Classic References in New Who

New Who is terrific.  Despite my griping, I love it.  But you know what makes it even better?  Classic Who.  I adore nods and winks to the classic series; there’s just something so warm about the love that goes into this show, the fan devotion stretching back over 50 years and continuing to reverberate through the current series.  Here are some of my favorite classic references.

Best Throwaway Line:  “The Fires of Pompeii” – Talking about Rome, Ten insists to Donna, “That fire had nothing to do with me.”

Runner-Up:  “Tooth and Claw” – Ten’s Scottish pseudonym is “Dr. James McCrimmon.”  Love!

Best Real-World Reference:  “Human Nature” – John Smith (a.k.a. Ten) says his parents were named “Sydney” and “Verity.”  Aw…

Best Image: “School Reunion” – Sarah Jane sees the TARDIS again.  When Ten sees her as well, but Sarah Jane stumbling across the TARDIS?  I get chills.

Runner-Up:  “The Vampires of Venice” – Eleven’s library card has a picture of One on it!

Best Tribute:  “Time Crash” –Ten’s heartfelt speech to Five is, to me, the best part of the lovely “Time Crash.”  “Back when I first started at the very beginning, I was always trying to be old and grumpy and important, like you do when you’re young.  And then I was you.”  I just love it.

Best Repeated Line:  “The Almost People” – Eleven’s ganger struggles with past regenerations and cycles through several different Doctors before settling in.  We get One (“Yes, one day,”) Three (“I’ve reversed the polarity of the neutron flow,”) and Four (“Would you like a jelly baby?”), with a little Ten thrown in for free.

Runner-Up:  “Closing Time” – Eleven, upon seeing Craig’s new flat, says, “You’ve redecorated!  …I don’t like it.”

Best New Reveal:  “The Doctor’s Wife” – All this time, the Doctor’s been thinking that he stole the TARDIS, but here, she tells Eleven that she deliberately left her doors unlocked so she could “steal a Time Lord” and see the universe.

Best Channeling of a Past Doctor:  “Mummy on the Orient Express” – When Twelve talks to himself, he totally replies in Four’s voice, and it’s amazing. 

Runner-Up:  “Death of the Doctor (Part 2)” (The Sarah Jane Adventures) – I adore Eleven’s heart-to-heart with Jo.  He’s not specifically acting like Three, but the dynamic is perfect.  In that one scene, you could totally buy that she’s a young woman again and he’s her avuncular friend.

Best Return Appearance:  All of them.  Seriously.  Sarah Jane every time, Five and Eight in the minisodes, the Brigadier and Jo in The Sarah Jane Adventures, Tom Baker in the 50^th…  Actual audible squeeing – so much love for them all.