Brit TV and me

Brit TV and me

Posted on January 2nd, 2010 by Jeff McDonald

Enjoying my last couple days of leisure before the campus re-opens for the spring, and I am once again required to behave with a degree of activity, responsibility and punctuality that has been noticeably – and deliberately, happily – absent the last couple of weeks. I could be knocking off one more book from my ‘must-read’ list, taking in one more film at the local cineplex, or scratching one or two more items off that ‘honey-do’ list on the fridge … or I could be spending a LOT more time in front of the tee-vee.

And a majority of that time has been devoted to programming on BBC America, which is now nearing the end of a ‘Doc-a-Thon’ retrospective of David Tenant’s tenure as the Tenth Doctor, paving the way towards the end of said tenure by Tenant, and the introduction-by-regeneration of the Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith.

Like a lot of Americans my age, I was first introduced to Doctor Who in the late 70s, following the adventures of the Fourth Doctor, as played by Tom Baker. The Doctor and I parted ways for a while after that, only to be rejoined a few years back when Christopher Eccleston stepped-in as the Ninth Doctor. Eccleston only played the Doctor for a single season, and there’s still some debate over what was going on ‘behind the scenes’ … all I know is, that season renewed my interest in the series, and I have followed it faithfully ever since.

Speaking of reincarnation … at the same time I’ve enjoyed David Tenant as the latest incarnation of the Doctor, I’ve also enjoyed John Simm as the latest incarnation of the Doctor’s arch-enemy, the Master. In the speculation that followed Tenant’s announcement he would be vacating the TARDIS, Simm’s was amopng the names of those who might become the Eleventh Doctor.

Also tonight … no sooner will we bid farewell to the Tenth Doctor, when we welcome the latest Van Helsing with the premiere of “Demons,” starring Philip Glenister – remember him as Lt. Gene Hunt of BBC’s “Life on Mars?” Demons is The latest take on Dracula’s nemesis … who has emerged from Bram Stoker’s novel to enjoy his own popularity in films, graphic novels, Japanese anime, you name it. But Demons also tips its to more contemporary demon hunters of recent television fame, such as “Night Stalker” and “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.”

IMHO, American television has benefited from the import of programming from ‘across the pond’ – whether it’s the original shows, themselves, or American adaptations of those shows. Once upon a time, they included “The Prisoner,” The Avengers,” “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” “Benny Hill” and episodes on PBS’ “Mystery” and “Masterpiece Theatre.” In recent years, they’ve included the aforementioned “Doctor Who” and “Life on Mars” … as well as “Torchwood,” “Ashes to Ashes,” Robin Hood,” “The Office,” “Being Human” and “Primeval” … all featuring creative storytelling (or re-telling), in well-crafted productions that show more-than-a-little respect for viewers.

I don’t know what tomorrow may bring … but tonight, it’s Brit TV and me.

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Jeff McDonald

There's a saying around here, something like, "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could!" That's me. I'm a 'dang Yankee from back-east' who settled in the Lone Star State after some extended stays in the eastern U.S., and New Mexico. I worked as an archaeologist for a few years before dusting off my second major in English, and embarking on a 25-year career in journalism. Since then, I've embraced the dark side of the force, and now work in PR for a community college in Midland, Texas.