The Boy Who Waited

Nothing says, “I bought you some stuff from the Internet,” like buying people stuff from the Internet. The Doctor Is In T-Shirt, Funny Doctor Who Parody Shirt, Charlie Brown, Sci-Fi

Me, Randy Milholland, David Willis, Danielle Corsetto, Jeph Jaques, Rob Denbleyker and MORE will be at the Dragon’s Lair Webcomic Rampage panel/signing event on December 10th and 11th. It is always a good time. Austin Fancy Bastards should NOT miss it.

More details HERE.

HijiNKS ENSUE at Dragons Lair Webcomic Rampage

In honor of The Doctor and my current allergy-related headsplosion, I am drinking a cocktail of Dayquil, Sudaphed, vodka and orange juice. I call it a Sonic Screwdriver*. I can’t say I’m happy that The Doctor is leaving for so long, but I would rather them make a great series than rush to meet some arbitrary deadline. Plus, The Doctor always comes back eventually.

My daughter is starting to figure out that Santa Claus isn’t real. [SPOILERS] Recently she’s said things like, “I bet scientists don’t think that Santa can really see everyone all the time,” and “I don’t think Santa’s reindeer can really fly. I bet they just walk everywhere.” I think I’m going to start telling her that Santa is and has always been a lie, because it’s The Doctor that brings her presents every year. Then we can leave fish fingers and custard on the fireplace for him on Christmas Eve.

COMMENTERS: Mofftatt said the incredibly long Doctor Who hiatus (Doctor Whiatus) is due to his feelings that new adventures in the blue box should start in fall. In this age of DVR’s, Netflix streaming, and all manner of time-shifted TV, does any of that really matter? Would we be better off if series were released all at once or in chunks, 6-10 episodes at a time?

Also, what are you doing to cope with the year long break from Doctor Who? Any shows taking its place? What about other activities? Do you go… outside? Do you know where outside is? Are their people out there? Please don’t tell them where I am.

*Seriously guys, do not try this. 

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88 Comments

  1. Goodthing that asterisk was there. The Sonic Screwdriver sounds like the perfect end to finals week. These days my coping mechanism involves more whiskey than I care to mention and replaying old episodes of Red Dwarf and the IT crowd. They're Brity-witty and Red Dwarf occasionally had time travel.

      • I love you. I seriously cannot contain my glee. I wasn't a big fan of the recent Blade Runner-ey movie, but I have loved Red Dwarf since I was a little kid and my uncle sent me series 1-6 when I was four on a crappy VHS he made himself.

        a couple of years ago I dressed up as Rimmer for Halloween. Out here in California no one had a clue what or who I was.

        • I find vodka from the bottle and Firefly is the way to deal with an end to finals.

          Okay, it's also what I do most every night, but still!

          • A Sonic Screwdriver (the real sort) is actually a normal Screwdriver (orange juice and vodka) made with fizzy orangeade instead of orange juice. We've been drinking them since before the New Doctor made his appearances….

    • I just play STALKER: Call of Pripyat and walk into a Space Anomaly. It provides a similar brain-splodey effect as Doctor Who. Particularly the fifth one.

  5. As far as I'm concerned, nothing will fill that wibbly-wobbly hole in my heart till next fall. True Blood puts a band-aid on it, but that's like using a cotton swab to clean out a massive head trauma.

  6. Have you watched Supernatural yet? Still one of the best shows on TV IMHO. 30 Rock will be coming back I believe. That and Im catching up on HBO shows, The Wire, Game of Throne's (almost done with the second book then Im starting in on the show) and then vampire one, name slips my mind. Oh and I have a stack of video games to play from the industry crapping out a ton over the past month.

    • Thank you! I always feel awful recommending anything on the CW but it's actually pretty good! And they're able to make a good sci-fi/fantasy show without taking themselves too seriously. It actually reminds me a bit of Buffy in that way, though not quite THAT brilliant. Every once in a great while the WB (now the CW) can produce something worthwhile.

    • Agreed! I marathon-watched all 6 seasons (and first 7 episodes of season 7) of Supernatural, in a matter of two weeks. I laughed, I cried, I was legitimately scared of my television for a while… I never thought two dudes, an Impala and some guns would be such an intriguing show.

