Review of Doctor Who Season 14 Premiere: An Intriguing New Beginning for the Oldest TV Sci-Fi Series
Back featuring a fresh reset is Doctor Who. The longest-running sci-fi show this time veers toward some more fanciful ideas. Russell T Davies helmed the comeback of the series back in 2005; although the show has been on the small screen for almost 20 years, RTD has returned to pick it up from another downturn. Although the Doctor Who 60th anniversary episodes bridged a gap and the narrative is resuming up where the previous season stopped, the series is not precisely as it has always been and there are some obvious changes entering the new season 1.
Given the decades of history behind Doctor Who and a viewership spanning several generations, this is a massive project. Though the program changes with every new Doctor running over the TARDIS, the difference in this new period is maybe the biggest departure yet. Sci-Fi antics are replaced with fanciful Fantasy, and although it reminds me of current Doctor Who, it is also much different.
The New Doctor Whose On a Disney Budget
Regarding quality, visual effects, and ambition, "Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord," both of the season 1 opening episodes clearly differ from past seasons. This is evident in the first few minutes of "Space Babies," with only fleeting use for amazing effects before plunging into a far different experience. For the future of Doctor Who, this is quite exciting since larger stories may be told.
The last two decades have established the program as investable for a company like Disney, which got the budget to go crazy. A concert, however, depends on more than money to leave an impact. Doctor Who has always been excellent since, despite all the challenges, the actors and crew get creative and gather to create something unique. The show started this way, and it started in 2005 in same manner. For a massive corporation like Disney, who earned the funding to run wild, the last two decades have established the program as worth investing in; but, this might also lead Doctor Who down a difficult road as the plots get more absurd than ambitious.
Now is Doctor Who a fantasy show?
Commentaries and RTD interview responses have repeatedly mentioned adding more fantasy components—including gods, animals, and monsters. The program has not totally turned away from its Sci-Fi roots, either. The Doctor is still an extraterrestrial with highly developed knowledge of the broader universe and advanced technologies; this has not altered. Still, the series features clearly more Fantasy components based on those first presented in the 60th Anniversary episodes.
The program will have to establish itself, but given the extraordinary talent involved, it is in a terrific position to do exactly that. Though Doctor Who has always included aspects from several genres, the show stayed fundamentally a sci-fi series. Beyond the boundaries of all time and space and into the field of myth and legend, RTD seems to have a strong will to increase the spectrum of adventures and stories which can be told. Though it could take some time to get used to, this finally seems like a natural and upbeat path for Doctor Who to travel.
A Classic Reviewed: Doctor Who
Originally first shown in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi show featuring the Doctor—a strong being known as a Time Lord. Traveling time and space with different companions, the Doctor uses an interdimensional time-traveling ship called the TARDIS to solve several issues and assist prevent catastrophe as much as he nearly causes. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they undergo regenerations which enables them to be recast every few seasons as a different immortal entity with fresh personality features.
With decades of history behind it and a viewership spanning several generations, Doctor Who is a massive undertaking. Though the program changes with every new Doctor running over the TARDIS, the difference in this new period is maybe the biggest departure yet. Sci-fi antics are replaced with fanciful Fantasy, and although it reminds me of current Doctor Who, it is also much different.
A fresh Doctor Who era
Hopefully, the season will be able to combine sci-fi with fantasy in a way that doesn't feel like all that came before goes but rather allows Doctor Who to create this new period alongside. Right now, it seems like there is still space for development; the show will have to establish itself. Still, given the extraordinary talent involved, it's in a terrific position to accomplish precisely that. And Doctor Who is definitely back following a depressing few years for the programme.
Apart from the UK, where it will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer concurrently, the first two episodes of Doctor Who season 1 will be available to view on Disney+ from 7pm ET globally on May 10.
