I think it's a mixture of the two. The Eccleston series, like the rest of New Who, has never been out of reach in the same way Hartnell Who once was. VHS copies, repeats on BBC3, repeats on Gold, dvds, blurays, iplayer- since it was broadcast, it's always been available to rewatch.

But, as you say, 18 years to a 10 year old is unimaginable. The same period to someone a few weeks away from turning 51 merely provokes a vague thought that it should longer.