As modern Doctor Who keeps improving with each successive season, so grows its international renown!
One of the latest mentions of the programme from a place other than the UK stems from the United States. More specifically, the CBS nighttime broadcast, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, featured an interview recently with fellow TV personality Chris Hardwick where, in between cracks about Harry Potter, Comic-Con, and robots, a few words about Matt Smith, David Tennant, and Karen Gillan were uttered. Beware: some of the remarks made in the video below may not be entirely family-friendly…
Alternatively, you can watch here or see what BBC America has to say about the clip here.
It’s always pleasant to see our favorite show acknowledged in the general media elsewhere in the world. A few more nods like this and awareness of Doctor Who will increase so dramatically that before we know it, its worldwide ratings will outdo anything Simon Cowell has cashed-in on.
But what’s with this behaviour from Hardwick suggesting that women have no interest in Doctor Who? Perhaps it boils down to the fact that often in America, the show is regarded as something that only socially outcast males can enjoy and is therefore to be avoided at all costs. Either that or people are turned off because they think it’s strictly forty-five minutes of sci-fi and involves none of the comedy, drama, or scares that we all know are there. On the opposite end of the spectrum, in the show’s homeland of Britain, oftentimes a larger gathering of women are glued to their screens than men!
Or was that only when David Tennant was incumbent?
What do you think?
Is Doctor Who a show more geared towards men, women, or both? Ladies, this is an excellent time to speak up! Also, where do you reckon Doctor Who is headed in relation with the rest of the planet? The comment section below needs some love!
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Prior to 2010 I couldn’t have called it (what with blatant unhidden gay agenda) but now it is purely aimed dead center of the family audience where everyone can watch it together without any awkwardness. I’m looking at you Mrs Paving-Slab…
Ferguson was also talking about Doctor Who to Robert Downey Jr when he was on the show promoting Iron Man 2 earlier this year. Ferguson made a Who reference and Downey Jr mentioned that he’d never watched the show, but had seen the promos and heard good things, and he asked Craig if it was any good. Youtube it, if only to hear the audience member gasp in shock when Downey says he’s never watched Who.
Plus, Family Guy have made quite a few Who references.
I wish that whole “gay agenda” nonsense hadn’t snuck into the discussion. Sigh. Must be a British thing as no one over here in North America cared, then or now. Anyway, the whole “only guys watch sci-fi” stereotype has been around for a while, and you’re right it seems to be almost North American exclusive, what with the old “guy living in his parent’s basement” and “never getting a girlfriend” stock phrases the clueless always like dragging out. The reality is the women are just as strong in fandom as the guys are, and in fact it was a woman, Bjo Trimble, who launched the very first Star Trek Convention back in 1972!
Doctor Who over here in America has always been a family show for everyone, although, truthfully, those with kids like myself will tell you that there were a few awkward moments under the RTD banner. One could argue that you had the same level of awkwardness when Amy tried to jump the Doctor but none of these instances are a big deal. Still magnificent family show since day one.
Maybe THE most entertaining family show ever! My kids are 13 and 16 and the whole family watches Doctor Who–and the four of us never agree on any other shows except maybe MST3K, so it’s truly one of if not the best family show around, on either side of the pond.
Seems like some if not most of my female friends are fans of the show even before 2005. My most recent ex was a fan of Troughton and Davison had seen the Five Doctors many times and her young daughter counted it as a fave dvd to put on. For some reason I find women more attractive if they can name the actor who played the first incarnation of the Master and many of those who’ve become my friends have done. Point being I think the ‘only males like Doctor Who’ was always exaggerated and I’m glad that at least in this country the general opinion of the show has moved past that somewhat.
Sorry, but I agree wholeheartedly with kopicsbloodaxe. This series has finally made Doctor Who what it was meant to be: a FAMILY show. I had high hopes that Steven Moffat would be an improvement over Russell T. Davies in that regard, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I mean, honestly, the paving slab…give me a break. And let’s not forget that little incident when Cassandra switched bodies with the Doctor…