Doctor Who: Old vs New – Spearhead from Space vs Rose

We compare Spearhead from Space with New Series opener Rose – both of which established new eras for the show, while also featuring the Autons!

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

We look at two major stories in Doctor Who history: Spearhead from Space and Rose, both of which introduced new Doctors while establishing new eras. How do they compare?

During a discussion I was reading over Jon Pertwee’s debut story Spearhead from Space, an interesting question came up. A question regarding both Spearhead and another Doctor Who story featuring a new Doctor, new companion and of course the Autons. Namely, which is better: Spearhead from Space or Rose?

Keep in mind, this article isn’t about dismissing either story. Both are major stories in Doctor Who history, and both work very well in their respective eras. But considering how they do share some key similarities, a comparison is justified, in this case.

After all, both stories are extremely significant fresh starts for the series. Spearhead from Space was the first ever Doctor Who story to be made in color. More than that: it had to establish a radically different format for the series. Whereas previous seasons had focused on travels across time and space, Spearhead was the beginning of the Doctor’s exile on Earth. As a result, it had to show that the series could work well, even with just the one setting, and a modern-day setting, at that.

Of course, what Rose had to do was even more extreme. After a gap of sixteen years, Rose had to reintroduce Doctor Who to a completely new audience. It had to show that it was essentially still the same series for old fans, but more importantly, feel like a completely fresh jumping-on point for new viewers.

Overall, both stories work extremely well at doing what they need to do. Both stories do a great job of introducing the new Doctor, the new companion and setting up a new tone for the series. Rose is noticeably lighter storywise, but it does have a much stronger emphasis on the new companion than Spearhead. While Liz is introduced well and comes across as a fleshed-out character, the perspective is divided between her, the Doctor and the Brigadier. Rose was also followed by The End of the World, which also helped to establish the tone of the series and revealing more about the new Doctor.

The Autons

It was a great decision for Russell T Davies to bring back the Autons in Rose. It immediately established that this series was a continuation of the original for Classic Series fans, but at the same time, they were a simple and effective enough monster for new viewers to grasp almost immediately.

Perhaps unsurprisingly though, the monsters are arguably more effective in their original story. They have a reduced role in Rose, only really showing up in scenes with the Doctor and Rose until the end of the story when they invade. In their original appearance, the story focuses on the monsters almost as much as our heroes. This can sometimes reduce how effective a monster is, but the way they silently move and stalk, as well as the iconic design of their blank plastic faces, make them terrifying.

Both Spearhead from Space and Rose featured very similar scenes of the Autons invading.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

The story

How well do the stories themselves hold up? They’re both enjoyable, although I must admit, I do have a preference for Spearhead. In some ways, it’s actually aged better than Rose. Surprisingly, there are moments in Rose that are, perhaps ironically, considerably cheesier than what we got in the original story. Mickey getting swallowed up by a plastic bin before being replaced by an incredibly obvious duplicate definitely stands out.

The original story also used plastic duplicates, and you could usually tell the difference between the real person and the duplicate. But it was also clever enough to make the differences subtle – for example, the dummies actually acted convincingly and had a faint plastic look. The scenes with the p-p-plastic Mickey on the other hand…definitely not so subtle.

These moments aren’t enough to ruin the episode, of course. In Rose, there are so many fantastic moments that are iconic, like the Ninth Doctor describing “the turn of the Earth”; the first time Rose enters the TARDIS, or Clive describing the Doctor to Rose.

The characters

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This leads me to something else that makes the story stand out: characters, great and small. As well as Rose, her mother and her boyfriend, we’re also introduced to Clive. Clive is such a fantastic character, and the fact that we’re introduced to his family as well makes his death that much more shocking and tragic.

Not that Spearhead from Space wasn’t full of memorable characters too. In fact, writer Robert Holmes was rather gifted at it. The Seeleys in particular stood out. Not only was poacher Sam Seeley a great enough character on his own, but he was hilarious whenever he was arguing with his wife Meg.

Overall, both stories achieved a great deal, and worked brilliantly at setting out what they needed to do: establishing both new Doctors and brand new eras for the series. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be Spearhead from Space. Along with introducing Jon Pertwee’s iconic Doctor, the story is arguably better paced, and the Autons make for an extremely effective enemy. Rose is great, but Spearhead still stands out as one of the very best “new Doctor” stories ever made.

What do you think? Which story do you prefer? Which approach worked better for you? Let us know in the comments below.