The Therapeutic Qualities of Doctor Who

So, last weekend, in an effort to keep my cultural experiences broad, I attended the “Doctor Who Live” show at Wembley Arena. It was fun – a bit cheesy, and definitely kid-oriented, but even I got a little thrill when the Cybermen and Judoon came stomping past me! Actually, Keith and Angela gave me the ticket for my birthday, and to understand why, we need to rewind about 9 ½ months.

I’m actually one of those rare Americans who has been aware of “Doctor Who” for quite some time. When I was a kid, it aired on PBS in New York. But, I have to admit, I never watched it because (I’m about to insult an entire nation here) it looked like something a sci-fi geek filmed in his mother’s basement, using a Betamax. The grainy video and low-rent effects just did not appeal to me at all. When the rebooted series came to the States, I was living in Mexico and then, when I returned, it was airing on BBC America which Cablevision, in its “wisdom,” doesn’t carry. So, I was blissfully ignorant of the new “Doctor Who” series, until I came to England last New Year’s with Mom.

On this trip, we spent a fair amount of time relaxing in our room because Mom’s strength was failing (it turned out to be only about a month before she died). At Lainston House, in Hampshire, I watched a lot of “Best of the Noughties” shows that talked about the TV shows, celebrities, etc. that were popular over the last decade. At this time, too, the BBC was in the midst of its all-David Tennant blitz. Now, at the risk of being insulting again, I didn’t actually know who David Tennant was – except for this reaction upon seeing him on one of the many shows he appeared on that week: “Hey, that’s Barty Crouch, Jr!” Yes, the "Harry Potter" fan in me registered the face, but that was about it.

Of course, over the next few days, I couldn’t escape the stories on TV and in the papers, and so I became intrigued by this big finale episode of “Doctor Who” that everyone was talking about. It was so hyped that I actually considered watching it when we arrived in London on New Year’s Day, but it didn’t really make sense to watch the last episode without having seen any of the others! So, I watched Miss Marple instead (They Do it With Mirrors). When I got back to New York, I ordered the Series One DVD Box Set, with the plan to watch it over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, the next few weeks were the worst of my life, as has already been well-documented, so I never got around to watching that DVD set.

It’s funny what you’ll latch onto in moments of trauma; the strangest things become life rafts and get you safely through the rough waters. After the funeral, I lost myself for a bit in watching the Olympics. It was a little difficult because that was something Mom and I would have watched together, but it kept me distracted. Once the Olympics were over, though, I found myself in an odd place. I suddenly realized that I couldn’t bring myself to watch the regular prime-time shows that I had been watching with Mom just a couple of weeks before. It was our routine that we would watch TV together, as we enjoyed a lot of the same shows. She’d be in the recliner, with Cali next to her and Brooke on her lap, and I’d be on the bed. Sometimes we’d switch, if the dogs made her too uncomfortable. Now, the bed was gone, but the recliner was there, and Cali, Brooke and I would sit there to watch TV, and to try to feel closer to Mom. But, what would we watch?

That’s when I turned to the unopened DVD box set sitting on the shelf. It was something different, I reasoned, and something I had never seen with Mom, so maybe it would provide the distraction I needed. I started watching and was immediately drawn in. I’ll admit, with my pre-conceived notions about the old “Doctor Who,” I wasn’t expecting much, but I realized pretty quickly that the production values on this show were light years ahead of its predecessor. And I have to admit to some surprise (sorry!) at the depth of the show and the quality of the acting. It was a true drama that just happened to be Science Fiction. I liked it well enough to buy the Second Series Box Set by the time I was halfway through the first, and the remaining sets shortly thereafter. The second series was the first one with David Tennant, so I would now get some sense of what he had done that merited the media blitz and sense of national mourning I had seen when I was in London.

I was captivated. I already had a high opinion of the show, and they managed to raise the bar with the new series. The wit and charm that David Tennant brought to the role drew me in even more. I had my perfect escape. While watching the show, I could forget for a little while the otherwise unrelenting sadness. I could sit in the recliner in Mom’s room, Cali next to me and Brooke on my lap, and just enjoy something. I didn’t actually think I would ever enjoy anything again in those early days, but how could you not enjoy the adventure and humor, and drama of “Doctor Who”? Over the next few weeks, I spent my days dealing with the realities of the house and estate, and spent my evenings escaping into time and space. Even now, if I start feeling down, and start thinking too much about all the loss over the past few years, I can just pop in a favorite episode and escape for a while. It inevitably restores my good mood. Actually, if I really need a quick pick-me-up, all I need to watch is the 15-minute video clip of David Tennant and Julie Gardner getting a police escort to Blackpool. The unfeigned, child-like glee they express throughout makes me laugh every time!

It’s funny. If anyone had asked me how I thought I’d get through Mom’s death, I would have probably denied that it was even possible. I would certainly never have thought a British Science Fiction show would help me through the darkest hours. Now, I’m not turning all sci-fi geek. I mean, I’ve always liked sci-fi, and anyone who’s known me long enough knows how obsessed I was with “V” when I was a kid, but I’m not about to start attending conventions, wearing costumes, or buying sonic screwdrivers on Ebay. And, while I have continued to watch the show, it’s more a matter of habit now. Especially now that I’m living in the UK, where it’s still quite popular. But, for me, “Doctor Who” is a moment in time, something I discovered by chance, at the right time, and that filled a temporary need. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.