The New Who

The Sci-Fi channel finally picked up Doctor Who and I have now had the chance to watch the first five episodes of these new adventures. When I first heard about the new series, I was both excited and nervous. Growing up with the original (on my local PBS station), Doctor Who helped define creative and entertaining story-telling during my childhood. For a series that ran for 26 years, it was almost inconceivable that the adventures would come to an end. But television changed and the long-standing format lost its appeal to mainstream audiences.

However, the turn of the millennium has brought with it nostalgia for old serials and Doctor Who is no exception. The new version has an updated look and feel, a more edgy and trendy Doctor, and special effects that can finally measure up the the grandeur of its story-telling ideas. So how does the New Who compare with the old? Could the re-imagined Doctor stand up to the idealized memory of my childhood adventures? Nervously I watched and my verdict is a mixed one. I do like the new look of the series. The casting is great with Eccleston and Piper in the roles of Doctor and companion. And the supporting cast is equally talented playing their parts with as much conviction as any fan could hope to see.

However, there is something missing from the new series. Something that was lost in the new translation. Perhaps it is the shortened hour-long format. The old series could tell an intricate story that often spanned two hours, while the new one only has fifty minutes to weave its tale. But other one hour shows manage to spin an intricate web of storytelling in as little time. In fact, I think the shortened format is probably better for the shows future than the old format.

I do think there is a problem with the pacing. Often times the episodes feel very frenetic . As if the story is impatient to tell itself. It seams like the mythology isn't giving itself enough time to gather any momentum before the problems are resolved. Consequently, the show loses a great deal of the gravity that it should deliver. The jeopardy is often overcome before we have time to understand the very danger itself. This is many times the case because the solution to the problem is a "magic-talisman" quick fix. Take the anti-plastic solution from episode one or the vinegar poison from the shows first two-part adventure.

Additionally, I have yet to see an episode where Rose is taken to another world. I understand that the focus of the series is on strictly earth bound adventures but I do believe you lose a very interesting element when you limit the stories in such a way.

But I'll not condemn the show just yet. It isn't fair to judge an entire series based on its first five episodes. If I did that I would have never given Farscape a chance (one of the best sci-fi productions in the last twenty years). No, I'll continue watching. I am looking forward to the first Dalek story. More to come...