A stoush (almost) between fans at a Sci-Fi convention prompted John Birmingham to ask “Who would win a rumble between Star Wars fans and Dr Who fans?” on his Cheeseburger Gothic blog.
This in turn got me wondering about which was better – fan fights aside …
As a self confessed Whovian*, (what is the collective noun for Star Wars fans anyway?) I am going to put forward the case that Dr Who is by far the superior franchise.
(*Whovian – “a fan of the television show Doctor Who” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2012)
1. Our 900 year old is much better looking than yours:
“Oh, really?”
2. Quantity/Quality of Enemies.
Star Wars has the Empire. One single solitary … Is that it? Dr Who has many, in fact, over 400. From Abzorbaloff to Zygons, Cybermen, Daleks, The Master, Weeping Angels and even the Adipose – they come in all shapes, sizes and even some that come in all shapes and sizes!
3. The BBC allow fanfic and fan art, homage and parody.
Lucasfilm (or now Disney I suppose slap DCMAs) on you.
I know – because both the image at the top of the page and the one directly above this text have been removed from POD sites.
Let’s face it, if someone’s talking about your show or wearing a tshirt promoting your show, or writing fan fiction or the like – it’s all engagement with your characters.
4. Doctor Who hasn’t had awful prequels
Jar Jar Binks. Enough said.
5. Longevity
Dr Who first went to air in November 1963 – it’s celebrating 50 years this year – Star Wars in 1977.
6. The Doctor has far, far better dress sense
Bowties, fezzes, Stetsons, waistcoats, scarves, cricket whites, Converse … the list goes on. The most startling costume change in the Star Wars franchise? Leia and that bikini when she was held prisoner by Jabba the Hut.
7. The TARDIS is the coolest spaceship. Ever.
It’s bigger on the inside, (or smaller on the outside). It has a pool, cloister bells (to warn of impending doom and bunk beds. Not to mention the fact that it travels through time, not just galaxies – any where you want to be in the space time continuum!
8. Regeneration.
11 actors, all perfectly acceptable as the one character.
That’s the few that spring to my mind straight away. Can you think of any more?
