Just found an interesting article written by Jennifer Kesler on The Hathor Legacy blog. The article is written by someone who is new to Doctor Who, and unlike most new fans, has never seen the modern series.
She decided to start with the beginning, and so has been watching the earliest episodes of the show from the 1960s (as well as a brief detour into the first of the "Dalek Movies" which are definitely not proper Doctor Who, but she caught on to this quickly).
In the linked article, Jennifer talks about Barbara Wright, one of the original Doctor Who companions, sharing her thoughts about how Barbara was a strong female character. Well written article, and worth a look.
