As a kid, I always had a thing for sidekicks. I favored Robin over Batman, Impulse over The Flash, The Genie over Aladdin, Thud Butt over Rufio (from “Hook” and, if you got that reference, any chance you want to be BFFs, like, right away?).
It made playing backyard games with the neighborhood kids really simple. While everyone argued over who got to be Leonardo or Raphael, I was happily off to the side as Michelangelo, swinging my very-much-DIY, cardboard-toilet-paper-rolls-held-together-with-string nunchucks.
To me, sidekicks are often far more fascinating than main characters. They can be funnier, smarter, flawed, and oftentimes more believable. While the hero had to be the strong go-getter who was constantly in danger, the sidekick got to be the guy who commented on the action and sometimes even saved the day.
The best sidekick of all and an inspiration throughout my childhood was Emmett L. “Doc” Brown of “Back to the Future“ fame. It was Doc who made the trilogy for me. He was the ultimate nerd: knew everything and, if he didn’t, he could figure it out pretty quickly. He got to drive the flying car and built not one but two time machines (also he got some play from Ted Danson’s wife, thus marking the only time Jules Verne got anyone laid).
In the eyes of 10-year-old me, Doc had no competition.
As I grew up though, I started to realize that while being a sidekick is great, there’s always the sense that you’re on the outside looking in.
And then another doctor came along. This one, however, had no name.
In the long-running BBC series “Doctor Who”, we have, again, a time traveling doctor, but this one isn’t an eccentric Hill Valley citizen. He’s The Doctor, the man of a million (or at least 11 at this point) faces, the last of the Time Lords, and the guy who pops in with his time-and-relative-dimensions-in-space (or TARDIS) Police Box to save the day.
So, two time-traveling doctors. One’s a sidekick and other has sidekicks (or “companions” as the show calls them). The Doctor’s companions are usually nowhere near as interesting as he is, mainly because, y’know, he’s basically a god and all that. Sidekicks generally have to add to the story (offer some techno-speak or a brief moment of levity or sometimes just a summary of the hero’s goals) and The Doctor’s companions are there most of the time to humanize him a bit (tangent: the necessity of The Doctor to stay connected to humanity was a theme played out expertly in the episode of “The Waters of Mars” when The Doctor decided he was no longer a god and actually simply God and therefore the rules of time travel no longer applied to him).
Throughout the “Back to the Future” trilogy, Doc Brown often steps into his role as explainer first and character second, with Christopher Lloyd seemingly relishing every last word of convoluted sci-fi babble. Marty, meanwhile, stares on dumbly.
I say this with no disrespect to the character of Marty McFly—he’s a great protagonist, no doubt. He was headstrong and wholly relatable, the average kid who lucked out when the crazy, wild-eyed scientist invited him to a mall parking lot late one night and showed him his time machine. But, let’s face it, he’s pretty much the last guy you want time traveling. He’s a total klutz. Many of the major plot points throughout all three movies are caused by his complete ineptitude: saving his dad’s life and causing his mom to crush on him; buying the Almanac that allows Biff to create alternate 1985; not being able to back down from a fight and thus almost dying at the hands of Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen.
Contrast this with The Doctor who is so smart that the show doesn’t even bother introducing plot-solving dues ex machinas. Most of the time, when The Doctor and his companion are in a tight spot, the writers solve it by The Doctor telling people to shut up so he can think.
Honestly: thinking. That’s the go-to plot device. Even when it almost gets him vaporized (as it does in the transcendently good season four episode “Midnight”), The Doctor’s cleverness provides him with an answer, because while Doc Brown seems to know everything, The Doctor literally knows everything.
In the States, “Doctor Who” is still pretty firmly lodged as a “cult show.” That’s fair enough—sometimes its cheapness and camp can be a turn-off to viewers. What’s even more interesting, though, is that in the UK, “Doctor Who” is a legitimate hit—spawning legions of devoted fans, magazines, books, comics, and, of course, a pantheon of toys.
It says quite a bit about the cultures of the US and the UK that the face most associated with time traveling in the US is Marty McFly: a know-nothing kid who lucks into this adventure. Meanwhile, the smartest man in the room, The Doctor, is the representative of time travel across the pond.
As Americans, we tend to romanticize the idea of the lone cowboy, the brave frontiersman, the rugged individual, the guy who bucks the system and gets away with it. Marty is that guy. He’s a bucker of the greatest system of all—time itself.
The Doctor meanwhile is basically just a really smart dude. He pays attention, he learns things along the way, and he figures stuff out by, yeah, simply thinking really hard.
