Who-a-holics meet at library
- Publication: The Times of Northwest Indiana
- Date: 1985-04-01
- Author: Kerry Mitchell
- Page: A-3
- Language: English
EAST CHICAGO — Who has two hearts, is more than 750 years old and is the center of a British TV serial that's become the most popular public television show in history?
It's Dr. Who, the irascible time lord who has survived several changes in lead actor and for 21 years has been a staple in England.
On a recent night, a small but loyal corps of Dr. Who fans gathered at the East Chicago Public Library to see if they could add a local chapter to the many clubs already established in the United States.
Children's Librarian Julie Bray, organizer of the event, has been a Who-a-holic for three years. So much so, that when she was at college in Bloomington, where she missed a year of episodes because the show wasn't car-ned on any local stations, "I had a lot of them taped by my brother up here."
She said the meeting in East Chicago was designed to find out if there was enough interest to warrant the formation of a local Dr. Who Fan Club. According to Bray, there are "several major Dr. Who Fan Clubs in America and a couple of hundred smaller ones."
The program has been seen in more than 50 countries and has fan clubs as far away as Australia, Canada and Italy.
Bray said the Dr. Who commercialization is widespread.
"You can get Dr. Who toys, books, magazines, T-shirts, jewelry and records." she said. According to a 20th anniversary commemorative booklet put out by the British Broadcasting Corp., there also are Dr. Who baseball caps, video games and coffee mugs. In all, the BBC has licensed more than 400 different Dr. Who-related products.
Bray said the production of Dr. Who is currently suspended due to the precarious state of British economy, but that production would resume in September 1986.
Five different Dr. Whos have fought the evils of the universe since the show first aired on Nov. 23, 1963. The change in actors is attributed to "regeneration," giving the saga a continuity that has enabled it to survive.
Bray said people from across the country attend conventions held in Chicago, which is known as "The Dr. Who Capital of America." The next one is scheduled for sometime in April.
Meanwhile, Bray said she hopes to make the East Chicago meetings a monthly affair. And those in attendance at the recent gathering seemed to in agreement.
"The reason Dr. Who is so popular is that it's more believable than Star Trek or any of the other fantasy shows," said Frank Nymeyer of Dyer, a devoted Dr. Who fan. "It will go on forever."
Caption: Julie Bray, E.C. librarian
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- APA 6th ed.: Mitchell, Kerry (1985-04-01). Who-a-holics meet at library. The Times of Northwest Indiana p. A-3.
- MLA 7th ed.: Mitchell, Kerry. "Who-a-holics meet at library." The Times of Northwest Indiana [add city] 1985-04-01, A-3. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Mitchell, Kerry. "Who-a-holics meet at library." The Times of Northwest Indiana, edition, sec., 1985-04-01
- Turabian: Mitchell, Kerry. "Who-a-holics meet at library." The Times of Northwest Indiana, 1985-04-01, section, A-3 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Who-a-holics meet at library | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who-a-holics_meet_at_library | work=The Times of Northwest Indiana | pages=A-3 | date=1985-04-01 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Who-a-holics meet at library | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who-a-holics_meet_at_library | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 March 2025}}</ref>
