[redrooster555]

I was just wondering about this, and whether it counts as a character inconsistency or what.

Given that the Doctor is from a race of people who invented black holes (allegedly), and has the entire universe at his fingertips, why is he so interested in Earth? Having not seen all of Classic Who, I don't know if this was ever really explained or not.

I can understand him being interested in visiting historical periods when he has humans with him (such as taking Donna to Pompei or Rose to Victorian London/Cardiff), but in The Next Doctor/Planet of The Dead/Waters of Mars he's travelling alone and he's still only going to places of human interest. Doesn't make a lot of sense given that he can go anywhere.

Obviously this is explained from a production standpoint as budget/audience avatar reasons, but has it ever been explained in the show?

[nebogipfel]

Easier to blend in because humans look Gallifreyan. Also don't forget he mentions visiting a lot of other civilisations but we mostly only get to see the human related stuff. I expect it may have something to do with the fact that humans in Doctor Who aren't all entirely rabidly psychotic every waking hour. Unlike many others he comes across.

There'll be plenty of quotes where he's explained his interest, few of which I can remember. Essentially he likes our Jelly Babies and nobody else seems to make them.

[tingramretro]

We only see some of the Doctor's adventures-in a long life, he's visited countless worlds. He visits Earth a lot because it's his favourite planet, or one of them, just as some of us read a favourite book or watch a favourite TV show a lot, or someimes go to the same place on holiday more than once.

[TheSilentFez]

Because, Doctor Who is after all a TV show made by Humans who live on Earth. We only know about Earth history, so naturally we make episodes based on Earth, because we know a lot about it and because making sets for other planets can be quite costly.

[Brother Lassar]

because he is half human

*runs for the door *

[Wizartar]

Indirectly this has been hinted at a number of times... the Doctor is forever being impressed with / by our Human Nature. Wither it's a case of us jump into the unknown or trying to do the impossible, our never failing scene of adventure. This connects with how the Doctor chooses to live his life. So we've become kind of like his favourite pet.

[MinkytheDog]

We don't know how much of his life he's spent around Earth and humans. He could have spent just as much time and effort on other planets and with some other species before he ever came here.

""I am not a student of human nature. I am a professor of a far wider academy of which human nature is only a part. All forms of life interest me." - Second Doctor.

[redrooster555]

Originally Posted by Brother Lassar

because he is half human

*runs for the door *

*lights pitchfork and sharpens torch*

[johnnysaucepn]

He loves humans, and it would appear they are fairly widespread around the universe, so there's obviously a lot of history for him to investigate.

[SinSeer]

Originally Posted by redrooster555

I was just wondering about this, and whether it counts as a character inconsistency or what.

Given that the Doctor is from a race of people who invented black holes (allegedly), and has the entire universe at his fingertips, why is he so interested in Earth? Having not seen all of Classic Who, I don't know if this was ever really explained or not.

I can understand him being interested in visiting historical periods when he has humans with him (such as taking Donna to Pompei or Rose to Victorian London/Cardiff), but in The Next Doctor/Planet of The Dead/Waters of Mars he's travelling alone and he's still only going to places of human interest. Doesn't make a lot of sense given that he can go anywhere.

Obviously this is explained from a production standpoint as budget/audience avatar reasons, but has it ever been explained in the show?

Maybe humans are the only race who will allow him to boss them around and patronise them. It could be other forms of galatic life would call his bluff and tell him to keep his nose out of their internal affairs.

[nebogipfel]

Originally Posted by SinSeer

Maybe humans are the only race who will allow him to boss them around and patronise them. It could be other forms of galatic life would call his bluff and tell him to keep his nose out of their internal affairs.

...and they could congratulate each other on their good sense as swarms of Sontarans, Ice Warriors, Cybermen, Zygons and Daleks pillage their burning but wonderfully unpatronised home world.

[DWstrawberry]

It might not be due to a specific character trait but more because it's easier from a production point of view =P

[redrooster555]

Originally Posted by DWstrawberry

It might not be due to a specific character trait but more because it's easier from a production point of view =P

I assumed that was the ACTUAL reason we always see him in human places/eras, but I was curious if there had been an in context explaination for this behaviour.

[SimonSmith42]

Originally Posted by johnnysaucepn

He loves humans, and it would appear they are fairly widespread around the universe, so there's obviously a lot of history for him to investigate.

I agree, I always thought it was simply that The Doctor liked humans - it reminds me of a quote from the last episode of St*r Tr*k :-
Data says to Picard - "Q's interest in you has always been very similar to that of a master and his beloved pet."
(Picard looks at Data grudgingly)
"That was... only an analogy, Captain."
It's the same with The Doctor - Earth's not his planet, but he's put a lot of work into it.