I met the Doctor in the Summer of 2007 and from that day onwards, eight years of innocence, awe and fun began. Makes lots of sense then—to me, at least—to write about the show, and why, oh why, I’m such a fan.

There are many takes on the series and what makes it shine. But for me, Doctor Who is a series about love, and playfulness, and most of all, fun. It’s quite human at it—or Gallifreyan—for it’s also filled with regrets and pain.

It’s by no means a perfect show. Far from that. There are warts to be seen and (more times than we’d want to admit), even bad scripts. Quite bad.

But also, it has a whole feeling of magic one imbued into it, one we can sense by living through it. Not a very tangible magic, as one may expect, but it’s there. You can feel it. It's there in every chapter and is there in every tale.

It’s the dare.

Doctor Who challenges us to laugh, and hope and dream. Like a child would. With no regrets and with no shame.

It’s a show that can be whimsical, and childish and event hurtful at times. Many times, for actors left, and the characters we’ve grown to love leave with them as well, and griefs must be lived and trust regained by the ones that replace them.

It’s the story made of stories; a force of nature lived to be retold. It’s a story about following the randomness of life, of disrespecting some rules, but also about fighting for others. For the ones that count. Or should.

It’s a series about being silly just for the sake of it, because it’s important, and worthy and because we should. It’s the show that tells us that even when you are over eleven hundred years (and counting), and never—ever—land your ship on Sundays, for Sundays are always boring. The show that shows us that you can run, and laugh, and make things up in the way, and know, even then, when all the stakes are up, that you are having the ride of your life.

So, to each Doctor that has ever shone before us, and their cast and crew, thanks for all the fun, and the joy and the thrill. The ride isn’t over, and I will always be expecting for something to appear at my own backyards, even when I don't have one. I'll be waiting for the cloister bell to ring and for something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue to land and dare us to have fun.

Hear, hear!