    • I'm gonna 5th this suggestion. Supernatural is addicting and awesome. Like if Buffy and the X-Files had a baby show. Literally, since their pedigree includes both Whedonverse alum (Ben Edlund) and X-Files alum Kim Manners (until his death in season 4). Also guest appearances from everyone from Tara to Badger to Spike to Max Headroom.

      I think that CW deal with netflix has Supernatural up on instant watch in January. Start at the beginning. Its a crazy sweet ride.

  7. I'm so sick of 4 to 6 episode runs followed by months of nothing that I'm about ready to cancel the cable and ignore EVERYTHING until the whole season drops on disk. I hate having to refamiliarize myself with an entire show every three months.

  8. I've… I've still never watched any Dr. Who. My Netflix keeps screaming at me that I'll like it, but there's about 27 different versions to watch, and I've been too lazy to figure out where to start. Hoping not to start an internet explosion, I'll just ask… what do you guys think is a good spot to jump in?

    • Just start at the beginning of the 2005 series. Stick it out through the first couple episodes until you get used to the low production value and I promise you will enjoy it. (production value improves considerable after season 1)

    • Start with Eccelston, ONLY to get the basic plot out of the way. I find most of his eps to be pretty weak and him to be a rather annoying Doctor. Once Tennant comes on board (only 10 or so eps in) you need to stick out his first season. There's lots of fun, but also lots of super-cheese, bad costumes, bad effects, and silly premises. After that it's pretty much golden.

      Right after "Blink" everything changes and it becomes the best show on TV.

      • I liked Eccelston but he looks a bit like a serial killer. The Empty Child was silly, but watching it at night is freakishly scary. Although I own a similar gas-mask and now prowl about the house saying "Mommmmyyy…" and scaring the crap out of my brother.

    • It really depends. The current series started up in 2005 – so you may see it labelled as "season 1" from then on, but the show has been around since the 60's(so double check that season 1 label). In my opinion, to get into the doctor, you need a "captivating episode". The reason for this is so when you start watching the older episodes you're a lot more forgiving of the cheezy effects and budget (at least thats been my justification). The goto recommendation from a lot of people has been "Blink" (season 3 episode 10 according to wikipedia). For me, I got in at season 5 premiere "The Eleventh Hour"- I know thats really late in the game, but it instantly hooked me. I immediately marathoned seasons 1-4, and continued to watch Season 5 as it progressed.

      • I agree wholeheartedly about the "captivating episode." For me, I didn't start watching it until I happened to catch a summer Friday marathon on Syfy (or maybe it was still SciFi Channel back then) while Season 3 was going on. The marathon was season 1 episodes, and it took a while to get a captivating episode. For me, it was the "Empty Child / Doctor Dances" 2-parter. So if you're starting with season 1, please don't give up until you've gotten through that 2-part episode.
        If you feel like 6 seasons + specials is too much to go through, starting with the Seaon 5 premiere will work really well, too.

    • Start at the 2005 reboot with Christopher Eccleston (sp?). He's not my personal favorite Doctor, but he's still pretty good. Power through the first couple episodes (it REALLY picks up, I promise but the mannequins..ugh…the mannequins *shakes head*). It's sooo worth it! Plus then you'll understand the 70% of things Joel funnies about. It's Doctor Who. 🙂

      • Yeah, Eccleston's a bit much to handle as the Doctor – but then he's gone soon, and there's going to be Billie Piper to look at while he's still there…

        Incidentally, I've been Outside, and I don't see what the big fuss is about folks wanting us to go there. I mean, sure, the graphics are okay, and the physics are very realistic – but the gameplay sucks, and it's hard to find quest-givers.

      • Mannequinnes? Oh, you mean the Autons. Classic monsters, first appeared during the Jon Pertwee years.

        You want crap monsters… the Slitheen, the farting aliens. Seriously, was Russell T. Davies taking the piss or what? And lets not mention the freaking Absorbloff and innuendo about blow-jobs from concrete slabs.

        • Good points, all. I guess I mention the mannequins specifically because, when I first tried to watch the show, that first ep almost put me off. The Slitheen and the Absorbloff silliness came about once I was already hooked and could excuse it.

