Knock, knock. Who's there? Doctor.

Doctor who to be precise. Doctor Who has been a sci-fi phenomenon for over fifty years. The show originated in 1963 and run through 1989, totaling twenty six series (in the UK series = seasons). Then the show was revived in 2005 and is currently on its seventh series. In total there have been eleven doctors, the most current doctor is played by Matthew Smith.

The protagonist, the Doctor is the last of the Time Lords, an alien race, who travels through time and space in his TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space). Along his many journeys and adventures, the Doctor meets many companions that then travel along with him throughout the universe and time. Besides companions, the Doctor also aquires many enemies. Enemy number one are the Daleks, an genetically altered (can only feel hate) alien race that fought against the Time Lords in the Last Great Time War (in which both the Dalek and Time Lord races were wiped out). The Daleks were able to repopulate and still try purging the rest of the universe of a non-Dalek race. 

  Doctor Who will have you on the edge of your seat, laughing along with the characters, and routing for the Doctor.

Character Changes

The characters are the heart and soul of a television show. The viewers develop real connections with the characters in their favorite shows, they care about them, and might even write some creepy fan fiction. That is why, when a character is replaced, fans will riot, and the show will usually take a turn for the worse.

The first show that comes to mind would be The Office. Steve Carrell left after a very successful six seasons and was replaced as regional manager by Ed Helms as Andy Bernard. Out of all the characters on The Office, Helm's personality and mannerisms are the most like Carrells. They share the same lovable offensive qualities and both strive for attention and acceptance from their superiors and coworkers. The sixth seasons finale featured an array of guest stars all vying for the position of manager. However, losing a newcomer and putting Andy in charge was a very safe move by the writers in order to keep up the same pace of the show.

Another example is the show Misfits, which premiered it's third season this Sunday minus one of the more memorable characters. Robert Sheehan played the witty, Irish comic relief on the show but left after the second season to pursue more movie roles. Channel 4 put out a short on their website to explain his absence and quickly introduce his replacement on the show. Again, what we experience of Rudy, the newcomer, is a glimpse of a similar character. He seems to slide into the role of comedian and troublemaker, as was his predecessor Sheehan.

The same can be said about Doctor Who, especially since that show goes through actors every two to three seasons.. Every time the doctor regenerates and is recast, there is always a divide between the fans. Mainly in the new series, there is a solid amount of people who see David Tennant as the real Doctor, even though he hasn't been on the show for two seasons, being replaced by Matt Smith. People will always have their favorites, and stand behind them as the true actor for that role.

Luckily these example happen to have an extremely good supporting cast that can easily support the show after their stars depart. A very common theme throughout this seems to be that the essence of the character remains the same, to make it easier for different actors to filter through the role.

An Unearthly Child, a.k.a. Ha ha! More Doctor Who!

Oh hi, everyone. You thought that Doctor Who was over, right? You figured that since series 6 ended two weeks ago, I'd be done talking about the series? No. You're wrong. Go fly into the Time Vortex. And while you're there, say hi to the Bad Wolf for me.

This is part of the very first episode of the first serial of Doctor Who. Filmed in 1963, the entire episode was shot live to tape, which means that all of the visual effects happened during filming. Most of the scenes took place in the studio, including the TARDIS shots and the junkyard. This shows how possible -- if limited -- it is to film without fancy VFX, and provides insight on how to make something so practical look so good. Because there is no room for error, every shot, every movement, and every position has to be perfect. Sure, if you look closely in this episode, there are a few glitches here and there; but that's to be expected of a show that a) had a low budget, and b) was probably going to be canned anyway. (SPOILER: It wasn't.)

What really shines here is how different the story was in the beginning. In the latest series, the Eleventh Doctor was a bombastic young man who was friendly with his companions and had a legacy that nearly killed him. The First Doctor is an old man who would rather be alone than have stowaways, stumbles over his words, and tends to work in the shadows instead of run headlong into danger. We don't know much about the Doctor or his companions or his travels yet; but it's great to watch the story unfold from here. Of course, if you watch every single Who episode from this point, it might be a bit of a trauma.

Also, you'll start hearing the TARDIS sound whenever the wind blows. (It's not fun. I'm beginning to look like a crazy person.)

Next week, we'll take a look at something different. Maybe.

The Wedding Of River Song

That's it. That's the end. This is the end of the series. You can all stop groaning at me now. ...Nah, just kidding! I could throw 26 seasons of the classic Doctor episodes at you! Muwahahaha!

