From the first time I realized that in its homeland Doctor Who is considered a children’s show – a little something to entertain the tots at tea time – I’ve been flabbergasted by the fact. Herein lies one of the blatant cultural differences between the UK and the US: while makers of television program(me)s in the UK seems to believe that kids enjoy not only a bit of peril in their stories but being asked to face some tough issues, those in the US think seem to think their audience is full of morons.

It’s frustrating. As someone who considers herself to be firmly outside the ranks of the morons (though I’m sure there are those who hold a dissenting opinion), I hate being “talked down to” by the shows I watch. I seek out shows that have a bit more bite to them, that stretch me a bit either intellectually, emotionally, or morally. That’s one of the reasons I love Doctor Who – it gives me all of those challenges at different times. And, at least in my experience, that’s not the norm in this neck of the woods.

Here in the US, the majority of television tends to be aimed at the “lowest common consumer,” so to speak. Anything that makes you think at all is usually either in the news/documentary category or relegated to the local PBS (Public Broadcasting System) station – or both. Costume drama? PBS. Literary mystery? PBS. Anything produced in Britain? PBS. I think you can see the trend here.

[For those of you looking for a review of The Snowmen: I’m sorry; I’m afraid you’ll have to wait another week. I haven’t had time for a second viewing and analysis yet.]

Recently, the comment thread on another post led me to reflect on one of my biggest pet peeves as a neowhovian who has become a fan of the entire fifty year run of our show: RTD’s removal of the Time Lords for the series relaunch in 2005.

Why, you may ask, do I care?

First, it puts a huge, rather stupid wrench in continuity between the two eras of the show. I honestly don’t know what RTD’s motivation for inventing the Last Great Time War (LGTW) was, but I’ve heard it said that it was because the Time Lords would be too confusing for new fans. I hope that’s not the case, because that just tells me that RTD basically thought I – and others like me – must be dumb.

I mean, really; how hard can it be? We already know our protagonist is alien; we’re with you there. He’s got advanced, alien tech and can travel anywhere in space or time; still with you. He has a rocky relationship with the authorities on his home planet, such that he ran away and only works with them when he has to; nope! Sorry, now I’m lost. (Oh, wait… No, I’m not.)

Although we see it precious little (regeneration sickness, hand getting cut off), one kind of has to assume that over his hundreds of years, the Doctor gets sick or injured from time to time. So how does he make it through? Who doctors the Doctor?

During One’s era, we occasionally saw the TARDIS crew take advantage of the First Aid kit, though Vicki didn’t necessarily trust its contents not to be barbaric, given the time from which her crewmates originated. There was also the Zero Room when Five was having a rough time of his regeneration, and that “device” Three had Sarah Jane retrieve when he was ill on Metebelis III well before the incident that caused his own regeneration. Other than that, though, we haven’t really seen much in the way of medical facilities on the TARDIS. Does she have a sick bay? Even if she did, who would be qualified to treat the Doctor there?

I suppose there are several options. Either (a) the Doctor is immune to most diseases and injuries, (b) he is incredibly lucky, (c) he is able to heal himself off-screen with facilities or abilities never introduced to the audience, (d) he carefully selects a facility he trusts somewhere in time and space and has the TARDIS take him there, or (e) he uses that healing with regeneration energy crap he pulled recently to heal River.