Back when the new series was first announced in 2003 I was ambivalent. I was just as happy for the show to keep going through spin off media such as the BBC books and the Big Finish audios. I always knew that a series of Doctor Who could work. I grew up in the 90s and I still became a fan of it. But whether it actually would work was another matter. If the revival failed then this would probably be the show's last chance. I'd followed the development of the new series, though not too closely in fear of getting too many spoilers. I knew who Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper were although I'd never actually seen them in anything. There was nothing I was really worried about, but nothing I was particularly enthusiastic about either.
Finally, on Saturday 26th March 2005, I sat down to watch Rose. It was brilliant. No episode since then has been able to evoke quite the same excitement that I felt that night. This was the first time, unless you count The Curse of Fatal Death, that I'd watched an episode of Doctor Who going out on transmission. Just hearing the theme tune was exciting enough. Not even the interference of Graham Norton could hamper this joy.
The episode proved to be exactly the kind of first episode that Doctor Who needed. Just as An Unearthly Child guided us into the world of science fiction with Ian and Barbara's viewpoint, Rose allowed us to follow the progress of he title character as she discovered the Doctor and the Autons. The use of Autons as villains was exactly right. They are based in mundane objects made of plastic. The world of modern day London was one that viewers would be familiar with. The use of a sunny council estate strangely mirrored its appearance in the last BBC episode, Survival, whether that was intentional or not. The science fiction aspects were kept to a minimum and the word "Time Lord" was only uttered once.It was also great to see Doctor Who finally employing modern filming techniques like the montage to tell a story and strange to see things like mobile phones and internet search engines appearing in the story itself.
The show needed good lead actors and Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper were exactly that.
Billie Piper was superb as the audience viewpoint character, Rose, guiding us into the strange new world of Doctor Who. She instantly proved wrong all the people who thought she was just a pop star trying to act.
Christopher Eccleston's short haired, leather jacket wearing Doctor was one of the freshest takes on the character ever. I had my doubts about his look in the months before,
since I'd got used to the notion of the Doctor as a frock coat wearing posh adventurer, but Chris' performance convinced me otherwise. It dusted away the cobwebs in my mind and made me look at the character of the Doctor anew. He was funny in the scenes in Rose's flat and fascinating in his "turn of the Earth" speech. To this day, Christopher Eccleston is one of my favourite Doctors, regardless of his perceived attitude towards the show.
The months following Rose were exciting. Just as the Doctor sees the joys of the universe through the eyes of his companions, I was seeing the joy of Doctor Who again through the eyes of young audiences who were getting acquainted with the show. Childrens drawings were appearing in Doctor Who magazine. The show felt fresh and exciting again. I was sad to see Christopher Eccleston bow out in the superb Parting of the Ways but just as excited to see David Tennant’s triumphant debut in The Christmas Invasion.
In the following years, producer Russell T Davies and his successor Steven Moffat continued to produce brilliant characters, stories and moments. Highlights for me include Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, one of my favourite companions. The unexpected return of the Master in Utopia, the joys of Blink. The fantastic debut of Matt Smith's Doctor in The Eleventh Hour, The Tardis gaining human form in The Doctor's Wife. The wonderful team of the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory. A regeneration scene featuring Paul McGann that I thought would only exist as fan fiction. Then, just as we though there would never be an older Doctor again, Peter Capaldi was announced as the Doctor.
I could go on about all the brilliant things we've had and it’s all thanks to everyone who works on the show. Those who brought it back as well as those who have kept it going for so long. From the catering staff to the executive producers. Nothing is guaranteed a future, but I hope we can get another ten years of this program, at least!
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