I'll skip the story for this blog post. If you want to know what happened, you'll have to watch. Of course, the acting on everyone's part was impeccable. I'd expect nothing less from a BBC show that's now entering it's 49th year.

What really stood out about this episode was how bizarre it was. Something is wrong with time, meaning that all of history is happening at once. The effects team needed to therefore find out how to put pterodactyls in a park in London. The set designers had to build a secret evil lair inside of the pyramids. Make up designers had to create a horde of the Silence using only prosthetics and body glue. So many intricate parts went into making this episode look as good as it was supposed to; but together they helped deliver a visually beautiful ending to this season.

Things to look out for as far as this episode goes: Dorium, who's all blue. The fight scene between the Ponds, Kovarian, and the Silence. Any scene where they aren't on Earth. The cinematography helps the effects as the effects help the final product. The best thing about high-profile big-budget sci-fi shows is that when they're done well, they're done really well, and everything clicks together in harmony.

Get psyched for Autumn 2012. I already am.

Doctor Who: Closing Time

What, you thought I was going to review something different?

In this episode, the Doctor pays a visit to Craig, his old friend from "The Lodger" just to say a final goodbye before his death. (This isn't a spoiler.) Instead of saying hi and leaving, the Doctor gets caught up in a nasty row with the Cybermen. Not only that, but Craig refuses to leave him alone, causing the Doctor to put another friend in danger after leaving two behind to keep them safe.

Strong writing and delivery carry this episode. James Corden, a great comedic actor, reprises his role as Craig; and he does a bang-up job, as to be expected. Quick banter between Matt Smith and Carden gives the episode a good pace and keeps the dialogue snappy and interesting. There are sentimental moments among the funny, including when the Doctor spots Amy and Rory as a successful couple out for a day of shopping. After all their adventures, all the times they nearly died, it's good for him to know that they're happy and safe. And of course, let's not forget the baby. The baby makes everything better.

As far as aesthetics and direction go, nothing was absolutely stunning; but that's not to say that it didn't deliver the same good quality that viewers have come to expect out of the new series. Everything was well rounded and worked together. There were a few moments where my trained eye caught some shot discrepancies; in one scene, River was turning her head to the right, while in another she was turning to the left. The glitch barely registered though. I bet that only a few other viewers actually cared.

Next week: The finale. Then I'll shut up for good about this. ...Yeah right. I've still got the classic series that I could throw at you.

The God Complex

After a big, emotional episode like last week's "The Girl Who Waited," it seems like "The God Complex" was in a bit of a lower key. The story was okay, but it seems like Toby Whithouse and Steven Moffat cobbled it together in order to lead up to the end, which is a major plot point in the story arc. This series has had its fair share of standalone episodes, where the story has nothing to do with the overarching plot; and that's fine. That's what Doctor Who is famous for, little science fiction diatribes that all link together.

But this story seems forgettable, if not for the ending and the look deeper into the Doctor's and Amy's characters. The technical work was, of course, beautiful; camera shots looking straight down a spiral staircase, a giant minotaur roaring down a hotel hallway, special effects giving the illusion of a creepy 80s hotel. But that's obvious from the show at this point. Technical brilliance has become a staple, much unlike the show's classic years as a low budget production.

Where the show really shines is in the subtleties of its writing. The ending and the way this episode ties into the arc is pretty brilliant, if heartbreaking. There's also a scene where the Doctor finds what scares him most; and although we don't see it, we know that it's someone whom the Doctor fears. "Of course it's you," he says, as the TARDIS cloister bell rings. This small detail blew the door open for fan speculation, and provide a piece of great writing and camera work in an otherwise average episode.

Not much else to say this week. Next time, the Cybermen make a return as well as an old friend. From the preview, it looks like it'll be a good one. See you then.

Doctor Who: The Girl Who Waited

I really want to make something like this for a Park production. Unfortunately, this is a work of art and cannot be replicated. Don't even try. Stop now.

The Girl Who Waited is a perfect example of the direction that new-Who has taken. It's less of a "monster-of-the-week" or "sci-fi" show and more of a "space opera." That's not bad by any means, of course. In fact, the fans in both the US and the show's native UK have been welcoming to the backstories of the Doctor, Amy, Rory, and River Song. While the show's main focus is still timey-wimey and spacey-wacey, it's nice to see three-dimensional characters and growing relationships.

Lots of tributes to the series here in both its classic and current incarnations. The title of the serial is a reference to Amy Pond's character, who as a child waited 12 years for the Doctor to arrive a second time. In one scene, Rory breaks the Mona Lisa over an android's head. This is a reference to the 1979 serial "The City Of Death." It's a story that will appeal to both classic and new-Who fans.

