Why The Doctor And The Sound Of The TARDIS Bring Us Hope (Part 1)

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On Saturday, November 23, 1963 the first episode of a new educational program called “Doctor Who” for children and families aired on BBC. One character was an awkward yet intelligent teenage girl named Susan; she might strike some as strange, but a nice girl nonetheless.

Another two characters were teachers of science and history named Ian and Barbara. Concerned about the well-being of Susan, they find themselves wrapped up in the adventures of her grandfather. He is The Doctor. While he seems old and frail, he has the energy of a man half his age. An exile from his planet, Galifrey, the Doctor is a part of a race of aliens known as Time Lords. He sought knowledge, adventure, the company of his young granddaughter, and soon both of her teachers. Together they would travel the world in a Time And Relative Dimension In Space (TARDIS) machine disguised as a standard police call box that was bigger on the inside, get into all kinds of interdimensional mischief, and learn along the way. The Doctor’s only “weapon” was a tiny sonic screwdriver whose two primary functions were fixing things and opening doors. Regardless, he made himself a cunning and dangerous adversary as well as a kindly and loving father figure.

Before “Doctor Who” began airing, British television wasn’t known for much other than the nightly news, and even that wasn’t all too unique. The Doctor soon became a much beloved figure, so much so that its focus shifted entirely from a simple family education program to the science fiction and fantasy that it is known as today, and its first star was William Hartnell.

Though his role as The Doctor was his most iconic of parts, he had an incredibly interesting life. He was the only child of Lucy Hartnell and was born on January 8, 1908. He never knew his father and was never able to trace him, but not for lack of trying. He spent much of his childhood with foster parents and his mother’s extended family in Seaton.

“So ashamed was he by his illegitimate background that in later years Hartnell invented his own biography, claiming to have been born on a dairy farm, but deciding not to carry on a centuries old tradition by working the land, he ran away from home to be an actor” (Lawrence Marcus, Television Heaven).

Though Hartnell was never thought of as the most skilled in the craft of acting, and might not have been the greatest to have played The Doctor, his associates have always believed that the show itself would never have become the success that it has without him.

Now, the theme music. The theme music to a television show is like a silk ribbon from a craft store. It is sewn so that the fabric glistens, and when you look closely you can see seemingly microscopic stitches. This ribbon is meant to be a part of something bigger, whether it is the wrapping of a gift or a beautiful dress. The quality of the sound is different today because of technological development, however not much has changed otherwise. The eerie melody with the sound of the machinery of the TARDIS entering in the beginning: it’s all how Ron Grainer composed it. Delia Derbyshire took that composition and used oscillators, tape loops, and reverse tapes to mix and arrange it. The fact that it was purely electronic and used no conventional instruments was widely unheard of in the 1960s UK, and it was a very lengthy process to record.

“After a concert in 1971, the Queen herself was introduced to Desmond Briscoe, head of the Workshop. ‘The Radiophonic Workshop?’ said Her Majesty. ‘Ah yes! Doctor Who!’”(Mark Juddery, Mental Floss).

**Please note, especially if you are a new viewer of Doctor Who or you have only seen a few episodes, there wasn’t a very high budget for the producers of this show and high quality special effects are not essential for every sci-fi. The focus has always been on the acting and the writing, say what you will about either, and the hype comes from the history, the developing story, the mini-stories that The Doctor is a part of, and the ideology that The Doctor encompasses.

If you, the reader, do not enjoy the story or the Whovian hype, you are encouraged to find a story for yourself. In British television there are mystery shows that were adapted from the novels of Agatha Christie, Sherlock [of course] and other modern detective shows, “Top Gear” for those interested in cars, and “The Graham Norton Show” for comedic interviews with actors and musicians. There are more ways to access shows and films, British or otherwise, now than ever. So, find a story that captures your interest and immerse yourself in it.**

A very under-the-radar episode set starring William Hartnell was The Edge Of Destruction coupled with The Brink of Disaster. This was more of a turning point episode than anything, when Doctor Who became less historical and more science fiction. Susan, Ian, Barbara, and The Doctor were all trapped by a malfunction of The TARDIS and were contemplating how they were going to survive their collective paranoia that came from not knowing where they were or what was wrong with their ship. These were not the best episodes of the first season, but they contained some very important and applicable quotations.

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This statement will always depend on the context in which it is said, but a part of solving any problem in life is knowing the right kind of questions to ask.

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When something in life does not follow what you might consider a logical pattern, it is important to remember that sometimes things aren’t logical. Indeed, sometimes even the best things aren’t logical.

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This certainly depends on the context as well. Sometimes it’s important to take risks, but sometimes it’s just as important to act with caution or to not act at all. This decision can be incredibly difficult. It can take days, weeks, months, years, or you might have a deadline. But, as you can, take time with yourself.

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This one is quite profound and can be subject to many interpretations. The one that stands out the most, personally, is that it’s best to be rhetorically sensitive when exploring the facets of another culture. There are things that we would find commonplace that would be considered offensive in another’s customs. It’s best to learn about a way of being or a way of living with respect through unbiased means before dismissing it completely.

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As we are learning about our friends, families, different groups of people, and the universes of every sort of writer, we are learning more about ourselves subconsciously. We are learning more about what we like to see and do, we are learning about our senses of right and wrong, and so much more.

He is The Doctor, the original you might say. Thank you, William Hartnell, for being our first mad man in a blue box from the planet Galifrey.

Sources:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/23599/5-ways-doctor-who-made-difference

http://www.doctorwho.tv/50-years/doctors/first-doctor/

http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/william_hartnell.htm

http://www.thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/doctorwho/information-about-doctor-who/