Here At Last!
- Publication: Fine Tuning (Georgia)
- Date: Dec. 1983
- Author:
- Page: 6
- Language: English
He's a 750-year-old with two hearts and a body temperature of 60 degrees, attired in a mis-matched Victorian cricketing outfit or a frock-coat, fedora, and 15-foot knitted wool scarf. In a spaceship, the Tardis, that bears a remarkable resemblance to a police call box, he travels through space and time. He sorts out galactic crises and vanquishes monsters. But although he's a cosmic hero, he's not perfect.
He's DOCTOR WHO, and he's coming to GPTV this month. First there's a special as part of Jubilee 83 (Saturday, December 3, at 10:30 PM), and then the series settles in for weekly broadcasts on Saturday, December 31, with a program at 11:30 PM so you can ring in the New Year with the Doctor. (In January the regular time will be 10 PM.)
DOCTOR WHO is one of the BBC's best loved creations, and has been so for the last two decades. It's science fiction in which acting, plot, and character are just as important as dazzling special effects. As The Guardian puts it, "What makes it work above all is the way it fuses story, magic, and high technology."
The Doctor himself, despite his status as a Time Lord, is no bland and superpowered hunk. He's something a lot better — an unassuming, likable, and very resourceful chap you'd love to have as a friend. He's capable of pulling a boner, and when he does, he uses his problem-solving skills to get back on track.
Five actors have played Doctor Who over the years. The programs on GPTV will feature Tom Baker, whose Doctor has a wayward sophistication and a devil-may-care charm, and Peter Davison, who says his younger Doctor is characterized by "a sort of reckless innocence." Another of Davison's roles is that of Tristan in ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL.
Among those joining Doctor Who on the series are K-9, his computerized sidekick; a variety of female companions, from helpless screamers to independent Time Ladies; the dreaded Daleks, who resemble five-foot salt shakers on wheels; and some man-eating Krynoid vegetables. Of course there's the Tardis — really no more dependable than the average car on the road (and also out of warranty). Other important inanimates include Doctor Who's sonar screwdriver, used for getting into locked buildings while in the pursuit of evil and for dismantling enemy hardware. And then there's the Doctor's yo-yo. It's useful, he explains, for taking gravity readings.
Captions:
Tom Baker as Doctor Who, with the "Tardis" in the background.
Peter Davison is the fifth actor to play Doctor Who.
Some of the "natives" the Doctor encounters in his travels.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: (Dec. 1983). Here At Last!. Fine Tuning (Georgia) p. 6.
- MLA 7th ed.: "Here At Last!." Fine Tuning (Georgia) [add city] Dec. 1983, 6. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "Here At Last!." Fine Tuning (Georgia), edition, sec., Dec. 1983
- Turabian: "Here At Last!." Fine Tuning (Georgia), Dec. 1983, section, 6 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Here At Last! | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Here_At_Last! | work=Fine Tuning (Georgia) | pages=6 | date=Dec. 1983 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=20 November 2024 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Here At Last! | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Here_At_Last! | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=20 November 2024}}</ref>
