Happy Doctor Who anniversary! Our favourite TV show officially turns 57 this week – specifically, the 23rd November 2020. And what a 57 years it has been.
I’m Alex, by the way – your Lovarzi blog writer. I’m a self-confessed sci-fi fanboy who came to work for Lovarzi through a series of coincidences, exterminations and spurious manipulations of the time vortex. As we all pull together to mark this special Doctor Who anniversary, I thought I’d look back on some of the joy (and pain!) of being an ardent Whovian.
Now, I became a Doctor Who fan in 1997, right after the BBC ran its one (and only) series of Crime Traveller, written by the estimable Anthony Horowitz. Its premise utterly captured my imagination, with these two London detectives – played by Chloë Annett and Michael French – solving crimes using a time machine that was tucked away in the living room of a suburban flat.
In fact, one of its episodes – ‘Death Minister’ – stars Ken Bones, who would later go on to play the Time Lord Kenossium in ‘The Day of the Doctor,’ a different Doctor Who anniversary altogether. In Crime Traveller, he just so happens to have a model police box sitting in his office – in addition to the full-sized police box sitting in his back yard. Plus, the episode also stars David Neal – the president from ‘The Caves of Androzani.’ Coincidence? I think not. The time lines are converging.
All of these police box shenanigans ultimately led me to my local video shop where I rented out the newly-released Doctor Who TV movie, ad nauseam. (My dad recommended that I give Doctor Who a try as I loved Crime Traveller so much.)
But as I quickly discovered, getting your hands on Doctor Who videos in those days was no easy task. Oh, they were available – there were surplus copies of certain stories (such as ‘Resurrection of the Daleks’ and ‘Planet of Evil’) at my local HMV, but for some reason the BBC deleted some of the more exotic titles (like ‘Logopolis’) almost as soon as they were released. Getting my hands on certain stories seemed impossible – especially as a nine year-old boy, with limited pocket money and no internet.
Had I not persisted, I may never have made it to the 57th Doctor Who anniversary. But a sympathetic fan came to my rescue in the form of fellow Whovian Francis O’Reilly, who responded to my SOS in the magazine of the Blake’s 7 Appreciation Society. (Yes, I’m a fan of that too.) He very kindly ‘lent’ me some copies of literally dozens of rare titles – mostly Hartnells, which were my favourites. Honestly, every time a package came through the letterbox, it was a like a mini Christmas.
And he was such a font of Doctor Who knowledge; you might say, he “taught me everything I know.” For instance, it was Francis O’Reilly who broke the news that I should expect a “longer than usual wait” to see the classic adventure ‘Marco Polo’ – as it no longer existed. Along with 103 other episodes that been similarly incinerated. Oh the agony.
But yes, it’s fair to say that Francis kept me afloat during the interminable Wilderness Years when Doctor Who was absent from our airwaves. (Are you still out there, Francis O’Reilly? I’d love to speak to you again. Email me.)
I’m probably exaggerating; I’m sure I’d still be celebrating the Doctor Who anniversary if it hadn’t been for Francis. But my journey would have been harder, and much duller. Thankfully, the gradual DVD releases of the early 00s kept me afloat, and then of course – come 2005 – we had actual Doctor Who back on our TV screens – something I never thought I’d see.
And then inevitably, at the age of 18, you start having ambitions of actually getting to work on the show – the aspiring writer and actor that I was, and still am. And I came close on a number of occasions. I played the pivotal role of Second Guard in the 2005 stage production of ‘The Trial of Davros’ starring Terry Molloy and Peter Miles. Honestly, hanging out with Peter Miles in the stalls of an obscure theatre in Ashton-under-Lyne was a weird ambition I never knew I had. Can we resurrect this show for the 60th Doctor Who anniversary, please?
I then produced my own Doctor Who-inspired radio comedy called Menston Green. You see, this is the genius of commissioning your own projects. Not only do you get to cast yourself in the lead role, you also get to cast Colin Baker as your guest artist – which I did! And he was very accommodating, and lovely. I’ve vlogged about my experience in the video below, if you’d like to know more.
Of course, I’d always dreamed of writing for the actual show. When I first became a professional writer, I emailed Nicholas Briggs at Big Finish to see if there were any opportunities, and he sent me a lovely personalised reply encouraging me to look out for upcoming competitions. But I never entered them. At the risk of sounding like a diva, by this point in my life I was too busy with actual work to be entering competitions, “darling!” But I did write my first ever piece of fanfiction for the Doctor Who fan site Kasterborous and, more recently, I co-wrote the Lovarzi Loose Threads anthology. (You should download it to celebrate today’s Doctor Who anniversary! Go on, it’s free…)
And what of professional work? These days, I write for The Sooty Show – it’s not quite Doctor Who, but it’s close enough. And interestingly, my co-writer is a man named Richard Gauntlett, who just so happens to have played Urak the Tetrap in ‘Time and the Rani’ – fulfilling another ambition I didn’t know I had. (The other writer, by the way, is a man called Wink Taylor from Big Finish’s ‘The Natural History of Fear.’ He’s also written a Lucy Wilson novel, and he’s an excellent Doctor Who impersonator. See his videos here.)
