Gavin WintersThe argument between Ian and the Doctor over the morality of getting the Thals to fight for them still packs a punch all these years later. And Ian is *so* right. Well, at first anyway. Not once he blackmails them by threatening to take Dyoni to the Daleks. #DoctorWho
The Edge Of Destruction: such a bonkers story. Probably a bit early to be doing something so weird and experimental and potentially off-putting for the audience.
“His heart’s alright” says Ian, checking the unconscious Doctor. Cue years of speculation that he only had one heart at this point, but of course Ian wouldn’t know to check for another one so there’s no contradiction as far as I’m concerned. #DoctorWho
Onto the realm of recons and animations with Marco Polo. This is my most-wished-for discovery. I know everyone says Tenth Planet 4 but at least we have the most important bit of that with the regeneration. #DoctorWho
It may be nearly 60 years old, black-and-white, with no SF elements and only available now as a recon/audio, but Marco Polo remains one of the most compelling #DoctorWho stories. I never get bored of it.
The amount of on-screen goofs in episode one of The Keys Of Marinus alone is shocking - crew members in shot, Hartnell fluffing his lines, the cardboard Voord that falls down the shaft… honestly, the pilot was remounted for less! #DoctorWho
There’s lots to enjoy in The Keys Of Marinus, but it’s always going to suffer from following that magical group of the first four stories, where the show and characters and format are being established. The occasionally wonky production values don’t help either, or the fact that Susan is suddenly being written as though she’s a ten-year-old. #DoctorWho
Terry Nation writing a character called Tarron? Wonder if he’ll ever do that again.
Interesting how the search for the keys and the temporary usage of a fake final one foreshadows the Key To Time, 14 years later.
Barbara completely failing to smash the Morphoton brains’ jars and the Voord tripping over his own flippers will never not be funny. 😄 #DoctorWho
Onto The Aztecs, another great historical from John Lucarotti and one of my favourite Hartnells. Susan questions why the Aztecs would think that a male priest has been reincarnated as a woman.
Her grandfather, centuries later…
The debate in this story over interfering in other cultures to “improve” them, and potentially changing history, has never been bettered in #DoctorWho
Someone should do a running total of all the times companions in #DoctorWho have straight up murdered someone with their own hands. So far Ian’s caused that ice-soldier guy on Marinus to fall down a chasm and now he chucks Ixta off a pyramid.
Hmm, well after the brilliance of The Aztecs we now get the slow, plodding (both them and the story) The Sensorites.
Apart from The Daleks, it’s the sci-fi stories that are letting the side down in season one. The historicals are far more interesting.
Plus the cramped nature of Lime Grove studios is very obvious here. Everyone pretends that stuff happening three feet away is too distant to notice. Or they move painfully slowly down short corridors to make them seem longer. #DoctorWho
For such a supposedly advanced species, the Sensorites really are a bunch of thickies. They can’t figure out the obvious problem of the poisoned water and can’t tell each other apart if they wear different sashes. 🤷🏻♂️ #DoctorWho
I’d forgotten how grotty some of the surviving episodes of The Reign Of Terror look, like they’ve been dragged through the mud. Stands out in stark contrast to the surrounding stories. Thankfully the picture quality improves a bit by episode three.
The Doctor getting roped into the chain gang and then getting out of it is very funny. As is his impersonation of a high-ranking official. Hartnell was always so good when given a bit of comedy material. #DoctorWho
Switching to the recons for the two missing episodes rather than that hyperactive animation they released. (Seriously, what were they thinking with that??) #DoctorWho
Not the most exciting Historical (too much capturing/escaping/recapturing in that bloody prison) but the Reign Of Terror has its moments. And the jailer is a fun character.
Anyway, that’s season one done. Now hurry up Amazon and send me the Season Two Collection! #DoctorWho
Right, the Season Two box set’s arrived, so back to the #DoctorWho marathon with Planet Of Giants.
The oversized sets are very good. For the time and the budget what they achieved is near-miraculous. The DN6 plot feels like something from an early episode of The Avengers.
