Doctor Who: 11 Previous Stories That The Peter Capaldi Era Should Learn From

5. Ghost Light

There was a force that arose in the late 80s and early 90s. It was called cynicism. It was, at the time, impossible to even walk down the street without being caught up in someone else's desperate desire to demonstrate how much they didn't care about anything and how cool and ironic they could be about anything that came into their lives. This is the world that gave us Alanis Morissette. On the other hand, in 1989 Doctor Who gave us the story Ghost Light. What was notable about this story, particularly as regards the time period where it was made, is that it is substantially about how much better people are who are willing to care. Ace's pain is entirely based in her ability to disassociate herself from the tragedy inflicted on a friend. Everything that happens in the story happens as a direct result of someone being unable to stop themselves from caring about the result of someone else's actions. It's the least 90s theme imaginable, and the fact that it exists right as the 90s were gestating makes it just about the bravest thing the show ever did. They cared. And they didn't care who looked down on them for it. The moment of Gwendoline singing 'That's the way to the zoo' is worth ten times anything else on television that year.