Additionally, I was tasked with script editing one of Richard Gauntlett’s Sooty episodes – ‘Jurassic Lark’ – in which Sooty builds a time machine that’s bigger on the inside, with a blue light on top. (I’ve no idea where the idea came from…) It’s fair to say that I had a little leap of joy as I got to type the words, “Sooty’s time machine tumbles through the time vortex…”
So yes, ‘Jurassic Lark’ is canon. And what better way to mark this Doctor Who anniversary than with a Lovarzi exclusive? Sooty is a pre-Hartnell Doctor. It’s official. You read it here first. You’re welcome.
But will I ever get to write Doctor Who for real? Obviously, I would be delighted if I could take over from Chris Chibnall (call me, BBC.) But in the meantime, I’m having such a blast being able to write for the Lovarzi Blog. Honestly, it’s like being paid to be a fan – which is, essentially, what’s happening. It’s such a joy to be able to indulge in fanboy goodness everyday, and interact with fellow Whovians and cosplayers on social media. Thank you for making my job extra wonderful.
Now – how to celebrate this week’s Doctor Who anniversary? What have you got planned? In truth, I haven’t decided yet. At the moment I’m leaning towards a re-watch of ‘An Unearthly Child,’ but ‘The Day of the Doctor’ might just pip it to the post.
That being said, I’m also tempted to sit down with the Doctor Who TV movie. After all, that’s where it all started…
TARDIS and Dalek Christmas sweater – order now from the Lovarzi shop!
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Great article, Alex. My whole life has been shaped by Doctor Who. I don’t want to say much here — your article is the main fixture, after all — but I will say that the moment in ‘…the Silurians’ when, after the cliffhanger, the Doctor simply extends a hand to the Silurian and greets him, that moment shaped me. Amazing.
I agree
Doctor who is the best show ever. No competition!
AMEN to that. My first Doctor was Tom Baker. My brother was watching it one day and i asked him he just said watch i will explain later. Tom’s first day I have been a Whovian ever since
This show is an amazing thing to happen for alot of people. This show helped me get through the tough times.
I love Doctor who, I’ve watched it since I was a child, and it’s still a favourite when I’m in the mood for it
I love it
I love this show. I know it’s an addiction because I tried not to watch it for a week (a very long time) and I know for a fact that it’s an addiction (thanks to the twelfth doctor “you don’t know that it’s an addiction until you try to give it up”). I love the thirteenth doctor and I don’t care if she is a woman or that the writing isn’t as good, because I think she is brilliant
I have been a fan for over 40 years. Tom Baker *is* the Doctor for me. The others are just playing the part. 🙂
Dr Who the best program when I was going up! The Daleks and Cybermen frightened me to death!!
Awesome you got into the show! Who’s your favourite Doctor? I was raised on Tom Baker first of all (showing my age now 😄 ) so to me he will always be ‘my Doctor ‘, but Matt Smith comes a close second. I think the similarities in silliness and seriousness are very much alike. Loved the cameo in the 50th too!
You can’t beat a bit of Tom Baker! I mean, they’re all great, but my personal favourite is William Hartnell, closely followed by Matt Smith.
I love the old doctor who’s from before I was born. I also met the doctor in the late 80’s or early 90’s when he stopped off at st David’s hall in cardiff.
Doctor who is one of the best shows in existence I’m a Superwholockian and have watched doctor who since 2015
Doctor who is life 😍
I’ve been a fan of Doctor Who since the 1980s, when I was born. I remember renting old VHS tapes (remember them?) of classic serials, such as “The Sea Devils”, “The Five Doctors”, “Genesis of the Daleks”. I really enjoyed them back then, the action, the adventure, the scares and the different aliens. Obviously, I loved whenever the Daleks or Cybermen turned-up, but I also used to have a thing for the Sea Devils or The Master (Roger Delgado was my favourite).
As for favourite Doctor, I think it was a tie between the Third and Fourth Doctors (although my kiddie brain kind-of had an extra fondness for the Third because he was also Worzel Gummidge!).
Over the years, I enjoyed the reruns on BBC2 every Sunday. Those introduced me to a few more classic tales, such as “The Green Death” (the one with the giant maggots) and “Pyramids of Mars” (“Kneel before the might of Sutekh!”).
Like many other fans, I was miffed by there not being any new adventures for a while, apart from the TV movie (McGann deserved more!) and the odd charity TV appearance (multi-Doctor crossover with Eastenders! Joanna Lumley as the first female Doctor! The Master with breasts/Dalek-bumps!).
When the announcement was made that it was coming back in 2005 for a shiny, modern take on the legend, I was of course VERY excited. The rest, as they say, is history.
Love Lovarzi great Dr who memorabilia, very accurate to the costumes in the show.
While watching the show on Netflix, I stumbled upon “City of Death”, starring Tom Baker as the Doctor. There was something about the episode that really stood out to me, even after I got the novelisation for Christmas a couple years later. After Doctor Who was taken off Netflix, I began my quest to find a DVD of “City of Death.” Sadly all the US copies were very expensive. Finally I found a $45, great-condition copy on eBay. It is now the jewel of my Classic Who DVD collection, and I enjoy it more and more every time I watch it.
Doctor who fab show miss it
You should consider getting a multi region dvd player that plays the much more reasonably priced uk released discs
My first exposure to Doctor Who was in the early ‘80’s on PBS in the states. I loved watching the episodes, but frequently had to decide between staying home to watch it or go out with my friends. Being in high school at the time and not one of the cool kids meant that Ingot to watch a lot of episodes!
