Doctor Who

Imagine a sci-fi TV show that is part mystery, part comedy, a fantastic story and an interesting cast of characters, monsters, and aliens with a touch of romance. Throw in a blue police box that is able to travel through time and space and you have a hint of what Doctor Who is. The Doctor is the last Time Lord, a traveler with a soft spot for humans who takes it upon himself to travel the stars and set things right. The current show of Doctor Who has had Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith all play the Doctor, each with their own touch on the character's personality, he is the same character with the same memories and experiences. However, unlike other shows who will have unexpected cast changes, the multiple versions of the Doctor is written into his character. He is almost always accompanied by a companion, some who span a short story arc, while others last several seasons. Similarly, each companion impacts the Doctor in their own way, often playing a persona that serves as a foil for the Doctor. Doctor Who has a wide range of monster and aliens that are used as antagonists, the most well known being the Cybermen and Daleks, both from the old series, and the Weeping Angels and the Silence being from the modern series.

The story centers on the Doctor and the companion. Each season arc often focusing on the companion to the extent of the companion being the crucial point on which the entire season hinges. The episodes will often seem to be a simple single story with the occasional two part episode, but looking back after the final episode of each season, you are able to see all the pieces as they are falling into place and how the entire season focused around one point. You are able to see how much the companion and the Doctor develops over the course of the season. Doctor Who is fairly family friendly, with a more child friendly spin off, The Sarah Jane Adventures, as well as a more adult and risqué spin off, Torchwood.

I would definitely recommend that you check it out if it sounds interesting, but I would strongly suggest that you watch a different episode from a couple different seasons before you write it off. Each pairing of the Doctor and companion adds a different flavor to the show. Eccleston's Doctor is more angry and blunt, while Tennant's Doctor is more compassionate and has righteous anger and Smith's Doctor is more imaginative and naive, and each companion changes the feel a bit. All of the episodes of the modern series are available on DVD, Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. Check it out...seriously!

Avatar: The Last Airbender

"Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked" begins the opening credits to one of the best children's animated shows I have ever seen. It is the story of Aang, a 12 year old airbender who is found frozen in an ice berg, Katara, a water bender from the Southern Water tribe, and Sokka, Katara's hardheaded, but bighearted, brother. As the show continues, you quickly find out that Aang was trapped in the ice berg for 100 years and he is tapped to be the next Avatar, the person who is a bridge between the physical and spirit world and capable of all four types of bending. But to become the Avatar, he has to learn the other three forms of bending. As the first season occurs, the three travel to the North Pole to be taught by the benders Northern Water tribe. But Aang and company is being hunted by Zuko, the exiled son of the Fire Lord. As the story and seasons progress, Aang travels to the North Pole, to Bah Sing Seh, the capital of the Earth Kingdom, and into the heart of the Fire Nation, finding friends and allies in some of the most unexpected places.

The show spanned three seasons, each one focusing on a different bending style. And that is one thing that I especially respect about this show: the directors set out to tell a story and they told it. After the story was told, the show was over, which is something that you rarely see (and something that several shows could stand to learn). While this is a kids' show and can be a little bit slow starting, it has some of the best character development I have ever seen in a TV show, kids' show or otherwise. It's almost impossible not to feel triumph when Aang understands earthbending, or holds his own in a battle with a firebender. The characters are written like real people, not flat like characters often are in kids' shows, each with their own personality and witty one-liners.

There are several episodes that seem like filler material when you first watch them, but looking back, you see that it is fleshing out the characters more. One such episode is an episode towards the end of the second season when one of the main voice actors passed away during production and it caused the directors to do an episode which was a collection of short stories, each focusing on a day in the life of a different character. Some are funny and whimsical. One character helps create a zoo. Another pair spend a day at the spa, becoming closer friends. Others are heart wrenching, such as the one who visits the grave of his son, who was killed in the war.

If this is a show that sounds interesting, all three seasons are available on Netflix Instant Watch as well as Amazon Instant Video. I seriously recommend that everyone give it a shot and watch at least the first several episodes. Let me just warn you that the first few episodes are a bit slow. Now excuse me while I go find my season one set of Avatar: The Last Airbender so I can watch it again.