British science-fiction series Doctor Who will soon celebrate its 60th anniversary. This moment, a gateway to a new chapter in the show’s staggeringly long history, will begin with three special episodes–The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, and The Giggle (trust me, it’ll be cooler than it sounds). In the UK, these will drop on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on November 25, December 2, and December 9, respectively. However, after so long being a cult hit to American audiences, Doctor Who will also be coming to the Disney+ streaming service with the 60th Anniversary specials, opening the TARDIS door to a wider audience than ever. My hope is that members of the Niles North community will be in the crowd.
But First, Some Context
Doctor Who centers on the Doctor (just “the Doctor”), the alien pilot of the TARDIS–a phone-booth-like box that is (as many characters throughout the show’s history have marveled) “bigger on the inside!” The TARDIS is both spaceship and time machine, bringing the Doctor, and a revolving door of sidekicks they pick up along the way, all over history and the universe. They right wrongs, save planets, and battle a host of creative alien monsters–from killer shadows, to marauding plastic mannequins, to, and this is true, evil water.
Importantly, if mortally wounded, the Doctor has the unique ability to “regenerate”–keeping their old memories, but having their body and personality change to become a new version of themself. Each individual version is identified numerically–the First Doctor, the Second Doctor and so on.
This Looks Familiar…
Much of American science fiction serves as a vessel for wider questions about themes like what it means to be human, or how much we’re allowed to compromise some principles to uphold others. Doctor Who also wrestles with existential and ethical conflicts, like the rights of artificial humans or the ethics of committing dual genocide to end a war. This approach is bound to continue with the 60th Anniversary specials, and those who like their sci-fi with a side of philosophy will find a feast in DW. “For me,” the English Department’s James Haberl says of Doctor Who, “it’s really about its kind of moral questioning … .I really enjoy ethical problems–I think it’s really fun to think about and wrestle with. And I think that is sort of the basis of Doctor Who, is thinking about, what’s right? What’s wrong?… How should we treat others? I think those are really beautiful big questions that are fun to do in a kind of science-fictional universe, but are very applicable to our daily lives”. — James Haberl
The Old and the New
Former Tenth Doctor actor David Tennant is due to return as the Fourteenth Doctor, the first time the same actor has played two different Doctors. “I’m really excited about..the return of my favorite Doctor, which is David Tennant,” says Mr. Haberl. “I really like him a lot, and he just hits all the right notes for me, so I’m very excited about him coming back”. Also returning is an ex-companion of the Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). The specials will see Donna pair with a version of the Doctor that both is and is not the one she knew, much to the delight of Mr. Haberl. “Here’s this woman who thought nothing of herself, did great things to help save the world…and has to go back to feeling bad about herself. That was always just crushing,” Mr. Haberl told me, “so I’m really happy that it seems like she’s going to get a better end”. Meanwhile, Doctor Who widens its circle with a new influx of American talent–Jinkx Monsoon, Jonathan Groff, and even Neil Patrick Harris have parts in the specials lined up. But especially noteworthy is Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, Barbie), who by the specials’ end will take over from David Tennant as the Fifteenth, and first-ever Black, Doctor.
In Summary
The 60th Anniversary Specials will witness the birth of a new epoch for Doctor Who as David Tennant and Catherine Tate lead into the Fifteenth Doctor’s adventures. And with the series coming to America by way of Disney+, and the first-ever Black Doctor opening the door a crack to make the TARDIS home for non-white people–hopefully making Doctor Who more relatable to many Niles North students–I can’t help but feel that the 60th Anniversary Specials are the perfect entry point to the show for fans both current and prospective at District 219. I know that the show might not stick the landing on every part of its narrative, but with established talent both old and new on hand, I can’t help but be optimistic about what the specials will bring. And so, as this new era of Doctor Who prepares for launch, I cordially invite my fellow students and faculty at Niles North, whatever level of prior experience they have with the show, to come help me cheer it on.
