Whovians (TV series)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television entertainment |
| Founded | April 16, 2017 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Rove McManus (presenter) |
| Products | Television panel discussion show |
Whovians is an Australian comedic panel discussion show presented by Rove McManus on ABC TV Plus. The format revolves around a group of four celebrity enthusiasts, known as "Whovians," who critique and converse about the science fiction series Doctor Who. The series debuted on 16 April 2017, coinciding with the tenth season of Doctor Who, while its second installment premiered on 8 October 2018 alongside the eleventh season.
Frequent panelists include Tegan Higginbotham, Adam Richard, Steven "Bajo" O'Donnell, and Justin Hamilton. The program has also welcomed guest participants such as Geraldine Quinn, Jordan Raskopoulos, Stephen Conroy, Alice Fraser, Petra Elliott, Rhianna Patrick, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Tasma Walton, Paul Verhoeven, Bridie Connell, Celia Pacquola, Dave Callan, Cal Wilson, and Stewart "Stav" Davidson.
Regular segments
Throughout its seasons, the show incorporates comedic sketches, opinion features, and video segments including:
- He Who Knows Who News – Justin Hamilton (season 1)
- Thirteenth Doctor Auditions featuring ABC celebrities (season 1)
- The Vault (season 1)
- The Moment (seasons 2 & 3)
- This Week In Who-story (season 3)
- WHOse Show (season 3)
- Rove engages in candid conversations with Doctor Who characters (season 3)
Season 1 (2017)
- Note: Guest panelists are indicated by italicized names.
Season 3 (2020)
On 17 December 2019, ABC Comedy announced the return of Whovians following the second part of the New Year's Special.
{{Episode table |background=#454CB8 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=20 |aux1=58 |airdate=12 |titleT=Doctor Who episode |aux1T=Panel |episodes=
2021
On 30 December 2020, Rove McManus hinted via Twitter at a fourth season of Whovians slated for 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show did not resume broadcasting on ABC TV.
In lieu of a televised return, the Newcastle Local Group from the Doctor Who Club of Australia coordinated a Zoom panel featuring the Whovians cast to discuss episodes of Doctor Who: Flux, which aired on ABC TV in late 2021.
2023
During a 2023 interview, Adam Richard reflected on his experience hosting Whovians, describing the inaugural season as a learning curve because episodes were recorded and broadcast live on the same day. He mentioned difficulties with receiving early cuts of Doctor Who episodes that were sometimes incomplete or watermarked, which posed challenges from a fan’s perspective.
Richard appreciated the live broadcast format but critiqued ABC’s management of Doctor Who, particularly citing subpar picture quality on its secondary channel that detracted from the series’ otherwise high production standards. Nonetheless, he expressed a favorable opinion of both Whovians and his involvement in it.
Reception
The Sydney Morning Herald characterized Rove McManus’ episode discussions as "an entertaining and information-packed review."