Whether you deem yourself a part of the “Baker Brigade” or a flag-waving resident of “Tennant Nation”, we’re talking to you. If you align yourself firmly with “Classic Who”, “NuWho”, or are a recruit/convert/drop-in from Torchwood, we’d like a moment of your time. Everyone listening? Thank you. In the words of another time-traveling team, we ask that you cease with in-fighting, and “be excellent to each other.”

There are all sorts of subsets within the Doctor Who fan base, and if examine your stance carefully, you’ll find that you likely fit into more than one. The diversity in our fandom is one of the many aspects of being a Whovian that bolsters and enriches the experience. But not every group is constructive — some are elitist, confrontational, or downright toxic.

This week, we take a look at those factions of Whovians that prefer to exclude rather than include. Be it the “Classic” standard-bearers who openly disdain those post-2005 fans, or the Rose/10 ‘shippers who say that the world ended with Series 4; some of the cliques that develop around a 50-plus year program simply fail to adopt the same inclusive ideologies as their own beloved title character. We look at the effect that such toxic attitudes can have on the rest of the fandom, and how to deal with someone who tells you that you are someone “fan”-ing wrong.

News Links:

• Hettie Macdonald to Direct Again in Series 9

• RTD Stirs Up Movie Rumours (without Committing to Anything)

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