I’ve just got Britbox, so I’ll be watching lots of Classic Who this week.
Awesome — I got my daughter into Dr Who and she was born on 2006!
Visited the experience on the very last day it was open and she even got to participate!
I was introduced to the second Doctor, enjoyed Jon Pertwee but really grew up with Tom Baker. I am okay with Jodie but am disappointed with the stories that she was given. No matter what… I am still a dedicated fan.
I love Doctor Who and have created my own Whoseum with many of your products!
I’ve been watching Doctor Who since the 8o’s when it was airing on Arkansas Public Television and I fell in love with the show and have been watching it ever since. I think my first episode was The Brain of Morbius because they showed it late night on a Saturday night as an omnibus edition, then I started watching from Robot when they began airing the single episodes on weekdays.
It’s the early Doctor Who’s & their stories which I find most memorable. Probably because this Time Traveller is now 70 years old!
I am obsessed with a doctor who. I love Jodie as the thirteenth even though everyone is saying that her episodes are “too politically correct” and the writing is “terrible” but it’s not easy to write episodes like this. I am rewatching the rebooted era for the fifth time this year (I have also been watching classic episodes on BritBox) but I’m so happy watching and telling all my friends about it (even if they have no idea what I’m on about😂)
I have been watching Doctor Who for more years than I care to remember.
I think my happiest Dr Who memory was going to the BBC Longleat convention. The driver was determined not to miss a minute so it we got there at the crack of dawn so it was only when we saw th news that we saw the huge queue. The oddest one was buying the DVD of the convention and having a couple off glimpses of my 20 year old self.
I love Doctor who
My first story, well my earliest memory is Planet of the Daleks. I remember the Daleks using their plungers to bah down the Thal barricade & the Doctor in a lift and as the doors opened a Dalek on the other side. I clearly rember the regeneration into the fourth Doctor, to me the best Doctor. By season 18 I was becoming a big fan, just loved the show.. Then that awesome repeat season, The Five Faces of Doctor Who. Seeing An Unearthly Child for the first time & how good it was, Hartnell being rather grumpy. 😊. Years later never thought the merch I was collecting would lead me to two Guinness World records for the largest collection of Dr Who memrobila.
I’ve been rewatching the entire classic run of Doctor Who recently, I started around just over a year ago and am currently up to season 17. Having never watched the classic era in its entirety in episodical order it’s an absolute joy seeing the show evolve and change over the years. Season 13 and 14 have to be personal favourites of mine – full of superb stories. Here’s to another 57 years of time and space…
Doctor who is just one of those shows that can bring anyone together no matter you background or what language you speak, and no other show can do that and that’s probably why it’s the longest running sci-fi drama. Giving away a Tom baker scarf is a bit of alright isn’t it, what an iconic piece of the doctor who universe.
It was Colin Baker who started my Doctor Who journey and many years ago I sold him a mobile phone
The latest season was so amazing. What a game changer. Don’t know how they keep the show so alive!
When I was a kid, I had a vcr and blank video tapes. My friend and I spent all our time recording doctor who off the tv whenever it was on. Any repeat. Any time. I was a kid through the very end of the 7th doctor so my first experience of DW was it ending. Devastated. Luckily, I had an older brother that saw how much I loved it and he gave me 3 Pertwee videos and that was enough to spark my love into high gear and from that moment on… I was Doctor Who mad!
Great article, and look forward to reading the free anthology. My own Who journey began with the 3rd Doctor, and i have to admit i was terrified of Alpha Centauri! Laughable now, but i was very young back then… and the show inspired me to write my own monster stories. Years later, I was lucky to get my start in film & tv work as a runner on some of the Reeltime Pictures Doctor Who spin-off videos. Since then, i have written & directed films, and authored several books. Partly due to Who sending me scurrying behind my nan’s sofa. Happy Who-nniversary!
have loved this show since i was a 7th grade kid in the very early 80s
I remember Curse of Peladon on a tiny black and white telly first at two years old… by Time Warrior we were in colour, but I was the cliche, being sat behind the settee and only daring to watch the reflection of the screen in a window from there…
I first came across Doctor Who as a child when at my uncle’s house he was watching Logopolis. I didn’t understand a thing, obviously, but I was captivated by it and fascinated. My father thought it was silly, but he was starting a wood workshop in those days and was looking for potential products to sell, so I managed to convince him to borrow some of the Doctor Who DVDs my uncle had to see if there was anything he could try to replicate and sell. Once he realised the TARDIS was a good product to replicate, he thought he was done with Doctor Who, but he couldn’t stop, so I was thrilled to have a constant Doctor Who stream in my house (much to my mum’s despair who never stopped thinking Doctor Who was silly…!!!). My dad though, he liked to stick with New Who and dismissed the original run as too outdated. I had a different mind though, and managed to get my hands on most of the old Doctor Who episodes (the whole endeavour took about three years!!). My father didn’t like that one bit, he threatened to punish me, but I continued anyway, hidden. So, despite the fact that I’m mostly a New Who kind of person, I love Classic Who because through my teenage years I had to sneak around to watch it, and so it was very thrilling. Plus, it’s really really good, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise!
