Sarah Meikle Mingles with the 'Whovians' As She Takes a Look at The
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Sarah Meikle he dictionary definition of a three-day event to celebrate the show’s convention is ‘a large gathering half-century. From the 22nd to the 24th, of people who share a common BBC Worldwide will bring together fans interest’, so it is easy to see how of the Time Lord - ‘Whovians’, as they’re Tany kind of fandom would take to the idea known - from the UK and abroad for of a convention to celebrate their passion. a convention designed to inform and Conventions are a way of meeting like-minded entertain one of the most unconventional people away from the computer screen and group of camp-followers in the world. having to trawl impersonally through internet (The term Whovian was first coined in forums. the 1980s by the Doctor Who Fan Club Conventions come in all different guises, of America in their publication The shapes and sizes, but sci-fi and fantasy Whovian Times, and is now commonly conventions in particular host a huge range used to describe devotees of the Doctor of popular attractions from star meet-and- Who franchise.) greets, signed goodies and sneak previews Doctor Who fandom has been of upcoming shows, all the way to ‘set’ tours around, as one might expect, almost since and guys running amok in monster cozzies the television show first aired in November - places where dedicated fans of a particular 1963 - although there was no official body programme, director, star or monster can to represent it until the late 1970s saw the go along and revel in the awesomeness of organisation of the Doctor Who Appreciation their hobby (or obsession?), up close and Society, also known as DWAS, which held the personal-like. first ever Doctor Who Convention on August Conventions are also a great way to make 6, 1977. This convention, later named the friends and one of the few places where it is Panopticon after the main hall of the capital socially acceptable - encouraged even! - to of Gallifrey (the Doctor’s home planet) dress up like a favourite character and go around shouting a series’ catch-phrase; Sarah Meikle mingles with the ‘Exterminate!’ springs immediately ‘Whovians’ as she takes a look at to mind. With the 50th the wacky world of Doctor Who Anniversary of the BBCs Doctor fan conventions… Who now upon us, things are hotting up - especially in the fantastical world of ‘Who’ conventions. This November, the ExCel International Convention Centre in East London is hosting an incredible 62 50 Years of Doctor Who where the Eye of Harmony was kept in the story and actors from the latest series of Doctor ‘The Deadly Assassin’, continued until 2003, Who. (For the dedicated Who fan, being part mainly housed in Coventry or Manchester. of an audience filled with people holding their It is only in the last few years that Doctor iPhones aloft to record Matt Smith being tickled Who has decided to leap fully-fledged into the by a Silurian, or Karen Gillan laughing her head live events and conventions arena which now off at all around her, was the closest thing to dominates the approach taken by other major Who heaven this side of Gallifrey!) sci-fi and fantasy gatherings in the UK, US and After the panel sessions finished, BBC Australia, and Doctor Who live events have Worldwide presented the first official become a huge attraction for followers of the screening of the trailer for the latest Time Lord around the globe. series and the crowd went wild, Among the delights now always on offer alternately gasping with are pop-up shops, Who-themed orchestral surprise and roaring with presentations and most well-known of laughter. The DWC all, ‘The Doctor Who Experience’, an ‘12 had brought action-packed adventure through time and together Whovians space in the company of the Doctor (actually his of all colours and pre-recorded self), in which he and groups of creeds for two A Slitheen, intrepid Whovians go on dimensional journeys unforgettable which first to battle his famous foes. days of fun, appeared in the 2005 series This long-running, live-action, multi-sensory fantasy and episodes, experience was recently held in London but is fearsome Aliens of currently in the BBC Doctor Who production monsters London and World War team’s home town of Cardiff. BBC Studios - even Three Cardiff also offers occasional set tours around if there the TARDIS, one of which was included with was a hefty the package for the first official Doctor Who price-tag on Convention for 29 years, which was held in selfies with the March 2012 at the Millenium Centre - the scene stars! of many an episode setting in the recent ‘series Conventions six’ season of stories, including the Stormcage like DWC ‘12 and Facility in ‘A Good Man Goes to War’. this November’s ExCel The DWC Cardiff 2012 had a multitude of Centre spectacular are not alone in bringing attractions for Whovians to enjoy. Behind the Whovians closer to news and stories about the prosthetics demonstrations and special effects Doctor, however; the BFI’s cinema on London’s workshops was a room reminiscent of a day out Southbank mounted its own event to celebrate at Madame Tussauds, in which were life-sized the anniversary, in the form of the October 5 models of the Doctor and many of his past screening of the 1996 Geoffrey Sax-directed and present enemies, including the terrifying made-for-TV Doctor Weeping Angels, the creepy Silents, the solemn Who: The Cybermen and the legendary Daleks - a scary Movie. This was experience for anyone who found themselves in accompanied by the room on their own! discussion panels The DWC ’12 also featured fascinating and featuring Who lengthy panel sessions with both the creators luminaries Unconventional convention pics such as voice-of-the-Daleks with celebrity Nicholas Briggs and actor Paul McGann guests (the film’s Doctor). including Matt Smith. Topics under discussion took in Writer Sarah everything from the growth of Doctor gives the show a thumbs-up Who as a TV serial to its marketing as in the bottom a global franchise through the likes photo! of Big Finish’s audio books and the long-running Doctor Who Magazine, two of innumerable products designed to cater for the fans’ seemingly insatiable need for more. Following the panels, author and Who historian Marcus Hearn signed copies of his latest BBC book, published to coincide with the show’s 50th year: Doctor Who: The Vault. In addition to that, Leicester’s new National Space Centre hosted a semi-instructional ‘Science of the Timelords’ day on November 16, which was attended by five of the show’s stars and featured a wealth of exciting Whovian things to see and do. Like all dedicated fans, Whovians are widely perceived to be slightly unhinged and very protective of their beloved Doctor. Many teenage girls can be found on Tumblr or other social networking sites arguing over the Rose Tyler goodbye scene in ‘Bay Wolf Bay’ and how Rose was the Doctor’s only love, or even how (series writer/producer) Steven Moffat is ‘ruining’ their lives every time a hint of something dreadful about to befall the Doctor appears on the web. But all that is in the nature of fandom; most of us are ‘fan’-girls and boys in one way or another. And what could be more exciting for the avid sci-fi addict than to wrap themselves up in Doctor Who with its 50 years-worth of memorabilia, events, podcasts, audiobooks and an entire galaxy of wonders for the wide-eyed and credulous. One has to be slightly uncon- ventional, if not a little insane (in a good way), to fully appreciate the wonderful world of the Doctor Who. But if you’re one of that dedicated band who gets excited at the prospect of painting yourself grey and standing stock-still all day as you try to pass yourself off as a Weeping Angel, then consider yourself a full-blown Whovian and be proud! 64 50 Years of Doctor Who.