*waves madly*

[Angel]

Well in the 60's womenfolk screamed a lot because they had no other way of handling the situation. Life for womenfolk back then was very much not empowered! In the 70's they screamed a fair bit less and in the 80's they had a tendancy to complain a lot! Teagan for example needed a swift fist to her face...repeatedly! Sarah Jane spent most of her time wanting to go home, but Leela was very strong and pretty awesome! So just like the show the womenfolk reflected the time. As I say, it was a social commentary.

I always go back to Baker for my references, for two reasons. He was the longest running doctor and my favourite. He began his run in 74 by deciding that he no longer wants continual involvement in Unit and wants to go off and eplore more. He also turns his back on the other time lords and tries to find hi own feet. England in 74 had the three day week due to industrial action, the trouble in Ireland and people lost faith in the government. People wanted a break from everything and they longed for an escape, but they were very much British. Home is where they belong so you had the doctor running off and escaping "the man" while his companion is always wanting to go home. It continues through the show with the doctor and the companion constantly reflecting the society that is viewing them.

And yes, the acting in the 60's wasn't anything like it is now. Television was viewed more akin to a theatre in the home and just as acting on the stage was over the top and wooden so your motives could be viewed at the back of the building, the same tactic came onto the television. That did begin to change around the 60's though, by the 70's it was more well rounded, but as I say, it was more geared towards the dialogue and socio-political undertones. Which is why it died in the 80's when the public just wanted to escape but the show kept trying to give a running commentary on the world around us.Pretty cool really, but the television audience had changed and the show couldn't keep up. It was, however, a fantastic story which is why it's come back with a whole new feel and focus, and why it makes very little reference to the old show.

[ComaStitch]

I definitely think I'll like Tom Baker's Doctor! Perhaps I should skip a couple of Doctors for now and see if I like the 70's any better.

[flosaxby]

I always liked Sylvester McCoy's doctor best and Ace. She was really cool!

My husband collects all the DVDs. His favourite is probably a toss-up between Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee.... Like Angel says they are doing amazing things to restore old copies that they manage to get back like adding colour to black&white versions or turning NTSC back to PAL.

I didn't like Colin Baker - he was too "shouty" and I REALLY didn't like Christopher Eccleston! I thought the re-boot was going to be doomed until Tennant came along and fixed it. Loving Matt Smith....

Plus if you haven't watched old Doctor Who then you won't know about K9 (Tom Baker's robot dog) or Bessie and the Whomobile (Jon Pertwee's cars!)...

Flo

[ComaStitch]

I know of K9, but I don't know how he came about! I quite liked Ecclestone to be honest but he was my first Doctor! Matt Smith is cool but I'm sure I like that they're adding a bit of an American feel to it lately.

[Angel]

You might not like it any better, but he ran for seven series, making him the longet running tv doctor (The longest running doctor being McGann who only actually made one screen appearance but was accepted as the doctor until Eccleson took over, for a total of ten years, TBaker only had which show his popularity. He was the best doctor until the new series which has put Tennant up as the best instead. Davidson was a pretty interesting character. He wore a stick of celery on his lapel. But he had Tegan who I despise. Don't remember the other companions...Which is why I really should re-watch the show.... lol

But Bessie never really comes into the new doctor Who, and K9 lives with Sarah Jane, so you only see him once and his history is pretty much summed up in show.