Doctor Who? To Appear on “Doctor Who”
8 April 2008 by EveUpdate: here it is! (Just a bit part, but hey…)
Warning: major geek-out ahead–
Richard Dawkins is slated for a guest appearance on BBC’s Doctor Who (thanks to Pharyngula for the heads-up)!
I hardly need introduce Dawkins; as the author of The God Delusion, among many other works, he’s emerged as a major atheist author in recent times, to the point of being widely demonized by theistic critics as a “fundamentalist atheist” (tee-hee; when fundies get their panties in a twist over you, then you know you’re making waves!). He also appears in the current Ben Stein fiascovehicle Expelled!, in an interview the producers obtained from him under - well, shall we say rather less than completely open and honest circumstances.
As for Doctor Who, those of you unfamiliar with this British programme (dig my English) should know that its previous incarnation still holds the record as the longest-running sci-fi show in TV history, an impressive 26 years. Long a staple for British children, it gained a faithful American fandom when public broadcast stations in the US picked up various of its seasons over the years (I discovered it for myself in the late ’80s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana). Since its 2005 relaunch as a slicker, sexier, and darker version (some fans of the classic series say too slick, sexy, and dark), it’s been garnering a lot of attention both in the UK and here in the US via BBC America and again, various public channels.
For me, the old show had a definite homemade charm, with DIY production values but almost always an enthusiastic cast, and stories that could compel, engage, and intrigue (especially given that in its original form, each episode ended in a cliffhanger). Not only did it illustrate what you could do with a limited budget but plenty of imagination, but also what values like scepticism, rationality, reason, intelligence, curiosity, compassion, and a sense of justice were worth. Standing up for what was right; never giving up even in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds; facing danger with optimism and resourcefulness - those are just some of the themes I remember from my favorite episodes. Oh, yes, and the knowledge that with a sonic screwdriver anything is possible (much like MacGyver’s Swiss Army knife and duct tape)!
(Dawkins has another connection to the series: his wife, actress Lalla Ward, played a principal character [one of the Doctor's Companions] on the original programme in the ’70s.)
Alas, we unfortunate colonials will have to wait until BBC America catches up to the UK, so it will be at least another season before we see this episode! Nope, SciFi Channel will start airing the season in which this episode appears this Friday April 18th!
8 April 2008, on 3:55 pm
“Ex-ter-minate…EX-TER-MI_NATE!”
End geek-out.
8 April 2008, on 5:09 pm
Yes, Eve…One of my all-time favorites.
Tom Baker as Dr. Who, wearing the Edwardian(?) style clothes, with the wonderful long scarf…yeah…those were the days!
Looking forward to seeing Dawkins on that show; which is run here, I think, on BBC America; and, possibly PBS.
Interesting to hear of Lalla’s roots with the show.
By the way…according to the scroll at the ending of Bill Maher’s “Real Time” show last Friday…Dawkins is scheduled to appear
THIS Friday.
Last time they did that…no Dawkins…and no comment by Maher about it, the following week!
WE’LL see! I hope he’s on the ’sit-down panel, of course!
I just remembered…my musical practice/recording booth (Padded cell?) that I built back in 1977; I always referred to as my “TARDIS”.
The name TARDIS, I was reminded by my fellow Dr. Whosian, stands for “Time And Relative Dimension In Space”.
The “Doctor”, of course, being a “Time Lord” and all!
The “Daleks”, I propose, with their “XTERMINATE” agenda, could be extremely useful in many current day situations…
only Pro-Atheist…of course!
8 April 2008, on 5:16 pm
^ A commenter on Pharyngula suggested the members of the Disco(very) Institute be cast as the Daleks…:-D
9 April 2008, on 12:54 am
You know what’s funny? There’s been some allegations floating over at ScienceBlogs.com that Dawkins is incapable of getting good press. Ooops.
9 April 2008, on 7:43 am
Another thing positive and wonderful about The Doctor is that he’s never caught standing around waiting for a magic, invisible wish granting deity to show up and fix everything for him.
I liked the old shows and I am also a fan of the new shows.
Thanks for the heads up, I’ll be keeping my eyes out for this episode!!
9 April 2008, on 1:48 pm
OurLady of Perpetual Motion: Another thing positive and wonderful about The Doctor is that he’s never caught standing around waiting for a magic, invisible wish granting deity to show up and fix everything for him.
I know! His message seemed to be that by keeping your eyes open and your mind sharp, you could solve practically any problem or get out of any fix. Some episodes deal specifically with the dangers of unquestioning faith in and following of leaders or apparent deities.
10 April 2008, on 1:28 pm
I know! His message seemed to be that by keeping your eyes open and your mind sharp, you could solve practically any problem or get out of any fix.
That and a sonic screwdriver of course.
Well this message just made my day.
11 April 2008, on 3:23 pm
FYI, Lalla Ward’s character’s name was Romana in the old series.
Also curious to see if the new Sarah Jane Chronicles (Dr. Who spin-off) on SciFi is any good or not. (action is centered on the recurring DR WHO character Sarah Jane Smith, played by the original actress).
Speaking of “colonials” ;-), I’m glad the new season of Battlestar Galactica is up and running, though there would seem to be some continuity problems with Col. Tigh as a cylon sleeper agent, since he fought in the first war against the Cylons, back when they were all just “Toasters”…anyway, O.T.
I like all the DR WHO series, old and new. Too bad Billie Piper was written out of the plot, she was very easy on the eyes.