I’m a New Who fan who has too much time decided to go back and watch the old series.
So far, I’ve watched the 1996 movie and most of the remaining serials up to season 12. Half way there, I write this list.
There is a lot of good reasons not to watch classic episodes: they aren’t as well written, acted and produced as the new ones; the large number of them; some are missing. I’ll give you ten reasons to consider watching it, or at least some of them.
10 reasons why Classic Who is worth watching
Art by
http://perpetualpanda.deviantart.com/- Because it explains a lot
The writers often remind us that the Doctor is a Time Lord from Gallifrey and he can go everywhere in time and space (in theory, at least). The fact that the TARDIS’ chameleon circuit is broken has been mentioned twice in the new series. But there are things that have been never explained to New Who viewers. Like, why the sonic screwdriver is called a screwdriver? Did we ever see the Doctor using it as a screwdriver? Yes, we did - the first time it appeared on screen, with the Second Doctor. Back then, it was, literally, a sonic screwdriver.
Another example? From our twenty-first century point of view, the outside of the Doctor’s TARDIS is almost as unusual as its interior. For us, a blue wooden box with a phone and “police” written on it is the TARDIS - or, if we don’t know what a TARDIS is yet, something new and mysterious, maybe even alien. But it wasn’t always like that. In the very first serial of Doctor Who, the Doctor’s first companions Ian and Barbara see a police box and treat is as it was something common and normal. Of course, most Doctor Who viewers know that police phone boxes were common in 1960s London but knowing it is one thing and actually seeing it is another.
- Because of Gallifrey
In New Who Gallifrey, being either burnt or lost, is a mysterious place we want to know more about. It’s the Doctor’s home planet, home to a great civilisation, a beautiful place which the Doctor decided to leave and, many years later, was forced to burn. I don’t think there exist a more interesting and exciting topic in new series than Gallifrey and Time Lords. But before they come back (and I believe we’ll see them soon - series 10 seems to be a perfect time for it to happen), we can go to the classic series and see what has been told about them. And it was quite a lot.
- Because of “the firsts”
The first Doctor Who episode. First companions. First trip in the TARDIS. First encounter with the Daleks. First (on-screen) incarnation of the Master. First multi-doctor episode. First time we see Time Lords. First appearance of the sonic screwdriver. First regeneration.
- Because of the references
The Tenth Doctor claims he had nothing to do with the Great Fire of Rome. The Twelfth Doctor shouts: “The Sontarans! Perverting the course of human history!”. Malcolm is UNIT’s scientific advisor. New Who refers to Classic Who all the time and spotting those references is really good fun.
- Because of the Doctors
You can find a lot of bad things in Classic Who: some bad costumes, bad effects, bad supporting actors, bad dialogues, bad ideas, bad solutions. But you’ll never find a bad Doctor. Some are better than others and some are more beloved than others but each Doctor is unique, each has some qualities and each is a part of the show’s history. “At least one story with each Doctor”, that was my plan for Classic Who. It didn’t really work out…
- Because of Jamie McCrimmon
There were some wonderful companions in the new series, without doubts; my favourite Martha who saved the Doctor so many times, vibrant Donna, brave Rose, handsome Jack, devoted Rory, the list doesn’t end. But the Second Doctor travelled with Jamie McCrimmon. A young Scot from eighteenth century who wasn’t the smartest person in the TARDIS (it was Zoe) but he was loyal, brave and full of enthusiasm. And he wore a kilt. New Who needs a companion (or a Doctor) wearing a kilt.
- Because of the old enemies
Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans debuted on screen a long time ago and didn’t change that much since then. It’s like watching your friends’ photos from time you didn’t know them - an odd but fascinating feeling. Besides, “Genesis of the Daleks” is a must-watch episode if you want to understand the significance of the Daleks in the Doctor’s life.
- Because it shows you a bigger picture
Doctor Who producers know that the show is based on change and don’t hesitate to refresh it and let it evolve - a thing not every Doctor Who viewer accepts. Classic Who shows us years of history and development. We can see how many times the show’s formula changed, how it rejected elements that didn’t work and tried out new ones, in a constant chase for improvement. This is why Doctor Who survived over fifty years. Of course, some changes turn out to be good and some are bad (and a good producer should know which is which). But it’s important to understand that nothing is too big for a change, if it serves the story.
- Because of those tiny little moments you’ve seen on gifs or heard of
Did you know that a first Doctor who accidently got engaged was, in fact, the First Doctor? Or that there’s a planet called Delphon where people communicate with their eyebrows, and the Doctor has been there? (I want it to be a place where the next multi-doctor story gets place.) The Doctor inside of a Dalek statue. The Doctor and his ridiculously long scarf. The Master’s TARDIS with operational chameleon circuit. That time when the Doctor repaired the chameleon circuit. How can you not want to see it?
- Because it’s Doctor Who
And an episode you choose to watch might be completely different from what you know from New Who but in some way, it’s still Doctor Who. It’s still the same story, regardless of a year of production. And it’s magic.