          • The only good thing to come from the Slitheen was the episode where the doctor had to hang out with the last remaining member of the family, while she was trying to guilt-trip him.

    • AHS is turning into something I really enjoy. The "oh right, these guys created Nip/Tuck so that's why some of this stuff is so outrageously crazy" factor weighs on me, but the story does keep me guessing.

      I've given up on Grimm. Everything is spoonfed. There's no real mystery. The whole thing is explained perfectly to you in the first 20 minutes of the ep then you just have to watch the main guy catch up to where the audience has been for the better part of an hour. It's Buffy will no balls.

      • For the first 10 minutes it was seeming like it was extremely amazing. Then the other ten minutes were spent thinking about how cool his butterfly-knife key is. Then you get bored. Sadly. It looked like it could've done a lot better with some tweaking.

  10. Heck, I'm gonna catch up on Doctor Who during that hiatus, is what I'm gonna do.

    And you should totally leave fish fingers and custard out. Maybe a stick of celery.

  11. I still can't quite adore the new Doctor Who series as much as I loved the original. The plots just don't quite click with my old school sensibilities.

  13. I'm filling the hole in my heart with roller derby related activities, comprehensive exams, and making out. It's not as good as The Doctor, Rory, and Amy, but it's ALMOST as good.

  14. I have always had a nagging worry that when I have kids I'll somehow forget to tell them about Santa…I like your idea better. Get them started off on the right foot. Maybe combine the two, tell them Santa is a Time Lord.

  15. Community was right when they talked about how frustrating British TV shows are.

    Gonna have to pop in the Robots Of Death DVD again.

  16. You know one of the MAJOR reasons for the delay? The 2012 Olympics. That alone will take up a huge chunk of the BBC schedule in the UK that most shows on the BBC will be on hold till its done and dusted. So instead of chopping series/season 7 into two chunks, Steven Moffatt just had the show held back to run in the Autumn, which makes very good sense.
    Just don't pay attention to the wailings and whinings of the Chicken Littles in most of the Doctor Who forums who are decrying the end of the world. The way they are acting, you'd swear the show was going to get canceled for another sixteen years (with a TV movie, somewhere in the middle of that ;). )

  18. I've been gathering all the classic Who I can from the local libraries where I live (surprisingly a lot), ripping them, and storing them for the next 9 months. So I can watch all that in the interim.

  19. For those so curious, the sonic screwdriver is delightful. Now its like my mouth is bigger on the inside.

    Add some Galliano to the mix and you get yourself a Captain Jack, which starts out great and then overstays its welcome but you find yourself having a lot more sex.

    For those tee-totallers, you can always try a Martha Jones. Its just warm milk.

    I did make a Doctor Donna once, but I don't remember how.

    • Just so you know, when this comic appears in HE book 4 a couple of years from now, every word of that comment is going right in their with it.

      Beautiful. Just beautiful.

      • That drink of yours probably killed him, you know. I mean, it sounds like a wonderful and glorious alcohol-induced death, but still. It's looks like his liver and brain offed each other off in a suicide pact.

  21. I didn't even realise I had a timey wimey hole in my hearts until I saw this comic and how long until the new season. I have recently rediscovered one of my first pc games and found it's still fun, it features a crazy scientist, a geek and two useless companions, time travel using a portaloo and a mutant tentacle taking over the world. Dunno if anyone else remembers day of the tentacle, but for me I had great fun completing it again and I love the cartoony graphics. It may not be doctor who but it certainly has a lot of what makes the doctor great, any timey wimey hole left will be filled by blackadder and red dwarf.

  22. This isn’t news in the uk. In the uk you get writers to write things, then when they’re finished film them. Doing it the other way round gets you the consistent characterization of Heroes.

  23. 9 months in nothing. Proper Who fans had to survive from 1989 to 2005, with only the odd scrap – a TV movie here, anniversary documentary or animated internet special there to keep them going.

    My plan was just to suck it up and then celebrate when it returns.

    Considering the BBC has had its budget massively slashed by the government I'm just happy there's going to be more.

