Third's a Charm for Doctor Who

In my own imaginary world, I stepped into the now famed blue Police Box where I would venture into time and space. The roaring sounds of the engines. The flashing light on top of the box stirring away. The image is iconic.

Some of us want to do more than just imagine. Some of us would like to be whisked away like that of a ten year old child being caught in fantasy land.

I felt like that again on Monday night when I got to see the season opener of the Doctor Who third season.

It’s pretty good stuff.

My high expectations of this season can be now put to rest. Thankfully.

There were a lot of other people who might be running through worries and disappointments.
Don’t worry. The third season is as every bit as interesting as the first time around. Perhaps more so because the TV series is solidifying itself into something of a landmark. It’s hitting a niche in the American pop culture where it finds a home on the Sci-Fi channel. That’s good. Even though my stomach grumbles at hearing the label “sci fi.”

All is in the good word for the Doctor who is making house calls. This time he’s now in the company of a new assistant in the form of Freema Agyeman. For all she’s worth, she’s really a very good replacement for the popular Billie Piper. Freema plays Martha Jones who is a departure from the blonde, blue eyed shop girl.

This one is more mature, older, a bit wiser, perhaps more of an equal to the Doctor. That makes for some dynamic relationships here. Rarer still is seeing a black woman as a heroine. And she's very lovely too.

The story is written by Russell T. Davies, the head huncho of the revived TV series. You can see all the trademarks of Davies in here and then some more. The running bits with the Doctor and new assistant, the typically sharp dialogue, and the thrilling new creature that isn’t really evil… just a sort of cosmic policeman running about.

I like the new girl. A lot. She’s very different from Billie Piper. I was smitten with her in fact. And she has good reason for leaving with the Doctor in his time traveling space machine. Her family is very dysfunctional almost to the point of insanity. Her parents are divorced. Her father is dating a white girl. Her mother hates the white girl. And then the family tale goes downhill from there.

I do like this story as the Doctor is separated from his traveling machine, making the isolation even more severe. No chance of getting help from his technology. Even his sonic screwdriver, a staple in the series, is temporary dismantled in this episode. So the Doctor is forced to use his wits through the show.

The only thing I didn’t care for were the biker alien dudes with the black uniforms and helmets. I suppose this was a sort of financial offset from the wonderfully realized, expensive looking rhino creatures of the Jadoon. They were a warrior race, very interesting features. Best of all were the booming voices they had. Though they do remind me a lot of a former race from the old shows… the Sontarans.

But David Tennant is very good in this show too, showing off his emotional side, his scenes beating with a manic energy that harkens back to the Tom Baker days. His youthful enthusiasm is great to watch. The good new is that he’s already committed to doing a fourth season. That means he will be the longest serving actor in the part since the seven year stint by Tom Baker.

That’s something of an achievement.

This is definitely another golden era for the series hitting its popularity like it did in the 1970s. The BBC finally realized that it is the great flagship of TV shows for their channel and overseas success. The BBC supports the series now.

We have two different spin-offs from the series in the form of Torchwood and Sarah Jane Smith Adventures. The series is anchoring its slot on Saturday nights. It’s covering a lot of grounds in the TV landscape. Where to now Doctor? I wonder.