Graeme Burk - Who is the Doctor: The Unofficial Guide to Doctor Who: The New Series

We are here today because Doctor Who is the greatest show on television. We really mean this, by the way. Thats not hyperbole.

Doctor Who was already the worlds longest-running science-fiction series (26 seasons, from 1963 to 1989) before its relaunch in 2005. What took everyone by surprise was how big of a runaway hit Doctor Who became upon its return. It immediately became a top-rated series and made stars out of Billie Piper and David Tennant, and now Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. Its the hot new science-fiction series internationally, with its popularity ever increasing, especially in North America. It has spun off two series, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

What sets Doctor Who above every other show on television is that, unlike any series before or since, it can do anything. The titular character, the Doctor, is the last of the Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey. He travels through time and space in a time machine thats bigger on the inside than the outside. Along the way, he fights monsters wherever and whenever they may be. Doctor Who can not only go anywhere, it can tell any kind of story as a result in any genre, in any location, in any period.

This book is a co-authored affair, written by two people with very different experiences. Heres how we came to the world of Doctor Who.

Graeme Burk (GB): Ill never forget the first time I watched Doctor Who. It was May 1984. I was 14 years old, growing up in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, and I was sick. I was lying on the couch in our family room, wrapped in a blanket. My then eight-year-old sister was watching something probably Vegetable Soup on the Buffalo PBS station, WNED. She left the room partway through to do something else. Six oclock came, and with it Doctor Who. My best friend had been trying to get me to watch it for ages. Id like to say it was his interest that kept me from changing the channel; unfortunately, it was more likely down to a lack of energy from the flu. What I can say is that, 23 minutes and 53 seconds later, as the inevitable cliffhanger occurred, I desperately wanted to see what happened next as a set of robots dressed like giant Egyptian mummies advanced on the Doctor and his companion Sarah.

Over the years, my interest turned to mania as I collected, read and watched anything to do with Doctor Who. It continued during the roughly 15-year gap when it was off the air, during which time I authored a few Who short stories in BBC-published anthologies, helped organize Doctor Who conventions and wrote for and edited the Doctor Who fanzine Enlightenment for over a decade. The arrival of the New Series was one of the biggest things in my life: I proposed to Julie, whos now my wife, in 2005, but I still think of that year first and foremost as when Doctor Who came back.

Suffice it to say, I love Doctor Who. It has all the right ingredients for a great TV show. Theres a compelling central character who draws upon the best elements of the British: hes an eccentric, an amateur, a scientist, a wit, a bon vivant. Then theres the universe the show is set in: a dark sinister place where wit, brains and a bit of action can change things for the better. And best of all theres the approach of the program: everything is treated with utter seriousness and yet nothing is taken truly seriously. Throw in some of the funniest dialogue, some of the broadest and boldest acting, some of the most absurd ideas of any TV program ever, and add a dash of playing willy-nilly with other genres and stories and youve got something delicious that serves and satisfies millions.

Robert Smith? (RS?): I was six years old and my TV viewing schedule was already overbooked. My father had been a fan of actor William Hartnell and had watched Doctor Who back in the day. Hed tuned in to a rerun of the final episode of The Green Death for old times sake and I caught a glimpse of it. I knew I should go back to my bedroom, telling myself that I already had too many TV shows to watch and I couldnt possibly add another... but something kept drawing me back.

Hello. My names Robert and Im a Doctor Who fan.

Ive loved Doctor Who ever since. Growing up in Australia, an episode was shown on the national broadcaster every weeknight, so at times it was the most talked-about show in the playground. Later, I connected with Australian fandom and made friends I still keep in touch with today. When I moved across the world to Canada to embark on my Ph.D., I knew nobody, but Doctor Who was the best icebreaker you could possibly imagine. I connected with North American fans at monthly meetings and travelled to conventions, where Ive made some of the best friends Ive ever had.

My academic career forced me to move again and again. Each time, I had to start over in a new city where I knew almost no one. Doctor Who became the one constant in my life, a way to connect to like-minded people and a show that I found endlessly analyzable and enjoyable, even when it was off the air. Especially when it was off the air, because then it was ours. No one else cared, so we had to.

In 2005, the New Series appeared, and I was terribly afraid. What if it sucked? Or worse, what if it was a hit, but it wasnt for me? I anticipated a new audience for a new show: it might be for kids or supremely populist or it might be for the hardcore fan. Miraculously, the New Series was all of those things. And when I watched the opening minutes of the first episode, Rose, I fell in love all over again.

But thats another story. One that were about to tell you...

Who Is The Doctor is a celebration of the New Series of Doctor Who. Every episode in the New Series first six seasons is examined, analyzed and discussed in detail. We look at the great moments, the connections to Doctor Who lore, the story arcs, the relationships, the goofs, the accumulated trivia and much, much more.

We have tried to write a book for every type of fan. We hope theres something for fans who think they know everything about Doctor Who and for newbies who are just learning what its all about.

The 74 stories (including mini-episodes and the two animated episodes) that make up the first six seasons of the new Doctor Who each have a guide entry, which include the following categories:

The Big Idea A short plot synopsis.

Roots and References These are the sources that either influenced a story or are directly cited in a particular episode, whether literary, film, TV, music or pop culture references. We track them here.

Adventures in Time and Space Connections to the past episodes of Doctor Who, particularly the Classic Series.

The Story Arc Effect Each season has a story arc. Sometimes its explicitly signposted by an ongoing meme, like the words Bad Wolf; other times it involves character and plot details that resonate across the entire season. We track each seasons particular story arc, while including information about past or future ones as well, showing how a particular episode fits into the ongoing story.

Who is the Doctor? New information about the Doctor, including insight into his character.