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From: daves@ios.UUCP (David B. Schnepper)
Newsgroups: net.tv.drwho
Subject: Why is Dr. Who popular?
Message-ID: <122@ios.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-May-84 21:59:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: ios.122
Posted: Thu May  3 21:59:18 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 6-May-84 07:36:15 EDT
Lines: 37



There's been no "net.tv.drwho" traffic for close to a week now, so
here's a topic to discuss:

Why is Dr. Who popular?
  Subtopics:
     - Why popular in the States?
     - Why popular in Britain?
     - etc, etc, etc

My own theory:
  Dr Who is entertaining!  In my opinion, the vast majority of CBS/NBC/ABC
  television is garbage.  My mental image of network TV is a sitcom where
  the star makes a prat-fall with the studio audience howling with laughter.
  This is entertainment?  I don't recall ever hearing a laugh track or
  canned applause on Dr. Who.  But there are numerous times when I myself
  have just howled.  (Remember the Dr being caught in a time loop, doomed
  to "forever" say three lines and trip over his scarf?)
  Other ideas:
    - it is a well-made show, technically as well as "plot-wise".
    - it links itself together, it's not a series of 1 week shows
      where it doesn't matter what order the shows are aired.
    - it takes itself seriously, 
    - it never gets stale, fresh people, ideas, are always entering
      the cast.  How many other shows could survive the lead actor
      changing 5 times?
    - It doesn't always try to be "happy".  The death of Adric for
      instance was (for me) a sad part of the show.  I know many
      net readers didn't like Adric, but I thought he was OK.  Just
      two nights ago Sara Jane left (on the local PBS station).  I found
      myself mentally saying "goodbye" and missing her already.

Enough for now, why do YOU like Dr Who?

Dave Schnepper
ios!daves