First Doctor: 28

Second Doctor: 43

Third Doctor: 64 + (11 Audio Episodes)

Fourth Doctor: 138 + (80 Audio Episodes)

Fifth Doctor: 61+ (45 Audio Episodes)

Sixth Doctor: 19+ (39 Audio Episodes)

Seventh Doctor (2 Audio Episodes)

Eighth Doctor (121 Audio Episodes)

Ninth Doctor: 13 Episodes

Tenth Doctor: 47 Episodes + (2 Animated Specials)

Eleventh Doctor: 44 Episodes

This is happening at my church. If you’re in Boise, visit us on Holy Week.

(Source: idahocalendar.com)

readysteadytrek:

We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world, a world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel that sacrifice a vain or empty one… and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this. Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, …his was the most …human.

---

(via atopfourthwall)

The similarities between the Eleventh Doctor and hispredecessor are striking. Both of them were relatively young looking. Both could be subject to wild mood swings and very dark moments.

 Yet there are differences. The Tenth Doctor acted very much like he was the age his body appeared to be. The Eleventh Doctor was rarely that. He was the biggest kid in the room and the most ancient man you’ve ever met and that dichotomy drove the Eleventh Doctor’s character and made the performance fascinating.

Comedy of all sorts came easier to this Doctor than any other and his brand was certainly far goofier than any other.  The Eleventh Doctor was about big dramatic gestures including the big speeches such as Pandorica speech, the Rings of Ahkaten speech, getting changed into a tuxedo after being poisoned and before speaking to River Song in, “Let’s Kill Hitler.” While other Doctors would have snuck in to rescue Amy with whatever companion they had plus any local opposition, the Doctor assembles an all-star group to invade in “A Good Man Goes to War.”

The shows the Eleventh Doctor had moments of great kindness such as in “Vincent and the Doctor.” The best thing he did in Series 6 was the Doctor affirming and help draw three different father-son pairs together.

The Eleventh Doctor’s rage is rarely seen. The biggest examples are Series 6 where he orders a Colonel who has been overcome by his invasion to give the command for his men to run away so that the Colonel will forever be known as Colonel Run Away. Then he lets an evil space pirate die in “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.” And then in the very next episode, almost pushes a genocidal alien killer out to be killed by the gunslinger in “A Town Called Mercy” until Amy intervenes.

The most negative aspect of the character is the rule, “The Doctor lies,” which is more often than not used as a lazy writing cheat though it did see him manipulating his companions in, “The Girl Who Waited,” and lying about them to achieve his own ends which they wouldn’t have gone along with. It was also seen in “The Wedding of River Song” as he manipulated Rory and Amy into believing he’d been killed when in fact it was a robot body suit filled with tiny people so that his enemies would think he was gone.

That plus, he’s had few of what I call “hippy dippy moments” such as in “Hungry Earth/Cold Blood” when he could be focused on trying to “give a peace a chance” that he has little understanding or common sense regarding the scared humans around him or the fact that the people he’s having negotiate have no real authority to do so..

The Doctor’s relationship with his first companion, Amy Pond is touching. The Doctor doesn’t have romantic feelings for, but  he cares for her deeply. He explains why he keeps coming back to see her and Rory quite beautifully, “Because you were the first. The first face this face saw. And you were seared onto my hearts, Amelia Pond. You always will be. I’m running to you, and Rory, before you fade from me.”

One Doctor Who Audiobook pointed out how normal humans ware out trying to keep up with the Doctor: the constant danger, peril, and severe risks are exhausting after a while which is why people leave. “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” reveals he had adventures with others while Amy and Rory were at home. He was allowing them to pace themselves and have a bit of normalcy before the next big adventure. Hundreds of years passed for the Doctor and only Ten for Rory and Amy.

 Clara, however, represented a mystery for her first eight episodes in the TARDIS and little more to the Doctor. It’s hinted at both in “Day of the Doctor” and “Time of the Doctor” that the two had more adventures and grew closer with Clara using the time machine for several hilarious uses such as to catch up on BBC TV shows which leads the Doctor to just learn how to use the I-player, but we see little of this on-screen and that does suggest, a Doctor whose heart is a little less large after losing Amy.

 The Eleventh Doctor’s end was simple and dignified. He spent his last few centuries in one town in a small colony helping save a few people from annihilation by all his enemies. In addition to being the “new sheriff,” He integrates himself into the life of the colony, fixing toys, and doing puppet shows.  The grandest and most dramatic of the Doctors is content with saving a life of one colonist with every life saved a victory, and saving generations of them though he knows he’ll die there. He’s not whiny at his fate. Even to the end, he mocks the Daleks, “You’ve been trying to kill me for centuries and here I am, dying of old age.”

 While his regenerative energy takes out the Daleks, the Eleventh Doctor’s change to Twelve in the TARDIS is quiet, philosophical, and just a bit wistful. “We all change, when you think about it, we’re all different people; all through our lives, and that’s okay, that’s good you’ve gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this, not one day, I swear. I will always remember when The Doctor was me.”

