Americans, how popular is Doctor Who in America?

[Cutter John]

I've always hung with a pretty geeky crowd, so I can name six people offhand who've been and still are fans of the show.

 

[The]

Just look at the detective genre for examples of characters whose "offensive weapon" is his mind. Monk, for example. That show went on for years and the main character was allergic to guns. I don't watch shows like The Mentalist, Lie to Me or Psych, but I get the strong sense that the point is that the characters can solve problems without guns.

Doctor and lawyer shows are wildly popular, and those characters have to triumph based chiefly on their intelligence and skills. Doctor Who could be presented as one of those types of characters, with a particular skill set that the audience can relate to. That's all that's required - the idea that it has to involve guns or even fighting is absurd. How do all those sitcoms survive? I don't recall Tina Fey packin' heat.

None of the shows you cited have death-machines with laser beams bearing down on them. Their real-life-drama tone and style is why it works. Doctor Who is science fiction and adventure. If an alien attacks Tina Fey, then it's a comedy. If an alien attacks a time-traveling adventurer on prime-time U.S. channels, then he had better be packing something to kill said alien. The question will come up, and like mentioned previously by Cyke, some will 'get it', while a mass would turn off.

I think the main hold-up to Doctor Who in America would be the tone. If he starts talking about culturally specific things Americans don't understand, they'll get bored and change the channel. Also, the way the show is pitched at both adults and children is a problem, since in America, shows are micro-targetted for audiences, according to demographics and interests - it's gotta be for adults or for children, but don't try to be both.

Unless Americans think, "this show is precisely for me," they'll change the channel. 500 channels of micro-targetted shows have trained Americans to have extremely itchy channel zapper fingers. That's why foreign shows don't work well on American TV - they haven't been targetted to their audience, and will be crushed by competing shows which have been targetted within an inch of their lives.

Doctor Who is culturally specific. It would have to be changed so utterly for the American market, it would no longer fit its original definition. It might be interesting as an experiment to see what would happen if you aired it on CBS at 8pm Wed, but I'm 99.9% certain the result would be ratings carnage.

A better idea (assuming that CBS is interested in sci fi at all, which it isn't) would be to create a new show from the ground up, precisely targetted at their audience. All shows that want to survive have to be tailor-made that way. And even then, 2/3rds of them are cancelled the first season. A show that isn't targetted doesn't have a prayer of survival in such a competitive field.

Exactly. If it's not written or geared towards American's expectations (guns, fighting, romance, etc.), then it won't work here. I wish it were otherwise, myself...

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I still strongly disagree with your broad painting of American cultural views when it comes to entertainment. I don't really think they're based on much (certainly, in my experience as an American, they strike me as non-factors).

 

[The]

That's cool, I'm not trying to sway you really. I'm just going on historical facts. Like I said in a previous post, depends on the current pop-culture climate. Might be more of an open mind towards science fiction heroes on prime time television, I don't know. And since there aren't any, it's really hard to make an accurate judgment either way...

 

[1001001]

I watched a few episodes of the original series when I was young, but just couldn't get into it. It was way too cheesy.

I started again with the new series, and absolutely love it. I've seen every episode.

But, I don't know any other person who watches it, so...

I guess none of that is really helpful, but there you go.

 

[Cyke101]

That's cool, I'm not trying to sway you really. I'm just going on historical facts. Like I said in a previous post, depends on the current pop-culture climate. Might be more of an open mind towards science fiction heroes on prime time television, I don't know. And since there aren't any, it's really hard to make an accurate judgment either way...

As you mentioned before, I think there would be a certain kind of expectation on the viewer's part in order to accept a non-action hero. However, when I think of American examples, like Psych and Chuck (why didn't I think of that earlier?!), the heroes of those shows bring a certain quirkiness that quickly makes them appealing. Certainly the Doctor is one of the quirkiest heroes around, so even if America isn't quite there yet in accepting such a hero, I'd say we're not that far off, either.

 

[The]

Oh yeah, absolutely. Times definitely change, and I never thought I'd see Who so prevalent in modern UK, much less the notice it has begun to get over here in the geek community. There is nothing more I would love than to have, say, NBC air Rose on a Friday night in prime time...and have it be a smash hit!

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

BTW, somebody mentioned PBS. Certainly, they show a couple of notable comedies from the UK, but PBS isn't really mainstream (compared to the main networks or to even significant cable networks).