For the anniversary, I have planned, well not a lot really, I have loads of work to do, but across November I’ve been re-watching the greats, and through the twists and turns of life, I happen to live with the same uncle who introduced me to Doctor Who all those years, ago, and so in the same house, in the same living room, and quite possibly in the same TV (my uncle is quite the luddite and refuses to upgrade!), I’m going to re-watch Logopolis later this evening, where this whole crazy journey started for me.
It’s a brilliant show. My daughter is absolutely obsessed
I was introduced to Doctor Who by my boyfriend last year and I’ve loved watching every second so far! We started with (and marathoned through!) all the newer seasons and now we are just over half way through the classic ones. We have just recently introduced my kids (9&6) to Doctor Who too and they adore it!
You should definitely watch both “The Unearthly Child” and “The Day Of The Doctor”! Why not? ☺️
Loose Threads was awesome, good luck with writing for Doctor Who, we will be keeping an eye out for your name on the credits!
I love doctor who it is amazing.xxx
Be watching together
I’ve been a Whovian for 5 years now, starting with the reboot & my fav actors who’ve played the Doctor are David Tennant and Jodie Whitaker. My first piece of fan merch was a Tenth Doc tee & I went gaga over my first DW magazine which I bought at Heathrow airport where I also got to pose in front of a TARDIS inspired shelf during my first and only trip to London. And yes, I talk people’s ears off about the show & its characters all the time. I also create unofficial DW comics on deviant art as a hobby & also run a fan page on Insta for the show.
Dr who dab show love it
I remember the first bit of classic who I watched, fourth doctors whole first season in the few days I was ill off school with my dad
I’ve been a fan since McCoy, but my love has been revived of late because my 8 year old son is absolutely passionate about all things Who! He likes the new ones well enough, but absolutely adores the classic era and is a proper Hartnell fan. He’s autistic so his passions run strong and deep, and our shared love of the Doctor makes for plenty of cosy time watching old episodes. It’s fantastic to share the show with him, and he get completely transported. He has plans to be the Doctor when he grows up!
Probably by watching one of the defining episodes: That is Episodes that are entertaining not because they are good on their own but because by some temporal fusion they sum up said Doctor’s whole era in one story. Examples include…
First Doctor: The Time Meddler
Second Doctor: The Krotons
Third Doctor: The Time Monster
Fourth Doctor: The Invasion of Time
Fifth Doctor: Timeflight
Sixth Doctor: Mark of the Rani
Seventh Doctor: The Silver Nemesis
Eighth Doctor: Max Warp
Ninth Doctor: Boomtown
Tenth Doctor: (If you can stomach the git) Fear Her
Eleventh Doctor: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
Twelfth Doctor: The Eaters of Light
Thirteenth Doctor: The Tsuranga Conundrum
Back in 2010, my parents saw that this show that one of my uncle’s had enjoyed would be on and they asked if I wanted to watch it. At the time, I had only been interested in trains. But, on one April night, I sat down and watched as this raggedy man fell from the sky in a big blue box. I was both confused and intrigued. From the time that “The Eleventh Hour” had ended, I knew that I needed more if this strange show. From that point on, the adventures of the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond had become the highlight of my week. Soon, I was going back to the Tenth Doctor, the Ninth Doctor, and digging into the long history of the show. I had become so absorbed into the show, I had even begun to work on my English accent as well as my wardrobe. From bowties and tweed, to flowing coats and custom sonics, ‘Doctor Who’ helped to mold my personality. Without it, I wouldn’t be here today. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!
I broke my arm aged 5, and Dad’s off air Doctor Who videos were the only thing that kept me still. 32 years later, I’m still watching!
I started watching Doctor Who to impress my crush and fell madly in love with the show. I now watch it as part of my self care routine
I love the whole of season 17. City of death, destiny of the daleks.. Nightmare of Eden. Horns of nimon even.. Love it all.. Fav all time season.. And of course shada
My first time watching the show it was being aired on PBS here in the US. The first episode I saw was the 4th Doctor taking over from the the 3rd.
a spin-off, but who nonetheless- rani chandra made me realise i was a lesbian as a child, and river song later cemented this fact, will always be so grateful.
I’m not sure what the first episode of Doctor Who I saw was but the one I remember the most is A Christmas Carol that is one I still enjoy today. I have expanded my Doctor Who watching from the whole of New Who to making my way through the classics.
I’m not sure what the first episode of Doctor Who I saw was but the one I remember the most is A Christmas Carol that is one I still enjoy today. I have expanded my Doctor Who watching from the whole of New Who to making my way through the classics.
I started watching Doctor Who relatively recently — near the end of 2013. My family doesn’t understand my obsession, but my sister has been helping me grow my DW DVD collection.
DW is such good escapism hen you have to stay where you are. I hope it continues to flourish and go into unexpected directions for many years to come.
Been watching Dr Who since I was a toddler and still love it
I always loved Tom baker and his scarf as a kid and the music.
Love the “Who”, first tv show I remember from being a child and still watching!! Hope there’s a Christmas special this year- would cheer us all up 🪐👽🔭
I am a recent whovian and I adore it, the doctor has helped me through some tough times 🙂
Allon sy!
I started watching Doctor Who went it returned to the BBC in 2005. Before that, I only remember looking at imagery from the original series and being put off by how outdated it looked. I’m glad I gave it a chance the second time around, as it soon became one of my favourite TV programmes.
