Right now is a great time to be a Doctor Who fan. Not only do we have a brand new series less than 4 weeks away and a brand new Doctor who has the potential to be the greatest yet, but we also have the BBC finally fully getting behind Doctor Who and giving it the love that us fans have always wanted it to have been shown.
When Doctor Who was off the air the VHS releases were constantly the biggest sellers for BBC Video, the overseas sales remained strong and a magazine dedicated to the show actually saw it's circulation numbers increase even though there were no new episodes to promote it. To get to the point, the fandom has always been there but it does seem that it's only been recently that the BBC have fully acknowledged it.
In 2010 could you have imagined Matt Smith's debut story, The Eleventh Hour, getting a global cinema release? Heck, even a local British cinema release? No, neither could I. Yet 4 years later Peter Capaldi's first episode, Deep Breath, is heading into global cinemas. And it will fill them. And yet we can watch it for free on the TV. So clearly a lot of it is financial, The Day of the Doctor proved a big hit and this cinema release will no doubt bolster the BBC coffers. But it also makes me wonder if there is another reason. A bigger plan.
Earlier in the year I wrote an article speculating on whether Peter Capaldi would only stay for one season as the Doctor. There was a lot of rumour and conjecture surrounding that at the time, and to be fair there still is, but I'm not getting into Capaldi's length in the TARDIS here, however I do want to pick up on the thought that "Peter Capaldi was chosen as a transitional Doctor". Could it be that the BBC are currently testing the waters and the 'controversial transition' that Capaldi will be involved with will be a move to the big screen?
This could be a great thing for Doctor Who. We are approaching the tenth anniversary since the show's revival, and although every new Doctor brings a sense of freshness there will come a time when Doctor Who will need to take a rest again. I don't think we're near that time, not at all, but maybe it would make a lot of sense for the television series to bow out temporarily whilst it is at the top of it's game.
No matter what your thoughts are on Sylvester McCoy's time as the Doctor, it's clear that the BBC were somewhat embarrassed by it. Hiding the show away opposite Coronation Street, letting it go out with a whimper. Nobody wants that to happen again. Nobody wants another 16 Who-free years (minus 90 Who-minutes in 1996 that is). If Doctor Who has to go off the air again then let it be of its own choosing and at a time when it is leaving the audience wanting more.
Oh, and how much more! Just think what potential a series of Doctor Who movies could deliver. It's a global phenomenon that has never been more popular, and I truly believe that a really well done Doctor Who movie could easily rival Star Wars when it comes to bums on seats at the multiplex. We've got Peter Jackson keen to get involved in the world of Who, and David Yates hinted that he was working on a big screen version a couple of years back. A big screen, big budget, series of movies - possibly a trilogy over 5 years - could be the perfect future for Doctor Who.
Then, we've always got the potential of a return to TV. Renewed, refreshed and reinvigorated, and bringing with it a whole new legion of fans.
Right now is a great time to be a Doctor Who fan, because for the first time ever I genuinely believe that anything is possible.
