Doctor Who at 60

Sixty years ago today Doctor Who was first broadcast. I started watching it 15 years later, in 1978, aged 5. And my dad and I were both immediately hooked. I've loved it ever since. I fell away as a fan in the wilderness years, even somehow missing the 1996 TV movie at the time! But I was back as a fan that day in 2003 when it was announced it was returning to TV screens. It was like I'd been hit by a runaway fandom truck! Martin had barely seen it before then, though had been a fan since childhood through the Target books. He didn't have a TV at home as a child. But he was about to see masses! And luckily he adores it too. For me Doctor Who is less a scifi show and more a wonderful storytelling engine, able to tell all sorts of different stories in different times and places. We've enjoyed watching all the eras on TV, and I'm very excited to see what's coming for the 60th anniversary specials and upcoming Christmas special and new series and brand new Doctor. Martin is being spoiler free at the moment so is in for so many surprises! But looking forward to it. Long may it continue.

Doctor Who in Scotland

New blog post from Historic Environment Scotland.

My favourite stories for each TV Doctor Who (updated)

Six years ago I blogged elsewhere about my favourite stories for docs 1-12. I thought it might be time today to update that list, adding 13, and tweaking a few of the earlier ones.

1. The Time Meddler
2. The Web of Fear
3. The Sea Devils
4. City of Death
5. Mawdryn Undead
6. Terror of the Vervoids
7. The Curse of Fenric
8. The Chimes of Midnight
9. The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances
10. Blink
11. The Angels Take Manhattan (or The Snowmen)
12. Face the Raven (or Listen)
13. Rosa (or Fugitive of the Judoon)

There are some tweaks there: notably Terror of the Vervoids (Trial of a Time Lord part 3) coming in for Colin Baker's doctor in place of the Big Finish audio The One Doctor. I've also swapped the stories in and out of brackets for docs 11 and 12. And for 13 it's a very close call for me between Rosa (which I think is incredible) and Fugitive of the Judoon (which is so much fun, and changes the series back story massively).

Next up of course we have imminently doctor 14 and soon to come doctor 15. I wonder what my choices for them will be in due course ...

Doctor Who "The Adventure of a Lifetime" on YouTube

Oh this is nice. Plus a couple of teasers of what's to come in the future.

Watch on YouTube