Doctor Who: Should the Classic and New Series share the same logo?

For years, the Classic and New Series have mostly been under separate branding. But with the latest logo being used for all Doctor Who merchandise, is now the right time for both eras to share the same brand?

Yesterday, Big Finish revealed the new cover for The Eighth Doctor: The Time War 2. One key element that instantly leapt out was the use of the new logo for Series Eleven.

This was quite a significant change. Not only were Big Finish not using a version of the Pertwee/McGann logo, something they have done for nearly two decades. Even the cover layout will change as a result.

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For over a decade, Big Finish have formatted their cover with what’s commonly known as the sidebar. Towards the left of the cover, the logo will be displayed with not just the title, but also a picture clearly showing which Doctor featured. The rest of the cover would be the main image for the story.

However, with the new logo, the rest of the cover format has been changed. No longer featuring the distinctive sidebar, the title is now displayed in the top center, and the cover given more room. So this is quite a significant change for Big Finish to have with their covers.

Even Classic Series DVDs and Blu-Rays will be using the new logo. When the Season 12 Blu-Ray was announced, collecting the complete first season of Tom Baker, the new logo was clearly visible on the cover.

Pictured: the original released cover for Iron Bright, starring Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and coming out in June.

Photo credit: Big Finish Productions

Separate brands

When Doctor Who was brought back in 2005, it was important for it to be seen as a brand new starting point for new viewers. The less they felt like needing to catch up, the more ready they’d be to jump on board with the New Series.

So, while a new logo was created at the time, this was exclusively used for New Series merchandise only. Anything related to the Classic Series had to use the blue Pertwee/McGann logo that had been used for years.

This even applied to the expanded universe. Big Finish were able to continue telling stories featuring Classic Series Doctors. But, for the longest time, they could use nothing created from the New Series. No villains, no planets, not even any events, including the Time War.

However, over time, the distinction between Classic and New started to blur. Over the course of the New Series, more and more monsters and characters were brought back from the Classic.

Perhaps a key year was the fiftieth anniversary. When The Night of the Doctor finally revealed the regeneration of the Eighth Doctor, it felt like the clear bridge between the end of the Classic Series and the start of the New.

This became arguably even more true in 2015, when Big Finish got the license to use characters and mythology from the New Series. Ten years after establishing its own identity, it felt like the New Series really was merging with the Classic.

The updated cover for Iron Bright with the new logo.

Photo credit: Big Finish Productions

Image acquired from bigfinish.com

A time for change?

Perhaps now is the right time for the whole of Doctor Who to share one logo. Doctor Who is ready to be seen as one single show for many, now more than ever.

Then again, this isn’t true of everyone. Everyone has their preference, and some like to see the Classics separate from the New. Particularly as they both have such distinctive differences in style. And perhaps twenty-six seasons plus eleven more can be seen as off-putting for those wanting to catch up.

However, overall, the majority of fandom seems keen to embrace the incredible mythology that Doctor Who has. With sites like BritBox offering a huge amount of Classic Series episodes to watch, and with the gap between the Classic Series and the New being more explored than ever, perhaps now is the time for everything to come under one brand.

Farewell, Classic logo

Still, it has to be said that the Classic Series logo will be missed. Used for almost twenty-two years, it’s seen some variation over time. But whether silver, blue, or white, it’s a distinctive and recognizable logo that’s had a lot of longevity. And, it has to be said, some do prefer it to the latest logo.

Then again, that can be said for perhaps all of the New Series logos, at least for some. Every fan has their favorites, after all.

Perhaps it doesn’t matter what logo gets used. What matters is that at this point, the whole of Doctor Who is getting recognized as a whole. And that’s both very exciting and very satisfying to see.

Next: The Eighth Doctor: The Time War 2 cover revealed with new logo

What do you think of all of Doctor Who coming under one brand? Do you like the idea of the Classic and New Series seen as one single show? Or would you prefer the two to keep their own individual identities and logos? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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