So, here we are with the start of New Who! A whole new era, bringing in a new generation of fans... and a lot of whining from older fans, naturally. Yeah, no hobby is immune from old men yelling at clouds. But anyway, let's look at this turning point, with one of the last truly great stories to come out of the Wilderness Years, followed by looking inside number nine...
Year 41: 2003 to 2004 - The Flood
Now technically this comic story in DWM spans into next year, but let’s count it all here; it works as almost a grand finale to the Wilderness Years, as it was the climax to the Eighth Doctor’s run in comics. In fact, the story in here really does have the feel of one of RTD’s finale stories, in a huge confrontation with one of the big name foes. We knew this story would be a big deal from the moment we first saw those new look Cybermen; it's a great design, keeping to the key features of them but in a form that really can't be done as costumes on TV. It really is one of the finest hours for them, as the threat of conversion is ever present, they seem more intimidating and implacable than ever, and their lack of emotion is used in a very clever, and quite chilling fashion. They even get cool new vehicles, finally something to compare to the old Dalek transolar discs. For them alone the story is worth it, but add to that the Doctor at his most desperate, ready to try some major gambles to stop them, and it makes for incredible reading. It's currently in the collection pictured above, and in a new collected edition called Cybermen: The Ultimate Comic Strip Collection, so very easy to find.
This story is also really notable in retrospect for something that didn’t happen in it. As I mentioned, this was the ending for the Eighth Doctor comics, and Russell T Davies actually gave them permission to have the story end with the regeneration, and he would treat it as canon in the show. Well, they did actually have the set up for the moment, and there is comic art drawn of the Ninth Doctor… but in the end they didn’t go with it. See, part of the licensing agreement was that the Ninth Doctor could only be shown travelling with Rose, and so that led to the issue of what to do with his companion Destrii? They liked the character too much to just abruptly kill her off or anything like that, and whilst they did have another idea of a sort of interim, mid-regeneration arrangement, that felt forced. Besides, a proper regeneration story has two parts; pre and post, before and after. If they couldn’t have a proper post-regeneration story, as the Ninth Doctor discovers who he was, and Destrii reacts to the change, then what would be the point of ending the story that way? So in the end, it became a “Walking off into the sunset” ending, and you know what? Right call, it still leaves the doors open for more stories of the Doctor and Destrii in the future, after a story with very dark moments it’s a feel good moment, and it’s a nice echo of how the Wilderness Years began. Look at that panel above, and tell me you don’t see a touch of “There are worlds out there…”. It’s a fine note to end this period of the franchise’s history on, one looking towards a bold adventure ahead. Speaking of that upcoming adventure…
Year 42: 2004 to 2005 - Rose
So yeah, it kind of has to be something from the dawn of New Who for here, doesn’t it, kinda overshadows everything else, but what to pick though? Series one had its rough points, as RTD and crew had to work out on the fly what exactly 21st century Doctor Who was, but there are still some excellent episodes in there. Dalek was a superb reintroduction to the Daleks, not only getting a new generation to know them, but also to sweep away all the jokes in one fell swoop. The Empty Child became instantly iconic, one of the simplest but most effective monsters, and you can still make people of the right generation shiver with just a “Are you my mummy?”. Fathers Day is by far the episode where the new focus on the companions pays off the best, a truly touching tale of family. The Parting of the Ways set the standard for season finales, both in emotional stakes but also for delivering on the Daleks as an unstoppable force in a way the Classic series always struggled to show.
But in the end, there really can be only one choice; all of these would be moot if the show hadn't been so strong straight out of the gate, hadn’t connected with audiences both new and old from the word “Go”. Rose the episode really is the perfect starting point; a story of a perfectly normal person we can all relate to encountering the world of The Doctor for the first time, with an iconic alien threat. Rose the character too is a fine character, this story would note have worked nearly so well if she wasn't so immediately likeable, all the props to Billie Piper and RTD for bringing her to life. It also establishes the mad selection of tones that has always made up Who are in here; yeah, the bin burping is a step too far, but before that, the image of a wheelie bin being an alien weapon is up there with the chair in Terror of the Autons. Also, the scenes with Clyde do help to sell the danger and stakes of the show; not just in selling the idea that when the TARDIS lands, all hell breaks loose, but to see a normal person be cut down by unearthly events. Yes, not all of it has aged well, some bits are awkward in retrospect, but in the end, we have to thank this is episode for bringing Who into the twenty first century. The journey of a billion light-years and several trillion actual years begins with a single step, and this was a good one to start with.
Next time, we’ll be looking at how a new tradition began, and that even with Who back on TV, we’re not done with Big Finish yet, not by a longshot…
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