WHO IS THE DOCTOR?

'They all say, 'Who-o-o-o is Doctor Who?  Where is he from, what does he do?'
[Frazer Hines, 'Who Is Dr Who?']

For a wonderful lesson in Who, go to whosdw.com.

Who is the Doctor? (This section is mainly for those new to Who, but fans might be amused by my weak attempt at explaining...)  A benevolent Time Lord?  An enigmatic mystery wrapped in a scarf?  Well, actually, he's simply a television "hero", whom lots of people remember idolizing during childhood and into adulthood (the younger fans, like me, most likely discovered it in reruns or somesuch).  Doctor Who was on the air for 26 years and still has a large fan base.  The one uniting factor for all these people around the world who love the show? 

The Doctor. 

I have no idea where to start in explaining about the whole Doctor Who mythos. I don't know how to explain the Doctor, either! (Fat lot of use this page is for you, huh?) So... how's about I explain my Who experience? It may not explain much about the Doctor, but it might clue you into why so many people love the show. :)

This is what I wrote for the Site Info page ages ago...

I credit Tom Baker's performance as the Doctor with helping me cope with my dear old obsessive compulsive disorder.  2002 being a year of the worst OCD issues I've ever faced, I'd love to forget it, but now I can look back fondly on it for I latched onto Doctor Who.  I was swept into the series and I can forget my worries and problems while watching the good Doctor.  I've found that a whole bunch of other people do the same thing when they watch Doctor Who.  Why is this?  Well, it's Doctor Who. Again, duh.

But I never did explain why, did I? (Whoops.)

I wrote an entry in my blog awhile ago that goes into the very personal aspect of my Who experience, which is pretty boring and very rambly and makes me sound insane. :) Basically, what happened was this: I was in a very bad place with my OCD and happened upon Doctor Who on PBS. It took awhile to get into the show, but soon I was watching it every chance I had. It let me forget my problems for an hour and 20 minutes (or longer, depending on the story! :) )  I absolutely adored Tom Baker as the Doctor and felt sort of safe from my issues when I was watching the show, you know? He has such a presence - he make you feel safe, that everything is going to be OK. And that's the "why" I was talking about - The Doctor always saves the day. He rights wrongs and... and... he's just an all-around cool guy! The show makes you think, imagine, and dream.  And that's why I love it.