When Doctor Who returned to wild acclaim in 2005, after 16 years off-air and about a generation of being regarded as an embarrassment, I remember turning to a fellow long-time apostle and saying of its legions of new young fans: ‘Well, maybe this time around they won’t be quite as mad as we were.’ They turned out to be much madder – and have only become more so in the years leading up to the show’s 60th anniversary this week.
With any object of cult devotion that aims for popular appeal, the question arises: are the nutty fans worth it? Can a person take the hit to their status when they enjoy something a fringe element loudly drools over? The existence of extremist devotees hasn’t stopped mass audiences tapping into the Marvel films or the ever-expanding Star Wars franchise. But I think the Doctor Who fans of today may be a special case.
The general atmosphere of its fandom has all the relaxed bonhomie of a Maoist struggle session
Before 2005, there was a kind of happy hobbyism to Doctor Who fans.
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