Does Dr. Who count?

[Ace]

First off, let me say that I truely enjoy the newest incarnation of Dr. Who that is playing on the Sci-fi channel. I love british humor and this is british humor with a scifi twist.

That said... can we honestly say that Dr. Who is the longest running sci-fi show in the world? I'm opening this thread so that other posters can either agree with me or can prove me wrong. Either way I would be delighted in learning other people's opinions.

Personally I don't know much about the series other than what they have shown on the Sci-fi channel. However from what I have read, and feel free to prove me wrong, but Dr. Who isn't exactly the longest running sci-fi show.

It's been canceled numerous of times to either be picked up by another network a few years later with completely different actors and actresses. Yes... they are supposedly the same characters but who can actually say they liked the second Darren from Bewitched.

I can't... I have to consider it a different show or at least a different version of the same show. From what I have read... many times Dr. Who has only been on the air for a year then gets cancelled then gets picked up and stays on the year for 7 years, then gets cancelled again.

But can we consider it all the same show... it would be like saying that all the incarnations of Star Trek are the same show. They get cancelled and then picked up again. Many of the same actors have been in all of the different series...

So can we say that Star Trek has been on the air for 25+ years? I don't think many of you would agree to that...

Personally, I can't get my head around the 10 different actors all claiming to be the same person. If it were only once like the Darren situation on Bewitched or the Dr. Weir on Atlantis, I could live with it.

But the fact that they changed 10 different times and are constantly cancelled and then picked up later... it's a feat the the orginality of the show and the wide-spread appeal. No doubt about that... but there is no way I can consider it the longest-running sci-fi show in the world. So in my little warped and twisted mind I can to say that Stargate takes this honor home. And each Dr. Who incarnation has to be considered a different show each time...

Ace

[The Signal]

Doctor Who was cancelled ONCE. It ran for a spectacular 26 seasons without stopping. The casting change keeps the show fresh. Only one character (well I suppose 3 if you count Romana and The Master) have frequented the show and have been replaced, The Doctor. His regenerations have been a part of his character since the first actor was no longer able to carry on the roll because of health. The re-cast is always explained, its not as if they said "Oh, Tom Baker has gone, forget him, heres Peter Davison" they show the change and it is part of who that character is. As for the companions, well they leave the TARDIS on-screen, they dont just vanish. As far as I can remember, the only major character ever to be re-cast was the First Doctor in "The Five Doctors" as the actor had sadly passed away. (if you want to bring it up, Romana and The Master are also capable of Regeneration, an ability which has been explained almost fully on-screen (the reason for the limit of regenerations is still a little shady))

The show, whether you believe it is or not, is the longest running Sci-fi series ever, and by the end of the current series in the UK it will have more episodes than all 5 of the Trek indevidual series put together, and they ARE different series.

I would like to know, where did you get the idea that it had been cancelled 10 times?

[Flyboy]

The guy has obviously not heard of regeneration. Same person, different body.


Star Trek has not lasted a long time. Its existed in various mediums, TNG, DS9, but its NOT the same show, theyre spin offs.

[Major Tyler]

The Doctor only has two regenerations after David Tennent, right? Will they cancel the show after the next couple actors leave?

Also, does The Docter always have to be a white guy? Does he always even have to be male? I'm just saying, if I could regenerate, I'd like a little variety.

[Flyboy]

White? No.

Male. Um YES! gender is Gender, regardless.

[The Signal]

The Doctor only has two regenerations after David Tennent, right? Will they cancel the show after the next couple actors leave?

Three. A TL gets 12 regenerations, 13 bodies, DT is the 10th. The writers will find a way around it though.

[Darkseid]

Also, does The Docter always have to be a white guy? Does he always even have to be male? I'm just saying, if I could regenerate, I'd like a little variety.

I have thought about this myself, and to me, if the Doctor can change the color of his hair cells he can change the color of his skin cells. We've seen the Doctor change birthmarks, and even regenerate with a tatoo!

I had a conversation a while ago with someone about what American could play a convincing Doctor Who, and to me, I always go back to the same answer; Morgan Freeman. He has that respectability and amazing voice that would work for me...

[Major Tyler]

Morgan Freeman would be a badass Doctor!

Isn't it a rule that he has to be British, though?

[The Signal]

Yes should there be a non-British doctor things would get ugly. Torches, pitchforks, that sort of thing

[Major Tyler]

Yes should there be a non-British doctor things would get ugly. Torches, pitchforks, that sort of thing

LOL, kind of like if Haley Joel Osment played Harry Potter...just wouldn't work.

[Major Tyler]

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm trying to understand the show. I've only seen two episodes so far, but they seem fun. I've seen the one where the R2-D2s kill a bunch of Americans in Utah, and the season (series?) one finale last night.

Why does the Tard ship look like a 1930s phone booth?

Is Earth always the setting for the show? Do we ever meet aliens other than the "EXTERMINATE!" ones?

Is Captain Jack American on the show (he sounds American)? Is he simply used as a device to ridicule Americans, or is he a substantive and valued character?

Thanks.

