10 Ways That Doctor Who Was Better In The 1990s

10. Local Groups

In an age before social media, you had to seek out fellow Doctor Who fans. This wasn't always easy in the days when the show was no longer a going concern. However, in small enclaves across the country, the faithful kept the flame alive. Partly because it was still legal to smoke in pubs.

Doctor Who fan groups met in pubs across the UK to watch old episodes, play stupid games, and share rumours about the impending comeback that wouldn't surface for over a decade. In these pubs you could trade tapes of Doctor Who stories that hadn't yet been released commercially or had since been deleted from the home entertainment catalogues.

While these pub groups often had their own strange rituals, secret meetings, and entry requirements they could be incredibly welcoming places. At a time when the Doctor's return felt further away than ever, these were an easy and enjoyable way to find your tribe and form friendships for life.

There's a reason that, when Doctor Who finally returned in 2005, Russell T Davies penned an affectionate tribute to these fan groups. It was called Love and Monsters, and these famously thick-skinned Doctor Who fans very much took it in jest and embraced the spirit that was intended...