Thursday, June 6, 2013

Dr Who the Greatest Sci-Fi Show ever...


 



Why Dr Who is the best Sci-fi show ever. It is hard for me to write this as I almost don't believe it myself. However, when I take a hard look at the facts I cannot deny. Lets do this empirically, I will list out the main competitors for Dr. Who and why they are great show and Why the Dr is better.


 

  1. Star Trek-
    I had to start here as it is the biggest contender. It has the most fans and movie spin-offs. The various serials had a whopping 725 episodes. Though the show and movies had fallen out of favor in the early 2000's it has come roaring back with the latest movie re-boot. It has always had some of the better effects on TV and TOS had some of the best writing on any show ever. It pushed social boundaries and made the viewer question society. The hallmark of truly great science fiction.


Why The Doctor is better: Dr WHO has produced 757 episodes since it debuted in 1963. save for a brief period of time in the late 90's and early 2000's it has been on television contentiously. It has produced movies, books and radio programs continuously to this day! That's right RADIO DRAMAS. Granted its special effects have lacked (including the re-boot) but it is on a minor network, has never had the backing of a major studio and frankly it has never needed it. The Doctor has given us some of the best moral quandaries ever laid out in media. And the meatiest subject the Trek always talks about but never really addresses is sacrificing others for the greater good. Dr who goes out of its way to get you to care about characters only to kill them later. The Dr. always finds him self in a position of having to choose one life over many for the greater good. It is a choice often brought up in Trek and then they find a way out of it. And we have to watch the Dr Die. Yeah we all know that he will regenerate and go on but a piece of him that you loved is gone forever. I watched the Dr. die and each time I knew the show was going to continue but it still sucked. The Dr Tackles the hard issues in a way Trek

could never and has never done. And its still getting better and more viewers without a major US release.



  1. Stargate SG1
     
     
     
This long running show has a wealth of fantastic back story and a great premise. It was quirky and fun. That’s about it.

Why The Doctor is better: Seriously it was a great show and fun to watch But it can't hold a candle to to Trek Let alone the DR.

  1. Firefly
    The MOST griping touching and beautifully done Sci-Fi Show EVER. It was amazing and each hour gripped you in its flawed characters, and humor and darkness. It made human choices that felt organic and not forced. Making choices that went against common sense.
    Why The Doctor is better: Firefly just wasn't on the air long enough. I would put its 14 episodes up against any 14 episodes you want to pick out of any other show and it would hold its own. However the Dr had some EPIC 14 episodes, so did Trek, Lost in Space, Buck Rodgers it goes on and on. The Dr is just better and has done it longer. And to truly be a contender you have to draw fans...something Firefly couldn't do.
  2. Babylon 5
    An amazing show! This Show gave TNG a run for its money during the height of Trek popularity. It was one giant story that broke the mold of the stand-alone episodes that would pave the way for show like LOST. No show has ever done it better except-
    Why The Doctor is better: The Doctor is a story about a man roaming all of time and space. It could be considered one long biographical narrative. You may disagree but Seriously B5 was a great Niche show and had a great impact on Sci-fi but not the depth, longevity, fans, reach or quality of the Dr.
  3. Battlestar Galatica
    Either you get this shows moral compass or you don't. It is not transcendent of is genre. Its characters make questionable choices for the sake of shocking the audience more than relevant story telling. It is a great show. But the mark of great Sci-fi has to push the boundaries of humanity in a way that explores depth of character not the abandonment of it. Watching it is torture sometimes, and I mean that in a good way. It is a great show but it doesn't rise to the level to be even considered a rival.
    Why The Doctor is better: See above
  4. Farscape
    Possibly the best bad show ever. What makes it great is often overshadowed by some silly stuff (Puppets???) it has an edge on examining humanity other shows only wish it could do. The show could be gripping and fun and thoughtful all in the same moment. It truly was amazing.
    Why The Doctor is better: One you have seen Dr. who or at least heard of him. Dr. who does all the things Farscap does. Though Farscape is better at it its not that much better and the Doctor does puppets better (In the 60's).
  5. All other shows.
    There have been some great ones. Dark Angel, the 4400, Eureka, Buck Rodgers, Flash Gordon, Twilight Zone, Quantum Leap, Lost, Sliders, The Outer Limits. I could go on and on. The all lacked something. Whether it is longevity or cultural significance or consistent story telling they all wore out there welcome.

Why Dr. Who is the best:

Its my daughters favorite show.

This video is for her:

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