Why I Love… Doctor Who TV
Guest contributor Sam White celebrates the tenth anniversary of the site.
A Great Community
While I have been a Whovian for over a good three years now, my acquaintance with this fantastic place, in terms of duration covers only about half that period. Nevertheless, in my short time on Doctor Who TV (when compared to how long this site has been active), I have really grown to appreciate and admire the splendid Doctor Who fan community that comes by this site to comment and to contribute, a community which exhibits remarkable social etiquette and civility in this modern-day-anonymous-internet age, especially when compared to other social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Anonymity can in fact be extremely empowering, especially to those who are shy and awkward or introverted, but still feel like they have something to say. However, there are two sides to every coin.
In my short time on this site I have also witnessed various heated disputes among the community on significant topics such as gender fluidity on Gallifrey, Moffat vs. Davies, even Clara, but every time I’ve seen DWTV interfere to cool things down before things turn vile, which says a lot about just how much decorum and a good social experience matters to Doctor Who TV. It is something that I admire about this place. Also, granted that things get a little bit messy with fans showcasing their passion on a subject with utmost aggressiveness, I think it’s only natural, especially in a place where so many brilliant people engage in lively conversations and discussions. In actuality, it helps provide a better understanding of the general consensus with respect to a topic and makes for a very colorful experience.
Also while I myself am not a big commenting aficionado, I must commend the people on this site who are, especially because their intellectually vibrant and high-spirited conversations have often triggered my own imagination and worked as inspiration for some of my published works. For example, erudite commenters like Planet of the Deaf and Malohkeh who show profound knowledge and understanding when it comes to anything Doctor Who, The Finn, DaftDalek and MrRazza who keep the mood light with playful and sassy banter and yet show acumen when it comes to analysing complex topics, and of course TheLazyCat who currently stands as the leader of Clara Investigation Agency. And these are just some of the veterans, there are many, many more who comment on this site daily, perhaps not so actively (just like me) but who still enrich the community with their much appreciated opinions.
Excellent Coverage of Who News and Events
The highly systematic and well-structured approach that Doctor Who TV has adopted for covering the news and events related to Doctor Who is also noteworthy. Every aspect of a Doctor Who series, from filming to episode details, is covered from top to bottom through numerous well-crafted updates that keeps the community invested, whether it be filming pics, statements made by influential people with regard to the show, rumors/speculations or simple news. Another thing that I find admirable is the consideration that is put into keeping these updates as spoiler-free as possible. This just goes to show just how much effort and work is put into these updates.
Then during the time a series is aired, the readers are greeted with pre-air verdicts for episodes that Doctor Who TV provides so that the fans can fine-tune their expectations before going into the episodes themselves, if they want to, of course. Additionally the readers are also teased with the mind-numbing and often undecipherable “Hints & Teasers” articles which contain clues and information concerning the episode about to air, but these are mostly published to distinguish the normal earthly population from the advanced extra-terrestrial population (we need to keep count in case there is an invasion). The records and information gathered is sent directly to UNIT headquarters…anyway, moving on from that appalling and embarrassing attempt at humor, I must say that such articles continue to keep the fans on their toes while simultaneously whetting their appetite for something more, to a certain degree.
Once an episode has aired, we are presented with perceptive, analytical and critical post-air reviews by Clint Hassell, John Hussey and David Selby to exhibit how the episode fared in general, and then the readers are given a chance to rate the episode and provide their own feedback in the comments. Additionally, the readers are also spoiled with articles such as “Weird and Wonderful”, which showcases the passion and the talent of the worldwide Doctor Who community, put together for us by Doctor Who TV to enjoy, and various other polls which keep the community occupied throughout the year. The reason I am spelling out the obvious for you guys is because when you consider everything in totality, the whole affair seems to be extremely well co-ordinated and something which is more akin to a privilege, for which I am extremely grateful.
Incredible Articles/Features
Articles are what I consider to be the best and the most defining elements of this place. Nowhere else on the internet have I found an assortment of articles (concerning Doctor Who) as intellectually enriching and engaging and as multidimensional as on Doctor Who TV, continuously fed to us on a daily basis, intertwined in the flow of daily news and updates, but constantly present to keep the conversations and discussions going and to keep the community well aware of the different aspects of the show that might, in the absence of such articles, go unaddressed or undetected. It is actually astonishing just how ardent this community really is, when one simply considers the number of articles that are posted each year.
Yes, 360+ articles every year, which is a big number. More than that is the fact that they seem to cover the entire spectrum, whether it be Gustaff Behr’s superlative guides to the Big Finish universe, Mark McCullough’s deeply moving and insightful “Why I Love” and “Sciencey Wiencey” articles, supermoff’s (another commenting veteran and in his own words “Resident DWTV Statistician”) mind-numbing Numbery Wumbery Breakdown of Doctor Who statistics or John Hussey’s highly informative and enthralling Classic Who retrospectives. And even then, this just constitutes a small part of much larger picture.
Apart from these regular features we also have various people contributing articles as guest writers, in form of Top 10/5 style lists or thought provoking pieces which have at times left me breathless and with my mouth agape in a state of absolute wonderment at the sheer brilliance of what I was reading. Articles like, “Is There A Place For A Doctor/Companion Romance?“, along with “Whovianism: Doctor Who As A Religion?“, “How Often Does Doctor Who Pass The Bechdel Test?“, “Little Boxes Will Make You Angry: Doctor Who and Transphobia“, “Doctor Who’s Impossible Choices and the Trolley Problem” and “The Ambiguous Themes of Series Eight” are just few examples of such amazing features that have been published on this site and that now proudly lie in Doctor Who TV archives for voracious readers to devour. And so at this point I must I also commend all the brilliant and talented whovians who have contributed to this site and made it all the more worthwhile in the process.
Conclusion
When I accidently stumbled upon this site last year, little did I know that it would become one of my favorite places on the internet. A place which I will cherish and value highly, and so I would like to use this opportunity to show my gratitude to the site-runners for creating and maintaining this incredible place which brings together fans from all around this world and provides them with a friendly and well-natured environment where they can share their opinions and views and also for the hard work, planning and time that is put into this place. Seriously guys, I’m much obliged.
