he only takes the best and Martha certainly proves she deserves a spot on Team TARDIS.

Quick Note of Interest: We are now ONE WEEK away from the premiere of Series 6!  Thought you ought to know :)

A Quick Note of Thanks...

... to the boys from Traveling the Vortex for featuring my 30 Days of New Who meme on their blog!  I'm really glad they're enjoying it enough to give it a post on their site.  It just started out as something to pass the time until the new season of Doctor Who gets going (I will finish the meme after the premiere - don't worry), but it's nice to get some feedback and recognition from stuff you write.  We bloggers are kind of attention whores.

30 Days of New Who: Day 15 - Favorite Rose Moment

From "The Parting of the Ways" -



I love this scene for so many reasons. When I first started watching "Doctor Who," I was in a similar place in life as Rose was. I didn't have a job, I lived at home, I felt like I didn't have very much going for me, people around me were never very happy so that rubbed off on me and I was never very happy - and then I was introduced to this wonderful, fantastic, amazing person who did wonderful, fantastic, amazing things and shared his experiences with his friends. It was something I needed when everyone else around me was dripping with cynicism and negativity - it was something good and something to be happy about. And I felt like I could do something to change my own fortunes - or at least the things I was doing were going to lead me somewhere good eventually. Every time I watch "The Parting of the Ways" and see this scene, I think of that time in my life - how much the Doctor changed my life much the way he changed Rose's.


Also, Rose is just awesome in this scene. And it sets up fantastic things to come.

30 Days of New Who: Day 14 - Favorite Doctor Moment

Hey - I actually found a video for this one! Whee!

from "The Eleventh Hour" -



Yes, you are. You are the Doctor. :3

30 Days of New Who: Day 13 - Favorite Era Visited by the Doctor

Even awesome birthday celebrations won't derail the 30 Days meme!  The next on the list is favorite era visited by the Doctor.  As an English major, I am obligated to say Elizabethan England in "The Shakespeare Code" (okay, I'm not really obligated - I actually wanted to say that).



The Globe Theatre! THE GLOBE THEATRE!  The fact that the production crew actually went to the Globe Theatre to film parts of this episode makes my heart squeal with glee. Not to mention the fact that this episode explored the mystery of Shakespeare's lost play "Love's Labour's Won" - and all the Shakespeare-title drops in the dialogue. Plus, Dean Lennox Kelley is an fabulous William Shakespeare (haters, kindly locate the closest exit. Most likely near your left).



(oh, and love the gratuitous references to "Harry Potter" - but this is supposed to be about the era this story is set in).

For a supposedly "low-budget" science fiction TV show (hee hee - air quotes), they did a wonderful job of depicting Shakespeare's time and setting the tone for the entire story and it's fairly accurate (as far as I can tell, at least). I even showed this to the kids in the English class I assistant-teach when we did our Shakespeare unit and they got a lot out of it, which is a testament to how important Shakespeare is and how much his work has permeated our modern culture. This is definitely my favorite historical "Doctor Who" episode.

30 Days of New Who: Day 12 - Scene/Moment That Makes You Giggle

The mime scene in "Partners in Crime."











(Pretty much all of PiC is one big giggle-snort after another.)