Technically, it shines. The cinematography and lighting are obviously great, so no coverage is necessary. What really stands out is the CGI in both the landscape and most of the characters. The Handroids, the main antagonists in the episode, were costumed actors whose faces were removed in post-production and replaced with sinister looking medical equipment. The landscape wasn't WYSIWYG; it was a mixture of tight set design and 3D. What comes out is a threatening facility with a sprawling labyrinth of halls and corridors.

Karen Gillan's older appearance was also a defining factor in this episode. Instead of using an older actress to play the part, Karen herself offered to play the part in prosthetics and aging makeup. This created a believable 60-year-old Amy Pond once it became mixed with Karen's subtle acting quirks and choices. It not only brings out the best in the show's production, it's a bright moment for Karen, who's becoming a big star with the success of the programme (alongside Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill, the latter of whom is doubtlessly the show's best male companion in years.)

This will be a memorable episode of this series, and maybe even of the Eleventh Doctor's reign. Next week: The God Complex, which involves more child nightmare shenanigans and perhaps a look into the Doctor's eventual fate... let's just hope the characters don't almost die again.

Night Terrors

Let's talk about what worked with this about. And really, there wasn't much that didn't work. So let's just talk about Night Terrors. This is not only classic sci-fi writing at its best, it's a wonderful piece of televised cinematography.

On the Mohs Scale of Science Fiction, which ranks believability on a scale from 1 to 6 (with 6 being the most believable science fiction,) this episode ranks a 4. Most good Doctor Who episodes fall in this category. A 4 on the scale means that there are only a few minor changes in reality that do not affect normal human life (or otherwise.) This ensures that the story won't be marred by wacky "facts", technobabble, or other elements that may confuse the viewers.

In Night Terrors, the story centers around a young child's fears and closet which he locks them away in. His plea of "Save me from the monsters" reaches the Doctor, Amy, and Rory, and the Doctor decides to make a "house call." But once they reach the child's flat, they realize that these fears are spiraling out of control, and that -- in true TARDIS fashion -- nothing is as it seems. The story is not too bizarre and not too boring; the resulting happy medium is just as exciting as it is creepy.

The cinematography really adds to this episode. The lighting is spot on, matching the scene of a child scared of the dark. Shots are blocked beautifully. The first shot after the intro of the TARDIS materializing in the puddle is perfect; CGI, color, and the atmosphere of the shot all work together. This theme continues throughout the episode. It keeps you on the edge of your seat; or, rather, behind your seat, as you might be cowering in fear of the dolls that turn you into one of them. As far as non-CGI makeup goes, the doll costumes were certainly effective at causing viewers to pee their pants.

This is a classic Who episode, hands down. Next week looks like a Doctor-lite episode set in a futuristic world. All I know from the preview is that Rory smashes the Mona Lisa over a robot. Nice.

FIRST POST, I WAS FIRST

Welcome to the class, first off. I know that I'm not the one to say this, that's Arturo's job. Just let me and my superiority complex be happy.

I'm a huge Doctor Who fan. I've watched since the series returned in '05, I've seen episodes from the sixties, seventies, and beyond. I've got a toy sonic screwdriver. I'm kind of obsessed. I feel no shame.

What I love the most about the series is that it's always had an affinity for welding special effects with a good story. The show doesn't depend on one thing or the other to carry it along. It knows that in order to deliver something great, there has to be a good aesthetic side and a good technical side. Doctor Who has both. Also, there are aliens and robots. Enough said.

Just take a look at this preview clip for the latest episode, Let's Kill Hitler.

Cool, right? There's period-specific costumes and set design. The little details in the shot, from the composition to the dirt caused by the TARDIS crash to the smoke pouring out of the phone box, are meticulously planned. Meanwhile, the actors are perfectly in sync, delivering the story to the audience. This is what Doctor Who has been known for since its inception.

For another example, here's a clip from the 1964 episode "The Dalek Invasion Of Earth" back when William Hartnell was the First Doctor. Notice the Daleks, which were a particularly fascinating effect back when this serial came out.

This is the kind of thing I strive for when I produce. In order for me to truly like what I make, it's got to look good and it's got to have a powerful story, along with powerful people to be the characters of that story. It's a complex task, but when it all comes together, it's something absolutely beautiful.

I'll be using examples from Doctor Who in future blog posts, so expect, you know, sci-fi stuff. I don't apologize.