 The biggest difficulty in evaluating the Eleventh Doctor is that it’s hard to separate a Doctor from his era and there were weaknesses in this period for the show that had nothing to do with the Doctor or the Actor playing. This includes the unsatisfying Series 6 plot arc (something Matt Smith publicly expressed puzzlement about himself) as well as various creative decisions on the show.

The show often gave us tantalizing glimpses of the Doctor’s other adventures which often looked more interesting than what we’re seeing on the screen. This opens the door for Eleven to have many adventures other media including audiodramas when Matt Smith wants to and the BBC is ready. Plus, unlike other Doctor Who Actors who can no longer appear in anniversary specials because they look too different from when they appeared on the show, Moffat has ensured that when it’s time for a multi-doctor team up, the Eleventh Doctor can be pulled of Trenzalore and brought along for the ride.

Now we turn to the best and worst episodes of the Eleventh Doctor:

10) The Name of the Doctor

The Series 7 finale managed to resolve the overall plot arc of Series 7, resolve the story of River Song, and have some great emotional moments despite some flaws in the script, thanks mostly to a sterling performance from Matt Smith and great visuals.

9) Dinosaurs on a Space Ship

A story that is as fun as it sounds and a highlight of a very good first half of Series 7 with great visual effects, an exciting plot, fun guest characters, and most importantly the introduction of Rory’s Dad, Bryan.

8) The Lodger

Okay, Gareth Roberts has done this same storyline a couple times since, but the original is still a delight. When the TARDIS goes on the fritz, the Doctor rents a room with Craig (played by James Corden). The story is amusing and allows some great comedy, as well as a sweet conclusion to the episode. I also think “The Lodger” cemented in my mind how the eleventh Doctor was more alien than his predecessor.

7) A Christmas Carol

Matt Smith’s first Christmas Special is fantastic. Moffat manages to capture the spirit of the original story, while adding some fantastically imaginative moments with flying fish and flying sharks on a strange world.  The musical portion of the show is superb. Just a great episode

6) Vincent and the Doctor

 The Doctor and Amy meet Vincent Van Gogh while hunting for a deadly monster. The monster is merely a macguffin to bring the Doctor in contact with the troubled genius. This is an episode boosted by a great guest performance with Tony Curran as Vincent and no it doesn’t matter that the Dutch Van Gogh has a Scottish Accent, the last twenty minutes are among the most emotionally powerful of the revived series.

 5) Amy’s Choice

 A great concept for a story that finds the Doctor, Amy, and Rory caught in a dream, but what is the dream and what is the reality? This is a mind bending episode that hinges on Amy’s choice between the Doctor and Rory. Given the final reveals, this is a story that invites further analysis of the early relationship between this TARDIS crew.

 4) The Doctor’s Wife

 Neil Gaiman’s masterful take on the TARDIS in which the Doctor meets the personification of his TARDIS after being lured to a planet where he believed other Time Lords are. The story has some great atmosphere including some really spooky scenes in the TARDIS for Rory and Amy and a great conclusion.

 3) The Eleventh Hour

 The introductory story for the Eleventh Doctor is amazing. It’s probably the best first story for any Doctor since Patrick Troughton did “Power of the Daleks”  in 1966. The Doctor has regenereated and stumbled onto a crack in time and space in the wall of a little girl named Amelia Pond. However, a quick trip to repair the TARDIS turns into a 12 year journey and he soon finds himself with twenty minutes to save the Earth. The story is exciting and fun. The confrontation of the Atraxi at the end of episode was a superb moment that set the tone for this Doctor. It was helped by its extralong running time which could have served other Moffat specials fairly.

 2) Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang

 This story was the best series finale since Series 1 with writer Steven Moffat bringing together the important threads of Series 5. The Doctor’s “Pandorica speech” was great although a bit ironic in retrospect. The cliffhanger was one of the best in the show’s history. The return of Rory and his story as the Loyal Roman capped off the Fairytale arch of the series. The Doctor is at his most noble, brave, and clever and the scene at the wedding is just fantastically done.

 1)      The Day of the Doctor

 Many people have picked apart the problem with this episode. And they’re there, no doubt, but these are merely loose threads in a magnificent tapestry. The episode is gloriously cinematic (appropriately since it was released in theater) and not just in its special effects shots but also in the emotional ways it told the story. The three  leads: Smith, Tennant, and Hurt turn in top performances particularly when they’re together. The entry into the Black Archive is fantastic.  The story has weight for the future of the series and is also just a great celebration of Doctor Who. When I first saw this in theaters I’d barely gotten started watching the series. I don’t think my wife and I started watched the 10^th Doctor yet. This film definitely increased my interest in the series and having seen all of Doctor Who in the first seven series plus hundreds of Classic episodes, I appreciate it even more.

