The fan-made web series, The Ten Doctors, has garnered significant attention and acclaim, achieving over a million views for its complete package, which includes four episodes, trailers, and a behind-the-scenes “Making Of” video. This impressive milestone underscores the series’ popularity within the Doctor Who fan community and beyond.
Early recognition came with Episode One being recommended in the prestigious SFX Magazine in March 2010. Further validating its quality and appeal, Episode Three was selected for premiere at the Armada Con 23 Doctor Who Convention, even before its public online release. This convention premiere highlights the series’ professional production value and its resonance with dedicated Doctor Who enthusiasts.
The series’ reach extends to prominent online platforms and publications. The Ten Doctors is featured on TV Tropes, a well-known wiki cataloging tropes in media, and was lauded by Digital Spy as “one of the 8 Most Amazing Fan Videos on YouTube.” Its critical reception within the Doctor Who fan community is further evidenced by reviews in Data Extract issue 231, the official publication of the Doctor Who Fan Club of Australia, and Theta Morbius Times online magazine issue 1, both in 2010 and 2016 respectively. Moreover, the series is officially listed on IMDb, solidifying its place within the broader landscape of film and television productions.
Despite its positive reception, the production of The Ten Doctors faced considerable delays. A significant gap occurred between Episode Three and the final installment due to creator Stuart Humphryes’ commitment to re-colourising the Doctor Who episode “The Mind of Evil” for a BBC Worldwide DVD release. This project, initiated in 2009 and delivered in February 2013, put the fan series on hold while Humphryes focused on his professional obligations.
Further complicating the production timeline, Episode One of The Ten Doctors was temporarily removed from YouTube in March 2013 due to a copyright claim regarding archival footage used within the episode. At the time of its removal, the episode had already amassed over a quarter of a million views. This copyright issue caused further delays to the concluding episode. However, Episode One was eventually re-uploaded in 2014, allowing work to resume on the highly anticipated Episode Four.
The concluding episode finally premiered in September 2015, marking six years since the initial launch of Episode One. The series is notable for its intricate narrative, which skillfully resolves numerous unresolved plot points from classic Doctor Who storylines. These include addressing the Doctor’s ambiguous age as hinted at in “The Silurians” and “The Mind of Evil”, referencing the Doctor’s encounter with the Medusoids mentioned in “Frontier In Space”, and exploring the concept of potentially earlier, unknown incarnations of the Doctor, a concept first suggested in “The Brain of Morbius”. The Ten Doctors stands as a testament to fan creativity and dedication, successfully building upon the rich legacy of Doctor Who while earning critical recognition within the fan community and beyond.
