Dr. Who fans on my flist-- help!

[changeyourstars8]

Confession time-- I have yet to see a single episode of this show. I'm debating about changing that, but I keep running into a big hurdle (well, aside from the fact that it's OMG HUGE and if I really like it I'm going to want to own it and eeeek).

((spoilers beyond the cut))



Problem is, I heard about what happened to Donna. And words cannot describe how much I hate it. Isn't just with Doctor Who; anything having to do with complete memory loss of what happened over the course of the movie/book/series and it's almost a guarantee I will not be watching it again, or won't watch in the first place if I know it's a plot element. The idea of going through all the events, growing and changing as a person throughout the course of the character arc, and then having it all reset to zero?? No. Hate.

So my question is-- is stuff like that a theme throughout the series? I have no problem getting into new shows (*eyes Primeval*) but I'm trying to avoid anything that's too overall dark, or that deals with subjects/themes I know will keep me upset for days. ((which is why I'm not going to be watching BSG for probably a good long time-- sorry, Kath-- because I've heard from a bunch of people that it is not a show for people with depression; too many dark/dramatic episodes)) I've got Buffy and Angel in my Netflix queue because as much as Joss Whedon can SUCK sometimes there's definitely enough humor to really counter it. So is Dr. Who overall more like Firefly or like Serenity, I guess is what I'm asking. ;-)

Comments

[zombres.livejournal.com]

DW definitely has its dark moments -- the end of s4 and the specials before s5 are some of the lowest points of the entire series -- but ultimately it's more a show about hope and optimism. As Craig Ferguson says, it's about the triumph of intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism. :D

And if you want to avoid the terrible stuff that happened to Donna, you could always just start with s5. S5 is essentially a reboot of the entire series: new Doctor, new companion, new head writer, completely new stories and new feel. It's a return to the outright happy!Doctor, and you don't need to know much background on the show before you begin -- most of the need-to-know stuff is explained within the episodes themselves.

:D

[allthelivesofme.livejournal.com]

*adds S5 to queue* Is that the season with Billie Piper? I haven't seen her in anything yet, but she always looks so joyful in photos that I really want to. ((this is largely what's prompted the curiosity about Dr. Who. Would-be fangirling. :-)))

[zombres.livejournal.com]

S5 is the most recent one: with Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Karen Gillan as Amy Pond. Billie Piper played Rose in s1 and s2, with the Ninth (Christopher Eccleston) and Tenth (David Tennant) Doctors. And those two series are some seriously quality series, though that's because I'm an unabashed Doctor/Rose shipper. Also, Nine is just wonderful. And Ten is more than a little bit foxy.

S3, after Rose leaves and Martha becomes the companion to Ten, is a pretty angsty series. Mainly because Rose is gone and the Doctor is like an emo kid. S4 gets happier again once Donna joins as companion, but then the finale sort of ruins all of that happiness.

AND WE SHALL NEVER SPEAK OF THE SPECIALS. Ugh, they were atrocious.

[allthelivesofme.livejournal.com]

1, 2, and 5 sound like a good bet, then. :-) Thanks!!

[allthelivesofme.livejournal.com]

And also, if Craig Ferguson is a fan, that's about 5000 points in its favor right there. Love him.

HERE IS CRAIG FREEZE-FRAME HIGH-FIVING THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR IN MY ICON.

[zombres.livejournal.com]

CRAIG LOVES DOCTOR WHO. HE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST FANBOY STANS OF THE SHOW EVER. OH GOD.

Re: HERE IS CRAIG FREEZE-FRAME HIGH-FIVING THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR IN MY ICON.

[allthelivesofme.livejournal.com]

OMG, best icon ever!! I really need to get all the episodes of his show on DVD somehow. ((have you seen his comedy special A Wee Bit O' Revolution? LOVE))

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

No, the theme of the series is in my icon.

Doctor Who is about saving the goddamn universe from genocidal aliens. It is about the perseverance of the human spirit. It is about one person making a difference, and it is about all people making a difference. As zombres says, it does have its dark moments, but it's not what I would consider a dark show, by any means. It's ostensibly a children's show, after all.

Starting with season five can work, but the first four seasons are totally worth watching. As for what happens to Donna, it definitely sucks, but it's not the end of her story.

If you do just start with season five, I warn you that there's an episode about Vincent Van Gogh that deals with his depression. It's very sad, but it's also beautiful.

[allthelivesofme.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

From the sound of things, I'll probably watch 1, 2, and 5, and then catch up on 3 and 4 when I'm in a better headspace. :-) Hearing that the whole memory-wipe thing isn't the end of Donna's story is definitely encouraging.

[finniscs.livejournal.com]

forget dr. who. Watch BSG!!!!