10 Big Differences Between New And Classic Doctor Who

There was a time before 2005 when the world's longest running sci-fi export became viewed as almost a national joke. The climax of the Seventh Doctor era in 1989 saw everyone's favourite Time Lord beset by low ratings and eclipsed by US spectaculars such as The A-Team, which clogged the schedules over at ITV. As such, its triumphant return over a decade later (with a quick reprise in the mid-90 starring Paul McGann) came as an immense surprise. Just as older aficionados of Doctor Who pinch themselves over the revived version of their favourite show and its colossal sucess, so newer fans look back at the Classic Series with bemused bafflement. Whilst some NuWho'ers dip into the programme's back catalogue and manage to find the magical qualities that characterise the Eccleston years and beyond, the differences between the two incarnations are many. Indeed, some Whovians of a certain age think the vintage version is better, but, to all intents and purposes, the London and Cardiff takes are both the same and completely different. But what specifically divides the Classic and the Nu? This article attempts to take a barney-settling look at the TARDIS'y topic, setting the Time Lord's distinctive phases side by side and showing the development from homegrown hit to global moneyspinner. Using 10 examples, the list details some obvious contrasts, and maybe some unexpected ones, that hopefully will decide once and for all what really divides the original Gallifreyan from the mad man with a box...