If anything should give courage to Star Trek fans, its "Doctor Who."

For example, "Who" started on the BBC before Trek was ever seen on NBC. The show has had several leaders, each one having his own personality. Then, too, the series left the air for several years, and now is back, attracting viewers across the globe and considered a big success.

I, for one, think those are good signs for Treks eventual return to the big and small screens. And I know "Doctor Who" can provide some good science fiction.

Now, I need to point out that I know a lot of Whovians, the name for Who fans just like Trekkies and Trekkers has been what people who enjoy Trek have been called.

I think "Doctor Who" has had some great moments. But I dont feel there have been enough of them for me to consider myself a fan of the show.

"Doctor Who" debuted on the BBC in Great Britain back in 1963. From the start, it has been considered a childrens show, and thats been both a blessing and a curse.

As a program for kids, "Doctor Who" could indulge in aliens and magic and weirdness that the BBC didnt think would interest adults. That was a good thing since it allowed more imagination to be engaged.

The bad news for me at least is that being a series for kids means NO physical violence. No punching. No kicking. No hitting of any kind that is done intentionally.

The truth is, from my observation, a significant number of British television viewers find that perfectly acceptable. In fact, they seem to enjoy shows that spend a lot of time talking, such as "Babylon 5." And "Who" does spend a significant portion of each episode considering each move and then examining the ramifications of those actions.

So what does a British television show do to fill the time between talking head discussions? Running. Then running some more. Were here, and we need to get over there. Lets run. Once we get there, we find we need to go somewhere else, so we run some more. Then, to top it off, we run just to fill the time.

As an American viewer used to physical conflict in my television shows, I find all the running to be, in a word, dull. If I want to watch people jog, Ill put an exercise video in my DVD player. But it doesnt appeal to me as a major portion of a science-fiction series.

That said, I still like the new incarnation of "Doctor Who." It has had some great moments, some thoughtful scripts and some good acting. And it has also had running. Lots and lots of running. And just to show that the new "Who" can improvise, they occasionally stop running and start climbing. Climbing ladders. Climbing stairs. Climbing rocks.

But before this turns into a running gag, lets examine the latest "Who." Following an Americanized movie that many Whovians didnt warm up to, the show came back to the airwaves in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor. In his first episode, aptly titled Rose, the Doctor picks up his latest companion, Rose Tyler, played by pop music star Billie Piper. The two take on bad guys from the shows past, the Autons, this time appearing as store dummies before letting loose with machine guns that fire through their fingers.

In an obvious attempt to update the show, this time the Doctors race from the planet Gallifrey has been decimated from the Time War, leaving him like Superman, the last survivor of his race in the galaxy. This was intended to make him a more sympathetic character that audiences could feel for.

Like many previous Doctors, Ecclestons version wore dark clothes and was quirky, smart and resourceful. He didnt rely on his fists, but instead used his wits to outmaneuver his adversaries.

Let me say that this has been one of the admirable things about "Doctor Who." Its unusual to find a show focusing on someone who is mostly a pacifist. In real life, thats an admirable trait. It just doesn't make for very interesting television viewing. But then, I didnt like "Star Trek: The Next Generation" either.

The most interesting show of the season was an early one, The End of the World. In it, the Doctor and Rose travel into the future to watch the Earth finally expire in a ball of flame. Of course, some aliens see a way to make money from this, so they set up what is essentially a cruise to observe this disaster from a safe distance.

What follows is a fascinating murder mystery in space, with odd aliens and strange circumstances.

But, after one series (season), Eccleston chose to leave the show, so a new Doctor was chosen -- David Tennant.

The new Doctor was less leather and more tweed. Appearing as a teacher, the Doctor found some of "his" old foes returning, including the Daleks and the Cybermen, as well as old friends, such as Sarah Jane Smith and his robot dog, K-9.

At the end of the second series (season), Pipers Rose has left the show in a blaze of glory. Tennant continues, though there are rumors that his time is also limited. Its unclear if fans will watch the show if the lead actor and actress change on a regular basis.

The series has spawned its first spin-off, "Torchwood," which is clearly intended for adults. It centers around Jack Harkness, an omni-sexual time traveller first seen on "Who," as he helps Earths forces protect the planet from aliens.

"Doctor Who" is seen in the United States on the SciFi Channel. "Torchwood" has yet to be officially presented here.

"Who" comes from a unique perspective that folks who dont like television violence often find refreshing. If thats you, give it a try.

Wayne Hall is News Editor for Airlock Alpha, and is a member of the U.S.S. Chesapeake, an independent science-fiction and Star Trek club in the Washington, D.C., area.