I love watching doctor who, always when I need to cheer up I know watching the show will make me happy
Doctor Who was an integral part of my formative years and I’ve continued watching since the reboot without fail.
Doctor who is such an comfort and I can always rely on it
So cool! First watched Doctor with Tom Baker!
I love doctor who I’ve been watching it since I was born when David first was the doctor and now i still watch it it’s the best show ever I have watched all 12 series of the new one and some of Tom backer and I’m now collecting all of the doctor who props and figures
I have been watching every episode I could since my local PBS station in Ohio started airing them in 1984(ish). Even though Davison was the current Doctor across the pond, in rural Ohio, I had no idea. Tom Baker was my first Doctor and continues to be my favorite all these years later. When my PBS finished all of the TB episodes (in order) they started running Pertwee (also in order) then re-ran the TB and slid into Davison. Between the Davison series/seasons they aired a few Troughton episodes. Eventually, they were only a season (or two) behind the BBC and it was glorious. Then the Wilderness years happened. Then the TV movie (which I missed at the time, sadly.) THEN, finally, in 2005, Doctor Who returned with “Rose” and I have never missed an episode since.
I’ve been watching Dr Who since Tom Baker was the Dr. I love this show and watching the Doctor gets out of impossible situations with an electronic screwdriver
I love doctor who… a friend of mine started me on it.
I’m old enough to remember watching Dr Who in black and white! I was fascinated with the show from the start! All these years later it is still an enjoyable part of my life!
Tom Baker was the Doctor I grew up with. Love him. Love the scarf!!
Tom Baker was and is my all time favorite time lord long live Doctor Who and K9
I was born in the 60’s and have grown up experiencing adventures in Time and Space with the Doctor and his companions. From finding why the Mary Celeste was abandoned to who survived Mt Vesuvius it has been an incredible journey that I don’t want to end.
Doctor Who is my favorite show of all time!! My husband introduced me to the show in 2010, and after watching Matt Smith’s first season as the Doctor together, we went back and binge-watched the previous new and classic episodes and seasons. We often cosplay as The Doctor and Amy Pond, and last year at GalaxyCon, I cosplayed as the 13th Doctor.
I was born in 1966 and Doctor Who was always part of my life. My older brother watched it, so I watched stories that I was far too young to remember. My earliest memory is an omnibus edition of The Sea Devils, which was during a period of national strikes and powercuts in the early 1970’s. My life was complete when, as an adult, I met Katy Manning, who played Jo Grant, my first companion. I feel like the fandom and stars are one massive family. Happy birthday Doctor Who 💓
Live very close to East Hagbourne and love seeing the episode The Android Invasion and filming took place by the Upper Cross and in the village pub the Fleur de Lys, in Shoe Lane and outside the old Post Office
However I didn’t live here (1975)then moved to Oxfordshire in 1989.
Doctor who is completely unique in so many ways but to me it’s it’s ability to do any type of.story week after week.
I started watching when I was 7 with Rose an I haven’t stopped since.
I became a fan decades ago after seeing the second Dalek movie, then the first and the show on repeats! I became an “ultrafan” in high school when I actually had access to Doctor Who books and it was easier to find DW VHSes. Hartnelk is my favourite Doctor also.
Excellent article.
I became a fan back in 1996 with the TV Movie. Though I do also remember watching Dimensions in Time in 1993!
I love Doctor who with a passion and so does my wife and 8 year old son
Being a life long fan of this show has lead me to some wonderful places where I have made the best of friends. It’s created a community for everyone, all thanks to a strange alien travelling through time and space in a police box!!
My favourite memory is winning tickets to the premiere of The Day of the Doctor and the 50th anniversary celebrations in London. I went with my husband and daughter , my brother and two friends and we all decided to cosplay. We had a lovely day browsing the exhibits and enjoying the bar. Then, in the evening we settled down with a drink and snacks to watch the episode. The bar was divided into several little rooms with large tv screens set up and lots of chairs lined up in front of each. We picked a room, the lights went down and the episode started – and the sound died! We all grabbed our chairs and moved to the next room, where people made room, without a word, literally squished us in! The atmosphere was incredible, every last person in the room was silent, watching with excitement, lots of squeals and laughs. The best bit for me was at the end, when Tom Baker appeared, there was a collective gasp – followed by a huge cheers and applause! It was an amazing experience. On the way out, we were given a poster off the wall, as a memento and it is still on my wall.
I have loved the show for over 35 years. Always sad between episodes.
For me Doctor Who is simply magical. In a way that Harry Potter is. It is its own time machine. Enabling us to feel the awe and wonder of when we first saw it. For myself it was the last season of Jon Pertwee and I remember the giant spiders terrified, but fascinated me too. Much later I cowered behind the sofa to the dreaded Nimon – and I still find them scary and creepy to this day. Other scares and chills I still remember to this day, but above all, it’s imagination and heart and wondrous nature stand out. America may have given us great entertainment over the decades from Flash Gordon and the Wizard of Oz to Star Wars, and many, many other shows, but for me, Doctor Who, will always be the ‘children’s show that adults adore’ as we emblazoned on the back of the Target books of my childhood. As i reach my fiftieth year soon and have seen many loved ones pass away, my love for this ‘silly, kiddies show’ remains undimmed. I love it, if hardly anyone else does, it doesn’t matter. It reminds me of friends who follow a beloved football team, you love them no matter. Although I only know a few friends who’ve always supported one club their whole lives, switching allegiance once or twice. For myself that love for Doctor Who feels hardwired into me. Daleks, Cybermen, roundels, TARDIS’s, police boxes, K-9’s, Amy Pond, the Doctors, question marks, Skaro, Davros, Leela, Fang Rock, the Brig, Sergeant Benton, Captain Yates, the Master, everything about the show, a thousand reasons to love it.
