perl@rdin.UUCP (Robert Perlberg) (09/28/83)
who is the doctor Condensed from an article in Marvel comics by Mary Jo Duffy For the past two years or so, American audiences have delighted to the antics and adventures of a Time Lord, a cosmic wanderer who travels through time and space. Armed with his sonic screwdriver, an I.Q. well above the genius level, and an endless supply of jelly babies and tinkered together oddments, he manages to dispatch an endless stream of deadly and fantastical foes with absent-minded efficiency. He is The Doctor. Doctor Who has been a top-rated science fiction and fantasy show in Great Britain since its debut in 1963. Although it was originally conceived as a program for children, and is still produced with the clarity and imagination guaranteed to attract the interest of younger viewers, the wit, enthusiasm, and overall high quality of the programs have consistently drawn a large number of older viewers as well. Recently it was estimated that as many as 60% of the Doctor's audience are adults. When the Doctor first appeared, very little was known about him except that he lived and voyaged in the TARDIS, a cabinet that can journey across time and space. The name TARDIS is an acronym for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. ... TARDISes are supposed to be chameleonlike, changing appearance to fit into any surroundings. This one, however, got stuck in the first form it adopted. While it fits in fine with a 20th century London setting, it tends to look a little strange resting on alien soil or whirling through the vastness of space. ... What we do know about the Doctor is as follows: He is a Time Lord ... a member of the ruling class of the planet Galifrey, who ran off in a stolen, slightly out-of-whack TARDIS because he was bored stiff on his peaceful, civilized, and highly advanced home planet. ... the ability to physically metamorphose into a new body when in danger of death from fatigue, illness, or injury, enable Time Lords to live indefinitely, barring accidents or foul play. At present, the Doctor is roughly 750 years old. The doctor's ability to transform himself, coupled with the public's insatiable demand for more of their hero's adventures despite the passage of time and the fact that actors do, eventually, tire of even the most interesting roles and want to move on, have led to four different incarnations for the Doctor. ... (While the last of the Jon Pertwee episodes have been shown in some states, it's only the first two seasons of the Tom Baker episodes that most Americans have seen.) In his latest incarnation, the Doctor is rather a synthesis of all his previous selves. He's still brilliant, inquiring, altruistic, and eccentric, but he's sometimes a bit absent-minded as well. ... ---------- There's much more of this very interesting article which gives information about all of the Doctor's incarnations as well as the main story lines of how he changed from one to another and how he came to be where he is at present. I would gladly send you a copy of this article if you would send a stamped self addressed envelope to: Robert Perlberg Suite 2500 150 East 58th Street New York, NY 10155 Robert Perlberg Resource Dynamics Inc. New York philabs!rdin!perl