Characters Who Change (or Regenerate) Throughout Time

Thanks to everyone who commented on my Dr Who post last week! I was pleased we had so many people who read this blog and are big Who fans. With that being said, I decided to write another post relating to Dr Who, but this one actually had to do with character development. If you don't watch the show, stick around. It's not just about Dr Who, but characters in general.

When I first learned about the world of Dr Who, I was shocked that the main characters change so often. For those of you who don't watch the show, throughout the years (1963-89 and 2005-present) 11 people have played the main character, the Doctor. That's a LOT of people playing the same character when you really think about it. Each actor brings their own take on the famous Doctor, making each one unique in his own way. The show explains the change seamlessly because the Doctor can regenerate. He is supposed to be the same man inside, with all the memories of the past doctors, but just have a different appearance. That being said, as I mentioned, each actor brings their own ideas to playing him, as I would expect them to.

This got me to thinking. Why is it accepted? Yes, the plot stays steady, the lore and world don't change (except with small plot changes that build the world each episode). That's all good, but don't people tune into a TV show each week because they have an attachment to the characters? I know I do. Once a character becomes unlikeable or even a little boring, I stop watching. Maybe that is why it is such a success, because the Doctor gets a refresher every few years.

Growing up on American TV, I always felt like an actor change meant the death of the show. Think about it, each time you heard the voice over come on as a new actor you had never seen before on the show enters the scene, you would hear "The part of ____ is now played by ____". Instantly, you knew the show wouldn't last. It's like the same curse of characters having babies on shows. It's like the last ditch effort to save it. One of my favorite shows, Mad About You, is a great example. They had a baby, because honestly, what else was left for Jaime and Paul Buchman to do? A year or two later, the show was off the air. I honestly think the only time actor changes on US TV (and I say US TV, because really that's all I can relate to) can be pulled of smoothly is on soap operas. It's expected. The same soap operas have been on since before I was born (but that's for another post).

I guess my point is, why do we accept it on Dr Who? It would be like a main character changing major aspects of themselves (their looks, and lets be honest, a lot of their personality) in our favorite book series'. Would you still read Harry Potter if he acted a different way and looked different from book to book? He wouldn't be the same character we all know and love.

On that note, how about his friends? We all love Ron and Hermione. What if all of the sudden, he got a new set of friends in each book, just as the Doctor changes out companions almost every season? Would the world of Harry Potter feel as familiar and comforting? I don't think so.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts, even if you don't watch Dr. Who. Do you watch a TV Show because you fall in love with an actor/character, or do you watch for the package, the world, lore, etc?

My New Obsession: Dr Who

As I've posted before, I'm not a huge fan of TV. I currently love Life Unexpected and a few MTV shows that I won't mention. They're guilty pleasures. This post isn't about TV in general (nor is it about writing...sorry), but one particular show...

Yes, I know they just changed the logo. I don't care. I like this one.

A few months ago, my friend visited from out of town. When we're together we don't do the most exciting things, but love just spending time with each other. Flopped onto the couch, we thought it would be fun to waste the evening away watching something on Netflix instant stream. Flipping through the TV show section, I landed on Doctor Who. I had never watched it , but had heard about it through Nerdfighteria.

Turning to my friend Diana, I said, "So, have you ever watched this before?"
"Just once, and not a whole episode. We can watch it if you want." I knew she would be up for anything, so I found season one, episode one and hit play.

I had no clue what to expect to be honest, but the awesomeness of Dr. Who was not it. We laughed and giggled through 'Rose'. At the end, I was almost afraid to admit I wanted to watch more. Luckily, so did she. My husband came downstairs from time to time, wondering what all the screaming, laughing and utter enjoyment was about as plastic mannequins marched across the TV screen and Aliens swarmed the Doctor and Rose Tyler. We ended up watching two episodes before it was time for dinner.

After that weekend, I figured I would be on my own watching the episodes, but my husband sat down and watched the first two with me. He was hooked. It was like the Doctor was pointing his sonic screwdriver right at us and demanded we fall in love with him.

We have now watched two and a half series' and have to force ourselves not to plow through the remaining episodes. All seasons (even the older ones) are on our Netflix queue waiting to be devoured. I have searched hundreds of Dr Who websites for more information, sucking it up like a sponge. I now own MUSIC ABOUT DR WHO (perfectly named Trock...Time Lord Rock) I have my costume for Halloween planned out (of course Dr Who themed, but I'm not telling you what yet) and my desktop wallpaper is the Doctor (the 10th of course) and the Tardis. Whoa, and I thought I loved Harry Potter (don't get me started). Yes, I have officially hit the deep end and I'm not ashamed of it.

This is my new found love. I haven't liked a show this much since Alias first started (and I think I may even like Dr. Who more, shhh). And for the record, so far David Tennant is my favorite Doctor and Billie Piper (Rose) is my favorite companion. I am in denial there is a new Doctor (Matt Smith as the 11th doctor) and companion (Karen Gillan as Amy Pond).

Are there any YAedge Dr Who fans out there?