Fan

As a fan of Doctor Who, there is a point where you recall your first encounter. Mine was when I was nine years of age. While flipping through the channels, this corky looking character appears on the screen. What do you do? Personally, there is enough interest to leave it where it is and not change the channel. Yes, by the way, this is before remote control. From that point on, it was a ritual to watch Doctor Who on channel 13. You had to return the next day to see what happens after the ending of the present episode.

Of course, at nine, you don’t completely understand what is going on. You watch the show and enjoy it. The first Doctor for me to watch was Tom Baker, and for the longest time, he is the only one I knew existed. After several years of watching, they stopped running it after school. They even stop showing it at all but would bring it back on Saturday nights. When this happens, you could watch the entire story in one night. It seems better that way, but you didn’t have anything to look forward to the next day.

Well, after a few years, the Doctor’s face changes. How strange is this? Man, who is this guy and what is going on. Well, LPB has pledge drives to raise money to keep the station on television. As you watch, the MCs discuss seeing Colin Baker. Fans were looking forward to that, and in time they run Baker’s episodes. Over the next few years, LPB aired Baker and McCoy. But in 1989, the BBC canceled Doctor Who and hurt many fans. From that point, Doctor Who goes into the dark ages. Fans are without there favorite sci-fi show for many years.

Well, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, maybe. So, the BBC produces a Doctor Who movie in 1996, which did not create enough interest to bring the show back. The reason for this could be anything. The show was out of production for seven years, and fans may have been surprised by it. As a fan, the movie is not available until well after 1996. Fans see it and hope for the return of Doctor Who, but does not take place at that time.

Fast forward to 2005, Russell T Davies has lobbied the BBC for years, but to no avail. Finally, they give him the go-ahead. It is all history now. The Doctor has five new incarnations, changed gender, new aliens and worlds, and new companions. Some fans are happy, and others are not as happy. There are new fans, and the fan base is growing. What else can you say about this? Okay, there are ups and downs throughout the many years. Some showrunners are better than others. Some get stuck on one thing and almost caused a collapse. But all in all the show has stood the test of time.