For the Love of The Doctor: Rob Lloyd Talks Doctor Who

Just two more sleeps until The Doctor celebrates his 50th anniversary, and we finally get to see the much anticipated The Day of the Doctor. Well, one more sleep if you're here in Australia and plan to find yourself a gaggle of Whovians to stay up until dawn with.

In anticipation, we asked Rob Lloyd, actor, comedian, all round good guy, oh and massive Doctor Who geek to tell us about why he does and you should love The Doctor.

Meet Rob

Hi, I'm Rob and I'm a Doctor Who fan. I've been a fan since I was 17, that was in 1996. Since 2006, a lot of people have told me I look like actor and Tenth Doctor, David Tennant. Combining these factors, for the last two years I have been touring Australia, and the world, with my Doctor Who themed solo comedy Who, Me.

Now people ask me to write about what The Doctor means to me. 

I'm also a fan of the film High Fidelity. Yes, yes, I know it was a book first. So in preparation for The Doctor's 50th anniversary on 23 November, I'd like to employ the Rob Gordon 'top five' format to convey what Doctor Who really means to this little, old fan.

The Tenth Doctor's (Look-a-like's) Top Five: Doctor Who

Number Five: Discovering The Doctor

I got into Doctor Who quite late. I was 17 and it was my first year of university. I went to Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga (NSW's largest inland city). I was a big nerd...big shock there.

This meant I wasn't the type of first-year-uni kid interested in experimenting with alcohol, drugs or sex...so when the opportunity to hear about the entire history of Doctor Who from a new friend came about, I leapt at the chance to learn more.

I've been hooked ever since.

The main thing that really attracted me to The Doctor then, as now, was The Doctor's freedom. The Doctor can go anywhere and do anything. He is the architect of his own destiny, which, as a 17 year old nerd in the country, was very inspiring.

Number Four: Who Brings Us Together

For so long Doctor Who was very much a private passion. Especially when I moved to Melbourne in 2000, I literally had no one I could talk to about my love for The Doctor.

Now this was a time when the series was well and truly dead in the water, so I had to play my Who cards close to my chest.

However, with the return of Doctor Who to our screens in 2005, I was given the opportunity to attend a regular social event, where a group of about eight or nine fans would gather, eat pizza, watch the latest episode and discuss.

This was my first true experience of what it was like to be part of a fan community. We loved everything Who, and we loved it together. We enjoyed loving the good bits and adored hating the bad bits...exactly what being a fan is all about.

Number Three: Top Stories

Let's start with the gold, my favourite classic story, and then my favourite modern story.

My all time favourite classic story is Inferno. It's a Jon Pertwee (The Third Doctor) story at the end of his first season. Brilliantly written by Don Houghton, the story focuses on a drilling project destined to the centre of the earth, and ends with The Doctor slipping into a parallel dimension where we get to experience the joy of seeing evil alternate versions of familiar characters. It is a tight, fun, gritty and rather intense seven part adventure that I never tire of watching.

As for the modern series...I'm going to surprise even myself with this choice...I have to pick Dinosours on a Spaceship.

I realise most people would expect a lauded episode like Dalek, Blink or The Doctor's Wife, but I have to say in all honesty, I just really love watching Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. And I do watch it. Over and over.

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is the second adventure in Matt Smith's third season. Written by Chris Chibnall, it focuses on The Doctor gathering a gang of friends to help stop a spaceship from crashing into the earth. However, they get more than they bargained for when they find the precious cargo on board is...wait for it...dinosaurs!

This is a high energy, fun, action packed, fun, occasionally sad, fun, sometimes dark, fun, hilarious, and overall fun adventure. Did I mention it was fun?

I know it won't be to everyone's taste, but then I'm not everyone.

Number Two: Worst Story

The Idiot's Lantern, enough said.

Number One: What Would The Doctor Do?

Doctor Who has been an overwhelmingly positive influence in my life.

Case and point, I work as a teacher when I'm not nerding-it-up professionally in front of an audience. I found it particularly hard in my first few months of full-time teaching, so much so that at my lowest point, I was prepared to leave the school I worked at, breaking my contract only one month into the six months I was supposed to be there.

I asked myself, what would The Doctor do? A mantra I still use every day I teach.

I'm not saying I'm a great teacher or even a good teacher, I just survive and try to pass on a positive influence to my students...very much like The Doctor does with the people he meets.

 -Rob Lloyd

Tonight (22 November) Rob is hosting Bendigo Library and Discovery Centre's Night of the Doctor,  he'll be presenting The Darlek Double Feature at Melbourne's Astor Theatre on 30 November, and will be emceeing at the Lords of Time 2 convention in Sydney on 14 December.

This year Rob took his show Who, Me to the Whovention, Sydney; the Darwin Entertainment Centre; Lords of Time, Melbourne; Sydney Comedy Festival; Auckland Comedy Festival; Perth International Comedy Festival; the Adelaide Comedy Circuit and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The Day of the Doctor airs on ABC1 at 6.50a, (AEDT), 5.50am (QLD), 5.20am (NT), 6.20am (SA, 3.50am (WA), and will be repeated at 7.30pm.

Various cinemas are hosting sessions of The Day of the Doctor on Sunday, check your local guide.