10 Times Doctor Who Said F**k You To The Fans

When Sydney Newman devised Doctor Who in 1963, there was no way he could have foreseen the global phenomenon his concept would become. He certainly couldn't have predicted the passion for the series from its ever-expanding fanbase, or the ardent scrutiny with which they view their favourite programme. Six years later Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke created Gallifreyan lore when introducing the Time Lords, the Doctor's own people. They might have known they were onto something big, but twenty years later a juggernaut of continuity had been established - one that wound up so cumbersome the home planet was supposedly dust by the time the show returned in 2005. Conventions and online forums buzzed with anger before it was revealed Rassilon and his kind actually survived. All these events got a dissection of Silurian proportions via devotees of the Whoniverse over the years. Put simply, it isn't difficult to offend a Whovian. Across five decades producers have courted such controversy. Sometimes inadvertently, sometimes for the greater good and sometimes out of sheer mischief and bloody-mindedness. This article highlights 10 examples where decisions were made and sensibilities were subsequently battered. Whether reintroducing a beloved character, making the hero of the title behave like a deviant or just throwing caution and canon to the wind, the bad blood between corporation creatives and chattering consumers has a long and intriguing history...