This is the first of hopefully a series of reviews of the classic era of Doctor Who (1963-1989).
Introduction
I am not a Who fan, but the series has always interested me. I read a book about the 70s era of the programme as a teen, and it was interesting n.
This was before the 2005 relaunch, and before I had an income to start exploring. My access to the older episodes was the same as the generation before me - the novelisations.
I remember reading a couple - the two I can remember were the first two Auton stories, with the Third Doctor.
I watched the first episode of the new show. It did not stick with me so I let the show pass me by.
During the pandemic, I was looking for things to watch and I binged Peter Capaldi’s final season.
The main barrier for me was the volume of Who available. This is generally why I prefer to focus on analysing movies rather than TV.
Format
Because of the sheer number of episodes, I decided a chronological binge was out of the question.
I could see myself losing interest, and missing out on experiencing the sheer variety the series had to offer.
I decided to do a curation using a couple of different rules:
Select stories with some level of regard by critics and fans. This felt like a good way to find entry points into the series.
Review stories with complete existing episodes. At least for this initial series of reviews, I wanted to get a sense of what these stories looked and sounded like.
Review one story from each Doctor in a row - this would enable me to get a feel for each of the performers and their respective eras.
Like the series, these rules are not hard and fast and probably subject to change. I also feel like jumping between the different Doctors and decades will make the whole experience more exciting and - hopefully - unexpected for readers.
So let’s go back to 1963, and a foggy London junkyard…
Concerned about new student Susan Foreman (Carol Anne Ford), teachers Ian (William Russell) and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) follow her home.
Their suspicions increase when Susan disappears into a nearby junkyard.
While searching for the girl, they stumble into a strange old man, the Doctor (William Hartnell), who is trying to get into a police box…
All the technical limitations should be taken with a grain of salt.
I would argue they add to the show’s vibe.
The feedback loops of the main titles and Delia Derbyshire’s music are a potent, magical combination that even worked on a non-fan like me.
It feels like you are being beamed something from the unconscious - like one of those broadcasts from John Carpenter’s They Live.
Human companions Ian and Barbara are not just bystanders but fully active participants.
And Susan - played with just the right level of heightened emotion by Ford - feels so disconcertingly human.
Her emotional vulnerability and open empathy make for an interesting contrast with Hartnell, and make their unseen race seem even more dynamic and interesting.
I left the serial with more questions because of how recognisably human Susan was.
Episode One of An Unearthly Child is great scene-setting.
We open with the reveal of the police box in a junkyard, appearing out of the fog.
This first episode takes pains to set up the juxtaposition of the ordinary and the alien. We are introduced to the Doctor and his world through Ian and Barbara - seemingly ordinary people.
The uncanny nature of the police box is subtly foregrounded when- Ian walks around it while searching for Susan. It is a lovely bit of misdirection for the reveal of its true nature.
The Doctor himself, a mysterious and remote figure - comes off as evasive and aloof.
Hartnell is fantastically unpredictable, giving this figure an almost diabolical edge.
But the most intriguing element for this viewer was Susan.
As someone familiar with the basic format, Susan is fascinating.
Functionally, as a child character, she is meant to act as an entry point for young viewers.
As a family member of the titular character, she brings a unique dynamic to the Doctor-companion relationship. She brings a sense of knowledge and personal history,
William Russell’s Ian is also higher status than I was expecting. He does not believe what is going on, and there seems to be genuine animosity between the characters.
The first episode is so strong, the actual story is a little bit of a downbeat.
The conflict between the tribesmen is efficiently established, with some effective ratcheting up of tension with strong cliffhangers.
Because it is so early in the series run, the conception of the doctor is remarkable for how vulnerable he is:
He seems genuinely unsure of himself, and does not cover up with bluster. At one point, a tribesman gets the drop on him. And there is a shocking moment where he attempts to murder a wounded man. He even refers to the tribe as savages.
That lack of empathy is remarkable considering how much curiosity seems to play into the later characterisations of the Doctor.
The serial itself seems to share the character’s disdain, regarding the tribe as callous and self-serving - they appear unaware of empathy and friendship.
A fascinating, embryonic introduction to the Doctor, An Unearthly Child is worth a look. It is made with such care and intelligence it still carries a certain raw power.
One can feel the potential of the concept, the blank canvas waiting to be filled.
Technically rough but uncanny - the opening titles and musical theme are inspired, creating an otherworldly atmosphere setting the stage for innumerable adventures..
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