Doctor Who Things That Make Me Happy (Fan Led)

I am attempting to raise money for my book, Across Time and Space, an Unofficial Doctor Who companion via Kickstarter (it's 800+ pages covering Doctor Who from 1963 to the present day. It's a joy. Honestly.) That fundraising gives me an opportunity to give a 'shout out' to some of the other fan led Doctor Who projects that I love. So, below is a list. A starting point if you will. I've put Twitter accounts in where applicable. 

Perhaps the granddaddy of these is Big Finish (@bigfinish) They’ve been making Doctor Who audio dramas of excellent quality since 1996 (although if memory serves the first releases weren’t until 1998). So, during what I like to call the Interregnum, that period between the end of Doctor Who in 1989 and its return in 2005 (with the 1996 Paul McGann blip), they were one of the main sources of new Doctor Who (alongside novels and DWM’s comic strip.) The quality was excellent, and it gave older Doctors a chance to shine again. There’s Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and recently Christopher Eccleston but every era has been represented in some way. I love Big Finish’s work and they’ve shown us how much we missed because Paul McGann only got one (and a tad) TV adventures. But, for me, the way they’ve let us see how good Colin Baker’s Doctor could have been if the BBC had cared a bit more at that point is the highlight of the work they’ve done.

However, Big Finish must now be one of the largest producers of audio drama in the UK (or the world) and I don’t just want to talk about the more industrial scale successes.

Let me point you in the direction of Millie McKenzie (@cowbearcreates) who makes Doctor Who figures from polymer clay. They’re beautiful objects. They demonstrate the creativity of Doctor Who fandom and I know own a mug featuring a picture of her Horns of Nimon figures. Because, as you probably already know, I love The Horns of Nimon. You should follow her on Twitter.

Which brings me to Clayton Hickman’s (@claytonhickman) ongoing digital restoration and colourisation of old Doctor Who photographs. I’ve been impressed with the work he’s recently done on old Radio Times covers. He also has finds rarer and more interesting photographs from Doctor Who’s history.

Also doing fab things with Doctor Who is Andydrewz (@Andydrewz). Here’s a man who knows how to exploit photoshop to make entertaining ‘what if’ Doctor Who items. They’re clever and funny, which makes a change. Go to his Twitter to see annuals and merchandising that never was.

Then there’s podcasts. There are lots and lots of Doctor Who podcasts out there. Each one takes its own take on things but two of my favourites are Radio Free Skaro (@RadioFreeSkaro), which is three Canadians (and occasional guests) covering all aspects of Doctor Who. Then there is Verity (@VerityPodcast), which gives a voice to female Doctor Who fans. They’re an intelligent bunch who have helped me open my mind to other ways of seeing Doctor Who stories. As a bonus mention the is Lazy Doctor Who(@LazyDoctorWho), which is a podcast working its way through Doctor Who in a…well…lazy way. It is the creation of Steven (from Radio Free Skaro) and Erika (from Verity). They’re doing something similar to what I’ve already done but at their own pace. I like it both because it is smart but also because it has a gentle vibe to it that makes it a joy to listen to.

Finally let me point you in the direction of the Black Archive (@theblackarchive) These books are in-depth analysis of every Doctor Who story. They will make a great companion to my book if you want to understand the background to the stories in more detail. The best thing about the Black Archive is that they don’t have an entirely set format. Writers can tackle the bits of a story they’re most interested in, which makes them a fantastic resource. Highly recommended.

Those are some of my choices. Oh, and a shout out to @MrTARDIS who runs a Doctor Who YouTube channel. I’m slightly biased because I’ve appeared on it but he’s also a positive chap, which I like in a Doctor Who YouTube Channel. Plus a handful of things where I’ve got a little personal skin in the game: the fanzine Terrible Zodin (@TerribleZodin) edited by Leslie McMurtry. Fanzines were a really big thing when I first came into fandom but technology has seen them gradually disappear replaced by podcasts and YouTube Channels. Terrible Zodin is still out there (but the next issue is probably the last). They’ve published some of my work and are friends of mine. Even allowing for that it is a great read.

On a similar ‘people I know and have done stuff with on occasion’ let me throw in @TinDogPodcast, @TheFlashingBlade podcast and @LukeOverthinks (whose content is not all Doctor Who but with whom I’ve done a couple of podcasts – a William Hartnell World Cup and a Sylvester McCoy World Cup.

So, who have I missed? There’s a lot of content out there that I’m sure to have missed. Throw me some suggestions, especially podcasts and fanzines. Have I missed anyone really obvious?