Doctor Who

Doctor Who was a fantastic science fiction series which was broadcast on the BBC from 1963 to 1989. Sadly viewing figures tailed off towards the end and the show was finally killed off under the tenure of Michael Grade, never to return.

Okay, that's not strictly true. Doctor Who did return to our screens in 1996 with an utterly appalling film (though Paul McGann gave a cracking performance as the Doctor) which failed to reboot the series. Fans had to wait until 2005 for a proper return, this time with a special effects budget of more than 5p per episode. The new series has divided fans, with opinions across the spectrum from 'nothing will ever be as good as the classic series' to 'this is brilliant'. There are also younger fans who don't even remember the classic series - they can be identified by their opening question of 'so, which of the five doctors is your favourite?'

I became a fan of the show through the 1990s repeats, a period which I call The Wilderness Years. As Doctor Who was no longer broadcast on a regular basis, Whovians were mocked (well, I was anyway) for their obsession with a show that had wobbly sets and monsters which were clearly men in poorly fitted rubber suits. Of course, as soon as the show came back in 2005 it was cool and hip to watch it again.