The Greys

Way back in November of 1963, before either of us was even born, the first episode of Doctor Who aired on the BBC. We both grew up with the programme as a staple of Saturday night television here in the UK, and it probably marks our first forays into the world of sci-fi.

Admittedly, at that young age, we didn’t really understand what science fiction was. The TARDIS would materialise out of thin air, but it wasn’t really a space ship. Not like the ones on Space 1999. And although we knew the Doctor was an alien, he just looked like a human with a quirky taste in clothes. Without the zapping lasers and dogfights of Star Wars, and stories that usually relied on suspense and drama more than special effects and expensive props, our naive young minds didn’t really put it in the same category as more obvious science fiction.

But science fiction it was – and is. And although its rebirth in recent years has seen more of a move towards spaceships and lasers, it can still occasionally muster those darker, more dramatic plots that taught our younger selves that sci-fi can be just as good – if not better – when the lasers and spaceships give way to drama and tension.

The programme has had such an impact on us – and on the British public as a whole – that we can’t let this 50th anniversary year go uncelebrated. We’re lining up quite a few Doctor Who themed Greys strips for the months ahead, with something particularly special planned for November. There will be more Daleks, more Cybermen, and more TARDIS than ever before. Like this strip, some of them will just feature a character or two from the series, whereas others will be pure Doctor Who, through and through.

As much as we enjoy the Doctor, in all his regenerations, we don’t want to go over the top on a single subject, so we’ll still have plenty of other strips poking fun at other franchises and stories. But don’t be surprised if even those have a police box in the background, or a Dalek eye-stalk poking out through the curtains. The Greys in 2013 will be unashamedly Doctor Who heavy – it’s the least we can do for this 50 year old institution that has shaped our lives so much.

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