Setting out my stall...

So what is this blog about then? Well, primarily about Doctor Who, that once unloved and neglected BBC TV show which has taken the world by storm in the last 7 years. I may, on occasion, digress into other areas that are of interest to me, but it's mainly going to be about TARDISes and Time Lords.

I was born during the Hartnell era (he was half way to Peking at the time - so that will give you an idea of how old I am). My earliest recollections are of late Troughton - The Wheel in Space - when I was 4 years old. I have therefore been a fan for over 40 years. The programme and I are both heading towards our big Five-O.
So why a blog now? On 25th March I attended the Convention in Cardiff Bay. I've always been an armchair fan only - never attending events and only flirting with organised fandom. As I spoke to people at the Cardiff event, I realised that I love talking about the programme - but don't always get the opportunity. This blog will go some way to addressing this - even if I'm only talking to myself in a way.

What form will this blog take? Well, it's just going to be my thoughts and musings on the programme - the new episodes as they evolve and a look at the many stories that have gone before.
What it won't be is:

• A News Blog - there are loads of them around - all stealing / copying from each other mostly. Two very good ones are Tardis Newsroom and the Doctor Who News Page - I would highly recommend.
• A Spoilers Blog. I cannot stand spoilers and you won't find anything here that isn't already in the public domain.
• A Reviews Blog. Again there are too many out there already. Thanks to the internet, everyone is a critic these days. I might tell you why I like a certain story, and maybe like another less - but it will simply be my opinion as a fan.
• Free advertising for Big Finish. I don't buy these. I regard them as merchandise only. They are certainly not canonical. To take just one example, we are supposed to believe that not only did the Fifth Doctor and Peri have a whole load of adventures in between Planet of Fire and Caves of Androzani, but there was a second companion with them at the same time. Watch those two stories back to back and I defy anyone to find any evidence these BF adventures ever existed. The whole thing about the Fifth Doctor's demise is that he is sacrificing himself for someone he hardly even knows. The BF stories undermine this ultimate heroic act.

Anyway - I could bang on about canon for ages (and no doubt will at some point). Suffice to say that what will follow will be my take on the TV programme and only a little else. Season 7 is part way through filming, and a new companion is waiting in the wings. The golden anniversary is just around the corner.It is a magical time to be a fan (armchair or otherwise)...