The Doctor Who Morning Cuppa – 7/2 Edition

A rare Doctor Who adventure that passes the Bechdel Test, the Americanization of Doctor Who, the case for a teenage Doctor, and exactly how old is the Doctor?

“Dark Eyes”: Doctor Who Passes the Bechdel Test – The Mary Sue

"“Dark Eyes” tells the story of the Eighth Doctor, looking for hope after the death of his previous companion, Lucy, only to find that one of his fellow Time Lords has a project for him that lets him “save the girl.” Of course, not all girls need saving. Molly O’Sullivan may be a caught in a struggle between the Time Lord High Council and The Dalek Time Controller (not to mention, later in the series, The Master and a godlike gaseous entity called the Eminence,) but she’s nobody’s pawn. She isn’t very impressed by the Doctor either. In fact, Molly and the Doctor begin their acquaintance not with him saving her, but with her saving him."

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The Bechdel Test, for the uninitiated, is a test of whether or not a work contains female characters who talk about anything besides men. Very little in pop culture passes the test, and Doctor Who almost never does so. Even beyond that bit of information, this is a nice article about Big Finish’s “Dark Eyes” series.

The Americanization of Doctor Who: For Better or Worse? – The Escapist

"British television has always had a knack for certain types of dramas. A good example would be period pieces like Downton Abbey and remakes of novels by Charles Dickens or Jane Austen. Only recently has America been able to compete with them by coming out with Mad Men. There’s something about creating a setting that British television has done so well, and the process essentially requires more logical than emotional intuition."

A very in-depth look at how the revived Doctor Who has changed the franchise, taking on more traditional American sci-fi tropes. Well worth the read, whether you agree or not.

How About a Teenage Doctor? – Doctor Who TV

"Over the years – well 51 years to be precise – the Doctor has been subject to the whims of the people running the show. Some wanted an older Doctor, some wanted a younger one, some wanted a buffoon and some wanted a plain old charmer. Needless to say, he has already been all those things, but change doesn’t stop. It is the only constant. So sitting in my room, in the ambience of a suspiciously flickering lamp, I was hit by a radical thought – What if the Doctor regenerated into a teenager?"

Oh god, no. Just…no.

Find out how old the Doctor really is… – Radio Times

"One of the greatest mysteries in Doctor Who (apart from where he gets his hair cut) is the Doctor’s age, with the titular Time Lord giving varied and contradictory accounts in both the classic and revived series.Sure, we know Christopher Eccleston’s ninth Doctor was supposed to be 900 in the 2005 series – but then why did his seventh incarnation think he was 953? And could David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor really only have lived for 3 years, while his next incarnation (played by Matt Smith) managed another 1,000 or so?All valid questions – but now Doctor Who fan and YouTube user TARDISArchives has done his best to answer them, tracking the Doctor’s age throughout the series and finding some interesting results."

As it turns out, the Doctor would seem to be much older than he lets on. Can you blame him, though? I’d be 29 forever if I could convince people to believe me…

Next: Doctor Who Meets The Office in Hilarious New Web Series, Dalek Gary