This summer I met a couple of Whovians. Now, five months later, I am one of them. Whovians are diehard fans of “Doctor Who”, a TV show considered one of the top cult classics. Cult classics are shows or movies with huge underground followings. You’ll never find a cult classic on prime time television; more likely at 1 a.m. in a marathon of past seasons. Cult classics usually end before their time. The fans of these shows are the ones in full costume at Comic-Con. The world of cult classics is an odd, addictive, and amazing one. Here are a couple of gems from the genre.

Promotional poster for “Doctor Who”.

1. Doctor Who

An alien called The Doctor (“Hello, I’m the Doctor” “Doctor who?”) travels around time and space in a time machine called the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). Every now and then he picks up a couple of humans to join him on his travels to save the universe. Hilarity ensues.

“Doctor Who” began 50 years ago on BBC after being a popular radio show for years. After 8 different Doctors the show took a break for almost 30 years before coming back. 7 new seasons, 3 new doctors, and counting. What makes “Doctor Who” a great show is the writing. The script is clever, funny, and entertaining. Not a good choice if you plan on doing homework anytime soon (there are 20 odd seasons to work your way through).

Promotional poster for “Kyle XY”.

2. Kyle XY

This is an ABC show featuring a teenage boy named Kyle who lives with his family in Seattle. The catch? Kyle was created by the government in a secret experiment. All Kyle wants is to be a normal teenage boy, but it’s not as easy as it sounds when the government is trying to get their hands on your DNA.

“Kyle XY” went through 3 seasons before it was announced in 2009 that it would not be returning. Three years later the fans are still lobbying ABC to bring their show back; there are several online petitions with thousands of signatures and counting.

 

 

3. Firefly

The cast of “Firefly”.

“Firefly” is the story of a Firefly-class spaceship, Serenity, and its crew. In the year 2517 the two superpowers America and China have expanded out into space, colonizing a collection of planets and moons in a far away galaxy. One government called the Alliance governs over the whole galaxy after a civil war. The crew of the firefly fought on the losing side and now work primarily as smugglers delivering cargo. Take one ornery captain, a calm first mate, two fugitives on the run, and a host of others and you’ve got a show.

“Firefly” was cancelled after just 11 aired episodes. But despite the fact that the show didn’t make it through even one season, DVD sales were solid and the fan base continued to grow. “Firefly” is still thought of as one of the top cult classics of all time.

 

Cult classics are great shows because you join a sort of club when you become a fan. You get to laugh at all the inside jokes, cry with everyone on Tumblr after the season finale, and, if you’re an extreme fan, pretend to be your favorite character. If you plan to do homework even when there are unwatched episodes (gasp!), cult classics may not be for you. However, if you’re looking for a bit of camaraderie and entertainment, I’d recommend “Doctor Who”. As vices go, it’s a pretty great one.