This is probably the prime example in the Hartnell era where, due to the tiny studio size, actors have to pretend they can’t see something that’s inches away until the camera pans over to reveal it.
“Yes, my report will financially ruin you.
By the way, I’m off on holiday by myself, sailing round France, so if anything happens to me nobody will notice my absence for quite some time and… oh you’ve pulled a gun. Bugger, I walked myself into that, didn’t I?” #DoctorWho
Only in #DoctorWho would you get cliffhangers where the thrilling scary thing that happens is:
A) a cat appearing
B) water going down a plug hole!
😁
The Dalek Invasion Of Earth: Location filming! Aliens invading Earth! Returning villains!
The Daleks coming back is the first tiny step towards broadening the scope of #DoctorWho. Giving it a bigger, more structured, universe. Rather than just aimless wandering.
Ian asks how the Daleks can be here after being destroyed on Skaro. The Doctor replies that was a million years in the future and this is “the middle period of Dalek history”, clearly bullshitting and making it up as he goes along! 😜
“What an odd sign. Still, at least it’s not product placement for Sugar Puffs.” #DoctorWho
The ‘bumper-car’ base on the Daleks in Dalek Invasion Of Earth is a good addition, especially when shooting them from a low angle. #DoctorWho
So, we get our first cast change as Susan leaves. She always has this huge iconic status as not only the first companion but also, bogglingly, A MEMBER OF THE DOCTOR’S ACTUAL FAMILY. Yet sadly the character as written doesn’t live up to any of that. What a shame.
Also, Jenny was a really good character. Should have had her come on board as the replacement! #DoctorWhoَ
“So I’m going to leave you behind here, on a devastated planet, to marry a man you’ve only known five minutes. Even though you’re only fifteen. Goodbye Susan. Goodbye my dear!” #DoctorWho
Hooray, Vicki’s arrived. Clearly they were being super-conservative with the first ever cast change and just went for the safe option of another teenage space-girl, but Vicki’s immediately a much more sparky and interesting character, and fits in well. #DoctorWho
Not much you can say about the simplicity of the plot of The Rescue. It’s just a very perfunctory story to get the new companion introduced and then move on. He would have got away with it too, if it wasn’t for these meddling time-travellers! #DoctorWho
Ah, I love The Romans. Hartnell is clearly having a ball doing all the comedy bits. His comic timing is perfection. And when he beats the crap out of the mute assassin is hilarious too. #DoctorWho
STOP LOOKING AT STOCK FOOTAGE OF LIONS AND COME PUNCH EMPEROR NERO’S LIGHTS OUT IAN
#DoctorWho
#DoctorWho
As a first attempt at trying to depict a truly alien planet in #DoctorWho , The Web Planet is a success, spending the whole first episode exploring the most bizarre environment the travellers have encountered so far. Pity they didn’t have a more exciting story to go with it.
For the first time we discover that the Doctor’s ring has special powers (stop sniggering at the back!) #DoctorWho
#DoctorWho And The Web Planet Of Men In Leather Trousers With Canoes On Their Backs
Can’t fault The Web Planet for its imagination and ambition, and I’m sure it blew kids minds at the time, but today it’s a bit of a slog to get through. I wish the Zarbi would shut up with the bloody chirruping! #DoctorWho
I’m not sure who I feel more sorry for, the actors who have to hop about in the Optera costumes or the poor sod who has to crawl along the floor as the Venom Grub. #DoctorWho
Hartnell’s wig is unusually long in this story. Get a haircut, ya hippy! #DoctorWho
#DoctorWho - The Crusade. They certainly didn’t compromise or dumb down for so-called “kids” telly back then, with dense wordy scripts like this. Richard and Joanna’s intense argument in episode three wouldn’t be out of place in some heavyweight drama.
And Barbara holding a knife while considering having to kill a young girl rather than let her be captured is pretty adult and grim too.
Ken Wilson@gavinwinters kids we’re not as stupid back then due to schooling properly..