While the BBC didn’t have a Doctor Who panel, the fans had one of their own: on Friday at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Time Travels (UN)LTD presented the “Classic vs Modern Doctor Who” panel, followed by a photo shoot organized by the Order of Gallifrey!
The discussion at the panel got very lively as panelists and audiences members suggested the best and worst examples of several categories: monsters, costumes, companions, and finally the Doctors themselves.
Clara Oswald didn’t do very well in the companion category, getting several downvotes from the panelists. One panelist felt that Sarah Jane was too screechy, and the moderator asked them if they hated puppies too. I felt in the end Amy Pond had the highest number of upvotes.
In the monsters category, the Abzorbaloff was widely criticized, and a couple people mentioned that they almost quit Doctor Who after having to put up with the Slitheen. The Weeping Angels were the easy favorite, though the Silence got several upvotes (…though no one could remember why…)
The 12th Doctor’s outfit received some love, while the 2nd Doctor’s look didn’t have many favorites (a comparison to Moe from the Three Stooges was made.)
As for the Doctor himself, the votes were all over the place. The 10th Doctor got one downvote from a panelist, to hisses and boos from the audience. The first Doctor had at least one upvote, while the 13th Doctor had some critics. (Everybody seems to like Jodie, but it was felt that the writing was lacking in her first season.)
Since each panelist had a chance to suggest their most and least favorite in each category, the end tally didn’t have a clear winner as to which is better, Classic or New Who, so the audience was asked to choose. The cheer for Classic Who was respectable, but there was an earsplitting din for New Who. (One panelist dryly said “It’s clearly a tie” but we know better.)
