Passions: Doctor Who
- Publication: Boyz
- Date: 2008-12-11
- Author:
- Page: 78
- Language: English
David Lau had only heard a bit about Doctor Who back home in Canada, so when he discovered his boyfriend was a fan, he decided he needed to see what all the fuss was about. Here he tells us how he got hooked on the Daleks and why Doctor Who is the best sci-fi show on earth
I'm Canadian and most sci-fi fans in North America are into Star Trek and Star Wars. But even though I quite like both of those shows, I wouldn't really call myself a trekkie. I prefer Doctor Who. In fact, I love Doctor Who!
People in North America have heard about the show, but it just doesn't have a big following back home like here in the UK. So when I found out my boyfriend was a big fan and heard him talk about it, I started to wonder what the big deal was. Eventually I watched a few episodes and I've been a fan ever since.
Doctor Who was originally made as a children's programme, but it's become more adult over the years. I recently came back from a Doctor Who convention in Newcastle and I was amazed to see the age span of the fans. There were young kids as well as people who'd been fans for over forty years. I think that goes to show how much of a British institution it is. I think the new series especially has a universal appeal.
The Doctor himself is a really interesting character. I think in some ways he's the ideal human being even though he's not actually human. He's fiercely loyal to his friends and always stands up for his beliefs. And because he's so protective of humans, he's become an honorary member of the human race.
Lots of shy or bookish people like the Doctor because he can think, rather than fight, his way out of a sticky situation. Some gay people like that he doesn't quite fit in; I think it resonates with lots of gay ci-fi fans that he's different and that's right. I'm sure the BBC's original plan in the 60s wasn't to attract gay fans, but I think it's good that it has.
One of the main reasons I love the how is because anything can happen. s just great escapism. You never know who you'll meet or what place you'll end up visiting. I think if you want real life then you can just go outside, but Doctor Who lets you into an alternative reality. To me that's the beauty of it.
My favourite Doctor is David Tennant or Patrick Troughton. Like David, Patrick had a warmth and humour and seemed to be having a lot of fun. It's hard to choose between them. Patrick had a warm glow about him and he was like a cheeky uncle, but, then again, David is quite fit which helps!
Along with James Bond, Doctor Who is a quintessential British character. It doesn't matter how bad things get, they always find time to crack a joke. I think that's partly because the British don't take themselves too seriously and can laugh at themselves. I like that attitude – after all, if the Doctor is still making jokes then things can't be that bad.
Being a sci-fi fan in the UK is cooler than it is back home. I love the way that in the last couple of years it's suddenly cool to like the Daleks. Lots of people in America just think that sci-fi fans are complete geeks, like that comic book fan from The Simpsons.
As well as being a big Doctor fan I'm also a member of The Sisterhood of Karn, which is a really friendly Doctor Who fan group. We're a great circle of friends and lots of us joke that it was harder coming out as a Doctor Who fan than coming out as gay. That said, I was quite worried about going along at first because I didn't think I was a big enough fan of the show. I was worried I'd make a fool of myself, but everyone there was so nice.
In the end, it's just a group of people who are gay and have an affinity for Doctor Who. We talk about all sorts of things and we've even been to each other's civil partnership ceremonies. Doctor Who just so happens to be the glue that sticks us together. We love to have newcomers too, so if you're a fan, we'd love to see you at the next meeting. You don't have to be really knowledgeable, you just have to enjoy the show.
I have quite a lot of Doctor Who memorabilia to. I've got the DVDs and BBC audio recordings, but my favourite is probably my remote-controlled Dalek. I love it - it sits there and says, 'You are an enemy of the Daleks.' It's meant to be scary, but I actually think it's kind of cute.
For more information on Sisterhood of Karn go to www.skarn.co.uk
The Doctor Who Christmas Special will be screened on the 25th December on BBC1.
Captions:
David Lau with The Doctor's old faithful companion, K9
The Cybermen return in the Doctor Who Christmas Special
Derval Kirwan plays Miss Hartigan in this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special
David Tennant as the current incarnation of the Timelord
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