Tenth Anniversary of Doctor Who

“Rose,” the first episode of the show produced by Russell T Davies and starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, premiered ten years ago today, on March 26th 2005.

The hype machine for the return of Doctor Who after its long hiatus was in full swing, with BBC viewers getting tastes of Doctor Who during 30 second promos.

Many of the Geekettes are fans of Doctor Who so we decided to share our thoughts on the Tenth Anniversary of nuWho.

My First Doctor (Caitlin)

I will admit that I did not start watching Doctor Who until early 2011. Matt Smith had already completed his first series, but it was not yet on Netflix Streaming. I had joined Tumblr and saw Doctor Who on my dash, I decided to check it out on Netflix, starting with “Rose.” It took until “Dalek,” but I fell in love with the Ninth Doctor. He is my Doctor. His character drew me into the show. I became invested in his highs and lows, especially whenever mourned Gallifrey and felt guilty over the Time War. I subscribe to the headcannon that he is suffering from the Gallifreyean equivalent of PTSD when we first meet him.

I can’t remember if the Ninth Doctor’s regeneration surprised me or not. But as much as I enjoyed watching David Tennant I felt the loss of Christopher Eccleston. I wish things had gone differently and Christopher Eccleston came back for the 50th anniversary.

Since I’ve become a full blown whovian I’ve tracked down the Ninth Doctor New Series Adventure novels that are still in print and read them. I’ve written my own fanfiction with the Ninth Doctor right after he regenerates. I’ve even cosplayed as him. For Christmas I received a leather coat that looks a lot like the jacket Nine wore.

My First Episode (Brianna)

My first episode of Doctor Who was probably the worst possible choice. It was late 2009 and some of my friends were working their way through Doctor Who. I’d always heard about the show and been curious, so I sat in with them to watch…

*Evil cackling heard somewhere in the distance*

Somehow, I did not cry when I first saw Doomsday. I was sorely tempted, but even at the infamous beach scene the tears never came. I was left on the couch somewhat awed at how powerful the story had been. I didn’t fully get into watching Doctor Who until some months later, but I have to credit that episode for being my gateway to the fandom.

My Favorite Episode (Meg)

I fell for Doctor Who HARD almost exactly five years ago. It quickly became my favorite “current” show, and though my favorite season was probably the fourth and Ten was “my” Doctor, I was full to bursting with love for the Eleventh Doctor and the Ponds. And so though I loved almost literally every moment before it, the episode that will always be my favorite (the funniest, the spookiest, the most heart-wrenching) also represents the very core of the show. That episode is, of course, Neil Gaiman’s brilliant “The Doctor’s Wife.” This episode, from early in the sixth season, puts the soul of the TARDIS into the body of a woman, allowing the two who have formed the central relationship of the show for the past fifty-two years to finally banter, bicker, and express their love for each other. And that relationship is why, no matter how much I loathe Moffat, I will stick with it as long as it churns out new episodes.

Who’s your favorite Doctor? Which is your favorite episode? And how did you first get into nuWho? We would love to hear your thoughts, so please share them in the comments!