My wife discovers Doctor Who

[OneOfYourEarthEmotions]

Hello, Doctor Who fans!

I’m not sure if this is an appropriate thing to post here, but I thought some of you might be interested. I apologize if it isn’t.

To make a long story short, I’m a huge classic Doctor Who fan, from bygone days. My wife is not. When we got married my wife was a Jane Austen / Agatha Christie / “real people doing real things” kind of gal, and wouldn’t touch sci-fi with a ten-foot pole. She had never seen a single episode of Star Trek, but through the years with me she’s now seen them all, and has become a bit of a card-carrying Star Trek nerd! (She named our very skittish cat “Reginald Barclay.”) However, when it comes to the old Doctor Who shows she’s always refused to watch them. I’m not one of those fans who feels the need to “convert” people, so that’s never been a big deal for me. However, she does enjoy the post-2005 series and over the years has become quite a fan of Eccleston and beyond.

Then the other day it happened. She woke up and said, “I think I’m going to watch all the old Doctor Whos.” I thought she might give up five minutes into the Keys of Marinus, but she’s already made it past the first season.

She’s been blogging about her experiences, and she told me it would be helpful if people were reading it. She’s curious what “real fans” think, and I’m guessing she’ll need a little encouragement from time to time!

Anyway, here’s the link:
http://whohaskilledmysoul.blogspot.com

P.S. Yes, I am familiar with the Adventures of the Wife in Space, but my wife wasn’t, because… well, she’s a normal person who doesn’t read Doctor Who reviews all day like her husband. But, certainly there’s enough room in the cosmos for another non-fan complaining about polystyrene rocks while her obsessed husband watches on.

 

[Green Lantern]

What I would have done is given her a taster by showing "a best of" each doctor with one serial to get her in the mood for the show.

 

[OneOfYourEarthEmotions]

I could see doing that. Thanks. I don't think there's really a wrong or right way to get into Doctor Who, and I'm sure that method works for some, but my personal feeling is that Doctor Who will always be something of an acquired taste.

Even the episodes we super-fans consider amazing never really come off that way to non-fans (in my experience). I think for someone to get into the show they basically have to want to... at least come in with the mentality that they're going to give the show something of a chance.

For example, my wife has seen the odd Doctor Who here and there before because of me. I showed her Dalek Invasion of Earth once because I think it's one of the better Hartnells. The classic ending did nothing for her. In fact, it made so little of an impression that when she hit that story in her recent runthrough she had forgotten the ending was coming. This time it was genuinely affective for her. Probably because she had taken the time to get to know the characters. She's seen Caves of Androzani too. (Isn't that the one we always show to potential "converts?") She hated it - or rather, she was bored by it, not emotionally connected at all. Thinking back, of course she was. She had nothing invested in Davison, at all. I'm excited to see how she takes it if she ever gets that far - that will probably be years from now!

Anyway, just my two cents. I appreciate the comment.

She does need a little support. For the first time, she talked about quitting. She forced herself to slog through The Web Planet and made it through. This is the woman who watched the Marco Polo reconstruction, but the Zarbi nearly did her in. This is the first time I heard her say, "Why am I doing this?"

So, Doctor Who fans. Help me out. What would your encouraging answer be to "Why am I doing this?"

 

[OneOfYourEarthEmotions]

She's made it through season 2! As a special "treat" we did watch the Peter Cushing Dr. Who and the Daleks movie. I personally haven't seen that since it somehow found its way onto one of those late-night B-movie slots sometime back in the early 90s. Watching it in the context of the on-going Hartnell years was a bizarre experience. Anyway, check out her opinions. Her blog is fully up-to-date now.

We have tickets to see Day of the Doctor on Monday night, so we're not watching it today. (No spoilers, please!) Instead, we'll probably be watching the Galaxy 4 recon. Talk about celebrating Doctor Who's finest hour! Ha ha.