We're all Stories in the End...60 Years of Doctor Who
- Ella Peebles
- Nov 23, 2023
- 7 min read
Doctor Who. A show full of aliens, new planets, and a thousand-year-old time lord travelling through time and space having adventures...adventures that, more often than not, lead to trouble. Beginning in 1963, Doctor Who has touched the hearts of people from all over the world, but has made a particularly strong impression on British culture. You're unlikely to come across someone in the UK who hasn't heard of the show. It's ubiquitous.
Understandably, for a show so popular, much research has been done into its origins, storytelling, actors and timeless nature. It is loved by people of all ages, genders, and personalities. Everyone who enjoys the show will have their own reasons for doing so, as I have found that it makes a very unique impression on me. In this blog post, I would like to explore my own experiences with the show, what it means to me, and most importantly, why it's had such a lasting and distinctive impact on my identity.
I first started watching Doctor Who when I was seven years old, and the very first episode I tuned into was 'The Eleventh Hour,' with Matt Smith's debut as the 11th Doctor, and the start of showrunner, Steven Moffat's, era. From what I can remember, Doctor Who made a huge impression on me at that age. I was absolutely hooked. It just so happened that on the 3rd April 2010, my parents turned the television onto BBC One, and my love for the show was born. Throughout the series, I would sit and watch every Saturday night, so invested in the characters, the storyline; everything that was on screen. I'd never been so struck by any televisual story before this, and I doubt I ever will be again. 'The Eleventh Hour,' will always have a special place in my heart, just as Matt Smith's Doctor has, for being my first experience and introduction to the show. Some may even call it traitorous that I consider Peter Capaldi to be my favourite doctor, despite seeing Matt Smith first! I remember seeing Amelia Pond as a child in the episode, also seven years old, and loving her sense of adventure, and curiosity, as her life gets turned upside down by this incredible man, who is "just a traveller," - The Doctor, (11,1) but makes a difference, not just on Earth, but in planets and civilisations across the universe. I looked up to him. I wanted to be like him. The kindness and disposition that he radiated was so infecting and influential, and it's something that, to this day, I still champion the show for. As a young child, your imagination is endless, and I often spent time during my early years at primary school recreating plots from the show in my childhood playground games, involving my friends, and even others, some often thinking I was completely and utterly absorbed in my own fantasy world; which I was. The sense of escapism that I had been opened to never left me, and I only have Doctor Who to thank for that.
From that moment on, I collected books, DVD's, watched interviews, theories, re-watched episodes. I watched Doctor Who wherever and whenever I needed to, because I knew it was always there. It became a sort of comfort blanket as the years went on; somewhere I knew I could escape to if things got tough in the real world. I had this one particular book, the annual for 2010, that I analysed over and over again, drawing and writing notes, coming up with my own ideas; totally absorbed. I still have the book (despite the fact that it's practically falling apart) and it's so uplifting to know that a part of my childhood will always live on through it. In fact, I have about half a cupbaord's worth of books and artefacts! My Dad watched Doctor Who when he was younger, specifically around Tom Baker's era, but it never touched him in the same way it did me. I think that's the best way I could describe the show. It's more of a feeling. If you don't have that feeling, you don't understand. It's something, inevitably, linked to our culture, but like with any show, it will go completely unnoticed by some. Unbelievably, it was only early 2015 when I discovered Russell T.Davies' era, including Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant as Doctor's 9 and 10, respectively. By this time, I was 12, and I couldn't imagine that the show would ever truly surprise me again. Of course, I was wrong. I was aware that there had been previous doctors, but I don't think even I realised the scale of it all, even after 5 years of being an avid fan. It was almost as if someone was waiting for the right moment to introduce me to even more adventures, and so I watched Series 1 to 4, and perhaps fell in love with the show even more than before. I got to experience new characters in the form of Rose, Martha and Donna, to name just a few, and explored the stories of other characters like Captain Jack. It opened up a new world to me, but one which was crucially, still the Doctor Who that I had known and loved for so many years.
