And the winner is…

After weeks of complicated mathematical computations, divining the entrails of an ultra-rare albino unicorn, and guessing — Non-Productive.com is proud, honored, and just plain gitty to announce the winner of our Cult TV March May Madness competition.

Doctor Who

Was there ever really any doubt?

The short answer is, yes.  Yes there was.

In the very first round our favorite Time Lord came against heavy competition from one of the least likely players on the field, a little known show called RipTide.  Now, almost everyone we polled who actually voted for RipTide didn’t actually know anything about the show, but the internet is nothing if not filled with complete idiots that will do anything to make other idiots feel bad.

Round after round, Doctor Who fought unlikely competitors and either beat them back soundly, or barely stood ahead until proving victorious at the last minute.  The later was the case with the ultimate round versus Quantum Leap, as the two shows were never more than 10 votes away from each other, and were quite often only 2 votes clear of a draw.

But what does our little competition really prove?

Well, think of how amazing it is that a show like Quantum Leap, an American TV show that aired from 1989-1993, a total of merely 5 seasons, managed to fend of the BBC behemoth Doctor Who, which originally aired in 1963, still airs today, and has at best estimates, 26 seasons!

The thematic similarity of the two shows are rather astounding as well.  Both focus on a central character, a scientist, who travels through reality in the epic quest to make things better for all of us.  Sure, the Doctor has more rubber monsters and space adventures, and sure, Sam was stuck within his own lifetime – but both shows featured the very best of what science fiction has to offer us; unrepentant hope for a better world.

The results of our contest leaves us wondering: What if Quantum Leap had gone the way of Doctor Who?  Donald Bellisario, creator of Quantum Leap, is rumored to be working on a script for a film version of the show.  This certainly seems in keeping with the modern way  properties are retooled and re-released by those who control them, and there is a lot positive to stay about keeping creative control in the hands of the creators – but one can not help but ponder what it would be like if this property had a chance to evolve in the paradoxically freeing way that great works do when worked by the hands of many people.  What if our hero, Sam, leapt from body to body, and actor to actor, with an ever growing list of creative people behind the helm of the series.  Could this have been the seedpod that would sprout an essentially American Doctor Who?  Who knows.

Doctor Who has cemented its place within the cultural zeitgeist, whether you first watched it as a kid on the BBC, or on PBS late at night in your parents basement in America – or even if you’re a new comer that doesn’t really get what the long scarves are all about (yes, bow-ties are cool — technicolor-scarves are just cooler), Doctor Who speaks to us from the future and from the past.  It is a show filled with hope, adventure, and tradition.  You can nerd-out about the long history of the show or geek-out about the latest cast changes.  It is bigger on the inside than on the outside.

In closing, I’d like to thank everyone for contributing to our little March Madness experiment, which we plan on carrying out again next year (but this time, we promise to make it only last one month long!).  If you’d like to suggest shows to be included in the next tournament, feel free to register for a free account and leave some suggestions in the comments below.

– Frank

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