Who's Your Doctor?

It's hard to describe the Doctor if you're talking to someone who's never heard of him. It's also hard not to sound like a bona fide, hardcore, sci-fi nerd when talking about the doctor. Buuuuuuuuuut, since it's already been established that I AM now a bona fide nerd (what with buying comics, obsessing about Superman, and even scrapbooking), I don't feel as bad going on about the Doctor.

It used to be just a humble show to watch on your local PBS station on Friday or Saturday nights, but the Doctor has become a high budget, effects laden weekly extravaganza from BBC. With its return in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston at its helm, the stories have been, well, FANTASTIC (as his Doctor would say). But who IS the Doctor?

Simply put, he's a time lord from Gallifrey who can travel through space and time dimensions. He travels around the universe and time in a spankin' hot TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension[s] in Space). He can get into anything with his sweet electric screw driver, and he travels with a companion, usually female. (Did I get it all, Martin?) Oh, yeah, and as a time lord, he can go through 13 life regenerations. Right now, we're on the tenth Doctor.

The series, which was launched in 1963, keeps gettin' better and better, and with 737 episodes under his belt (at least that what the ever dependent Wikipedia source reports), the Doctor seems stronger than ever. Even though I've seen episodes of old doctors, they all pale in comparison to the latest Doctor, David Tennant (right, with his companion, Martha). He talks really fast, wears tweed, and sports Chuck Taylors. Awesome. I think we've now watched Tennant's first series through twice, and the episodes can keep being rewatched and reviewed many times over. (The only other series I've ever been able to do this with is Freaks and Geeks.)

So, give the Doctor a shot. Watch him on Sci Fi Friday nights, or rent a couple from Net Flix or the Buster. The stories are witty, intelligent, and addictive.