Attention to detail

     Today, Jen decided that she wanted to try watching dr who, which, understandably rocks my socks. She mentioned her concerns to me about changing lead actor partway through, and I spent a good little bit trying to convey why it worked. That of course, got me thinking about what makes Dr. Who such a great show. So, I will try to explain what it is, and it's something that happens in another of my favorite shows, How I Met Your Mother: Continuity and attention to detail. How I Met Your Mother isn't quite as good at it, but it works out really well in both, so here I go, trying to explain it.

     Dr Who spans millions of years and millions of planets, and when the timelines line up, they never let you forget. The Writers are so good at remembering everything they've written already that they can drop tiny little notes all throughout the story to let you know they're paying attention. In my mind, they have a small room somewhere, with sixteen filing cabinets sitting in the middle, two bookcases full of history books, and walls covered in sheets of paper, post-it notes and string, and in the middle is a small table with a lamp, where they write. At any moment during their writing, they can look up, grab a string, follow it through three story archs, and find the joke they were looking for. Usually, The things they give are a subtle little joke, or a tiny nod at something that's going to happen next season. That, I guess is what I'm getting at, is that they are paying so much attention to what they are doing that they know what will happen two seasons ahead, while a lot of shows seem confounded looking two episodes ahead. Dr, Who has a plan, whether or not they tell us, and if you're paying attention, there are hints, everything is so well mapped out that nothing ever really feels out of place, and That is what makes Dr. Who so great.

Oh, and the time travel, quirkiness, and incredible character-driven story lines, but that's a given, I think. ;)