Doctor Who

Doctor Who is something I've gotten into only in the last couple of years, and it's already become one of my core favorite franchises.

For those uninitiated:
Doctor Who follows the adventures of a mysterious alien man—known only as "the Doctor"—as he travels through all of time and space in his ship, the TARDIS.

Doctor Who is a staple of British culture, but it's gaining more and more popularity worldwide, especially in the United States. It's also the longest-running science fiction TV series of all time, spanning 33 seasons (soon to be 34). However, although Doctor Who technically has 33 seasons, the show was relaunched in 2005 after a hiatus, and no viewing of the previous 26 seasons is required. Just hop on Netflix, look up "Doctor Who" (not "Classic Doctor Who") and start watching. The first season is a bit rough, but stick with it—it quickly gets amazing.

One of the reasons that DW has lasted so long is that the show is able to reinvent itself as it goes along. The character of the Doctor, being a Time Lord, is able to "regenerate" when near death, taking on a new physical body and personality. Because of this, new actors are able to assume the role of the Doctor, constantly keeping the show fresh and new. The current Doctor, played by Matt Smith, is the eleventh Doctor, with a twelfth to be introduced later this year.

The reason I love Doctor Who most is that, at its core, it's a story of endless fun and adventure. It's an oft-random, cartoonish-yet-dramatic story that can go from mind-bogglingly silly to darkly serious at a moments' notice—yet never so serious that it can't turn out happy by the end. The science fiction genre is dominated by shows and movies that are grim, dramatic, and "realistic." In a world where the ultra-serious Battlestar Galactica reigns supreme, Doctor Who stands out as a bright spot of joy. It's not shallow or childish, but it's mature enough to realize that stories can be emotional and fun at the same time. Even more than that, Doctor Who is an optimistic tale: one where altruism wins out, and the hero always does his best to save lives rather than take them.

Modern Doctor Who is well-written, well-acted, and endlessly imaginative. It'll likely be one of my favorite shows forever.

Scott Pilgrim

Scott Pilgrim is a 6-volume comedy/romance/action comic series with a movie adaptation. The story goes like this:

Scott Pilgrim is a 23-year-old lovable geeky slacker. When he begins dating a mysterious girl named Ramona, he finds that he is required to defeat her seven evil exes in epic video game-style battles.

The incredibly well-done off-the-wall humor of Scott Pilgrim (present both in the comics and the movie) is endlessly entertaining—even on multiple readings/viewings—and the ongoing plot of Scott's dating life is genuinely captivating. It's been said that in the world of Scott Pilgrim, people break into superpowered fights the same way that people break into song for no reason in musicals. It makes all the sense in the world and it feels perfectly amazing.

Of course, moreso than the fantastical elements, what really makes Scott Pilgrim work is the relatability of Scott's life. The characters in the story actually live relatively normal lives for 80% of the series; the fighting doesn't even show up until the very end of the first volume. This is, essentially, a comedy/drama about a group of young people, enhanced by fantastical elements. It's been said that both people in a new relationship must fight the ghosts of each others' exes; it only makes sense that Scott must literally fight Ramona's exes in this heightened-reality world.

If you've ever considered yourself a geek in the slightest, you will love this series. If you've ever been a young person just living life, you will love this series. I honestly don't care who you are; you need to read this.

The movie is pretty decent, though it does have some major flaws (like casting Michael Cera). AMAZING music, though. I recommend reading the books first, then watching the movie afterwards.

Things I Love

I've decided to do a series of blog posts detailing my favorite movies/TV shows/games/books/universes/etc and why they're amazing. As I post new things in the series, I'll tag them "Things I Love." You'll be able to find all the posts via the tag link here.

This is just the list of stuff I've thought of thus far; more is almost certain to be added:

Star Wars
Star Trek
Doctor Who
The Lord of the Rings
DC Comics
Marvel Comics
The Last Airbender / The Legend of Korra
Indiana Jones
Scott Pilgrim
Power Rangers
80s Sci-Fi movies
Halo
Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda
Kingdom Hearts

Honorable Mentions:
Firefly
Harry Potter
Battlestar Galactica
Final Fantasy