The modern era of Doctor Who has rightly been praised for bringing a greater depth to the show, along with a wealth of technology that would itself have seemed the stuff of science-fiction when the show originally began.
But it would be wrong not to point out that, actually, some of the ‘new’ things the 21st century show has given us were already done in the classic series. Maybe not done as well, or as convincingly, or as often, but done nevertheless.
So, as we approach the tenth anniversary of Doctor Who‘s revival, here’s our Top 5 things that the classic series did first…
5. A companion with a backstory
No question, Rose Tyler was the first companion to properly introduce the Doctor to her mother. But if we’re looking for a companion with a tough backstory and ‘a journey to go on’ then we already had Ace.
A companion who hated her mother as an adult, but then goes back in time and finds that she loves her as a baby; a companion who’s been in trouble with the police over an arson attack… If you want troubled companions, look no further!
4. The return of an old friend
A story set in a school. An old companion, whose life hasn’t carried on in the same glorious way since they lost contact with the Doctor… 23 years before ‘School Reunion’, the fifth Doctor bumped into the ex-Brigadier in 1983’s ‘Mawdryn Undead’. It’s a moving tale in which the former friend at first even fails to recognise the Time Lord, where the one-time ‘death or glory’ soldier is living in a run-down, overgrown hut.
If ‘School Reunion’ tugs at the heartstrings because of the superlative Lis Sladen, so does ‘Mawdryn Undead’ because of the equally extraordinary Nick Courtney. (The story is a bit timey-wimey too, but we’ll leave that alone.)
3. Overly-complex, long-running story arcs
Have you seen ‘The Trial of a Time Lord’? Nowadays the final two episodes would doubtless be heralded with a barrage of online trails and teases: Is Peri really dead? What was Drathro guarding? Is Ravolox Earth? Who is the Valeyard?
Just think of, for example, Episode 8 where the Doctor steps into the TARDIS, which then segues right back to the start of Episode 1. Or the surprise return of Glitz in Episode 13.
More than a quarter of a century before the kind of mindmelting River Song arc, ‘80s Who was already having a bash at it!
2. Christmas specials and Doctor-lite episodes
Okay, it’s hard to really get that excited about ‘The Feast of Steven’, but it was the first Christmas Day episode. And if we’re looking for something more in the spirit of a modern-day Christmas special, we have to look no further than December 1981’s shortlived spin-off K9 & Company.
In a similar vein, in many ‘60s episodes the Doctor is all but absent for just the same reason as in the Doctor-lite episodes of recent times. Whether it be by pre-recorded voiceover for an invisible Doctor (‘The Celestial Toymaker’) or spending an episode dozing (‘The Seeds of Death’) the Doctor-lite ep is definitely nothing new.
And going one step further, surely only ‘60s Doctor Who would be brave enough to do away with the Doctor completely for a whole episode – ‘Mission to the Unknown’ famously serves as a prologue to the forthcoming story of ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan’, and the Doctor doesn’t appear at all – he doesn’t even rate a namecheck during the episode. (William Hartnell still gets top billing in the credits though; what an incredible agent that man must have had.)
1. Restoring mystery to the character
We had a long period of ‘Doctor Who?’ being bigged up as a question of great significance, ever since it was mentioned at the end of 2011’s Season 6. References to ‘secrets that must never be spoken’; Clara’s reading of his name, apparently casually written down in ‘The History of the Time War’ (author unknown, hopefully Terrance Dicks); not to mention a huge chunk of the plot, as well as the teasing title, of ‘The Name of the Doctor’… and then the extraordinary ‘Doctor Who?’ sequence in 2013’s Christmas special.
But this is nothing new – whether it’s exclusively an anniversary thing I’m not sure, but 25 years ago the Who team of the day also wanted to bring back a sense of mystery to the Doctor.
Hints in ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’ that the Doctor may have been around in the days of Omega, and then even greater hints about a great secret in ‘Silver Nemesis’ – during which Lady Peinforte (“I have found his secrets out”) threatens to reveal all, posing Ace the question, ‘Doctor Who?’
What’s your favourite ‘first’ in classic Doctor Who? Let us know below…