by Simon Wood

octor Who turned forty years old last month and I'm still hooked. Just hearing the mention of the show brings a smile to my face. I grew up watching it at its height during the Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker eras, and their exploits are indelibly etched in my mind.

The show went off the air in '89, although it was brought back as a TV movie in '96 with the hopes it might spark a revival, but alas, to no avail. Regardless, Gallifrey's favorite son lives on in original books, full cast audio CDs, the occasional BBC sanctioned radio play, and of course on DVD and VHS.

So what drew me to this TV show? I suppose the appeal for me about the Doctor was the endless possibilities. He could visit any place in the universe, at any time, so he could be any where and when he wanted. He could rewrite history and the universe. What other character can boast those kinds of credentials?

My wife doesn't understand my love (and possibly obsession) with the show, but that's fine. She wasn't me growing up. She didn't get to see the imaginative might that couldn't help but brand its fans for a lifetime. I wasn't bothered by the cheap sets, over the top actors or the naff special effects. All these shortcomings faded into the background. The brilliance shone in the stories.

For many years the show came under attack for its violent content and if I'm being honest the show did scare me. I remember being petrified of passing a department store because I expected the mannequins to come to life and shoot guns from inside their hands. I was so convinced that all mannequins were creatures waiting to invade that I went up to one and tapped a hand to see if it would expose a gun. Imagine my shock when the hand fell off exposing a metal spike. My scream could be heard from a mile away. I remember the monsters in CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS being so scary that I couldn't eat my dinner. Because my Doctor Who privileges were subject to removal if I admitted I was scared, when my mum asked me why I hadn't eaten my dinner, I told her it was because her food was horrible. Yes, I was affected by the show, but I was never harmed. The scares that Doctor Who conjured were in the roller coaster and carnival ride vein. The stereotype was that children (and some adults) watched Doctor Who from behind the sofa and I was no different. My sister and I usually took up residence behind the sofa, watched it from behind our fingers. The usual conversation between my mum, the sofa and us went like this:

"Are you scared?"

"No."

"If you're scared, I'm turning it off."

"No, you can't do that."

"Okay." Sigh. "So you're not scared?"

"No."

"So do you want to come out from there?"

"Noo!"

I'm not sure what kind of front my sister and I put on for my parents. At the time, I thought it was pretty convincing-but in retrospect I'm not so sure.

The show has broken my heart over the years. Regeneration is the key to the show's longevity, without it, it would never have lasted this long. But when I saw Jon Pertwee regenerate into Tom Baker, I thought I'd never recover. At that point, Jon Pertwee was someone I admired and I couldn't see anyone being able to replace him. But the BBC was very good at casting the Doctors. Tom Baker was a more than worthy replacement, as was Peter Davidson & Sylvester McCoy-Colin Baker is probably the only exception in my opinion. I think I was most shocked when Adric was killed in EARTHSHOCK. The doctor and pals were pretty indestructible and it seemed to break a cardinal rule when they did that. That story remains one of my favorites, partly because of that reason. I believe Adric is only one of two companions to die.

Speaking of companions, I know many have come under considerable ridicule. Can I just say for the record that I grew up with feelings (and in later years, urges) for every female companion the Doctor ever had. They all had something. Liz Smith had brains. Jo had bubble-headed charm and a mini-skirt. Sarah Jane had vulnerability. Leela had few clothes and was mad keen on killing people (what wasn't there to love about a girl like that when I was nine?). The first Romana had class and timeless beauty. Peri had cleavage. And Bonnie Lankford had red hair.

So forty years down the road what kind of legacy has Doctor Who left behind? An unfinished one in my opinion. The show went into decline during Colin Baker's tenure and Sylvester McCoy did a sterling job with what he had. The problem was the BBC turned it into a kids' show. The reason Doctor Who had a quarter of the British public tuning in every weekend was because it appealed to all ages. Watching reruns, I pick up on the subtleties that I never noticed as a child, but the stories were so well written, it never spoiled my enjoyment. I say the legacy is unfinished, because there is a wealth of original novel fiction and radio drama in production. In some ways that's a good thing, because the image we have in our heads can never be destroyed, but ultimately, the Doctor should breathe his last on TV. Rumor has it that the BBC is planning another relaunch. I don't hold out much hope for this rumor because of the intense scrutiny the show and the lead actor would be put under, but I do hope for it to return, as it seems only fair. Doctor Who, love it or loathe it, has touched millions and millions of people all over the world. After 15 years off the air, people still hold it in high regard. The show needs to make its return and when it does, I'll be waiting-behind the sofa. I hope you'll join me.