Doctor Who Cuttings Archive

Who's the ladies man? - Worcester native gives voice to 'Dr. Who's' female fans

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Do women love "Doctor Who?"

Of course they do. Just ask Worcester native Lynne M. Thomas, co-editor of the book "Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It" (Mad Norwegian Press; $14.95). The book is a collection of essays from women of varied backgrounds who are united in being part of the good doctor's "fandom." Co-edited by Tara O'Shea, "Chicks Dig Time Lords" has struck such a chord it is up for a science fiction Hugo Award in the Best Related Work category. (The Hugo awards, presented annually since 1955, are considered science fiction's most prestigious prizes.)

"There is never a shortage of Doctor Who in the household," Thomas said of her own home, where besides herself, her husband and daughter all evidently dig the doctor as well.

In case you're saying "who?" at this point (or "what?"), here's a sort of short "Who's Who"/who-what-when for you.

Produced by the British Broadcasting Company, "Dr. Who" is the world's longest-running science fiction television show. It debuted in 1963 on early Saturday evenings on BBC just after the "Grandstand" Saturday sports program. Doctor Who is a time traveling humanoid, a Time Lord, who ventures into adventures around the universe to fight evil in a time machine called TARDIS, which has the external appearance of an old British police telephone call box. The doctor regularly picks up plucky human traveling companions, quite often female. Meanwhile, among Doctor Who's earliest and still constant enemies are The Daleks, metallic mutants whose chilling robotic cries of "Exterminate!" helped make the show a hit and were gleefully echoed in children's playgrounds up and down the country in the mid-1960s. The program is intended as family fare, but there has been controversy that it is too scary. In Britain, "Clean Up TV" campaigner Mary Whitehouse was an early critic, calling it "teatime brutality for tots." Ratings soared. "Doctor Who" ran until 1989, and was successfully revived in 2005. It airs around the world, and on BBC America in the U.S.

Thomas said that when "Doctor Who" came back in 2005, there was a story in the British press about the show now not just appealing to boys but also to girls. Thomas' friend O'Shea took particular exception to what she considered a platitude. "In her mind there had been an active (female) fandom since the 1970s. She said, 'What do you mean this show is only for boys?'"

O'Shea began the project that would become "Chicks Dig Time Lords," and Thomas came aboard to help recruit and edit contributions.

Thomas, 36, is curator of rare books and special collections at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Ill. She grew up in the Grafton Hill area of Worcester as Lynne M. Fors, and graduated from North High School.

Her husband, Michael Thomas, went to college with O'Shea. Michael Thomas has one of the largest collections of Doctor Who materials in the country. When he was still her possible future husband, he introduced Lynne Fors to the doctor's universes.

"I married in," Thomas said. "I had never seen the series. I was not a fan of science fiction in general."

The couple started watching re-runs of the 1963-'89 vintages. "We needed to figure out if I liked it, because it was a central part of his life," she said.

Doctor Who has had several incarnations (i.e. different actors) over the years. "I started with Tom Baker (the fourth Doctor Who), which I thought was OK. For me, the moment when everything clicked was Sylvester McCoy," Thomas said.

McCoy, the seventh Doctor Who, is regarded as having given quite a dark portrayal. Thomas was also impressed by Ace (played by Sophie Aldred), the seventh doctor's notably aggressive traveling companion, who even takes a baseball bat to the dreaded Daleks.

"The seventh doctor was my doctor till David Tenant came along (as the 10th doctor in 2005)."

Did marriage depend on Thomas saying "I do" to Doctor Who? "If we're doing it together, it's even more fun," she said of being part of the fandom. "There's something for everyone. It's brilliant in its flexibility. It's cool no matter how you approach it." Daughter Caitlin, 8, is now part of the crew.

"She thinks the Daleks are funny, not scary," Thomas said.

"Chicks Dig Time Lords" includes essays by female novelists, academics and interviews with actresses, including Aldred.

"The book demonstrates the diversity of women and fandom. There are women who are in it for all kinds of reasons," Thomas said.

One of Doctor Who's most popular traveling companions was Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elizabeth Sladen. Doctor Who fans everywhere were stunned by the news of Sladen's death on April 19.

Thomas had met Sladen at a Doctor Who convention in Chicago. "She was absolute joy," Thomas said. She introduced Caitlin to Sladen. "She was really lovely to her ... It's just really heartbreaking.

Thomas was working at NIU when she heard of Sladen's passing from cancer at the age of 65. "I had to close my (office) door so I could cry."

Prior to her death, Thomas wrote about Sladen's kindness for "Chicks Dig Time Lords."

The book itself has been selling well "for a small press book," Thomas said. She and O'Shea have heard from "both genders," and also received indications that parties involved with making "Doctor Who" like the book. That's "the ultimate compliment." But a Hugo award nomination isn't bad, either.

"I was speechless," Thomas said.

The Hugo Awards are sponsored by the World Science Fiction Society. "I'm thankful and humbled. This is only the second time a book about a television series has ever been nominated for a Hugo, and the first time that any book related to 'Doctor Who' has been nominated."

The Hugo Award winners will be announced Aug. 20 at the 69th World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, Nev.

Thomas will be there - whether by plane, or maybe even TARDIS.

"I'm going," she said. "I don't have my plane ticket yet, but I have my dress."


Caption: PHOTOS Lynne M. Thomas, right, co-edited "Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It," a collection of essays from women who are fans of the show. The book is up for a science fiction Hugo Award in the Best Related Work category.

Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org

  • APA 6th ed.: Duckett, Richard (2011-06-22). Who's the ladies man? - Worcester native gives voice to 'Dr. Who's' female fans. Worcester Telegram & Gazette p. B6.
  • MLA 7th ed.: Duckett, Richard. "Who's the ladies man? - Worcester native gives voice to 'Dr. Who's' female fans." Worcester Telegram & Gazette [add city] 2011-06-22, B6. Print.
  • Chicago 15th ed.: Duckett, Richard. "Who's the ladies man? - Worcester native gives voice to 'Dr. Who's' female fans." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, edition, sec., 2011-06-22
  • Turabian: Duckett, Richard. "Who's the ladies man? - Worcester native gives voice to 'Dr. Who's' female fans." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 2011-06-22, section, B6 edition.
  • Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Who's the ladies man? - Worcester native gives voice to 'Dr. Who's' female fans | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who%27s_the_ladies_man%3F_-_Worcester_native_gives_voice_to_%27Dr._Who%27s%27_female_fans | work=Worcester Telegram & Gazette | pages=B6 | date=2011-06-22 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=29 March 2024 }}</ref>
  • Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Who's the ladies man? - Worcester native gives voice to 'Dr. Who's' female fans | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Who%27s_the_ladies_man%3F_-_Worcester_native_gives_voice_to_%27Dr._Who%27s%27_female_fans | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=29 March 2024}}</ref>