Doctor Who has been around since we were all lads and laddies, and it got a sweet rejuvenation a few years ago, with an all-new Doctor that smooshed together nicely in sync with all the previous Doctors. You hear that, sci-fi remakers? Who could imagine such a thing? Here are things that were smashing, and that made us want to smash things, about Doctor Who.

Doctor Who Sucks

John Nathan Turner was producer from 1980 until his actions got it canceled in ’89. He was the original “let’s meddle with everything that works” executive. He thought elements that made Doctor Who, needed to be eliminated, like the sonic screwdriver, K-9, the TARDIS looking like a phone call box, The Doctor not being a dick. Not everything that went wrong in the 80s is JNT’s fault, but the buck (or pound note) stopped with him. -- Gary Mitchel

Aside from Tom Baker’s seven years, all the other Doctors only did one to four year stretches. Just as we get used to a Time Lord, the actor up and leaves. He only has 13 regenerations, and the show is in a pickle. -- Gary Mitchel

I keep waiting for the Eighth Doctor’s “I’m half-human” line from Fox’s Doctor Who movie to be explained away. Thanks, Fox! -- Gary Mitchel

Given how much history this guy has interfered with, I'm surprised he is not better known. -- Deanna Toxopeus

Dr.Who went on hiatus at about the same time as A Prairie Home Companion, leaving every public broadcasting nerd in the Midwest in a state of metaphysical disaffection. -- Matthew Bey

"What are you doing here?" -- Alan Porter

Celery? That's your answer to the scarf? Come on, Doctor, you can do better. -- Deanna Toxopeus

While some of the Doctor’s cohorts were very cool, some (Adric) have been annoying, some (Adric) useless, and some dragged the show down by their presence (Adric); a majority of them exist to be exposition victims after they ask what some drooling alien monster is, or what some high tech do-dad is. That’s why the actress who played Jo Grant quit: she got tired of most of her lines being a variation on “What’s all this about?" -- Gary Mitchel

Bonnie Langford. -- Alan Porter

I was twenty before I realized just how sexy Lalla Ward was, and that she actually did it with my favorite Doctor. -- Matthew Bey

Doctor Who Rocks

The Torchwood guy sings sings the Doctor Who theme. "Anything for you, mistress." -- Joe Crowe

The other Romana -- Joe Crowe

There were novels, audio books, and radio plays long before it was trendy, with old Doctors and companions in new stories. -- Deanna Toxopeus

The ability to re-invent itself time and time again is astounding. With new actors and new themes every few years, it becomes something different, yet remains Doctor Who. And they do it all without Praxis waves, pneumatically enhanced babes, gratuitous sex scenes, fart jokes and A-List Hollywood actors. It is a masterclass in rebooting. -- Deanna Toxopeus

That theme music is just the best. It's New Wave and sci-fi that tastes great together. -- Joe Crowe

The Christmas specials. -- Deanna Toxopeus

The cast of Doctor Who did music video! It's very 80s and very British; since it was made in 1985 by British people. -- Joe Crowe

The writers make nearly every theory of time travel fit together. I like the explanation that time is too fluid and complex to be held down to one way of working. This gave us one of the Doctor’s best lines, ever: "This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff." -- Gary Mitchel

My personal favorite companions: Ace (who beat up a Dalek with a baseball bat!), Leela (her first reaction to any threat: "Can’t we just kill them?”), Romana, Doctor Donna and, of course, Sarah Jane, who ran off with K-9 for her own adventures. -- Gary Mitchel

Consistently the most solid sci-fi writing, including Douglas Filking Adams, for exploring history, morality, and humanity. Harlan Ellison said it was the greatest science fiction series of all time, and I’m smart enough not to argue with him. -- Gary Mitchel

Pure Bad-Assery: He’s the only being in the universe to scare the crap out of the Daleks, who call him The Oncoming Storm. -- Gary Mitchel

Strong roles for women. Since the beginning, Doctor Who offered roles for women beyond arm candy. Of the 35 companions that have accompanied the Doctor, over 2/3 were women. Some were pretty wimpy (I'm looking at you, Perri!). But there were still women who were gutsy role-models for their times: Ace, Sarah Jane, Leela; I could go on and on and on. -- Deanna Toxopeus

The consistent message that science solves all problems, and religion causes them. -- Matthew Bey

The best set of bad guys to ever be created. The Cybermen, Weeping Angels, The Master. The only thing better is when they throw down against each other. -- Gary Mitchel

The multiple doctor team-ups are nerd-pandering dream matches in a good way, that Star Trek Generations and every other sequel and spinoff couldn't outdo if they tried. But they really should try. -- Joe Crowe

Ten doctors: "Splendid chap, all of them." -- Alan Porter

Childhood Saturday nights watching from behind the sofa. (Yes, I actually did that.) -- Alan Porter

Leela and her strong feminist message, involving stabbing people. -- Matthew Bey

It’s his 45th anniversary. Suck it, Star Trek! -- Deanna Toxopeus