This post is pulling double duty as both a little celebration of the 45th Anniversary of Doctor Who - the first episode premiered November 23, 1963 - and my entry for Miss A's theOtaku Fan Challenge.
I don't think anyone would be surprised that the Doctor is my favorite fictional character. I've been a fan of the series since I was 4 years old; my earliest clear memory is watching the show late on a Saturday night while sitting in someone's lap (my dad, I think).
The question is, why do I like him so much? Why is he my one true hero?
Of course, there are several reasons.
First off, the fact that the show is British has a lot to do with it. There is something inherently quirky in all things English, they just invest things into their television that you don't have here in America and can't successfully replicate. It comes through not only in the storytelling and the characters, but also the look and feel of the show, from the Doctor's distinct outfits to the fact that he travels in a vast ship that, on the outside, looks like a mundane old metropolitan Police Box (something no one outside of the UK would even know about if it weren't for the show).
Next is the Doctor's personality. As with most American fans, my first exposure to the series was the Tom Baker era of the program. At the time, he was regarded as the iconic version of the character, with his quirky attitude, able to switch moods on a dime, scatterbrained wit, and his distinctive physical appearance - tall, a shock of curly hair, wide eyes, and that ever-present scarf that just went on forever. Watching a man like that run around saving the day certainly left an impression on me.
Later, when I discovered the rest of the show and the fact that the character can survive death and regenerate, a whole new world was opened up to me. This is another reason I like the Doctor; I don't know of any other series that can replace the actor playing the main character, and yet that character is still the same person. I love how the Doctor's core values remain the same, but they're augmented by each actor's performance, bringing something new to the portrayal, keeping it fresh and interesting every few years.
The Doctor is not really like any other hero that's ever been in the history of television. He abhors weapons, and prefers to use his intelligence and vast knowledge to outsmart his enemies. He's a science geek, and the ultimate bleeding heart, always believing that his people should have used their powers to help those in need. He carries the weight of the entire universe, past, present, and future on his shoulders. In the classic series, they rarely explore the Doctor's loneliness, but over the decades this has become a stronger defining trait of the show in general and the character in particular. Because he is over 900 years old, and now that he is the last of the Time Lords, he is a perpetual outsider. He may have companions who travel with him, but in the end he must leave them behind to spare himself the pain of watching them grow old and die while he continues on.
All I can say in the end is that I am eternally grateful to those who came up with Doctor Who, and those who have kept it alive over the years, who have been dedicated to bringing us the exploits of the finest hero in the history of the world.
Here's to 45 years, and to many, many more.