  24. I'm going to pray that the older ones come on TV at decent hours when I am paying attention, or that I miraculously get my hands on recordings of them. All of them. ALL OF THEM. I WANTS THEM… Well, I could live without 4. The only thing I ever saw of 4 was him being a dick to K9. <3 K9

    YOU don't have a laser in your nose to cut through with, Mr. Baker. BE A LITTLE MORE PATIENT.

    I mean sure, it was like.. A tent… but… STILL.

  25. Outside? what does it mean ? is it possible to walk out of my cherished home and don't look at all those wonderful tv characters. outside is cold, outside there is no computer, outside there's only the void and no one hear you scream (they don't care). what do you mean hikikomori? otaku? I don't understand foreign languages !

  26. Ugh, and no new Game of Thrones until APRIL! I did hear tell that new Sherlock will be airing on BBC1 in January, but I don't know when we'll get it stateside…

    You could always dive into Terry Pratchett's Discworld- they DO have books you can ear-read, Joel, and the BBC live action productions are top-notch 🙂

  27. 1) Loved this comic from the moment I read the title, started laughing in the middle of the first speech bubble. This has to be one of your best (also, I'm so glad you're putting that comment in the book, because it is also THE BEST!) 2) It would be very bad for me if shows came out 6-10 episodes at a time since I have absolutely no self control when it comes to sci fi. But it also doesn't make sense to move DW to a fall-start schedule. I like how it's staggered (or used to be) so that I always have something awesome putting out new eps while I wait on something else. 3) I will probably fill the hole with the few Sherlock eps coming out, Eureka's (sadly) final season, and Once Upon a Time, which is way better than Grimm so far (IMO… I'm still giving Grimm a chance to improve).

    And if that doesn't work, I'll watch a lot of Baker and Tennant. And play drinking games with all of those drinks.

    • I heartily second Eureka and Once, and Sherlock is pretty much a given.
      And there's still Castle, Warehouse 13, Psych (it's totally geeky! Believe me!), Big Bang Theory and HIMYM.
      For more Brit fare, try Misfits. If nothing else, you'll learn some lovely new swearwords.

  28. There is much to fill the timey-wimey hole in your heart!

    While it is assuredly true that nothing can truly replace the Doctor, there is much out there that will suffice until his return. And the Doctor would want you to carry on in his absence.

    Consider Fringe, a show with alternate realities and heavy drug use. Consider other fine British fare like Doc Martin, The Bretts or even (admittedly this is only ancillary British as it is Canadian) The Red Green Show if you can find it.

    Plus consider old friends long forgotten. Why, did you know there are several hundred episodes of One Piece out at Hulu? Do you even remember the last time you saw Mister Ed? Remember the old NBC standby: if you haven't seen it, it's new to you!

    There's a whole world of fine sedentary entertainment out there waiting for you to do nothing in it–surely you're neck deep in Skyrim by now anyway!–so find your favorite chair and your best snacks and get started!

  29. Time isn't exactly linear, so maybe this year will be shorter than normal. In the meantime try ice cream. It doesn't fill the wholes but it dulls the pain.

  30. It's like you KNOW ME.

    I think I'm going to try and read a lot of books. And then I'm gonna maybe watch Battlestar Galactica on Netflix. Yeah.

  31. I too have experimented with a concoction we named Vodquil. This naturally lead to something called VodquillaDaniels. From that low all other cocktails seem mild.

  32. When I found out I rolled around on the ground exactly like Joel in the comic above. Since then I've been filling that gaping timey-wimey hole in my two hearts by watching old Doctor Who and drinking moonshine. Yeah keep your cocktails, I'll numb my pain with lovely 95% alcohol by volume.

  33. At least I know Doctor Who will be back. As for the #2 show I love, Community, now that's something to be sad over. Especially after last nights brilliant episode. ;___;

  36. Whoa whoa whoa, forget Doctor Who…
    Santa Claus is WHAT??
    I'm calling my mom right now. She has some very serious questions to answer.

  38. I know I should probably be participating in the Dr Who angst, but I just had to say that's possibly the cutest drawing of Joel ever! His sad eyes make me want to cry AND mock him mercilessly all at the same time!

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