[Tracy Jane]

The TARDIS was "rescued" by the Doctor because it was an out of date model. That's why it's always breaking down, and it's camoflage function is totally broken, which is why it's stuck as a 1950s police phone box.

Earth is not the only setting, although there have been an awful lot of Earth based episodes this season. The latest episode, The Impossible Planet, was set on another world, and a couple of weeks ago, they were in an Alternate Universe. All these are explained because the TARDIS can travel through both time and space. The AU was an accident.

Edit: there is actually a kind of FAQ thread with links to wiki pages and so on. It's a sticky at the top of the page

[The Signal]

John Barrowman (Captain Jack) is English, but now lives in America (thaks for correcting me there Willow'sCat), as for his character, who knows, he is from the 51st century. His value on the show is so high,

Spoiler:

he will be the central character in a spin off series starting in the UK around this October

[Dr. Who]

Chuck Norris would make a bad ass Doctor.

[Jax]

First off, let me say that I truely enjoy the newest incarnation of Dr. Who that is playing on the Sci-fi channel. I love british humor and this is british humor with a scifi twist.

That said... can we honestly say that Dr. Who is the longest running sci-fi show in the world? I'm opening this thread so that other posters can either agree with me or can prove me wrong. Either way I would be delighted in learning other people's opinions.

Personally I don't know much about the series other than what they have shown on the Sci-fi channel. However from what I have read, and feel free to prove me wrong, but Dr. Who isn't exactly the longest running sci-fi show.

It's been canceled numerous of times to either be picked up by another network a few years later with completely different actors and actresses. Yes... they are supposedly the same characters but who can actually say they liked the second Darren from Bewitched.

It was just cancelled once, in 1989. This came after it was put head to head with the UK's most popular soap (that drew 11 million viewers at the time), was under advertised and had it's budget slashed. Consequently it fell out of the BARBS top 100 programmes, which the BBC had made a determined effort to dominate, ending with the BBC deciding to cancelled it.

The only official Doctor Who that wasn't done by the BBC was the Doctor Who TV movie, which was done by Fox.

With the Doctor being the only permenant character, they had to come up with a method of changing actors in a way that the audience would accept and thus the idea of regeneration was born. Without it, the show would have died way back in the 60's when Hartnell had to leave for health reasons. After that, other actors came and went when they felt like it. Though in Colin Baker's case, I think he was sacked. Unlike the Doctor, the companions were not permenant and sometimes left after only a few stories.

I can't... I have to consider it a different show or at least a different version of the same show. From what I have read... many times Dr. Who has only been on the air for a year then gets cancelled then gets picked up and stays on the year for 7 years, then gets cancelled again.

But can we consider it all the same show... it would be like saying that all the incarnations of Star Trek are the same show. They get cancelled and then picked up again. Many of the same actors have been in all of the different series...

So can we say that Star Trek has been on the air for 25+ years? I don't think many of you would agree to that...

I think only DS9 had actors from a previous series (TNG) as regulars.

But yes, I don't consider it a continous run since each are spinoffs. Just as I wouldn't consider K9 and company as being part of Doctor Who's run, or Shakedown for that matter.

Personally, I can't get my head around the 10 different actors all claiming to be the same person. If it were only once like the Darren situation on Bewitched or the Dr. Weir on Atlantis, I could live with it.

But the fact that they changed 10 different times and are constantly cancelled and then picked up later... it's a feat the the orginality of the show and the wide-spread appeal. No doubt about that... but there is no way I can consider it the longest-running sci-fi show in the world. So in my little warped and twisted mind I can to say that Stargate takes this honor home. And each Dr. Who incarnation has to be considered a different show each time...

Ace

Well I've already commented about the cancelled bit. As for each Doctor having to be consider a different show... nah not possible, since there is an overlap of actors in stories.

As for a female Doctor, no, not unless it's some sort of alternate universe story. This is simply because I don't like the idea of the possibility of a male Romana.

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm trying to understand the show. I've only seen two episodes so far, but they seem fun. I've seen the one where the R2-D2s kill a bunch of Americans in Utah, and the season (series?) one finale last night.

Why does the Tard ship look like a 1930s phone booth?

When the Doctor took it on an extended test drive, it was already an old and out moded time ship that was badly in need of some repairs. When the TARDIS landed in the 60's, it's chameleon circuit, which reshapes the exterior to fit in with it's surroundings, became stuck in the form of a Police Box. he's tried to fix it, but I don't really think he's bothered about it anymore.

Is Earth always the setting for the show? Do we ever meet aliens other than the "EXTERMINATE!" ones?

In the classic series we had alot of alien worlds. This recent series though is mostly relegated to the solar system, though the current series running in the UK has visited alien worlds.

As for aliens, yeah there are a few.

Is Captain Jack American on the show (he sounds American)? Is he simply used as a device to ridicule Americans, or is he a substantive and valued character?

Thanks.

The character may be american, but I have no idea since he comes from the 51st century. As for his value to the crew, he's far more useful then Rose in my opinion, actually helping the Doctor in repairs to the TARDIS. He's basically he's the shows man of action.