When Doctor Who returned in 2005, it was unique in that it wasn't actually a reboot; it was a continuation of the same show that premiered in 1963. Ever since that return, the show has always been proud of its roots and has taken every opportunity it can find to include elements from the old episodes in the new ones. In Rose, the Doctor tells his new companion that TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space, the exact definition Susan gave in An Unearthly Child. We've seen the Daleks be just as dastardly as ever and the Cybermen still as chilling. We've seen how the sonic screwdriver can still do so much more than simply turning screws and how the Doctor hasn't greatly improved his piloting skills between the old series and the new. Even the Hostile Action Displacement System has made a reappearance in the modern series! And who among us did not cheer when Sarah Jane Smith re-entered the Doctor's life in School Reunion? The exterior of Doctor Who has changed considerably over the years, but its heart hasn't changed at all. It looks significantly different now than it did in 1963, but at the core it is still the same show. We're still following a mysterious alien on his journeys through time and space, and he still finds humans to share in his adventures. He has the same bigger-on-the-inside blue box and encounters some of the same villains (with new ones thrown in for variety). All of these things, the essence of the show, have remained the same for 50 years, and chances are they will remain the same for 50 more. Have you found trouble convincing old school fans to watch the modern show? Let us know in the comments!
Paula Luther hails from Pennsylvania and has been an avid Whovian since 2008. She enjoys writing (obviously), reading, dancing, video editing, and building websites. She has also self-published two books on Amazon, "Bart the Bard" and "Android Mae and Other Stories".
