Now this could be blatantly wrong, but please bear with me. I don’t have much (i.e. any) experience with British television. With the exception of a couple of episodes of Keeping Up Appearances and The Benny Hill Show, I came into the screening of Doctor Who on Monday as a completely blank slate. Needless to say, what I saw shocked me, in a good way.
What little I knew about Doctor Who (the original incarnation) was that it was considered a children’s series and won a few awards, but was mainly a “cult classic.” However, what I didn’t know was the critical acclaim the latest incarnation has received as one of the most successful dramas to run in British television history. After watching “Blink,” I understand why.
When Professor Becker told us a bit of the context for the episode and how it was voted one of the creepiest in the run of the series, I was skeptical to say the least. However, I will be honest with you. I turn 21 this weekend, and there were seriously moments where I was creeped out and I’m not sure if I will ever walk by the numerous statues on campus the same way. That’s only half-joking.
The thing I was most impressed with in “Blink” was the creativity and the writing. While the premise may be a commonality in sci-fi-esque shows, they aren’t high on my viewing list so it was a new concept to me. The layers to the plot impressed me as well. There were moments where I was a little bit confused and then something happened later to bring me back around and solve my confusion.
I can honestly say that in the future, when I have free time, I will watch more episodes of Doctor Who–something I never thought I would say about any British television we were going to watch the entire semester.
Oh, and just so you can’t make fun of ONLY me for this, Ronnie and I left the screening early to go to shoot the women’s basketball game on Monday night. As we walked by the statues of Lou Holtz and Frank Leahy at the stadium, we not only discussed “Blink,” but I would venture to say that, at any given moment, one of our sets of eyes were glued on the statue after the montage at the end of the episode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMhxgmpGnIM&feature=related
