Yikes! Doctor Who continuity is quite the thorny topic… No two Who fans can discuss for long without disagreeing on some point or other. How old is the Doctor, how many times has Atlantis been destroyed, who created the word TARDIS, etc… Other fiction has no problem with these, but for Doctor Who it can be difficult! There are two primary reasons for this difficulty.
The first reason this is so hard is that the BBC (owner of Doctor Who) has never stated what was canon and what was not. Furthermore it has been evolving since it started in 1963 and remains a moving target to this day. Together, the classic and new TV series make up the base canon used to judge all others. Yet, over the years there are plenty of times the show has contradicted itself.
The second reason for this difficulty is the large array of mediums that make up Doctor Who. These include movies, audio dramas, comic books, games and novels and others. These materials are official in that they are either made by the BBC themselves or licensed by them. Having said that, many of these materials are very contradictory to the show. For example, the 1965 movie “Dr. Who and the Daleks” bears only moderate similarity to the episode it based upon. Though it is official Doctor Who its continuity conflicts with the everything else. It is these differences which push the movie out of Doctor Who mainstream. While it can entertain (or irritate) on it’s own merits trying to tie it to anything else Who related is pointless. So then, how can we tell what and how related something is?
This brings us to the continuity. We find primary continuity when one piece of Doctor Who melds well with the rest. Each part can have differing levels of continuity which can also change over time. Additionally, some people’s vision of the continuity differs.
Yet we need to agree about the canon before we can have a proper conversation about Doctor Who! So towards that end, here is my premise. I’d say the full television series both classic and current are the most basic canon. Further more I would also include the Big Finish Doctor Who audios for the following reasons:
- They have been running for a long time
- They have the official approval / license from the BBC including for the new series
- Upon his regeneration the 8th Doctor mentioned several of his Big Finish companions
- Many fans are aware of them
- Most of the stories contain a very high continuity with the series
I tend to include licensed materials, such as novels and games, as long as they don’t contradict the first two. Anything else including my own ramblings tends to fall into the fan-fiction category. Having said that, fan theories are fun and entertaining so we keep those around too, as long as they are any good!
Many fans are the keepers of their own special theories, expectations and interpretations. These things are beyond the normal canon, suspend logic or only exist for laughs. We refer to this as a person’s “head-canon.”
Examination and documentation of of those things could fill a library.. or an archive. And that’s why we are here to, find all the wonderful amazing things then record them here! So tell us what you think about the Doctor’s canon, or discuss your head-canon in the comments below.
