Today is March 26th 2005. Soon the time will be 2:01pm US EST time. That means that it’s 7:01pm in England, parts of anyway. And that means that Doctor Who fans, and hopefully non Who fans alike have just started watching the first episode of the new series.
“Rose” promises to be something spectacular in the Doctor Who world as well as the Sci Fi and Drama realm, or so says Russell T. Davies. But then I wouldn’t know. I’m in America, and the new series doesn’t even have an official TV station that will carry the show let alone a release date or time.
I have counted myself as a Doctor Who fan for many years now, and with the tease of a new series from the TV movie long gone, I felt that the New Series, starring Christopher Eccleston, was a reward to us fans. A reward for our support of the show throughout various means over the past 9 or 16 years, depending on how you look at it.
But do I, and many other American fans, get to feel the enjoyment of a job well done by watching the first new episode in 9 years? No. Will we? Who knows. Other countries have a chance, some even have a release date, but the US is at a stand still.
My personal feeling is that most of America saw the lack of success that the TV Movie had here and so with that in mind no one wants to give the new series a chance. That’s the way things work here. The powers that be don’t care about what people want, they just care about not “wasting their money” when that’s all they have the money for in the first place.
Tonight at 7pm US EST time I will most likely be disgusted by Reality TV, any one of the Cop Dramas that are all the same just with different actors, or some sort of Sitcom that uses the same jokes that every Sitcom known to man has ever used.
That’s the way American TV is today, it wasn’t always this way and if you look hard enough you can still find something good, but I myself never watch anything new regularly. Nothing seems worth it.
I thought Doctor Who would break the mold. I thought I could sit down and be entertained for an hour with something that was really worth the money spent on it, but no luck I’m afraid. So far the Sci Fi channel has passed on the new series, who will be next? Maybe it will make a triumphant return to Public TV where I, and most American fans, first discovered it. At least then it would be aired here.
As I continue to type this other people are getting to see the Doctor in action. They have heard the new theme song, met Rose, possibly seen the inside of the TARDIS, but most of all they are getting a taste of the new feel of the new series.
Some will love it, and some will hate it. Some will turn it off with out a thought of love or hate, and others will keep it on as background noise. Either choice those viewers have made, they still at least had the choice.
So again I, like may other fans around the world not living in the UK, sit here wondering what joys the new series will bring. We sit here with visions in our heads and jealousy in our hearts.
Soon “Rose” will be over and the Internet will a dangerous place for those of us not in the know. Not only is there nothing of interest on my TV screen, but now there is about half of my favorite websites that I will need to stay clear of.
Well, I hope all of you in the UK are enjoying the show and likewise I hope you all continue to watch, because as long as you do there is hope for a second series, and the more interest that is generated for the show means that one day I and many others, will also be able to join in on the fun.
Good luck to you Doctor Who and may you soon materialize on American TV screens.
Originally published March 26th 2005.