The Big Weekend!

No, I'm not getting up before dawn and donning my blaze orange. (Bambi, be careful!)

And I do realize that there are events honoring President Kennedy and remembering his tragic death. I was just an infant at the time, so while I respect the occasion and its impact, I have no personal recollection.

Saturday is the long-awaited, much-anticipated "Doctor Who" 50th anniversary special. Sure, the show hasn't been on the air continuously since 1963, but it's still pretty impressive that its first episode premiered 50 years ago! What started as simply a "British" show grew into a "brainy" show with sort of a cult following. Today, it could be considered a worldwide hit. (I also "premiered" 50 years ago. Coincidence?)

I have vague memories of being introduced to Tom Baker courtesy of Wisconsin Public Television. That's also how I got sucked back into it during the David Tennant years. Family members are fans as well, and a few friends; I was on my way to becoming a full-blown Whovian, and I was bringing my son along for the ride. When I found our new cable package included BBC America, my fate was sealed. Oh, I don't rearrange my life to watch any particular episode, but I've seen enough to know which ones are my favorites and are worth watching multiple times. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm getting more familiar with the Doctors of the past. I need to get to know them better.

I swear I don't really watch all that much television. But when I find a show I truly enjoy, I become a loyal viewer. These days, I try to catch "Castle," Psych," "Supernatural," and "Grimm." I enjoy having to think at least a little bit while I'm watching, but I don't want to spend too much time learning a back story or mythology and watching for hidden clues each week. I can't imagine ever investing so much of my life in a show like I did with "Lost." I can pop in to Twitter and get a quick fandom fix any time I need it.

So tomorrow, I will join fans around the world (it's a global simulcast!) and immerse myself in the adventures of Doctors past, present, and future. Pretty appropriate for a character who travels through time (wibbley-wobbley, timey-wimey) and space, don't you think?

Allons-y! Geronimo!