I miss the days when PBS used to show good British comedies like Coupling & Red Dwarf. Now, we're merely bombarded with all of the crappy sitcoms about old people that the UK should really be apologizing for, like As Time Goes By, Keeping Up Appearances, Last of the Summer Wine, & Waiting for God.

Not at all, but it doesn't help that most people don't get BBC America... like me.

Agreed. I only know one pair of people who get BBC America. Every Saturday, about 7 of us all go over to their house for the new Doctor Who episode. (Or at least we used to. Now that the season is over, we're not quite sure what to do.) And the only reason why they got it was because of some weird fluke that allowed them to incorporate it into their cable package for free in exchange for dumping a bunch of gardening channels that they never watch anyway. Most people aren't so lucky.

Why isn't the show on the Sci-Fi channel anymore? That network gets a lot more exposure.

IIRC, the reason why it's not on a more prominent network is because the BBC wanted to much money. They asked American networks to pay millions for a show that said American network would have zero creative control over.

As I recall, Fox Mulder repeatedly got the snot kicked out of him by the baddies in X-Files, yet that was a reasonably popular show on Fox. Mulder was about a pretty un-macho hero.

From what I've seen of Red Shoe Diaries and Californication, I'm pretty sure Mulder is a lover, not a fighter

From what the tabloids have told us, that's true to a fault! (Even years before the sex addiction scandal, David Duchovney was on an episode of Frasier. He called Frasier's radio show to complain that he was having sex too much. How prescient.)

You'd have to narrow yourself down to considering mainstream TV to be only the major networks excluding PBS. Even then, NBC aired Merlin not too long ago.

And IIRC, no one watched Merlin when it was on NBC.

Borgified Corpse, FYI every Best Buy in town as well as Fry's Electronics carries Doctor Who DVDs. I've never seen them at Target or Wal-Mart though, but really, why would any sane person buy their DVDs from there anyway?

When Target has something, it's almost always cheaper than at Best Buy. But my point is to use these stores as a guage for mainstream popularity. Best Buy & Fry's Electronics, as electronics stores, have large DVD sections with a wide range of content (although not as wide as, say, Barnes & Noble). OTOH, Target & Wal-Mart have much smaller DVD areas and tend to only carry the most prominent new releases & mainstream American fare. Anything remotely specialized will generally drive you to someplace else. (Although, for a while, Target carried the new BBC version of Hamlet with David Tennant & Patrick Stewart.)

If guns are the answer to making Doctor Who popular in the U.S., why not just go back to having the Doctor serve as UNIT's scientific advisor? Furthermore, if guns are the answer, then why is Tom Baker the most well-known Doctor here whereas the BBC had an impossible time selling PBS on the Jon Pertwee years?

 

[NickInABox]

OP:
I get judged for watching Doctor Who. And I'm Canadian.

 

[Cyke101]

OP:
I get judged for watching Doctor Who. And I'm Canadian.

To be fair, I thought you were being judged for having your finger up your nose...?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Why isn't the show on the Sci-Fi channel anymore? That network gets a lot more exposure.

95M homes vs 67M homes. So a chance to hit a 1/3 more people.

IIRC, the reason why it's not on a more prominent network is because the BBC wanted to much money. They asked American networks to pay millions for a show that said American network would have zero creative control over.

I think BBCA has first refusal rights and when they came under new management they realized they should hold on to it. I remember reading some quote from whoever is in charge now saying that if he had been in charge he'd have never let it go.

 

[Winterwind]

OP:
I get judged for watching Doctor Who. And I'm Canadian.

To be fair, I thought you were being judged for having your finger up your nose...?

That was my thought as well.

 

[Sci]

And I've heard a hell of a lot of British fans complain about why the Daleks don't just shoot him already around these parts, too.

Agreed. However, they don't have the task of getting over culturally alien concepts. Americans would.

But a hero who doesn't kill and doesn't use violence unless absolutely necessary is not a culturally alien concept. We've produced plenty of such heroes ourselves, and our superheroes immediately come to mind.

 

[The]

Retread. I've already explained away the myth of The Doctor/superhero comparison. There's no reason to keep going over it...

 

[Sci]

Retread. I've already explained away the myth of The Doctor/superhero comparison.