In a way, this kind of explains the show’s standing among American viewers—Americans don’t like eggheads, they don’t like knowing that someone out there is smarter than they are and, a lot of the time, they don’t like to entertain the idea that they might be wrong. It also explains why smart people like The Doctor so much. He doesn’t need to slow down and cow-tow to anyone else. To a certain extent he’s inspirational: he’s the sidekick and the hero, the explainer and the bucker, the scientist and the adventurer.
As a kid, Doc Brown was one of my idols, but as an adult, I’d put The Doctor pretty high on the list of people I often emulate. There’s nothing wrong with being the sidekick, no, not at all, but there’s something fulfilling about seeing yourself as The Guy rather than The Guy Behind The Guy.
Although, I must say, making a homemade Sonic Screwdriver is proving pretty difficult.
2
DevilsReject
Cleveland, OH
February 2007
AUG 31, 2010 10:28 PM
In a way, this kind of explains the show’s standing among American viewers—Americans don’t like eggheads, they don’t like knowing that someone out there is smarter than they are and, a lot of the time, they don’t like to entertain the idea that they might be wrong. It also explains why smart people like The Doctor so much. He doesn’t need to slow down and cow-tow to anyone else. To a certain extent he’s inspirational: he’s the sidekick and the hero, the explainer and the bucker, the scientist and the adventurer.
While i don't argue that this probably stands true for some people, i think the main problem with Doctor Who making it in America has more to do with some people just plain not wanting to have to think while watching TV.
That theory explains some of the TV shows that are popular now, like Big Brother, Survivor and it mostly explains how Jack-Ass actually made two successful movies. Some people don't want to think, they just want instant gratification and entertainment.
I consider myself smart, i also watch things depending on my mood. Sometimes i feel like being intrigued, other times i just feel like being entertained. I would say that Doctor Who as Compared to Back to the Future isn't as much as a measure of your intelligence as much as it is a measure of what kind of mood you are in. I have read Physics and Thermodynamic textbooks for fun, i have also watched Johnny Knoxville catch a taser in the nuts......it all depends on my mood.
and just to add, the original time traveler was simply named "The Time Traveler" and he ran across Morlocks and the Eloi.
Although I agree with the above idea of the mood we are in as viewers dictating what we watch, the fact that the vast majority of Americans are not in the mood for Dr. Who often enough for it to really catch on is significant. I don't think that this necessarily speaks to the intelligence of Americans, but it does speak to how intelligence (or at least the "egghead") is valued in our culture. There is a prejudice against intelligence. In order to be accepted, the truly intelligent need other characteristics to make him or her tough/sexy enough to be interesting. Even Dr. House needs a drug problem, a limp and a motorcycle to be accepted for his intellect.
As a side note: Mr. Kelly, were you by any chance a younger sibling. As a younger brother, I developed an appreciation for Spock, Han Solo, and Robin at first because I was pushed into those roles, but eventually came to understand that they were the superior characters.
Apologies to all for not taking the time to reply to your wonderful, wonderful comments earlier. I'm a cad, I know, and self-flagellation shall ensue upon responding. Serious self-flagellation. With, like, a barbed thing and stuff.
@DevilsReject: I totally agree that some (actually most) people tune flick on the tube for some sort of background noise or mindless entertainment. I have those shows as well. My point wasn't that if you watch DOCTOR WHO you are somehow smarter than the average Jackass viewer, but rather that characters like The Doctor speak to a certain segment of the population because we feel a kinship with him (not that we're all super-smart or anything, but just that we respect and admire his intelligence). Just like people who watch JACKASS might think it would be great to have some sort of gig where they can hang out with their friends and do crazy stunts and laugh their asses off, WHO fans think it would be great to be a time-traveling genius. I find it surprising though that there is a place (the UK) where WHO is a bona-fide hit and, by my logic, that means that there are more people over there who the character speaks to.
@McSweeney: There is definitely a prejudice against eggheads. Smart folks got close to some form of acceptance in the 90s when Fox Mulder was using eight-syllable words every third line and staring inquisitively at... well, everything. It is more common to have the smart guys sidelined (a la Doc from BTTF or Giles from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) and sometimes that's okay. But once in a while it is nice to see a nerd take over and save the day. Also, you are spot-on: I am the youngest child in my family. My older brother and I often talk about how he was saddled with a "Hero Complex" and I, throughout my years of subconsciously mimicking him, developed a "Sidekick Complex." These aren't severe and both my brother and I have grown out of them, but they still played a heavy hand in our formative years.
@Deameus: Aaaaaaaand we're besties. Please pick up your friendship bracelet and adjourn to room 4 for the creation of several inside jokes.
