Doctor Who's on first for his avid TV fan club
- Publication: Ottawa Citizen
- Date: 1983-10-11
- Author: Leslie Smith
- Page: 25
- Language: English
It's been 20 years, but some people just never grow up.
At least not members of The Pharos Project, a die-hard group of Ottawa fans of the long-running BBC science-fiction television series Doctor Who. the hero of which spends much of his time zapping to adventures in various corners of the Universe.
They're not the type of fans who emulate their hero by frizzing their hair. or wearing question marks on their lapels or fresh celery sticks in their buttonholes. all trademarks of The Doctor. as he's known.
Every month about 25 members of the project gather to discuss their favorite episodes and characters. and keep up with the latest facts on their superhero.
The co-ordinator of the group, John Kahane, 29. began watching the show in his native England at age nine. and says he hasn't missed one of the more than 700 episodes.
When watching the series as a youngster, Kahane said he was "very impressionable."
"The first time I saw a Dalek (a space monster), I hid behind the Chesterfield."
And he's still impressed when The Doctor gets into his TARDIS (which stands for Time and Relative Divisions In Space) — an economy-sized spaceship that transports him around the Universe.
Man of the club members. ranging in age from eight to their mid-30s, have been together since the group was formed three years ago by Kahane and two friends.
Alex Shevciw and Michael Doran, two 11-year-olds from Aylmer, get their parents to drive them to Ottawa for the monthly meetings.
Shevciw has been a Doctor Who fan since age six, but Doran said he's only followed the series for about a year.
The pair regularly sends away to Toronto and even England for novels and posters of Doctor Who, and have about 80 books between them.
Nov 23 marks the 20th anniversary of the low-budget science fiction series.
The BBC also is planning a celebration. and has filmed a special anniversary episode entitled The Five Doctors, which will feature all five actors who have played The Doctor
About 20 million British fans tune in to the series each week, Kahane estimated. although he had no idea of the size of the North American audience.
Kahane said the show has evolved from a children's show into a sort of social commentary.
Locally, the series is aired on TV Ontario and WNPI, an affiliate station of the American PBS network.
Caption: Alex Shevciw, Michael Doran look at Doctor Who books while other club members peer over their shoulders
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- APA 6th ed.: Smith, Leslie (1983-10-11). Doctor Who's on first for his avid TV fan club. Ottawa Citizen p. 25.
- MLA 7th ed.: Smith, Leslie. "Doctor Who's on first for his avid TV fan club." Ottawa Citizen [add city] 1983-10-11, 25. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Smith, Leslie. "Doctor Who's on first for his avid TV fan club." Ottawa Citizen, edition, sec., 1983-10-11
- Turabian: Smith, Leslie. "Doctor Who's on first for his avid TV fan club." Ottawa Citizen, 1983-10-11, section, 25 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Doctor Who's on first for his avid TV fan club | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who%27s_on_first_for_his_avid_TV_fan_club | work=Ottawa Citizen | pages=25 | date=1983-10-11 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=25 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Doctor Who's on first for his avid TV fan club | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who%27s_on_first_for_his_avid_TV_fan_club | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=25 April 2025}}</ref>