No, you didn't. You gave some unpersuasive arguments and then tried to compare Doctor Who to programs in a completely different genre geared towards completely different audiences. You might as well have tried to compare Pixar's WALL-E to Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket for all that your comparison made sense.

 

[The]

Come on Sci, you know what I mean. We Americans don't get into lead heroes that don't use weapons and/or shoot-to-kill. Citing two "superheroes" as examples does not a comparison make. The Doctor is an alien of immense intellect. Superman is an alien of immense offensive abilities. The Doctor is not. If he were running around tossing people around, and flying, then sure the comparison would be apt. But, as it is, look at 24 and DW. Or, if you would like to stick to science fiction, look at Stargate and DW. Look at Star Trek and DW. It's the same over and over. Gunslinger=idealized 20th century American cowboy hero. Sure, it's a getting a bit more diverse over time (there's still Spock and Daniel Jackson to measure it out for the liberally inclined). But, the US is not an audience to accept Doctor Who. Not yet, anyway...

 

[Sci]

Come on Sci, you know what I mean. We Americans don't get into lead heroes that don't use weapons and/or shoot-to-kill. Citing two "superheroes" as examples does not a comparison make. The Doctor is an alien of immense intellect. Superman is an alien of immense offensive abilities. The Doctor is not. If he were running around tossing people around, and flying, then sure the comparison would be apt. But, as it is, look at 24 and DW. Or, if you would like to stick to science fiction, look at Stargate and DW. Look at Star Trek and DW. It's the same over and over. Gunslinger=idealized 20th century American cowboy hero. Sure, it's a getting a bit more diverse over time (there's still Spock and Daniel Jackson to measure it out for the liberally inclined). But, the US is not an audience to accept Doctor Who. Not yet, anyway...

First off:

1. You are avoiding the fact that there are popular fictional American heroes who detest violence and killing as much as the Doctor, and you are citing a lot of irrelevant facts to avoid talking about the fact that America has its own anti-violence heroes.

2. You cannot compare Doctor Who to political thrillers aimed at adults, nor even to sci-fi programs like Stargate aimed at adults. If Stargate can be compared to anything, it's Torchwood, but it's certainly not Doctor Who. Again, one is aimed at families and one at adults.

3. You are stereotyping American culture, and then ignoring counter-examples by just repeating the stereotype over and over again. It's a bullshit argument and it's getting more than a little insulting to your fellow Americans.

 

[HighteeHeller]

My dad was a fan of DW, brit tv, and sci fi, so i watched a lot of weird stuff growing up. No one i know knows who Benny Hill is either, yet it was a part of my childhood tv watching experience as well. Lucky me.

The only people i know who have heard of DW are those i introduced the show to. But i have noticed that teen magazines have spotlighted DT and the new doc. So maybe its more popular with the younger gen.

 

[The]

First off:

1. You are avoiding the fact that there are popular fictional American heroes who detest violence and killing as much as the Doctor, and you are citing a lot of irrelevant facts to avoid talking about the fact that America has its own anti-violence heroes.

Yes, but are those "popular fictional American heroes" on primetime American television, garnering blockbuster ratings and success with a science fiction adventure series? Nope. They're lawyers, or buddy-flick-shows, or forensic police-types. Thus, my point.

2. You cannot compare Doctor Who to political thrillers aimed at adults, nor even to sci-fi programs like Stargate aimed at adults. If Stargate can be compared to anything, it's Torchwood, but it's certainly not Doctor Who. Again, one is aimed at families and one at adults.

That's an opinion. If anything, I would class Stargate as family viewing. It has comedy, action, adventure, and is science fiction. And there is the US military deeply entrenched. Star Trek is family viewing. And its leads carry weapons of defense and offense. But, they carry them nonetheless. Why? Because they are military.

3. You are stereotyping American culture, and then ignoring counter-examples by just repeating the stereotype over and over again. It's a bullshit argument and it's getting more than a little insulting to your fellow Americans.

Not even a little. I've actually addressed everyone who has had a rational argument against my theory. Go back and look, and if I missed something, let me know. I will discuss it with you.

Meanwhile, stop crying drama queen. It's apparent from my posts that I'm not trying to force anything down anyone's throat, nor am I attempting to make moral judgment. I even said as much. Just because you don't agree doesn't sway my opinion...

 

[HappyDayRiot]

I can't believe not one American came into this thread and asked "Doctor Who?"

A disappointment, all of you.