i was always immune to "you can skip the first 3 seasons of mash" because it sounded suspiciously similar to "you can skip the ninth doctor" as though the continued success doctor who has enjoyed would be at all possible without chris eccleston's bare bones ninth doctor, his raw talent and understanding of the character and his chemistry with the equally committed billie piper. also his sincere, not-played-for-laughs, gay, on-screen kiss with john barrowman, which aired on television in 2005.