Doctor Who: 10 Things Nu-Who Fans Just Don’t Understand

8. Starting Off With The Ninth Doctor

When word spread that Doctor Who was coming back to our screens, many Classic Series fans wondered how the show would start off. The last time anyone (officially) saw the Doctor on television was back in 1996 when he was in his eighth incarnation, played by Paul McGann, but upon the show's return, viewers were introduced to Christopher Eccleston who was initially unnumbered. Was this the Ninth Doctor or had numerous regenerations taken place whilst the show had been on its prolonged hiatus? It was later established that he was the ninth incarnation (at least, that's what fans believed at the time - damn you, Moffat!) who was fresh from the climactic events of the Time War. This concept could ultimately be confusing for new viewers. The show's previous 42 years (at that point) of mythology was still canon and for the fans who hadn't seen any of it, there was no doubt a sense of befuddlement whenever they heard reference to the Doctor's preceding incarnations. There's always Google, though, and Rose Tyler certainly took advantage of it in her first episode. She used Search-Wise.net, though, for licensing issues, but the results are all the same.