Back on Gallifrey...

So I thought you readers might want to know a little more about us, the Lost Sons of Gallifrey. Let me tell you a little about myself; my thoughts, ideas, philosophies, and general information on Doctor Who.

This is Gallifrey. And that man is a Time Lord. They dress kinda funny. And cool.

Back on Gallifrey, they call me The Liberator. That's my Time Lord name. Want to know why? Because through my efforts to spread Doctor Who throughout this good country, I am in fact converting people and Liberating them from their previous Ignorance, that Ignorance being a lifestyle devoid of any Doctor Who whatsoever. But you can still call me Andrew. Or just Jazz Hands for short.


Would you care to know why we have three authors for this Blog? Besides that fact that Jeremy, Caleb, and myself are the triumvirate of Doctor Who at Timpview High School, it's so that there is variety in all our opinions and thoughts on Doctor Who. That way you can hear what each of us has to say, and then judge for yourself.

I was first introduced to Doctor Who by my colleague Jeremy Sherman. I watched the first episode of Season 1. It was so weird. Suffice it to say, I waited two weeks before I watched any more. Thankfully, it got better from there. Way better, if truth be told.

My philosophy concerning viewing Doctor Who is first and foremost that you just watch it, 'cause it's fantastic. But if you will go out on a limb with me, and take a leap of faith, then I suggest the following: watch Doctor Who from the beginning of Season 1 with the ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, and watch the rest in order from there. There. I said it. Many will argue with me that the first season is rather inferior compared to the rest, but I disagree. Sure, it's more cheesy and less sophisticated, but it's a crucial part of the series. I believe it's paramount to watch seasons 1-5 in order, not skipping any. You get the full story, you meet all the characters and all the aliens, even if it's aliens that you get sick of. It gives you the full Doctor Who experience. One little disclaimer, though: I am not in any way suggesting that you go all the way back to the 1960's and start from there. The "Season 1" I referred to actually came out in 2005. Start there. However, as I said before, if your style is more of a "pick and choose the best episodes" gig, then I can respect that. Whatever floats your boat. Or your TARDIS.

How to Start watching Doctor Who... a guide

This post is for all the people out there who catch sight of this blog, start reading it and then think "What on Earth?"

For those who know are familiar with the show, the pun was intended.

Doctor Who is a television series produced by BBC that has been running since the 60's, and it is a favorite of British audiences. Now, before you leap to the first episode, let me explain what we, the Lost Sons of Gallifrey, would deem the greatest show on earth, full of plenty of suspense, action, and humor that will leave you rolling with laughter.

This TV series follows the adventures of a time traveller named The Doctor. He's not really a doctor, it's more of his name/title. Hence.... Doctor Who? He travels the universe in his time machine, the TARDIS, or Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space. This time machine, from the outside, has the appearance of a British Police Public Call Box, or a blue phone box. However, as the Doctor loves to hear, it's much bigger on the inside. The Doctor is part of an alien species called the Time Lords. Now, don't immediately start thinking green skin with antennae. Time Lords are human in appearance. As the title suggests, they were masters of time travel. However, the Doctor is the last of his species. As you can presume, he gets rather lonely at times. So, in his travels across the universe, he takes a companion with him to show them the wonders of time and space. Of course, they get more than just a free tour of alien planets and all time periods of humanity; they get a fair amount of saving the world/universe constantly.

As an alien, the Doctor has a few abilities not shared with his companions. He has two hearts, has a second respiratory outlet (good luck strangling him), and can absorb small doses of radiation without withering into dust. But the most important attribute is his ability to regenerate 12 times- how else are you going to keep a series running for over 50 years with the same character? So, when dying, a Time Lord can physically alter their entire body. The results can be surprising and it's always funny watching them try out their new face. To this day, he has not been a redhead, or "ginger" as he likes to call it, much to his disappointment. His personality changes a bit as well - he's quite literally a new man, and thus each Doctor offers their own fun quirks to the show. His changing-of-form, called "regeneration," is also a way to switch up the actors that play the Doctor. There have been 11 Doctors to date, with Matt Smith as the eleventh and current Doctor.

So there's Doctor Who in a nutshell. You have the background, now you have to test the waters before any judgements are made. After much deliberation, we have decided that the best episode for beginners to watch is in the third season, namely episode 11- Blink. This episode has a great deal of suspense, adds interesting elements to time travel and has it's own arsenal of quotable moments, including timey-wimey detectors blowing up hens. It's available on Netflix Instant Queue. 

Enjoy!

Intro

The Doctor - some fear him, others revere him. His character is complex, yet at the same time easy to comprehend. A lonely god wandering from world to world, protecting all he can. He is woven throughout history, from the fires of Pompeii to the sinking of the Titanic. He is the last of a race known as the Time-Lords, native to the planet Gallifrey, a civilization that watched over the universe and upheld the laws of time. Sadly, this Doctor and his many accomplishments and successes go largely unnoticed by American audiences.

We are The Lost Sons of Gallifrey. Our mission? To tell the world of this saint, this physician, this Time-Lord, this "Doctor." You may come to fear him, idolize him, possibly even hate him; through and through, however, you will come to respect him.

Stay tuned for our upcoming review of the newest Doctor Who Christmas Special, entitled "A Christmas Carol." The trailer for this Christmas Special can be watched on Youtube here. Also, here are some pictures to whet your appetites and get you excited for "A Christmas Carol."