Doctor Who recently celebrated an Anniversary of significance. Make no mistake, the 10th Anniversary of Rose is every bit a significant as the 10th Anniversary story The Three Doctors (although this is the obligatory place where, as far as history goes, that story aired much closer to the 9th anniversary then the 10th) and The Five Doctors for the 20th anniversary. Here at the Tour we launched the Modern Recap-itulation wing with Rose for that very reason, so recapping that story was already in the books.
But the second story in that 2005 season was every bit as important as the first in establishing that not only was Doctor Who back, but it could look every bit as good as any ‘modern’ program for the expectations of potential viewers, essentially throwing off the shackles of perception that the classic series was stained with.
Whereas Rose was fast and furious and re-established the iconography of Doctor Who, The End of the World was whizzy, alien-centric, and decidedly showy. It’s also, as of this posting on the 10th Anniversary of its initial airing, the latest contribution to Modern Recap-itulation.
Despite the setting on the station for most of the episode, The End of the World is probably best remembered for the final street scene where the Doctor and Rose just talk about what they had gone through, and where the huge mythology drop about the Time War begins, one that would resonate all the way through to The Time of the Doctor 8 1/2 years later. The End of the World is never remembered as a great Doctor Who, but it’s always fondly remembered and recognized for it’s importance. The new caps not only multiply the number now within Tour confines, but they shimmer with faux HD goodness.
Classic capitology resumes … next time.