Doctor Who in the 90s: The Wilderness Years

This was the first decade since the 1960s that Doctor Who was not regularly airing on television. The 1980s made sure of that, getting canceled twice before it actually stuck.

So what we get in the 90s is three stories, two of which are not considered canonical while the one that supposedly fits into the canon creates or perpetuates nothing but continuity errors. So TV was a bust.

In the 90s, often known as the wilderness years, we didn't get a lot of excellent television stories, but what the fans did get was a plethora of spin off media. A lot of books, fan spin off videos, audio dramas, and more.

In 1999 Big Finish began producing their line of audio dramas featuring Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy. Paul McGann joined up in 2001. Also featured were a number of companions from each of these Doctors. For me, Big Finish is totally canon, and if you are into the classic series, or even the new series, I highly recommend them. Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann are all three better than they actually were on TV. Paul McGann's series is actually very strong and I consider their "seasons" to be a complete continuation of the show.

The show remains trapped in the wilderness for five more years. Before the show was able to return full time, the internet was the only source for new Who.

NEXT TIME: The Internet