by Shannon Lush
This particular entry of the blog is going to be a little
different, primarily as it will basically detail my response to a recent review
of The Whostorian Podcast found on iTunes. The reviewer quite nicely provided
our humble little podcast with a 4 out of 5 star review, which is not only
appreciated it's definitely a big help to us, as every comment and review on
iTunes (and, indeed, everywhere else we are found online) helps us stand out
and gain listeners. So, to this reviewer and to all who have sampled our show
and associated media output such as this blog, a hearty 'thank you'. Both Steve and myself continue
to perform the podcast as a labour of pure love to both 'Doctor Who' the
franchise and to fellow Whovians, and feedback, even if it's negative, is
greatly appreciated.
Now, then...onto the review itself. This reviewer said the
following: 'This is a great show with tons of information and good reviews.
Shannon needs to stop the over the top complaining about anything new. If you
can't just move on from the classic Doctor Who and enjoy the show as
entertainment then maybe you should stop watching. And stop commenting on
things you don't want to watch. It is extremely annoying.'
To begin with, I don't personally utilize iTunes (personal
preference, I simply dislike Apple products and especially iTunes), therefore I
didn't myself 'see' this review until Steve brought it to my attention. So, I
hope there are not people out there who feel I or Steve 'duck' from negative
reviews or criticism. That's not the case at all; if possible, and especially now
as we perform the show also for dissemination over Youtube as a video podcast,
we try and not only read every comment we garner but also respond, where and
when possible.
For the past 60-odd episodes, I've made it pretty clear that
I am, certainly, a 'Classic Series' fan first and foremost; it was my first
love, I have multiple fond memories of it and I don't apologize one iota for
preferring the 'Classic' to the 'New Series'. That being said, to decry that I
don't like 'anything' related to the new series is, quite simply, wrong. As any
random episode of the past 3 plus years can attest to, I have praised multiple
episodes of the 'New Series', and I consider the David Tennant
Doctor to be the second best Doctor in the history of
'Doctor Who' itself, second only to Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor. I greatly
enjoyed Christopher Eccleston's run and, again if one samples some of the
episodes we have done in the past, it's quickly apparent my disliking of
Eccleston extends purely to the actor's abrupt departure from the series and
public bashing of it, NOT to the Ninth Doctor character.
I don't like 'Torchwood', that's true. I find it rather
unwatchable, and its shoddy ratings and terrible reviews (at least, the ones I've
personally seen), seem to bear that disgust out. I'll eventually get around to
watching it, but by and large, I really didn't like what little of what I've
seen of it, and don't really look forward to taking the time to watch it. I'm
prepared to have my opinion changed, in fact I hold out hope it will be...I
just don't think that's going to happen, is all.
As for my being 'over the top'...I'm a Newfoundlander, we
all sorta talk fast and we are all rather animated, anyone who has ever seen
the various local characters performed by local actors such as Snook can attest
to this! Yes, I'm loud, boisterous, and yes I'll even agree I'm 'over the
top'...apart from the fact that it's always a purely joyous occasion to discuss
'Doctor Who', even the elements I dislike, I also maintain that it's our
spirit, our honest approach to the pod, and our sheer love for the material
that manifests itself as 'over the top' that helps us to stand out from other
podcasts. Nothing against any other 'Doctor Who' podcasts, they are all fellow
Whovians after all...but I'm actually quite proud of how unique The Whostorian
is, from the sensibilities we bring to it to the topics we cover that you will
not hear anywhere else. So, yes, I'm over the top, and proud of it.
Finally, let me state that while I disagree with the
reviewers' assessment of me for the most part, I do appreciate their candor and
the fact that they took the time and effort to write. Our podcast is for the
fans, and we really love hearing from people, regardless of what they have to
say!
Thanks to this reviewer and thanks to you reading this...to
quote Steve, see you around the vortex!
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