Doctor Who (revived) Seasons 1-4

So I'm a johny-come-lately to this one... didn't really discover it until it hit Netflix about a year ago, got through a couple seasons of it and a season of Torchwood, and even though i loved it i got dragged away and it took me forever to follow up.

It didn't impress me at first... and a two-parter involving farting aliens about four episodes in almost killed it for me entirely. But I decided to give it a little more... and suddenly, it delivered. The episode "Dalek" was a great story that gave me a little background on the Doctor, being new to this and all, and had Christopher Eccleston going back-and-forth between manic and deadly serious. I'm not sure at what point it happened, but at somewhere between the first and second season I decided that this was the BEST SCI-FI PROGRAM OF ALL TIME. No exaggeration... sorry Star Trek TNG, Firefly, Farscape....

I think the strength of this show is in that it can be whatever it wants.... 17th century Earth one episode, a planet at the end of time in the next, and at Christmas we'll be in present-day England fending off an alien invasion.You could probably take any science fiction story and modify it into a Doctor Who episode.

As I mentioned earlier, Christopher Eccleston impressed me, and when he was replaced with David Tennant, at first I was wondering why everyone seemed so taken with him. But Tennant quickly grew on me... and it's hard to believe that anyone will ever play the role as well as him. I'm waiting for Tennant to make his mark in Hollywood now.

Rose was by far my favorite companion, although I never cared for the baggage (her mother and Mickey) that came with her. Martha could have been a contender, but her pining for the Doctor grated on me. I appreciated Martha a lot more in her return appearances in Dr. Who and Torchwood. And Donna... I couldn't really bring myself to care about her. She actually was just starting to grow on me when her time as companion came to an end. That may have been for the best.

And at the end of four seasons they gave us as satisfying a conclusion as you could ever hope for... all of the associates from years past gathered together and many meeting for the first time, Daleks, Earth stolen away, and a prophecy of doom for the Doctor. What really gave this episode gravity was watching the reactions of the Doctors associates when the Dalek invasion was revealed. These characters, who had fought through so many impossible situations.. their first reactions were that this time, they were truly doomed. Think of all the sci-fi shows that blew their ending... which is just about all of them.... this is the kind of epic conclusion you were wishing for.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the conclusion. Four movies continued the story... wherein the Doctor had decided he no longer wanted companions, and the prophecy of doom was still hanging over him. The movies were all more or less pretty good... but the Doctor felt broken. I understand that this was the culmination of a character arc, but this final chapter was just such a down note for me. I wish this Doctor's story had ended differently.

"I don't want to go."

So I have already watched the first two episodes of Matt Smith's first season as Dr Who. I'm having a hard time not comparing, but I underestimated Tennant at first, so I'm trying to keep an open mind. What is working for me is the new companion, Amy Pond. I fell in love with that face instantly. I'll throw up my review of the first season at the end, and try to make it a little more substantial than OMG AMY! DIE RORY DIE! (I watched a Sarah Jane Adventures episode that spoiled a little for me, lol.)