 Worst Episodes:

 You’ll notice no Stephen Moffat episodes on this list and while he had five entries on the top 10 list. This isn’t because I think Moffat is flawless as a writer but I do think some of his critics overstate their case. I don’t feel he wrote bad episodes (the worst was probably “The Beast Below” which I found maybe a little below average but inoffensive overall) however he did write disappointing episodes that started amazingly and fizzled out. Series 6 of Doctor Who is filled with these episodes with, “A Good Man Goes to War,” “Let’s Kill Hitler,” and “The Wedding of River Song” having great promise, but ultimately turning to okay episodes that rely on too many cheats and hiding facts from the audience to create false suspense.  The 11^th Doctor’s finale “The Time of the Doctor” was too short for the story it wanted to tell and wasted a bunch of that time which detracted from Matt Smith’s powerful performance in the final episode. That said, these episodes were actually the episodes I thought were the worst of the Eleventh Doctor’s era

3)      Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

The idea of this episode was to show us much more of the TARDIS than we’d ever seen before. This simply didn’t happen. The episode was probably doomed by the fact that it aired the season following “The Doctor’s Wife” which actually showed us more TARDIS and was far more imaginative. Once you get past failing to fulfill its original premise, “Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS” offers you a package deal of subpar guest performances and a plot that ends up going nowhere literally.

2)      The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood

The botched return of the Silurians to the revived series features the Doctor petulantly lecturing a mother trying to protect her family, and a story that’s slow paced unenjoyable. It features one of the Doctor’s most hippy dippy scene in which he has Amy and an Indian engineer negotiate with the leader of the Silurians and they end up offering to give away the Sahara and Nevada. Of course, the negotiations end up going nowhere, so the whole bizarre thing is pointless.

1) The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People

This two parter about a gang of workers who use human flesh “gangers” (organic material that forms a replica of the operator)  and what happens when their gangers come to life in a storm. This is a story that had potential but ultimately squandered it through inept writing, awful plot twists, and awful acting. Even the final “clever” twist at the end of the story (while dramatic) is confusing against the backdrop of the plot arc of series 6

First Doctor: 28

Second Doctor: 43

Third Doctor: 64 + (11 Audio Episodes)

Fourth Doctor: 138 + (66 Audio Episodes)

Fifth Doctor: 37+ (25 Audio Episodes)

Sixth Doctor: (38 Audio Episodes)

Seventh Doctor (2 Audio Episodes)

Eighth Doctor (83 Audio Episodes)

Ninth Doctor: 13 Episodes

Tenth Doctor: 47 Episodes + (2 Animated Specials)

Eleventh Doctor: 42 Episodes

Note, audio episodes count audios where the actual actor who played the Doctor participated and does not include Big Finish’s Companion Chronicles or other programs that don’t actually feature the actor

First Doctor: 28

Second Doctor: 37

Third Doctor: 64 + (11 Audio Episodes)

Fourth Doctor: 113 + (39 Audio Episodes)

Fifth Doctor: (12 Audio Episodes)

Sixth Doctor: (38 Audio Episodes)

Seventh Doctor (2 Audio Episodes)

Eighth Doctor (63 Audio Episodes) 

Ninth Doctor: 13 Episodes

Tenth Doctor: 47 Episodes + (2 Animated Specials)

Eleventh Doctor: 32 Episodes

My take on Doctor Who Series 6.

A revised saying for the twenty-first century, “Identity politics is the last refuge of scoundrels.” Note: George W. Bush didn’t ask Karl Rove to leave when things went wrong because he was a fat, White Guy. With Valerie Jarrett, she’s the one who gives the President advice and a lot of its bad.

The last two years of the Obama Administration will be worse than the last two of Bush because Bush had the humility to adjust after the mid-term defeats. Obama just can’t He remains arrogant and out of touch with reality.

After Jonathan Gruber’s elitist statements that Obamacare was passed due to lack of transparency and the stupidity of the American voter, Rep. Jim Jordan has an idea: 

“We may want to have hearings on this,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), an influential voice among GOP hardliners and a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, in an interview at the Capitol. “We shouldn’t be surprised they were misleading us.”

Actually Congressman Jordan, unless you want to waste a bunch of time, you should not have a hearing on this. There’s nothing to be learned from a hearing.

The type of hearing Jordan would go exactly like this:

1. Jonathan Gruber delivers a long and boring opening statement.
2. Republican member of Congress spend the entirety of the hearing trying to smack down Gruber or confronting him while Democrats defend him or more likely Obamacare and its outcomes.
3. After the hearing the best clips appear on You Tube, Talk radio, and partisan television programs.
4. A day of committee time is wasted.

And so many of these sort of hearings which are political showcases take place in Washington. Both sides have been guilty of these sort of hearings. You can track it back it to the Iran Contra hearings. The American people have seen the dance and knows that the one thing these hearings aren’t about is: finding the truth. Congress has destroyed its credibility and destroyed the power of its oversight process, and a hearing on Mr. Gruber’s statement would be just another in a train of abuses.

Besides, Gruber was wrong. The American Voter wasn’t stupid. Congress passed Obamacare despite calls, letters, and emails showing the opposition of the American people. The voters then punished Democrats in the 2010 elections. There’s no need for an investigation of that.

My review of Big Finish’s Philip Hinchcliffe Presents box set.