Post by mikef6 on Jun 10, 2021 18:08:39 GMT
This beautiful essay was posted on the Facebook group Doctor Who by Jerry Rudasill.
The first episode I ever saw of Doctor Who was when I was a child, somewhere between 1977 and 1978. It was right after my Dad took me to see Star Wars. I didn't care about the F/X - Hell, this was before Christopher Reeve played Superman. Back then, Doctor Who was only played on PBS here in the States.
My first Doctor was Jon Pertwee. My first Episode was "Planet of the Spiders". I was completely confused when the Third Doctor regenerated into the Fourth. Nonetheless - I was completely intrigued. The next episode I saw was "Ark in Space". Tom Baker became my Hero. Elisabeth Sladen became my first childhood celebrity crush. And then I discovered I had access to two PBS stations that played Doctor Who at different times on a Saturday.
Eventually, my Dad got me a little 10" Black and White TV set so I could watch Doctor Who without bothering my Mom and my older Sister. So I made my two little brothers, my baby sister, and my Cousin watch it with me. We made our own board games based on Doctor Who. We built our own version of the TARDIS and would play make believe based on Doctor Who. I met Tom Baker on his 50th Birthday at my first SciFi Convention.
The punchline to this? We were poor Black Kids growing up in a crack neighborhood in the ghetto of Philadelphia in the early 80's. The Doctor gave us Shelter and encouraged us to listen to our better Angels, twice a day - Every Saturday. The Doctor taught us Empathy. Brains over Brawn, and not to suffer Fools. Doctor Who taught us about Ecology, Alternative sources of Energy, Colonialism, Fascism, a respect and a fascination of History, and a healthy disrespect for Authority. It also reinforced the Power of Education and the Value of Knowledge. And now my nieces and nephews, and my older sister's grandchild - all watch Doctor Who.
And then I had lunch with Neil Gaiman the day before he gave his commencement speech at the University of the Arts. I got to spend close to 90 minutes talking to him about Doctor Who, Blake's 7, Babylon-5, and Star Trek. He is a quiet, kind man, and incredibly mellow. (And I've been reading his work since I was in High School - it was a highlight of my life)
I will never give up on that show. The Doctor and I have too much History. And Sarah Jane Smith was my first crush on a fictional character. May Doctor Who live on and continue to Regenerate.
"All it takes is Imagination and a Glib Tongue".
- 4th Doctor, Masque of Mandragora, Episode 1
The first episode I ever saw of Doctor Who was when I was a child, somewhere between 1977 and 1978. It was right after my Dad took me to see Star Wars. I didn't care about the F/X - Hell, this was before Christopher Reeve played Superman. Back then, Doctor Who was only played on PBS here in the States.
My first Doctor was Jon Pertwee. My first Episode was "Planet of the Spiders". I was completely confused when the Third Doctor regenerated into the Fourth. Nonetheless - I was completely intrigued. The next episode I saw was "Ark in Space". Tom Baker became my Hero. Elisabeth Sladen became my first childhood celebrity crush. And then I discovered I had access to two PBS stations that played Doctor Who at different times on a Saturday.
Eventually, my Dad got me a little 10" Black and White TV set so I could watch Doctor Who without bothering my Mom and my older Sister. So I made my two little brothers, my baby sister, and my Cousin watch it with me. We made our own board games based on Doctor Who. We built our own version of the TARDIS and would play make believe based on Doctor Who. I met Tom Baker on his 50th Birthday at my first SciFi Convention.
The punchline to this? We were poor Black Kids growing up in a crack neighborhood in the ghetto of Philadelphia in the early 80's. The Doctor gave us Shelter and encouraged us to listen to our better Angels, twice a day - Every Saturday. The Doctor taught us Empathy. Brains over Brawn, and not to suffer Fools. Doctor Who taught us about Ecology, Alternative sources of Energy, Colonialism, Fascism, a respect and a fascination of History, and a healthy disrespect for Authority. It also reinforced the Power of Education and the Value of Knowledge. And now my nieces and nephews, and my older sister's grandchild - all watch Doctor Who.
And then I had lunch with Neil Gaiman the day before he gave his commencement speech at the University of the Arts. I got to spend close to 90 minutes talking to him about Doctor Who, Blake's 7, Babylon-5, and Star Trek. He is a quiet, kind man, and incredibly mellow. (And I've been reading his work since I was in High School - it was a highlight of my life)
I will never give up on that show. The Doctor and I have too much History. And Sarah Jane Smith was my first crush on a fictional character. May Doctor Who live on and continue to Regenerate.
"All it takes is Imagination and a Glib Tongue".
- 4th Doctor, Masque of Mandragora, Episode 1
