Favourite stories - Season 1

What are your favourite stories from Season 1?

Unearthly Child is still the rolls royce of introductory stories. A perfect example of style and imagination triumphing over limited resources.

Sid Seadevil wrote:Unearthly Child is still the rolls royce of introductory stories. A perfect example of style and imagination triumphing over limited resources.

The episode perhaps but I'm not a fan of the caveman stuff.

Johnstone wrote:

Sid Seadevil wrote:Unearthly Child is still the rolls royce of introductory stories. A perfect example of style and imagination triumphing over limited resources.

The episode perhaps but I'm not a fan of the caveman stuff.

The caveman stuff isn't anywhere near as bad as the rep it's been given over the years. Plus it's actually a vital component in the development of the Doctor/Companion dynamic that will find its final balance with the events of Edge of Destruction.

Sid Seadevil wrote:

Johnstone wrote:

Sid Seadevil wrote:Unearthly Child is still the rolls royce of introductory stories. A perfect example of style and imagination triumphing over limited resources.

The episode perhaps but I'm not a fan of the caveman stuff.

The caveman stuff isn't anywhere near as bad as the rep it's been given over the years. Plus it's actually a vital component in the development of the Doctor/Companion dynamic that will find its final balance with the events of Edge of Destruction.

Whenever someone says they don't like the caveman stuff I am unable to resist crossing my arms and stoutly proclaiming 'I like the caveman stuff - it's good!'

So there.

This is my era of Doctor Who, don't you know...

andrea wrote:

Sid Seadevil wrote:

Johnstone wrote:

Sid Seadevil wrote:Unearthly Child is still the rolls royce of introductory stories. A perfect example of style and imagination triumphing over limited resources.

The episode perhaps but I'm not a fan of the caveman stuff.

The caveman stuff isn't anywhere near as bad as the rep it's been given over the years. Plus it's actually a vital component in the development of the Doctor/Companion dynamic that will find its final balance with the events of Edge of Destruction.

Whenever someone says they don't like the caveman stuff I am unable to resist crossing my arms and stoutly proclaiming 'I like the caveman stuff - it's good!'

So there.

This is my era of Doctor Who, don't you know...

I think the cavemen episodes are good, but the cavemen themselves? I think the political speeching cavemen section of part 2 is one of the silliest that the series every produced. "He made the fire come from his mouth" is a phrase that goes round in my head...

andrea wrote:Whenever someone says they don't like the caveman stuff I am unable to resist crossing my arms and stoutly proclaiming 'I like the caveman stuff - it's good!'

So there.

This is my era of Doctor Who, don't you know...

Well, quite so, m'dear - Quite so.

I'm a big Season 1 fan. For those of you interested, my article on the design of the series, which focuses on Peter Brachacki and Ray Cusick, published in the latest CT, is now up on me blog with nice new pictures and all. Enjoy! www.cathoderaytube.blogspot.com

Frank wrote:I'm a big Season 1 fan. For those of you interested, my article on the design of the series, which focuses on Peter Brachacki and Ray Cusick, published in the latest CT, is now up on me blog with nice new pictures and all. Enjoy! www.cathoderaytube.blogspot.com

Great stuff! I'll be hot-footing it over there for a butchers asap!

It's an absolutely superb, and illuminating, article. Well worth reading.

The Co=Ordinator wrote:It's an absolutely superb, and illuminating, article. Well worth reading.

You flatter me, sir! You may be pleased to know that I did a vast amount of research for the second part of 'Designing Who' in London at the weekend in between our meeting at RTD and the Barry Gray concert. There just happened to be an exhibition on at the V&A called 'Cold War Modern' that covers design between 1945 and 1970. I can't recommend it highly enough, it is a fascinating exhibition. Let's just say the Cybermen will get their focus in the second article.

E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T.

andrea wrote:Whenever someone says they don't like the caveman stuff I am unable to resist crossing my arms and stoutly proclaiming 'I like the caveman stuff - it's good!'

So there.

The first time I saw it, I expected awfulness and had my expectation squished. So I'm now a fan of the very early material.

I'm a big fan of the early years of the show. That first series is just so inspiring when you think they had no time and no money. I don't really have any issues with the cavemen stuff in An Unearthly Child as I just see it as a mirror held up to the Doctor and the companions that highlights how primitive they are even though they come from a more advanced period of history. The Doctor is wonderfully anti-heroic in the first series too and Hartnell is at the height of his powers. Having dug deeper into The Edge Of Destruction recently for the venerable Co=O I see it as a companion piece to An Unearthly Child in that it re-develops the format in a very interesting way. It's not the boring one before Marco Polo, it's definitely the weird and interesting one!

Frank wrote:It's not the boring one before Marco Polo, it's definitely the weird and interesting one!

I keep going back to it. I've got the sense that the cast were presented with the weird and interesting script and, as actors, decided that the only way to deal with the material was to go for it in no uncertain manner.

So they do. I think they commit to the script and the story entirely, which is an extremely brave thing to do.

Dave Webb wrote:I keep going back to it. I've got the sense that the cast were presented with the weird and interesting script and, as actors, decided that the only way to deal with the material was to go for it in no uncertain manner.

So they do. I think they commit to the script and the story entirely, which is an extremely brave thing to do.

Absolutely - and that's certainly one of the prime reasons I revisit this story so often. Certainly it had such a profound effect upon the little me who watched it all wide-eyed and breathless all those years ago that of all the early stories this, Unearthly and Web Planet, are still firm favourites.

I'm wrinkly enough to have seen all of season 1 the first time around, and I loved - and still love - it to bits. Billy remains my favourite Doctor, and the original Tardis crew has, in my view, yet to be surpassed.

I agree with those who have praised the very first episode - it is indeed an absolute gem of TV drama, and I'm looking forward to my annual rewatching of it on 23 November!

If An Unearthly Child started one lifelong obsession for me, The Daleks started another - I remember doodling Daleks at school in 1963/4, and here I sit, 45 years later, with quite a number of them, in various sizes, looking down at me! The story itself is excellent, and continues to develop the tensions and relationships between the crew.

I'm always a little surprised that Marinus attracts such low marks. I'm not claiming it's in the same league as (say) The Daleks or The Aztecs, but surely the fast pace and the variety of scenes are sufficient to sustain interest? For me it is reminiscent of (eg) the old Flash Gordon series, and best enjoyed on that basis.

I like the Sensorites themselves, and the basic plot of their story is good, but somehow the story drags just a little for me ...

I rewatched The Aztecs recently with my partner, and, as always, thoroughly enjoyed this fine story. The setting is interesting, Barbara and the Doctor are on tremendous form, and the touch of romance for the Doctor adds a special flavour. The "you cannot rewrite history" argument explores an important aspect of the programme's basic premise, and doesn't feel at all tacked on, but is really central to the drama.

Season 1? Always good, often brilliant!


John

'The Daleks' & 'The Reign of Terror'

Just The Reign of Terror for me. I'm just not a huge fan of this season. It's good but Reign is the only one that stands out.

I chose two: Marco Polo and The Aztecs. Most of the others (apart from Edge and Sensorites) I like, but those two lead the pack for me where Season 1 is concerned.