I suppose 'prima canon' - if indeed there is such a thing - has always been the TV Series along with any other specials or minisodes created by the writers, directors & producers under the Doctor Who name. Having said this, the (often brilliant) Big Finish scripts are vetted by Mr Moffat and the creative team in Cardiff for approval, and so there is a sense of there being an almost invisible link between BF and the BBC. In additon, the classic series DVDs frequently mention Big Finish in the bonus material so it's not too much of a stretch to say that, whether the individual viewer thinks BF are canon, the BBC seem to be treating them as such.
Yesterday's namedropping by the 8th Doctor does give extra credence to this.
I've only recently discovered the wonderful Big Finish audio's thanks to The Light at the End. I recently listened to Jubilee, knowing that Dalek was based on it and Spare Parts knowing that Rise of the Cybermen / Age of Steel were based on it. I wondered how my tiny brain would cope with the different continuities but as it is although both stories had similar themes to their TV counterparts both were also sufficiently different for me to be able to cope with both things happening.
Comments
Yesterday's namedropping by the 8th Doctor does give extra credence to this.
Big Finish can therefore be canon for those who want it to be, and non-canon for those who don't. I want it to be.
The Virgin novels of the early 1990's can be also be canon to those who want them to be and non-canon for those who don't. I want them to be.
The BBC novels of the late 1990's and early 2000's can be canon for those who want them to be and non-canon for those who don't. I want them to be.
The Dr Who stories in comics can be canon for those who want them to be and non-canon for those who don't. I don't want them to be.
No official canon means each fan can have his or her personal canon, That's my take on it.
What about the movie? Most people seem to ignore the half human bit, at least
Exactly!! This is the point that I was trying to make in an earlier post. Why not just make our own minds up?