I say out of bounds, not entirely sure if that is the right word to use, to simply say that this is a television show review.
Part of the BBC’s work placement form requires a review of one of their features, and if you didn’t know, I am a big Whovian – so without further ado, I present, my review:
Some say it’s low budget and corny.
Some say it’s pure genius.
And no, I am not introducing ‘the Stig’ but his telegenic cousin, the eponymous Doctor Who.
As a great appreciator of teleplays, I salivate at the stealth with which the Doctor Who writing team seamlessly weaves storylines that span across entire seasons and doctors.
Others are distracted completely by the quirkiness of the Doctor himself, picking up on slap stick comedy elements in his obvious use of humour that, mix well with the seemingly low budget aesthetic. But what they miss is the genius of this.
Slapstick may just be older than Doctor Who itself, it has survived generations and it has transcended cultures.
It is the Slapstick elements and Hollywood Sci-fi concept that can draw an audience in at any time. They may complain about the budget of the show, yet for some reason they can’t look away.
The comedy of this hybrid genre allows those who do not follow the show religiously to appreciate the doctor, if only just for one episode.
The moments they miss; the dark hours of the doctor, the subdued longing he has for a place to call home, is what sets the show apart from others. Surely, a high budget show with fancy action sequences would draw away from these integral moments? The BBC is not about that, the BBC is about plot.
Doctor who is the only sci-fi show to have an alien time traveller to be so stereotypically British and own it.
To a national audience, the Doctor travels through space yet still captivates a British audience with his relatable tendencies.
‘Tea…and leave the bag in’.
The doctor is so quirky that all you can do is smile and nod, and go with the programme.
Much like the trans-national virility of ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’, the global audience rejoices over ‘tea…and leave the bag in’, It is so stereotypically British.
It is so regal and aristocratic.
It is the BBC and it’s elegance.
The Critique Encyclopedia 