Above all else, it’s the greatest comfort food or blanket anyone can have. Something warm and loving and imaginative to cling to through life’s challenges.
Doctor Who, it’s family, it’s your best friend, it’s love.
Love Doctor for most of my life it was the one program I could watch with the whole family I used to drama of being pick up by the doctor in the tardis and go on adventers
I could binge watch this show forever!
Its my favorite show. Tom Baker was my 1st Dr.
I’ve been a fan since the late 80’s! My first Doctor was Tom Baker with a dash of Jon Pertwee (I saw Tom on television, but read books adapting Pertwee, unaware of the regeneration aspect). I’ve since seen every existing Doctor Who story including recreations of lost episodes. I absolutely love and adore this show!
My experience of show is that I watched bits growing up and truly enjoy that it came back and is continuing. I hope it keeps continuing for many generations to come!!!^_^
This show was integral to my childhood, running home from school everyday to watch Jon Pertwee, then the following doctors, on PBS. Kept watching on PBS all the way through navy and college.
A friend introduced me to The Doctor when I was 15. I had no idea that something so wonderful existed and I’ve always been so grateful to my friend for opening up that door to a world where I (an awkward nerd) actually fit in for once.
I remember watching Tom Baker on AETN after School before doing Chores. Loved it then and love it now.
Doctor Who has been always been apart of my life. I was 3 when they brought it back and the oldest memory I’ve got is of watching ‘Dalek’ behind the sofa. Seeing ‘Day Of The Doctor’ in the cinema was one of my favourite memories of the show, I was so excited to see Tom Baker on screen. My greatest memories are of going on the TARDIS set at BBC studios. Seeing Jessica Raine play Verity Lambert has inspired myself to go into filmmaking. Happy Anniversary Doctor Who!
Doctor Who is a timeless show that touches hearts, and I hope one day I can show it to my children if I ever have any.
My grandad has watched Dr who since the beginning and always brought me up on it aswell although I admit I will never be a big a fan as he is I love doctor who for the story lines and the memories it gives me of watching reruns with my grandad on a Sunday morning
I’ve loved doctor who since i was four years old and I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without it. I have met amazing friends because of this show and it will always be very special to me.
I had only watched a few episodes before I entered high school, only to be shown an episode in my year 8 english.
I remember being awed the design and attention to detail in the episode. I went home after that, searching for more episodes.
Doctor who is amazing.
Grew up with the Doctor – Tom was my first, and have loved it ever since!
I can’t even remember when I became a fan, I was maybe three or four.
This anniversary I watched ‘An Unearthly Child’ as well as the unaired pilot (isn’t it amazing both of these exist?) as well as a few other DW episodes and documentaries.
I met the Doctor in 1981. At the time he was a tall fellow with a floppy hat and all teeth and curls. He invited me along on a journey across all of Time and Space. And I’ve been on the journey ever since. We’ve mummies, ghosts, robots, lots of robots. Slitheen in Downing Street. Daleks and their Emperor. Anti matter monsters, gas mask zombies. Real living dinosaurs and werewolves. And even the Loch Ness Monster. And even though I’ve gotten older, the trips are still amazing. Hopefully there’s more trips to be had in the future, or the past.
Doctor who is the best tv ever it has everything. Action adventure love drama thriller comedy but most of all it has heart amd is a great show to watch with your family
My mother introduced me to Doctor Who and I fell in love. I have had the joy of meeting 5 of the doctors and some of the original creators, like k9, the creator of the daleks, and the original davros and even Missy. I have tattooed doctors and companions autographs on me. This show has changed my life by giving me kindness and hope. I even have 2 cats, the doctor and river song.
Please do take over from Chibnall. You couldn’t be worse!
My love for doctor who is boundless. It shaped me in so many ways.
Fantastic Article. I got into the show around the 50th anniversary. It is so unique and bizarre that I felt that it was the perfect show for me (it still is). I utterly adore the imagination and creativity that goes into it and it helped get me back into sci-fi in general. The Doctor is such a fantastic character that no matter the incarnation, they’re always a joy to watch.
As an over 70 fan, I have been watching since Episode ONE. Always a fan, but even more so with the 13th Doctor – it turns out that she (Jodie) is a “Shat Lass” AND I have been married to a Shat Lass for 52 years.
Doctor who was the show that gave me hope for Science Fiction. Its made me cry laugh rage.
Doctor Who has always been the show that’s always been there for me, through the good times and bad. So many great memories, including the one I was talking to a friend about earlier. The day we drove to London for the 50th anniversary celebration, to be surrounded by so many people who lived and breathed the show, what an experience.
I am slowly making my way through classic Who. I met the Doctor when 11 was brand new. I fell in love with 9 though. ♡
Tom Baker was my first Doctor 🙂 ❤️❤️
Fantastic article! I really want to check out Crime Traveller!
