Over the past several years there has been a rise in prominence of the “Geek Culture.” What was once reason to be ridiculed by your classmates has steadily become the fun and acceptable thing. The kids that would have given you wedgies and swirlies in school for watching cartoons, reading sci-fi books or liking Star Wars are the same people who are now making just as much noise during a comic book movie as you are. Still though there are certain aspects of the culture that, while to us are huge deals, nobody outside of geeks seems to know about it. Enter my experience with Doctor Who. I’ve always known what Doctor Who was basically about but for some reason the urge to watch had never been there for me. I just couldn’t get excited about the idea, which is strange since I adore anything to do with time travel. So sometime last year Netflix Instant added the good Doctor and I decided it was time to sit down and watch!
Several months later after one failed attempt to start where I fell asleep after 20 minutes of the first series, I decided it was time to try again. After just finishing the third season today, going through two Doctors and two companions (I don’t count Donna yet, since so far she’s only been in one episode), I can honestly say I’ve become hooked. I can’t say why as a guy who tries to get all his “regular” friends into geeky, sci-fi shows I didn’t start sooner. Maybe it was lack of availability in the US? I don’t have BBC America so I couldn’t watch it on TV nor did I want to shell out the cash for DVDs or ITunes if I wasn’t going to like it. I have to admit it was the wit and humor that really brought me into the show at first and the fact that I have a huge crush now on Billie Piper who plays Rose.
But what kept me watching? Without realizing it I was becoming attached to the characters and was starting to really care about what was happening to them. Christopher Eccleston, who plays the 9th incarnation of the Doctor but the 1st since the series relaunched, was goofy but charming and you begin to root for him as he begins to form a real relationship with Rose. The hardest part for me once I got into the show was accepting David Tennant as the next Doctor. I was so hesitant to start the show that once I had, I didn’t want another Doctor but
So with all that in mind I wondered, if it took that much time and effort for me as a self-proclaimed geek to try watching a show then why am I so shocked that other people don’t watch these shows either? Watching Doctor Who has reinforced in my head that things that are different than what we are used to can be strange and unusual when deep down they really aren’t. Maybe it’s that fact that we need to get over so one day geek and non-geek alike will realize that we’d all be better off with an occasional visit with The Doctor.