Despite taking part in the same universe and following several of the same characters, there are many glaring differences between the classic and modern eras ofDoctor Who.The show first aired in 1963 on the BBC and followed William Hartnell’s portrayal of the Doctor, a time-traveling alien from the planet Gallifrey who adventures through space and time with his friends and companions. The show became hugely successful thanks to itsinventive stories and loveable characters- but there are severalharsh realities of rewatching classicDoctor Whotoday. It wasn’t until the 2005 reboot that the formula was finally changed.
When Russell T. Davies brought the show back after a period of absence throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s, the revamped series was totally different from the show that audiences were used to. While it’s technically a continuation of the same narrative, with certain figures and locations appearing in both series, the two couldn’t be more different.Introducing new audiences to classicDoctor Whocan often be a challenge, since the modern series is much more accessible and easy to jump into - but that doesn’t mean it’s always better.
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Modern Doctor Who Companions Receive More Characterization
Classic Who Didn’t Flesh Out Its Sidekicks
One of the most glaring problems with the classic version of the series, particularly in the earliest seasons, was the lack of characterization given to the Doctor’s companions. Although characters such asSusan Foreman and Ian Chesterton have become fan favoritesthanks to the nostalgia of the classic era, it’s easy to see why audiences struggled to engage with them at the time of release. Their stories are frequently underwritten and overlong, as the first few seasons ofDoctor Whostruggled to fully understand what the role of the companion was - it often feels like they’re just there because they have to be.
But that doesn’t mean that all ofDoctor Who’s best companionscome from the modern era. In fact, many of the show’s most beloved sidekicks were introduced before the show was rebooted in 2005: characters such as Sarah Jane, Mel, Tegan, and Ace were all part of the classic era, and their stories were great. The quantity of interesting companions was just much lower - in the modern era,every single character is given a rich backstoryand a strong personality. This wasn’t the case with classicDoctor Who.
Kissing In The TARDIS Is Encouraged
The Doctor Is No Longer Afraid Of Romance
Another aspect ofDoctor Whothat wasn’t really introduced until the rebooted series was the concept of romantic relationships between the Doctor and his companions - or even between the companions themselves. The Time Lord never seemed interested in love during the show’s early seasons, perhaps because the actors themselves were often older, butthe new series decided to appeal to younger audiencesby having a (seemingly) younger protagonist and allowing romance to become a major part of the show.
Therelationship between the Doctor and Rosethroughout the revival’s first two seasons was undeniably a huge advantage in getting younger audiences invested in the show. It gave them a reason to tune in every week, watching this romance play out on screen and allowing themselves to invest emotionally in their dynamic. In the show’s fifth and sixth seasons,Doctor Whopushed the limit again byhaving a married couple in the TARDIS together. This was another huge success, giving the show an emotional level that it never really had before.
Modern Doctor Who Has More Overarching Storylines
The Modern Episodes Are More Connected
When newer audiences go back to watch Classic Who, one of the biggest surprises they encounter is the show’s serialized format: each story was broken up into multiple episodes, which were then referred to as a ‘serial’. These stories could be several hours in length, but they weren’t frequently connected to each other. This meant thataudiences could essentially jump in at the beginning of any serialwithout having to know what happened in the last - this is a format that New Who abandoned almost entirely.
From 2005 onwards, the show opted for episodic storytelling: where each episode was a new story, but there were overarching narratives that ran throughout the season. The show implemented this idea right away - in season 1,Rose’s dreams of “Bad Wolf”were the narrative thread that ran throughout the season, sprinkled throughout each episode and then leading into a finale that brought everything together. This was another method of ensuring that audiences returned each week, and it gaveDoctor Whoa much larger scope and broader appeal.
Doctor Who’s Modern Era Has Way More Comedy
The Show Isn’t Afraid To Get Silly Anymore
AlthoughDoctor Whoopened the door for several great actors to play the protagonist’s role throughout the years, most of the show’searly Doctors weren’t that funny. It was never the show’s intention to delve into comedic waters - it was alwaysintended to be a sci-fi dramaabove all else, often taking itself a little too seriously for its own good. Actors like Tom Baker and Sylvester McCoy certainly wove some humor into their portrayals of the Doctor, but it wasn’t until the reboot that he was considered a particularly funny character.
This was a massive step forward for the show, proving that it can adapt to its environment and change its style to suit what audiences want.
David Tennant and Matt Smith, in particular, brought a much-needed sense of comedy toDoctor Whothat was never present in the classic era.Their portrayals of the Doctor were much more childishand less serious than actors such as Hartnell or Pertwee (who are great in other ways). This was a massive step forward for the show, proving that it can adapt to its environment and change its style to suit what audiences want.
