10 Doctor Who Fans Who Made A Lasting Impact On The Show

10. Peter Capaldi

Before becoming an art school punk rocker, Peter Capaldi was a huge Doctor Who fan. He would write to the production office so often, that a BBC secretary once hoped he'd get exterminated by Daleks. He was even involved in a power struggle during the early days of Doctor Who fandom, when he unsuccessfully tried to become President of the Doctor Who Fan Club.

On a more positive note, Capaldi's letters resulted in then-producer Barry Letts sending him a package that would change his life and the future of the show itself. Letts had sent the young fan scripts, production designs and floor plans for the Jon Pertwee serial The Mutants. In later years, Capaldi would reflect that it was these materials which sparked his interest in becoming an actor.

Sadly, Capaldi burned all of his Doctor Who stuff in a moment he calls his 'bonfire of the vanities', but it worked out okay in the end. Not only was he the Twelfth Doctor, but he also added a touch of class to Torchwood and made a memorable guest appearance in The Fires of Pompeii. All thanks to the kindness of Barry Letts.