Dr. Who is on comeback trail
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- Publication: Bay Windows
- Date: 2003-11-20
- Author: J. S. Hall
- Page: 1
- Language: English
Brit creator of 'Queer as Folk' to oversee new episodes of sci-fi series
On November 23, 1963, the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, "Doctor Who" premiered on BBC Television in England. Originally designed as children's programming with an educational slant, "Doctor Who" stayed on the air until 1989, becoming the world's longest-running science fiction television series.
While it never featured openly gay characters (unlike the equally beloved "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), the show remains a firm favorite among "queer" science fiction fans.
Produced on an infamously low budget, "Doctor Who" has frequently been the butt of jokes by some science fiction fans, who judge the show by its low-tech special effects and occasionally unconvincing alien monsters. However, these budgetary constraints inspired writers and actors to concentrate on witty scripts and performances that entertained audiences of all ages. "What endears 'Doctor Who' to me is the wit the series of often exhibited," says gay fan John Dumas. "I can't tell you what was said in the last episode of 'Star Trek: Enterprise,' but I can quote 'Doctor Who' episodes I haven't seen in decades."
"I think it's untrue to suggest that 'Doctor Who' fandom is predominantly or heavily gay. It's not," declares prominent gay British fan Gary Russell. "But the gay fans are often the ones who get off their arses and become active in fandom, becoming a clear, central and influential clique. Gay fans often tend to be the more show-offy ones..."
At its most basic, the series follows the adventures of the Doctor - an eccentric, extremely intelligent and ethical alien from the planet Gallifrey - and his various human companions who accompany him on adventures throughout the cosmos. They travel in a craft called the TARDIS, which is much bigger on the inside than the outside, and has an outward appearance of a blue British Police Box (a once-common sight in 1960s England).
Insatiably curious, the Doctor is a renegade from his own people, the Time Lords, who long ago mastered time travel but maintain a policy of observation, not interference. Jim Smith, a gay fan from Worcester, identified with the Doctor's status as an outsider. "He didn't belong with all the humans, and he didn't fit in with Time Lords, and this was very appealing to a young gay man. The Doctor didn't belong, but made a great life for himself without worrying about what 'society' thought."
"Unlike any other hero in modern culture, the Doctor has no sex life," notes Gary Russell. "Being brought up on a diet of Captain Kirk, Napoleon Solo ["The Man from U.N.C.L.E."] and James Bond, I found the Doctor refreshing because as a child I wasn't ever made to feel inadequate by the fact that my hero was out screwing everyone and forcing me to question why I wasn't. Kirk would see a pretty girl, cue soft focus and soft porn! The Doctor never did that. You could focus on his adventures and say 'I want to be like him' rather than looking at Kirk and saying 'I want to be like him but he fancies Girl Of The Week and, well, I just don't, so there must be something wrong with me'."
Time Lords possess the unique ability of bodily regeneration; if one suffers an otherwise fatal injury or illness, his or her body renews itself on a cellular level, resulting in a new body and personality, but retaining the same intellect. To date, eight actors have portrayed the Doctor on television: William Hartnell (1963-1966), Patrick Troughton (1966-1969), Jon Pertwee (1970-1974), Tom Baker (1974-1981), Peter Davison (1981-1984), Colin Baker (1984-1986), Sylvester McCoy (1987-1989) and Paul McGann (1996) in a one-off special that unsuccessfully tried to revive the series. Richard E. Grant voices the Ninth Doctor in "Scream of the Shalka," an animated webcast currently being broadcast on the BBC Internet website http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/ in celebration of the show's fortieth anniversary.
From 1980 to its cancellation in 1989, "Doctor Who" was produced by John Nathan-Turner, a flamboyant showman whose homosexuality and longtime relationship with fellow crewmember Gary Downie was common knowledge. "I think it was known to everybody who worked on the series, worked in the press and worked in fandom that they were a couple," remembers Gary Russell. "It probably wasn't commented on because no one really cared a great deal." Nathan-Turner endured considerable flak from some fans who felt that his continued leadership was detrimental to the series. In fact, he later revealed, the show would've been cancelled by the BBC had he departed, as nobody else was willing to take responsibility for such a complicated show.
And while some might stereotypically expect a gay man to emphasize the "camp" aspects of a show like "Doctor Who," Nathan-Turner strove for greater realism within the show. "The only way his gayness affected the show was that he had a slightly broader mind when it came to the types of stories and casting he could do," opines Russell. While the casting of actresses like Beryl Reid, Joan Sims and Dolores Gray, and "light entertainment" figures like Nicholas Parsons, Ken Dodd and comedians Hale and Pace, raised the ire of some hardcore fans, they attracted higher ratings from general audience members, which was Nathan-Turner's ultimate aim. He maintained close ties with the "Doctor Who" community until his sudden death in May 2002 from liver failure at age 54.
While no openly gay characters appeared in "Doctor Who," the story "The Happiness Patrol" (1988) contains a considerable amount of subtext. The Doctor and his surly companion Ace arrive on the colony world Terra Alpha, and help overthrow the oppressive government of Helen A, who has decreed the execution of anyone publicly exhibiting anything other than happiness. A scathing critique of Margaret Thatcher's conservative reign of power, buried beneath layers of gaudiness and "Batman"-like kitsch, "The Happiness Patrol" begins with an entrapment scene that could have easily come out of any gay melodrama. Appropriately enough, a GLBT "Doctor Who" fanzine took "The Happiness Patrol" as its name.
After the show's cancellation, "Doctor Who" continued in print form in an ongoing series of novels printed by Virgin Publishing from 1990 to 1997, and by BBC Books from 1997 to the present. Many of these novels were written by "Doctor Who" fans. While some readers objected to excessive swearing in the books, few had problems with the introduction of gay and lesbian characters to several of the novels. Openly gay authors who have contributed to the Doctor's adventures in print include Craig Hinton, Mark Gatiss (creator of "The League of Gentlemen" comedy ensemble), Gary Russell, Matthew Jones, "Queer as Folk" creator Russell T. Davies, Paul Magrs, Sarah J. Groenewegen and Mark Michalowski.
Since 1999, the Doctor's adventures have also continued in audio dramas released by Big Finish Productions, with Gary Russell serving as artistic producer. Four of the five surviving actors who played the Doctor have reprised their roles, as have many actors who played companions.
This past October, the BBC made a surprise announcement that "Doctor Who" would return to its airwaves, and that Russell T. Davies would be heavily involved in its scripting and production. One of England's up-and-coming writer/producers, he created the original "Queer as Folk," which featured Vince Tyler, a gay diehard "Doctor Who" fan, as one of its main characters. Details about the comeback are still sketchy, but it will likely consist of twelve or thirteen 45-minute episodes. To date, no scripts have been written, no actors have been cast, and no sets have been built, but this surprising development will be followed closely by fans. Even the mainstream press heavily reported this announcement, with some of the British tabloids making snide connections between the series and Davies' past efforts. The BBC was quick to mention that the new show, like its predecessor, would be suitable for family viewing.
Not surprisingly, "Doctor Who" fans are awaiting official word with anticipation, hope and a tinge of dread. How will the new show turn out? Only time will tell...
Caption: BBC sci-fi series "Dr. Who," at 40, is a cult favorite among gay fans.
Caption: Low-tech special effects are part of the appeal for "Dr. Who" fans.
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- APA 6th ed.: Hall, J. S. (2003-11-20). Dr. Who is on comeback trail. Bay Windows p. 1.
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- Chicago 15th ed.: Hall, J. S.. "Dr. Who is on comeback trail." Bay Windows, edition, sec., 2003-11-20
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