@CoyoteMike: Yeah, I would argue that WHO is still pretty firmly lodged as a cult show. Of course the word "cult" has become pretty worn out over the last few years but, yeah, it doesn't get the numbers that other shows with similar content might get (say, for example, FRINGE or CAPRICA). It is gaining traction here in the States bit by bit but we're a while away from seeing Matt Smith grace the stages of the late night shows or something similar. Who knows though? Maybe the upcoming "international" TORCHWOOD will help speed up the process.
Thank you all SO much for reading. You're all solid-gold in my eyes (which raises the question: why am I putting solid-gold in my eyes? It's very heavy and really hurts). CHEERS!
I tried to get into Dr. Who, being a huge nerd I assumed I would probably like the show. However every episode seemed to "the attack of the slow moving aliens, who spend their free time reminding each other of their evil plan and laughing about it." Maybe I just picked the wrong season, but what I saw was pretty bad.
1. Always start with the reboot (season one started in 2005). If you have that annoying nagging feeling like you're not getting the full picture unless you start from the very beginning: IGNORE IT. The reboot is the place to start.
2. I would suggest starting with season 1 of the reboot, but a lot of my friends find it difficult to get into a show that looks so cheap and is so far removed from normal sci-fi fare (not a whole lot of special effects and a TON of talking). If you try season 1 and you're not feeling it (understandable since season 1 has a lot of growing pains) then I would suggest seeking out and watching the following eps.
"Blink" (season 3)
"Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" (season 4)
"Midnight" (season 4)
"The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" (season 1)
"Love and Monsters" (season 2)
"Human Nature/The Family of Blood" (season 3)
The great thing about these eps is that you need to know very little in order to "understand" them. You need to know: there's a guy called The Doctor, he always has a female companion with him, and he time travels in a blue box.
3. Remember: money does not equal quality. WHO is a cheap show and they often have to make do with a lot of practical solutions (in season 5 episode, The Doctor met Van Gogh who was the only person who could see the monster... convenient for the special effects department!). Just because it doesn't always LOOK the best doesn't mean that it is bad. The writing is always spot-on, the acting is usually fantastic, and the direction is charming and interesting.
If you like sci-fi and sharp writing I would suggest giving WHO another shot. Enjoy!
Unfortunately, I never quite had as much exposure of Dr Who as I deserved. Of the British programming I can remember seeing most over the tinfoil clad rabbit ear UHF channels, Benny Hill seemed to top the list, closely followed by Monty Python or some other BBC show like Mystery. By the time Dr Who came on, it was usually past my bed time.
I can relate, however, to the mystery of the egghead taking the back seat in American culture. Consider that it was always Gilligan's Island even though the Professor was the one who made everything comfortably habitable and devised nearly every scheme to get them rescued or off the island. But no, the bumbling first mate made sure that they managed to stay put. In fact, the only one who seemed to made it was the blue-eyed jungle boy who sailed aloft in their air balloon and into the arms of cinematic stardom. This of course was Curt Russel, who, through his ping-ponging career has played a number of characters from a geeky car salesman to a psycho killer and everything in between.
His most memorable role for me is that of anti-hero, Jack Burton, in Big Trouble In Little China. In it, he plays the typical American action male role with a twist: he's loud, a bit dumb, cocky with a splash of comical bravado, and just damned lucky (it's all in the reflexes). While his may be the leading role in the film, at least his character seems to think so, he's continually finding himself in over his head and confused about everything going on around him. In fact, he's very nearly the sidekick of second man, Eddie Wang, who drags Jack into a quest to help him rescue his fiancee. At one point, Eddie is reserved about retelling "Chinese myths and legends" to Jack because he, "doesn't want to insult his intelligence." In typical Burton fashion he responds, "go ahead, I can take it," because Jack literally thinks he can take anything on, shooting from the hip, even though it's clear that most things are outside of his range of understanding and intelligence.
Alas, he manages to get into a few scrapes (usually being late on the draw), kills the main bad guy, rescues his love interest, Gracie Law, and recover his stolen rig along the way. Brilliantly, the movie doesn't end with him riding off into the sunset with Gracie, but has him slinking off into a raining downpour, leaving the Gracie behind waiting in the air of a parting kiss she that never quite receives. Though his role may have been a witty, tongue-in-cheek play on the classic leading action hero, it exposes as many failings in this character model as it extols. Jack may be lucky, and he may act tough, but in the end he's a loner, not one to get tied down to anyone or anything outside his freedom and his truck, and not one to rub shoulders with those who are outside his league for very long. I wish that other roles for the American archetype were as cleverly written as Burton's, it certainly would help bring them down a level with everyone else.
LowManYellowCoat
USA
August 2010
AUG 31, 2010 07:01 AM