Something I Realised About Doctor Who

Er, this Friday has a good example I think in Spider-Man.

Star Trek I think made this flip-flop too, and then latterly (post TNG) back into even more mental fandom.

Oh and the Labour Party! (Ha Ha. But actually when you think about the mid eighties, it does kind of work – including radical overhaul).

I was thinking Star Trek but the impression I always got is that it was a pretty minor deal during its original run (hence getting cancelled)

Yes good one!

The reason I’m interested in this – and Batman is a very good example – is the tensions and relations between the various fanbases and especially how the older fans use a previous mainstream to act against a current mainstream. As well as all the other questions surrounding “do you want the things you’re into to do well?”.

There is very much the tacit acknowledgement that for something to do well that certain sacrifices may need to be made (and one of the comics to film issues would be forty years or more of tortuous continuity). Doctor Who did this quiet well by distancing its past but sort of accepting that it kind of happened (but a lot happened we don’t know about which changes the rules).

Are there people who believe in a continuity between all the recent Batman films? Do people (want to) believe that Bale’s Batman becomes Keatons becomes Kilmers becomes Clooney’s? I think in the nineties this might have been important, but doesn’t seem to be now. Plus the cartoons, plus the comics (plus the various interpretations in the comics). This divergence also allows fans to have their favourite Batman / Doctor Who (serendipitously BUILT INTO the Who character infact).

Battlestar Galactica? there must’ve been a small faithful following for the panned sequel show.

It is cyclical, but you have to work hard to make it come back as “big”. But there I think is a direct relationship between something being away for a long time and how it can come back. Who skipped a generation, ie the people who are in charge of what is cool (early twenties) were not aware of how uncool it had become. Realistically you need ten years in the wildness to reset something that got really tarnished.

BSG is an interesting one because no-one was really that excited about its return, indeed it seemed a daft idea. But there was not such a multimedia presence of the original show – the general public (and small fandom) not caring allowed the new series to work to its advantage.

That said, you can’t just bring something back and expect the goodwill to do the work for you. Who showed that (and verious attempts at bring back Tarzan have failed for this reason), and Star Trek needs to learn this lesson: but might have too large a fan base to succeed (see Star Wars). A Prequel is a daft place to go, a young new actor playing James T Kirk… It does not allow any surprise in the series.