Doctor Who Is Back! The Time Lord Returns

There was always something a little risky in attempting to continue that venerable British sci-fi franchise, Doctor Who. Reviving a show that has run since the early sixties and gathered millions upon millions of loyal followers can be a dangerous business. Done correctly, though, it can be very profitable.

So, when BBC Wales announced in 2003 that they intended to revive Doctor Who, fans met the news with concern and excitement in equal measures. The Doctor had enjoyed only one full-length screen outing since the show was cancelled in 1989 - the Fox Network's TV movie starring Paul McGann as the eighth Doctor - and poor ratings left little doubt that the franchise was truly dead and buried.

So, it was with a sense of trepidation that the BBC aired the premiere of the first new TV series in 16 years. Salford-born actor Christopher Eccleston (Gone in Sixty Seconds, 28 Days Later) was the unlikely choice for the part of the ninth Doctor, along with the even more unlikely choice of 90s songstress Billie Piper to play his spunky sidekick, Rose Tyler.

While reviews of the new show were generally positive, some hardcore Doctor Who followers were opposed to several changes. A new logo and a few minor changes to the TARDIS were enough to generate hate mail and death threats to members of the production team - but, then, cult sci-fi shows have always acted as lightning rods for those slightly less balanced elements of society.

In general, however, fans approved of the new show. Ratings for the first episode, titled "Rose", hit over ten million in the UK - the per capita equivalent of almost 50 million in the US. These ratings were high enough to spur the BBC to announce that a second season would be produced - season 27 overall.

Unfortunately, just hours after this announcement came news that Eccleston would not return for a second spell as Doctor Who for fear of becoming typecast. His departure had apparently been planned before filming ended on the first season, but was not meant to be made public until after the shows had aired. Following much speculation it was announced in April 2005 that Scottish stage actor David Tennant would fill Eccleston's shoes for the second season.

A year after its transmission in the UK, the Sci-Fi channel began airing season one - with the second season beginning at the end of September 2006.

So what developments can we expect with the second season? The first episode, a 60-minute special titled "The Christmas Invasion", was originally aired in the UK as a Christmas special in 2005. Though not technically part of the official second season it will air on the Sci-Fi Channel as the first episode. "The Christmas Invasion" will contain a sub-plot focussed on introducing us to the new Doctor.

The main story will focus on an invasion of the Earth by a violent alien race, the Sycorax. But will the Doctor, weakened by his regeneration, be strong enough to save the world?

The new season will show us a different side to Doctor Who. While Eccleston's Doctor was dark and melancholic - often displaying disdain for the human race - Tennant's incarnation has a much more upbeat personality. Speaking with distinctive Estuary English, the tenth Doctor is a cheeky scoundrel of the highest degree. Usually light-hearted and witty, Tennants' character will become much closer to the human characters in the show - especially his companion Rose.

We can, however, expect fireworks during the second season of Doctor Who. Emotions run high as The Doctor becomes ever closer to his companion Rose, and he must face up to the fact that the near immortality of a Time Lord can be a curse as well as a blessing. Can he bring himself to love a mere mortal?

Meanwhile, The Doctor must face his eternal foes the Daleks - along with another ancient enemies, the Cybermen. During these battles he'll also find help in the form of a face from the past - as well as his trusty robot dog, K-9.

The second season of Doctor Who promises all the excitement of the first and more. Travelling through time - and even between dimensions - The Doctor will continue to fight the good fight against the enemies of the universe. Whether he'll be up to the challenge we'll have to wait and see.

Related Information of Interest:

Avoiding A Traumatic Experience
Taking simple steps to protect our families from going through the “TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE OF HAVING A LOST PET” can be as easy as registering your pet with an online service like RecoveryPets.Com. The services provided by this company includes registering the pet by name, a description, a photograph of the pet, along with up to ten contact phone numbers or email addresses of the pets owner. Plus, a pet tag that never becomes obsolete and contact information that can be updated FREE for the life of the pet.

Each year millions of pets are reported lost or found, but a vast majority of these family members are never reunited with their owners. The main reason for this is the lack of accurate identification, and this is because most pet collars or identification tags contain obsolete or outdated contact information. Fortunately there are companies like RecoveryPets.Com that provide services to increase the chances of recovering a family pet if they should ever become loss.

Protecting our pets should be one of our major concerns, and by providing a means for lost pets to be returned to their owners is the mission of RecoveryPets.Com. For more information on the services that they provide, visit their website at: www.recoverypets.com

About the Author

Thaddeus Collins is the owner of RecoveryPets.Com a company that specializes in the global recovery of lost pets using a unique tracking number that is registered on the companies website, and can be searched if the pet becomes lost. For more information visit www.recoverypets.com

Marching Along
1. In England, until the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752, March was considered what month of the calendar year?
A. First
B. Fourth
C. Eighth
D. Last

A. First
QQ: In England, until the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752, March was considered the first month with the legal year beginning on March 25.

2. What animal is honored on March 1?
A. Pig
B. Horse
C. Cow
D. Chicken

A. Pig
QQ: March 1 is National Pig Day. It was started by Texas art teacher Ellen Stanley in 1972 to honor and give thanks to our most intelligent domesticated creature.

3. Also known as St. David's Day, what country holds March 1 as its National Day?
A. Ireland
B. England
C. Wales
D. Scotland

C. Wales
QQ: March 1, St. David's Day, is the national day of Wales. St. David was the founder and first abbot-bishop of Menevia, now St. David's in Dyfed, South Wales. The day is commemorated by the wearing of daffodils or leeks. Both plants are traditionally regarded as national emblems.