Doctor Who’s Budget Allows It To Compete With Other Sci-Fi Shows Now
The Disney Deal Made Things Much Easier
One undeniable problem with Classic Who is that the special effects can often be very distracting due to the low budget. Particularly during the ‘80s, this low budget really became a problem as the technologies of the time were advancing and getting much stronger, butDoctor Whodidn’t have the money to keep up with it. This was amajor reason behind the show’s initial cancelation, as the show was losing much of the charm that it had in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Quite simply, other shows were doing sci-fi visuals much better. When big-budget Hollywood films likeStar WarsandBack to the Futureare around, it’s much harder to immerse yourself in a show likeDoctor Who, where none of the effects are believable. New Who understood this, and effectivelyused the increased budget to improve the visualsand consequently make the sci-fi elements ofDoctor Whostand out even more. And with Disney’s recent investment, the show’s budget has increased even further.
The Time War Changed Everything In Doctor Who
The Off-Screen Disaster May Have Saved The Show
When it was announced thatDoctor Whowould be returning for a rebooted series, there needed to be a unique twist that prevented it from being the same as the classic era. This twist was the Time War,a universal conflict that took place between the classic and modern eras, fundamentally changing the Doctor as a character and serving as the basis for his actions in the new series. There had beenother Time Wars before the reboot, but this was a major touchpoint that transformed the show into its new state.
Without the Time War, modernDoctor Whowouldn’t have been anywhere near as successful. The potential of saving Gallifrey gave the Doctor an overarching goal to strive for, and his involvement in the destruction of his own peopletransformed the character on a fundamental level. Christopher Ecclestone’s portrayal of the Doctor was strongly affected by the grief and trauma of the war, which is why he was such a likable protagonist who was easy to root for.
Classic Doctor Who Didn’t Give The Doctor Much Backstory
His History Was Mostly A Secret
Another reason that the Time War worked so well as a narrative device was that it gave the Doctor a clear backstory, which is something that Classic Who had always avoided. The show wanted to keep much of his history a secret, thus making him more mysterious and enigmatic as a character. This worked to an extent, but it’s difficult to fully connect with a character whenthe audience isn’t given much detail about who he is, or where he came from. New Who avoided this problem by focusing strongly on Gallifrey and the war.
There are some attempts to give the Doctor a backstory in Classic Who, but these mostly fail due to the serialized format of the show. There wasn’t much continuity between the stories, and for this reason, any details that were revealed about his past were essentiallyforgotten by the next adventure. This is another reason why the episodic format works so much better forDoctor Who.
Abandoning Multi-Part Stories Redefined Doctor Who
The Change In Format Was A Huge Transformation
While there are still two-part stories every now and again in New Who, the concept of a multi-part serial that takes place across four or five hours is something that was left in the classic era. Writers such as Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat completely rewrote the foundations of the show with their short, snappy adventures that manage to fit anentire serial’s worth of storytelling into just one hour. While serials have their advantages, shorter episodes are much easier to digest on the whole.
This is a much easier format for younger audiences to engage with, which was entirely necessary ifDoctor Whowas going to survive.
Steven Moffat wrote many ofDoctor Who’s best episodes, from “Blink” to “The Girl in the Fireplace,” and these all succeed because of their short, concise runtimes. More happens in these stories than in most Classic Who serials, but there’s no filler to make the runtimes overly long. This isa much easier format for younger audiences to engage with, which was entirely necessary ifDoctor Whowas going to survive.
Modern Doctor Who Is Aimed At A Worldwide Audience
It’s Not Just British Anymore
For the majority ofDoctor Who’s classic run, the show was essentially confined to Great Britain. There were viewers across the world, of course, but it was nowhere near the international success that it’s become today. British humor and pop culture references were woven into the fabric of the show, and whilethis was great for British audiences, the change to a more universal style was necessary for the show to break free of its domestic constraints.
Since Disney has invested in the show,Doctor Who’s reach has only become even broader. Not only has it become more accessible worldwide, releasing on Disney+ in many more countries, but that obstacle of its innate “Britishness” isn’t there anymore. It’s become much easier to understand for audiences outside of Britain - and that’sboth a good and bad thing. While more people can access the show, there’s an argument to be made that it’s lost some of the spirit that was present in the classic show.
Doctor Who Now Has The Advantage Of Nostalgia (& Uses It Often)
The Show Isn’t Afraid To Tap Into Its Own History
WhenDoctor Whowas starting out, nobody knew what it was - and that was an immediate challenge that the writers had to overcome. Introducing audiences to a whole new universe, with alien races and far-off planets, must have been very difficult in the early days of the show. This is likely why the majority of the first seasons hadvery simple, straightforward stories, as taking risks could have caused the show to be canceled. But now,Doctor Whocan be as bold and brash as it likes, because it has the safety net of nostalgia to fall back on.
This can be seen as recently as season 14 whenDoctor Whobrought back Mel Bush, a companion of the Seventh Doctor. In Classic Who, this character would have needed more setup and backstory, but New Who can simply bring her back and rely on the nostalgia of her original story to get audiences invested again. It’s a useful tool thatDoctor Whoclearly isn’t afraid of using, and it seems to be even more present in Russell T. Davies’ second term as showrunner.
Doctor Who
Cast
Doctor Who: Released on June 30, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
