When you’re a long-term fan of Classic Doctor Who, it can be a real joy to watch it with someone more used to the New Series, as I’ve recently learned.
As someone who’s practically grown up with the Classic Series of Doctor Who, I love the older episodes as much as the newer ones. Both mean a great deal to me, and to be honest, while I acknowledge that there is a distinction between the two eras, it isn’t as much for me as it might be for others.
Since November last year, I’ve been introducing a friend of mine – a huge fan of the New Series – to the Classic Series. It started with watching a few random episodes for the anniversary. These included the first episode, An Unearthly Child, Genesis of the Daleks, and the fiftieth anniversary spoof The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.
Overall, it was enough to make her more curious about the history of the series. Not enough to instantly make her a massive fan of the older era and instantly cosplay the Fourth Doctor, but she found the series enjoyable, at least. It also helps that she watched it with a fan who did know all about the Classic Series, to the point where he regularly writes for a website covering everything Doctor Who related.
There’ve been a few stories that we’ve watched since then, including the TV Movie and Remembrance of the Daleks. That last one is particularly great to watch for someone else’s fresh reaction. It’s big, it’s explosive, it had plenty of commentary without overdoing it, and it has one of the most badass companion scenes in Doctor Who history. On top of that, my friend was also very nicely surprised by a key twist – twice! There’s something really fantastic when you get that kind of reaction from someone who wasn’t raised on the Classic Series.
It can be a wonderful feeling when, after watching a classic story such as The Hand of Fear, a fan gains so much more enjoyment from episodes like School Reunion.
(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.
Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)
Discovering the depths of Who’s history
But I think the most rewarding moment was after watching The Hand of Fear. Before that, we re-watched Tooth and Claw. She suggested that we watch School Reunion next, but I couldn’t resist suggesting The Hand of Fear instead. It’s not my favorite Tom Baker story, but it is a huge one, as it’s Sarah Jane’s exit story. And while she is reunited with the Doctor in The Five Doctors, that was mostly with his third incarnation, so the consequences of The Hand of Fear weren’t dealt with until she met Ten in School Reunion.
The fact that my friend found Sarah Jane’s exit emotional was rewarding enough. But it got even better when she messaged me just a couple of days later to thank me for suggesting it. She had just re-watched School Reunion and told me that she enjoyed it so much more this time.
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Which isn’t too surprising, as there’s so much in School Reunion that deals with why the Doctor left Sarah Jane behind. The best example of this is when the Doctor is repairing K9, and there’s a major discussion between him and Sarah over why he never came back for her.
But there is something satisfying when someone new to the history of this amazing series gets such a fantastic reaction from it. It’s like watching some of your favorite stories through fresh eyes. Sometimes, they won’t enjoy a story as much as you do. But other times, they can get as much joy from it as some of their favorite New Series episodes. It’s a great feeling, and it’s another reason why I love this amazing series.
What are your experiences of watching the Classic Series with New Series fans? Did they enjoy it as much as you did? Did you get to experience some amazing reactions? Or did you get some bad ones? Or if you were a New Series fan, what were your reactions to watching the Classic Series for the first time? Let us know in the comments below.