4. What organ of the body is honored the third week in March?
A. Heart
B. Skin
C. Lungs
D. Brain

D. Brain
QQ: The third week of March is Brain Awareness Week in support of brain disease and research.

5. What favorite food is honored in March?
A. Soup
B. Eggs
C. Steak
D. Noodles

D. Noodles
QQ: As legend has it, noodles were first made by 13th century German bakers who fashioned dough into symbolic shapes, such as words, birds and stars. These "nudels" were then baked and served as bread. March national noodle month.

6. According to Roman mythology, Mars is the God of War. He was also regarded as what?
A. Father of Rome
B. Destroyer of Rome
C. Founder of Rome
D. Builder of Rome

A. Father of Rome
QQ: One of the most important Roman deities, Mars was regarded as the father of the Roman people because he was the father of Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. Although his original nature and functions are obscure, Mars was identified by the Romans with the Greek god of war, Ares. The month of March was named for Mars.

7. The week of March 20-26 is designated to honor what childhood pastime?
A. Chewing Gum
B. Bubbles
C. Slinky
D. Yoyo

B. Bubbles
QQ: March 20 to 26, 2004, is "National Bubble Week," the week for kids of all ages to celebrate the fun and enchantment of bubbles. The first-ever Bubble Week was in 2000 and was initiated by Oddzon, makers of Koosh Bubbles. The event was created to herald the first day of spring -- the unspoken first day of the bubble-blowing season.

8. March has its own insect, the March ____. What is it?
A. Bee
B. Moth
C. Beetle
D. Fly

D. Fly
QQ: There are about 119,500 known species of flies and they make up the fourth largest insect order, after the beetles, butterflies and moths, and bees and wasps.

9. What piece of foul weather gear is honored in the month of March?
A. Raincoat
B. Galoshes
C. Rubber boots
D. Umbrella

D. Umbrella
QQ: March is national umbrella month As a shade from the sun, the umbrella is of great antiquity. It is only more recently we have come to see the umbrella as protection from rain.

10. What favorite snack food is honored in the month of March?
A. Corn chips
B. Popcorn
C. Peanuts
D. Cheese curds

C. Peanuts
QQ: March is National Peanut Month. National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941. It was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1974.

You can enjoy more trivia created by Deanna Mascle at A Trivia Break, The QuizQueen, and Trivial Topics. Submitted with Article Distributor.

Iraqi Insurgents In Secret Talks; Admit May Be Fighting Wrong Enemy
Iraqi insurgent groups, in secret talks with resourcefully pacifying President Jalal Talabani, admitted they may have been fighting the wrong enemy. Upon hearing the admission, President Talibani slapped his forehead so hard he fell over backwards and was unconscious for approximately three days.

Upon being resuscitated, he continued the talks. Apparently, the insurgents, most of whom are Sunni Muslims, have slowly begun to realize that American and coalition troops, who they have been making their best efforts to kill, may not be the real enemy. It seems they are also growing disenchanted with the practice of blowing up a dozen or so of their fellow countrymen every day.

While it is far too soon to expect them to realize that coalition troops are actually the helpful heroes who liberated their country from murderous despotism and will be delighted to depart their sandy realm as soon as they can get their act together and run their own country, the groups have indicated a marginal willingness to consider giving up their various armaments and roadside explosives.

Behind the change in their sentiment seems to be, not only their longtime-overdue displeasure with dismembering their own nation, but the realization that they are dangerously bordered by their traditional enemy, Iran, as they have been for quite a few thousand years, and that, because of the continuing discord, Iran has managed to increase its influence in the country, particularly among their uneasy Mosque fellows, the Shiite contingent of the legions of Mohammed. This perception is especially upsetting to the insurgents, because, as noted above, most of them are rival Sunni “Mosque-ovites.”

Their infuriatingly slow realization of the error of their ways is likely to elicit hardly more than ironic displeasure from the many families, coalition and Iraqi alike, who have lost loved ones during their misguided rampage.

But at least their willingness to talk and to consider mending their detonative ways is a glimmer of hope for the families whose sons and daughters are still in Iraq, attempting to do the right thing by the Iraqi people, Sunni and Shiite alike.

May the day soon come when enough of the knuckleheads realize the error of their war so we and the other nations that are in the hot sands we’ve gotten ourselves into can finally get our much underappreciated troops the heck out of there.

Tom Attea, creator of NewsLaugh.com, has had six shows produced Off-Broadway and has written comedy for TV. Critics have called his writing ""delightfully funny" and "witty" with "good, genuine laughs."

Four Types Of Diabetes! Which Are You?
Type 1 diabetes
Results from the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that unlocks the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.

Having type 1 diabetes increases your risk for many serious complications. Some complications of type 1 diabetes include: heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy).

Type 2 diabetes
Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

Having type 2 diabetes increases your risk for many serious complications. Some complications of type 2 diabetes include: heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy). Learn more about these complications and how to cope with them.

Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women - about 135,000 cases in the United States each year.

Because gestational diabetes can hurt you and your baby, you need to start treatment quickly. Treatment for gestational diabetes aims to keep blood glucose levels equal to those of pregnant women who don't have gestational diabetes. Treatment for gestational diabetes always includes special meal plans and scheduled physical activity. It may also include daily blood glucose testing and insulin injections. You will need help from your doctor, nurse educator, and other members of your health care team so that your treatment for gestational diabetes can be changed as needed.

For the mother-to-be, treatment for gestational diabetes helps lower the risk of a cesarean section birth that very large babies may require. Sticking with your treatment for gestational diabetes will give you a healthy pregnancy and birth, and may help your baby avoid future poor health. (see Diabetes Symptoms)

Pre-diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. There are 41 million Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 20.8 million with diabetes.

7% of the population has Diabetes! Information on Diabetes Symptoms