FanSided 250: Where is the Doctor Who fandom ranked in 2020?

This year’s FanSided 250 has been revealed. But where does Doctor Who rank in the list of fandoms? And how does it compare to previous years?

If you’ve been following FanSided and it’s various fansites for a while, then you’re probably aware of the FanSided 250. If not, let me explain. Every year, FanSided lists its hottest and most talked about fandoms. Covering a wide range of interests – including various sports, films, games, and of course, TV series – the FanSided 250 is a fascinating look at the most passionate and dedicated of fandoms.

Naturally, we think that the Doctor Who fandom should be number 1. Especially this year. Whatever fans think of this year’s series (which certainly left an impact, especially with its finale,) the fandom itself has demonstrated both its strength and dedication. Especially in lockdown.

In fact, we might’ve seen the fandom at its best during such a difficult time. With fans uniting through watchalongs and finding fresh ways to enjoy old episodes through social media, along with being excited about brand new scenes and short stories, the lockdown has been an excellent way of bringing the fans together. (Special thanks needs to be given to Doctor Who Magazine’s Emily Cook for organizing the watchalongs and producing so much original content for them.)

Fans united during lockdown over many watchalongs – including the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor!

Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image obtained from: BBC America.

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Ranking

So where is Doctor Who in the FanSided 250? Overall, it’s placed at #201. However, a better way of looking at it is its TV ranking. At #18 in the category, that’s actually not too bad, all things considered.

As I said, I personally think it should be #1 in the TV category at least. But then again, I also thought that when the show was off the air completely, back in the dark days of the Wilderness Years. And honestly, the show is still a thousand times bigger now than it was back then.

Having said that, I must admit that it is a shame seeing how much lower the show is in the ranking compared to last year, where it was at #7 in TV and #74 overall. This is even more surprising when you consider that we didn’t even have a series last year. Have fans lost that much confidence in the show? The fandom has been strong throughout lockdown this year, but can it be stronger?

One thing you can say about the Doctor Who fandom: it endures. When the show was completely off the air back in the 90s, fandom still kept it alive through books, comics, and audios. Whether they enjoy the current TV era or not, you can be sure that they’ll still be loving the show in some form, whether it’s by putting on a Blu-ray box set with the Fourth Doctor, or listening to exciting new stories with the Tenth Doctor and River Song. Doctor Who may have fallen in the ranks this year, but it’ll always be #1 to its fans.

Would you place Doctor Who in the #1 spot of the FanSided 250? Or do you think things need to change before that happens? Let us know in the comments below.