Sometimes the internet reminds me that media literacy really is dead.

Recently, nerdy influencer Ellie Jolly decided to do something objectively rather nice: raise money for the Red Cross.

Ellie brought together several members of the UK nerd community, including the talented Bella Pritchard and the fabulous Ellie Littlechild, to cover one of the stranger pieces of Doctor Who history:

Doctor in Distress.

Now, I have to admit something before we go any further.

I am not a Whovian.

In fact, before all of this happened, I wasn’t even aware that Doctor in Distress existed.

And bloody hell, what a fascinating little piece of nerd history it is.

Doctor Who Was in Distress

Back in 1985, Doctor Who was in trouble.

Production of the series had been suspended for 18 months, and there were very real fears that the BBC might cancel the show altogether.

So songwriter and Doctor Who fan Ian Levine, alongside composer and arranger Fiachra Trench, created Doctor in Distress as an ensemble charity-style single intended to rally support for the programme.

And they didn’t exactly do it quietly.

The recording featured several people actually associated with Doctor Who, including Colin Baker, the Sixth Doctor himself; Nicola Bryant, who played Peri Brown; Nicholas Courtney, better known as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart; and Anthony Ainley, who played the Master.

It was big.

It was earnest.

It was incredibly 1985.

And it bombed.

Spectacularly.

The single reportedly cost more to produce than it actually made and became something of an infamous curiosity within Doctor Who fandom.

But here’s the wonderful thing about fandom:

Things don’t always die just because they fail.

Over the decades, Doctor in Distress persisted.

Something that might once have been considered embarrassing can become nostalgic, funny and strangely endearing. Fans rediscover it, laugh about it and occasionally celebrate it.

Which brings us back to 2026.

Apparently We Can’t Just Have Fun Anymore

A group of nerds got together and covered a silly song from Doctor Who history while raising money for the Red Cross.

That’s it.

That’s the story.

You don’t have to like the song.

You don’t have to like the cover.

Hell, you don’t even have to watch it.

But apparently some people saw this and decided what the situation really needed was their righteous fury.

I’ve seen people insulting those involved, mocking their work and even throwing around accusations that they’re “grifters.”

And I find that genuinely baffling.

Because what exactly is the grift here?

A bunch of nerds publicly making themselves look a little silly while raising money for charity?

Some criminal masterminds we’ve got here.

More importantly, though, it feels symptomatic of something increasingly unpleasant about online culture.

We seem to have lost the ability to recognise context.

Not everything needs to be viewed through the most cynical interpretation imaginable.

Sometimes people are just having fun.

Sometimes something is intentionally cheesy.

Sometimes fans celebrate something precisely because it’s a little bit crap.

And sometimes people put themselves out there because they want to make something with their friends and maybe do a little good while they’re at it.

Putting Yourself Out There Is Hard

There’s another part of this that particularly bothers me.

Do you know how hard it is to put yourself out there?

Seriously.

Standing in front of a camera, singing, acting, writing, performing or creating something and then releasing it into the world takes guts.

Because the moment you do, you give thousands of complete strangers permission to have an opinion about you.

Some criticism is fair.

Creators aren’t entitled to praise simply because they created something.

But there’s a massive difference between criticism and cruelty.

It’s incredibly easy to sit behind a keyboard and tear someone apart.

It requires virtually nothing from you.

Creating something does.

Organising people does.

Performing does.

Raising money for charity does.

So while you’re sitting behind a keyboard being hateful, these people are actually out there having fun, creating something and helping the Red Cross.

Maybe instead of desperately searching for another person to tear down, you could get off your arse and help build somebody up.

The internet might be a slightly nicer place for it.

I May Not Be a Whovian, But…

As I said earlier, I’m not particularly invested in Doctor Who.

I didn’t know Doctor in Distress existed before this.

I have absolutely no nostalgic attachment to this song.

But I don’t really need one.

Because I understand what I’m looking at.

It’s fans celebrating an incredibly silly piece of fandom history, having fun together and using the attention to raise money for charity.

And frankly?

I respect the hell out of that.

So fair play to Ellie Jolly, Bella Pritchard, Ellie Littlechild and everyone else involved.

Keep being nerdy.

Keep making things.

Keep putting yourselves out there.

And, perhaps most importantly, keep having fun.

Because God knows the internet could use a little more of it.