Why Earth? (Doctor Who)

Now, the average Whovian knows the real reason the Doctor seems to spend so much time on Earth, particularly in modern-day Great Britain (“modern-day” being a relative term depending on when the episode is made.)  TV shows are expensive, sci-fi shows even more so, and fantastical alien locales most of all.  That’s why, while we do get the occasional alien locale and a fair share of spaceships and astronaut bases, we also get a lot of England (both past and more present than seems strictly necessary when you can go anywhere in time and space.)  It’s why Earth is so frequently beset with alien invaders, and it’s why new-series companions tend to still have strong Earth ties to their family/boyfriends/day jobs; it keeps the budget within range. 

That’s the external reason, but what about in-show?  Over the years, some have complained about the show’s Earth-centricity, whether because they want more alien worlds, it seems improbable that London could experience that much alien activity, or it just seems weird that someone who can go anywhere seems so beholden to this particular place.  In “Hellbent,” Me brings this up to the Doctor, wondering why “a high-born Gallifreyan” is so interested in piddly little Earth.  She mentions it in connection with the 1996 TV movie, which purports the (IMO) awful idea that the Doctor is in fact half-human, using his love for Earth as proof of her theory.  I don’t like this explanation (and not just because I don’t like the half-human thing.)  To me, this isn’t really a mystery that needs a big reveal – or, in the case of “Hellbent,” at least a big tease – to justify it.  In my mind, there are two reasons the Doctor loves Earth so much, and their names are Ian and Barbara.

Way back at the start of the series, the Doctor is a very different man.  Yes, he stole a TARDIS and left Gallifrey, and yes, he’s been traveling time and space with Susan, but not at all in the way he does now.  He has a removed, scientific interest in other planets; he likes to go out, take readings, and collect samples, but he doesn’t want to meet the natives and he certainly doesn’t want to get involved in any local conflicts or problems.  Traveling is about research and knowledge, not adventure and aid.  He’s not interested in helping anyone other than Susan and himself, and when Ian and Barbara discover the TARDIS, he kidnaps them and takes off in it to prevent them from telling anyone.

So how does the Doctor go from the man who, seeing Barbara stumble when they’re being chased by cavemen, steps over her, to the man whose continual aim is to help those who need it?  Ian and Barbara are a big part of that.  The first few stories of the series are filled with arguments between the Doctor and the two teachers, challenging both his isolationist policies and his self-serving ways as they refuse to see others suffering and do nothing.  Over the course of season 1, Ian and Barbara’s eyes are opened to the wonders of the universe, but so are the Doctor’s.  He learns to see it as more than a series of places and times he can coldly examine, recognizing it as a place where he can do good, and it’s important that it’s a pair of humans – who the Doctor initially views as being far below himself – who show him that.

That’s why I think Earth is so special to the Doctor.  Even though he visited other places between Gallifrey and Earth, it’s where his journey really began because that’s where Ian and Barbara came into his life.  Without them, he wouldn’t be who he is today, and because of that, their planet holds a cherished place in his regard.