In 2015, I was preparing for my scoliosis surgery, and Doctor Who was there for me like nothing else could have been. The night before, I watched a Matt Smith episode. I was undoubtedly fearful, and I have always trusted the show to calm me down when I'm at the height of anxiety, and so it did. I suppose you could even label it some sort of catharsis. The chaotic energy of the show releases something in me. Even in 2017, when I was 14 years old, I spent the day after Missy's demise in some sort of emotional hiatus, consumed by the events of the show, almost as if they were real (I also blame the stress of mock exams for this, but nonetheless, I don't think I can downplay the importance of the show in my life!) Despite what you might label 'emotional turmoil,' the show, as I've said, is a constant in my life. Only a couple of years ago, following the death of my cat, Rowan, and difficulties fitting into life at college, I decided to rewatch Doctor Who again, which led up to the first national lockdown, and was exactly the sort of therapy I needed. You won't be surprised to know that there are parts of some episodes that I know word for word. The scripts over the years have been some of the highlights for me. Some of the messages for life that we receive are applicable to anyone, anywhere in the world, with one of my favourites being... "we all change, when you think about it. We're all different people, all throughout our lives. And that's okay. That's good. You've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be." - The Doctor, Time of the Doctor. Such a simple message, one incorporating themes of self-acceptance, resilience, remembrance and identity; Doctor Who does it effortlessly. It starts to become an expectation from viewers, and maybe that's why some people love it so much. It's reassurance. A reassurance that all these things are universal.
When I sat down to write this, next to me, I had a long list of reasons why Doctor Who has, and always will, mean so much to me. It varied from things I've already mentioned, such as escapism, relatability, nostalgia, to other, more personal things, such as my own identity, and how it's actually made me who I am today. In one of Capaldi's most famous speeches as the 12th Doctor, he declares that he does what he does "because it's right. Because it's decent. And above all, it's kind. It's just that. Just...kind." (The Doctor Falls, 10, 12) A lesson we can perhaps all learn to uphold. The show also plays a huge part in championing social and cultural diversity, and the face of humanity when disaster strikes. How do we respond to these disasters? Why do we do this? What impact does it have? Doctor Who likes to focus on this impact, and despite it being mostly suitable for children, there can be much darker elements to the show. The nature of morality, difficult decision-making and suffering. It covers all this and more. And I think what makes it so special, is the main character isn't even human. The Doctor is an immortal Time Lord from Gallifrey, and yet, they can appear more human than the rest of humanity at times.
If there was one word I would use to describe Doctor Who, it would be 'change.' Change and renewal. One of the reasons it's managed to stay on our screens for so long is because of change. Regeneration. Change leads to growth. Growth leads to progression. Progression culminates in a show which will forever have a place in TV history, whilst developing as time moves on. I have a lot to thank it for. There are days where I wish I was still a carefree seven-year-old, ignorant of many of life's troubles, but I know Doctor Who will always be there to push the boundaries, to make me think, to keep us all thinking, and, most importantly, keep me believing.
Happy 60th Birthday Doctor Who - thank you, for everything.
“This is one corner… of one country, in one continent, on one planet that’s a corner of a galaxy, that’s a corner of a universe, that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond. And there is so much, so much to see.”
— The Doctor, The Power of Three, (7, 4)
Below are some of the tribute videos I've edited for the show, along with my most recent, which has been uploaded today.
Doctor Who Video to the song 'Spanish Sahara - Instrumental Version' by Foals (Made in 2023)
Doctor Who Video to the song 'Explosions' by Ellie Goulding (Made in 2015)
Doctor Who Video to the song 'Mars' by Sleeping at Last (Made in 2020)
Doctor Who Video to the song 'Set Fire to the Rain' by Adele (Made in 2021)
Some of my fondest memories were when I’d visit you every single day after school while you were recovering from your operation and we’d watched Doctor Who. I’d watched some episodes before, especially the Christmas specials, but binge watching the series with you truly made an impact on me. Now here I am, 8 years later contacting work to make sure I’m not working during the first episodes which David Tennant returns. Thank you. I can’t wait to spam you while watching it 😂