You should. It’s brilliantly written but fun! It doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Dr who got me into science fiction, used to watch it every Sunday from the early 70s. Tom baker was actually my favorite doctor. I still look forward to seeing it whenever i can, never gets old.
A most wonderful give a way! PBS Milwaukee has the Tom Baker shows on TV at 11:00 pm on. Saturday night. Never miss them. They’re the shows that got me hooked on Who in my college days.
Ever get bored of watching the Dr in all his/her forms 😍
Great read. Always interesting to see others introduction and love of the show. Would love to do one of these myself.
Ive watched Doctor Who from a young age,and then with my daughter her first being David Tennant,we loved Matt Smith,she loved Peter and we adore Jodie,she is obcessed so much i made her a Doctor Who christmas Tree this year,very much needed,she is 15,ive crocheted a 13th scarf but sure would love Tom Bakers
I decided to give Doctor Who a chance one day, while I was laid off and kind of depressed. I needed some magic and goodness in my life. I found it when I started watching with Chris Eccleston, and fell in love with Tennant (who didnt?).
I have loved the show since it was first shown in US in late 1970’s. Four is my Doctor!
Have been a fan since 1978 when i saw the 4th Doctor.
The first time I remember watching Doctor Who was in 2012 with The Wedding of River Song. After that, I recall watching The Day of the Doctor on the 50th anniversary with my whole family and I have loved watching it ever since. My favourite story is World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls 🙂
One of my earliest tv memories is watching the Key to Time episodes. Have been fortunate enough to meet several of the doctors including Jon Pertwee (my favourite) and lots of the companions 🙂
Doctor Who is one of those shows that keep drawing you back and unlike even tv show that I will only watch once. Doctor Who that show I can watch again and again. However, my experience with the show is the same as anyone you was born in the 2000s. I saw a charismatic and facetious Doctor played David Tennant on my screen and I immediately fell in love with the show.
My son would love this, he’s watched Dr. Who since he was a baby ( re runs of the first 4 doctor’s )
His bedroom is filled with Dr. Who thing’s.
I love Dr. Who and all things related. My first episode was Hand of Fear and I was hooked. Over the years, I have helped add to the fandom family by introducing as many people as possible. My collection of movies as well as memorabilia grows by the year.
I discovered Doctor Who through my best friend Jim back in 1979 on PBS. The Deadly Assassin was my first episode and I’ve been a fan ever since! Throughout the 80’s and early 90’s I was fortunate enough to attend DW conventions and met many good lifelong friends and even my wife! Now over 40 years later I still watch DW with my family and recently started attending conventions again!
Greatest show in history – have been a fan for over a decade now, probably more obsessed than ever – particularly since I watched the classics
Doctor Who is a staple of my childhood, and is always the fallback when there’s nothing else to watch.
Tom Baker! My first Dr!!
Started watching DW back in 80’s regular sat eve thing back then 6-7pm couple of rerun series through the years. But always been curious how tardis is a tree basically. You grow it. Didn’t see any of the first DW maybe odd repeat but got more into after the 1996 movie and reboot in 2005. Has smaller scarf in storage and a sonic screwdriver. Plus my own pacoldi mesh scripted working console room.
Tom Baker introduced me to The Doctor and I’ve been a fan since
I was introduced to Doctor Who with David Tennant. One of my college friends was absolutely appalled I hadn’t seen it, and retrospectively I am, too. I LOVE DW!
I got into Doctor who when I was 5 and it came back in 2005 but have to say my best earliest memory though is the Christmas invasion and David Tennant. I was so hooked then I got into classic who and fell in love with it. It was a great escape for me, cheering me up when I needed it and taught me a lot which I don’t think a lot of people get but it’s made a huge difference for me.
I remember first watching Doctor Who on PBS in the 80’s. My friend and I would call each other to remind the other one to watch. Sometimes, we’d stay on the phone through the whole episode and chat about the show as it was happening. Other times we’d call each other as soon as the episode ended to talk about it.
Tom Maker was my first Doctor, so he will always be “my” Doctor.
My first experience with Doctor Who was when I was very wrong and saw it on PBS here in the US. It featured one of my all-time favorite Doctors Tom Baker. I was able to watch it again years later when David Tennant took over (All-TimeFavorite) as the Doctor because we were finally able to get BBC on cable.
I love the article I’m a big whovian and love to know as much as I can
Happy Whoniversary to all my fellow Whovians 💙
Grew up watching late night on Public Television station. I consider it my first real science fiction series…not counting Saturday morning cartoons obviously.
Dr who is the best ever and i agree with the comments
Love Dr Who especially the new one with Jodie can’t wait for the christmas special
I love the doctor and the 9th and 10th are my favs.
Doctor Who has gotten me through some rough times and the quotes my brain won’t forget have garnered some great times. I have met many new friends through the fandom and have introduced my kid to the Doctor as well. I am so blessed to have the Doctor in my life!
Always love the show from old to new, can’t wait to see what happens next!!
I grew up watching Dr Who with Stuart Pertwee, Tom Baker every day. now i see them and my brain goes “Relatives”. feel like the Dr is part of my family.
Everytime the Dr regenerates it makes me cry with a mix of sadness and happiness. Sad because a friend is leaving and happy because the Dr doesn’t leave.
