MovieChat Forums > Doctor Who (1996) Discussion > For those confused by the new show

For those confused by the new show

posted 16 years ago by CountVladDracula
9 replies | jump to latest

Believe it or not I came across at least two Doctor Who fans this week who thought that the 2005 show was a remake of the original 1963 version and that there were no Doctors before the one that met Rose (The doctor's 9th life).

Some of us apparently didn't notice he had doodled pictures of his previous incarnations in the episode Human Nature, or that the 9th Doctor was amazed at his own big ears, or that the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) ran into Sarah Jane (who knew him from his 3rd and 4rth life) in the episode School Reunion. Somehow they missed these things. Or they missed that the title of The Doctor's song in Christmas Invasion was Song for 10 (his 10th life).

All right, I think I understand. It's because here in America Doctor Who airs on The Scifi Channel which happens to be airing a remake of the show Battlestar Galactic.

Doctor Who is not a remake, it's a continuation from where the old show and then the 1996 movie left off.

This explanation may contain spoilers.

The Doctor is an alien from the planet Gallifrey. He has thirteen lives. He doesn't age (at least not physically, as we humans do). He's over nine hundred years old. If fatally wounded though and his body 'dies' he undergoes something called regeneration. He takes on a new form. That's how the show has kept going since 1963. The Doctor of (2005 series 1) is his 9th incarnation. The show is very, very old. Exactly forty-four years old as of twelve hours ago, actually. The current Doctor (David Tennant) is his tenth life.

The 9th Doctor gave his life for his human companion, Rose (Billie Piper). Rose gazed into the heart of the TARDIS (The Doctor's living ship) in order to save The Doctor and pretty much became possessed by the soul of the TARDIS. It's thanks to the power given to her by this possession that Rose resurrected their friend, Jack from the dead, rendering him immortal (basis for the show Torchwood). The power was too much for her so The Doctor kissed her, taking the power into himself, sacrificing his 9th life for her. The current Doctor is his 10th life.

Doctors number 1 through 6 lived and died within the 1963 show until 1989.

In 1996 in the made for TV movie the 7th Doctor got shot and was accidentally killed on the operating table by incompetent surgeons who didn't realize he had two hearts.

The 8th Doctor (played by Paul McGann) more than likely was 'killed' (regenerated) during the Time War and became Doctor 9. The Time War is what killed The Doctor's people (though we learn the deranged Time Lord, The Master lived). The Time War also killed many of their enemy, The Daleks.

And 9 died saving Rose. Same man, different form.

If you missed the episode where the 9th Doctor regenerated it was Parting of Ways, the final episode of series (season) 2 of the revived show, or season thirty-something if you're counting from the original show. The 10th Doctor's first full episode was Christmas Invasion (first episode of season / series 3 of the revived show) though other than in the tail end of Parting of Ways, the 10th Doctor did first appear in the Children of Need special for 2005.

[–] WinstonWolf08 16 years ago

OMG, I almost forgot, 13 incarnations, um, I think our fair Doctor is running a bit short on lives (assuming that William Hartnell was the first) that only leaves him 3 more... Hopefully David Tennant stays on for a while!

To Do: Insert witty signature here

[–] CountVladDracula 16 years ago

Yes, the first Doctor we saw was the first of the show. David Tennent's Doctor is called the 10th one even on the soundtrack for the show. His song is Song for 10.

Someone suggested, and I really liked this theory, that the Time Lords gave everyone fighting in the war temporary unlimited regenerations. They were able to give The Master a whole new set of regenerations at one point. So The Doctor could easily go on indefinitely.

[–] stanleyhetz 12 years ago

Yes, the first Doctor we saw was the first of the show. David Tennent's Doctor is called the 10th one even on the soundtrack for the show. His song is Song for 10.

Someone suggested, and I really liked this theory, that the Time Lords gave everyone fighting in the war temporary unlimited regenerations. They were able to give The Master a whole new set of regenerations at one point. So The Doctor could easily go on indefinitely.

Since the Doctor is half human, maybe the amount of regenerations he has would be different.

[–] laurence01 12 years ago

Since the Doctor is half human, maybe the amount of regenerations he has would be different.

Your statement is EXTREMELY questionable to any fan of the TV show.

[–] laurence01 12 years ago

In addition I mean NU, or Classic.

[–] stanleyhetz 12 years ago

Your statement is EXTREMELY questionable to any fan of the TV show.

Really? Hmm. I'd sure like to see that episode of Doctor Who you've seen that explains how often a time lord who is half human can regenerate. I've only seen references to how many regenerations a regular time lord has. So please enlighten me as to which episode it was addressed in.

[–] laurence01 12 years ago

What I mean is that virtually no fan (or indeed the program itself) accepts the half human statement as canon, hence the fact that it has not been mentioned once either before, or after this TVM.

[–] stanleyhetz 12 years ago

What I mean is that virtually no fan (or indeed the program itself) accepts the half human statement as canon, hence the fact that it has not been mentioned once either before, or after this TVM.

Oh, okay. I misunderstood. The whole "half human" thing has never been addressed by the new show, and I know that it considers the Paul McGann version to be canon, so I would assume that story is also canon. I mean, there's nothing wrong with him being half human. If he came from Galifrey, and if that's where his father is from, it's possible he might not want to go around bragging about where his mother comes from. Especially if he's not proud of being half human. I know that in the old series he talked about not being an ordinary time lord. He never really went into detail about what he meant because the series was cancelled. Maybe that's what he meant.

[–] caressque 12 years ago

He's definitely not human. It's one of the things this movie did to try to reel in an audience and it didn't work, so that's probably why it's ignored.