Ian and Barbara not ageing since the 60s

[matthunter]

Just a note, but reviving a thread this old is typically frowned on by the moderators.

 

[Qonundrum]

There was that line in the SJA episode "Death of the Doctor", where Sarah Jane refers to Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, two of the first companions of the First Doctor, as currently teaching at Cambridge, and not having aged since their return to Earth in 1965. Now while I can believe that their retarded ageing process is somehow caused by them travelling in time with the Doctor, I find it hard to accept that their miraculous youthfulness isn't more well known in the world. If people living now were still the same age they were in the sixties, AND were teaching at a public institution and using their real names, it would be a mass media sensation all over the globe. They'd have to hide from government forces who'd want to analyse them in a lab, to get the secret of their eternal youth. I'd like to hear people's opinions on this.

Why didn't he let that happen to Rose instead? Classic DW had a more convincing line between sci-fi/fantasy/real life elements, which were handled better (IMHO, YMMV). The 2005 revival threw in more outright high-fantasy, not just high concept sci-fi.

Or if it happened to Ian and Barbara, then every other companion would have the same effect. Except Adric. Unless he survived... and not in the DVD bonus feature way...

That aside, if the TARDIS is emitting radiation that retards the aging process... that's not a big issue to go absolutely spare about and is easier to swallow than "they lived happily ever after, forevermore because the Doctor gave them the magical super-dee-duper gift of immortality because he loves them, they love him, they're a gweat beeeg fami-wee cuz the timey-wimey wibbly-wobbly" ad other silly one-lines Classic WHO wouldn't dare use out of respect for its audience of all ages.

For most of its run, Classic DW had no bombastic music to force the emotional responses either. This isn't Pavlov's televised dog pound...

Heck, characters only ageing a few years (if at all) in a few decades is commonplace in comic books. It doesn't seem to bother most of the fans.

Except "Doctor Who" isn't a comic book. It can take on the feel or style, but it's not an Avengers movie... it's not even the old Avengers TV show (prior to series 5, which became a cartoon...)

 

[Starkers]

Question is, are Barbara and Ian ageless due to the Tardis or, and maybe more likely, due to using a Dalek time ship which likely isn't fully rated for human travel to get home? That would explain why their ages were retarded and no other companions were.

 

[The Wormhole]

IIRC, in Class there was an easter egg referencing the "Barbara Wright Memorial Building" on the Coal Hill property. Since memorial buildings are typically named after people who are dead, that would seem to indicate Barbara wasn't so immortal after all. And so we can infer, neither is Ian.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

IIRC, in Class there was an easter egg referencing the "Barbara Wright Memorial Building" on the Coal Hill property. Since memorial buildings are typically named after people who are dead, that would seem to indicate Barbara wasn't so immortal after all. And so we can infer, neither is Ian.

If she were ageless, she would have to eventually "retire" and move away, or people might start asking questions. So they could assume she died, or she made sure they found out.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Simplest answer of them all: They aren't, because Sarah Jane made a mistake because reasons.