Chicago TARDIS 2023 was held over Thanksgiving weekend, November 24th-26th, at the The Westin Chicago Lombard.
If you’re looking to get away from all the hustle and bustle of a typical Thanksgiving weekend and have an interest the long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who, a weekend at Chicago TARDIS is certainly worthy of your attention. I’ve attended this convention a few times over the years and it’s always enjoyable to share in my passions with fellow Whovians.
Be sure to check out Part 1 of our Chicago Tardis Coverage
There are Q&A panels with show creators and actors, photographs and autographs with the guests, fan panels on subjects such as how to write in Circular Gallifreyan (the language of the Doctor’s home world) or general cosplay subjects, and shopping from vendors and crafters. In my opinion, one of the best features of the weekend is the screening room, where you can kick back, relax, and watch full episodes of the beloved series. While it certainly is a more intimate convention, there is never a dearth of things to do!
This was a special year for the event, as it also coincided with the airing of the show’s 60th Anniversary special on Saturday. Many convention attendees gathered together at the nearby movie theater to enjoy the special in a group setting.
Sunday afternoon, I was able to sit in on a Q&A panel with Colin Baker, who played the Sixth Doctor from 1984 to 1986. His favorite series (season) that he was not in was with Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor, particularly the episodes “The Empty Child” and “The Doctor Dances”. Baker said this was because he has been a school governor (an overseer of a school in England) and when that series came out all the children would run around saying, “Are you my mummy?”, a reoccurring phrase from those episodes. To him it was a sign that Doctor Who was back and inspiring the imagination of children. The Doctor’s joy in that arc when he says, “Just this once, everybody lives!” was a brilliant summation of what The Doctor always wants, and Baker thinks that Eccleston was “absolutely brilliant” as The Doctor.
When asked about which companion he would have loved to see his Doctor work with, Baker stated that it wold have to be Leela (Louise Jameson), companion to the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) from 1977 to 1978. In real life, Baker is very good friends with Jameson. He said he would have loved to see her try and deal with that iteration of The Doctor, and thinks Leela would have been “quite a challenge” for his Doctor.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable weekend. It was a chance for me to indulge in one of my favorite sci-fi series, see friends, and of course get photos of the impressive cosplays!
Here are more photos from cosplay that was on display at this year’s event on Friday!
About Chicago TARDIS:
Chicago TARDIS, the Midwest’s largest Doctor Who event, brings together fans every Thanksgiving weekend to celebrate the world’s longest-running science fiction television show. “By fans, for fans” is the convention model – organized by fans of Doctor Who, for fans of Doctor Who. Chicago TARDIS has dozens of volunteers that work hard to put the convention together each year.
Alien Entertainment, the company behind Chicago TARDIS, is a local small business dedicated to bringing you new and vintage toys, collectibles, apparel, accessories, and more – all from your favorite nerdy fandoms. The showrunner and founder, Gene Smith, began Chicago TARDIS because of his love of and desire to connect with the community. Founded in 2000, the convention has been growing in scope every year, with attendance exploding as the show’s popularity in the United States has blossomed.
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