I own 9 guitars and one of them is a TARDIS blue. It was a birthday present from my partner at the time and Matt Smith was the Dr. all my guitars have names and i was lost for a name for the blue one …. till the TARDIS itself regenerated and the first thing the Dr says when the TARDIS lets him in was “Oh you sexy thing.” so the guitar is now named SEXY after the Matt Smith series. I also own Dr Who collector stuff like the Van Gogh print, a Darlek poster from the ww2 episodes. you can see it in the bunker. Dr Who books from the 80’s, 3 TARDIS’, a K9, A Cyberman head, Captain Jacks coat, and the RISK game(Invasion of the darleks)
To have the Scarfe from the Tom Baker era would be the master piece of my collection. I have always wanted one since i was a child and now at the age of 48 I still dont have it. I so want it , lol.
I can feel the same. I used to watch Doctor Who with my GRANDFATHER … until he died in December of 73. Considering that I’m a 69er, there’s very little I do remember. However, with at least one relation … distant and I never see him, we have that Doctor Who connection.
That and I have EVERY Doctor Who episode from the old days.
Still, I understand where you are coming from. When you have very little family, The Doctor becomes your family. But hey, imagine having a father named “Doc.” He sure as hell wouldn’t be The Professor if he’s Sleepy, or Dopey.
I’ve been watching the doctor since 1978 or so and I’ve been hooked my entire life.
I’ve been a fan of Doctor Who since 1979 when it was first broadcast in my area. It was like no other SF show I’d ever seen, and Tom Baker’s performance was absolutely mind-boggling!
Although I’m more of a classic-era fan, the way Nu Who has expanded the Doctor’s legend is incredible, and there are quite a few moments that I consider as having surpassed the classic series.
It’s a tribute to the original character that 57 years hence, it can still be fresh and relevant, and above all else, fun!
Great article! Doctir Who means the universe to me and through this show I’ve met amazing people. Sometimes you just need the Doctor to save your bad day.
American here. I would watch the show every Saturday afternoon at 4:00 on my local PBS channel. Fell in love with the show during Tom Baker’s run.
I have loved this show since was introduced almost 10 years ago. Hands down one of the best shows ever.
My Mom first introduced me to Dr. Who and many things British when I was around 5…which, looking back, may have been a bit young to expose a young girl to Benny Hill, Dave Allen at large, Monty Python etc. But I’ve been an Anglophile since. My first and fave Dr. is of course Tom Baker. My fave episodes are Pyramids of Mars, Talons of Weng Chiang and Curse of Fenric. Even though I LOVE Cats, I have a Love/Hate relationship with Survival.I think what gets me about those stories is the “Gothic” ambiance and I love Tom Bakers’ quirky, irreverrant, aloof portrayal. I want a jelly baby now…they used to sell them (along with some other choice British imports) at a Jewel near where I used to live…
I have watched Doctor Who nearly my whole life and I absolutely adore it! I love it!
Doctor Who truly shaped my concept of morality as a child, I wouldn’t be who I am today without the influence of Doctor Who. I am so glad I grew up with it and so glad I get to keep growing up with it, maybe someday I will be able to pass it on for someone else to grow up with it.
Started watching it as a kid on a tiny portable black and white tv with one of those round wire antenna to get the static filled PBS channel.
Tom Baker’s portrayal was my first exposure to Doctor Who.
So many memories about the series it’s hard not to talk about just a few of them. I didn’t really come into the show until my preteen years when I was allowed to stay up later or video tape them off my local ETV station. The show was reformatted as a 90 min-2 hour show by editing the episodes together. At the time they were showing Tom Baker’s reprisal and I have never seen anything like this show. No internet back then so where did nerds go for info but the local comic shop or bookstore. Both had things in store for me. My comic book store had the official marvel magazine with tons of info plus a comic strip. There was an American made comic that I found was reprints from the magazine but these reprints had been colorized. I plowed through all of it. In reading the magazine I found out there were novelizations of the tv episodes. I also found out that Baker wasn’t the first doctor or the only Baker to play one. When Baker regenerated I was both broken up but happy that Peter Davison was next because I had watched All Creatures Great and Small. So then later the magazine finally announced who the newest Doctor was going to be after Colin Baker: Sylvester McCoy. We were of course on a delay in America but it was told that we would be shown the McCoy premier. The biggest surprise for me however was that McCoy was coming to my home city for my first ever convention. Magnum Opus Con warped my fragile mind with the huge dealer room where I bought the action figures for the show, the incredible guests, and of course the fan costumes. McCoy was lively and had a funny story about his action figure. From that point on Doctor Who was to be a lifelong love. I would recommend it to anyone and have enjoyed introducing it to my son. Happy watching!
good article
I gotta say I love Doctor Who easily my favorite show. Its also helped me through some tough times.,
Tom Baker was the first Doctor and been hooked ever since!!
Absolutely fantastic. I’m obsessed!
Doctor who got me through some of the toughest times in my life. I started with the ninth doctor and worked my way up to the thirteenth doctor. I have seen a few of the classics on tv and intend to watch them eventually.
I have always wanted a question mark umbrella, after watching 7 as kid in the 80’s
Wonderful article! I love how Doctor Who has become more ‘accessible’ to everyone now, especially the classic episodes!!
I enjoy seeing people discover the show and seeing them enjoy it as much as me makes me so happy! I’d be lost without this show!!