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Classic Doctor Who, Season 1 Review
Due to the First Doctor's reappearance in this year's Christmas Special, I thought now was the opportune time to finally sit down and start watching Classic Doctor Who (or at the very least the serials starring the First Doctor). The majority of the serials are available on Britbox in the United States, though as some serials are lost I had to buy the audio tracks from Audible.
While the show definitely show its age, I enjoyed the first season a lot more than I initially expected to, and enough still feels relevant that I wasn't completely removed from them. Here's a quick rundown on my thoughts, based more on my own enjoyment rather than any critical evaluation.
The Characters
William Hartnell as The First Doctor - While he starts out as more of a plot device than an actual character, by the end of the season he has a lot more complexity and proves a lot more dynamic and proactive. Hartnell manages to portray him as a man who grows warmer and more open over time, with the man presented in the first and last episodes of the season feeling like a large change, but one that was earned. Of course, he's still a cranky old man. He appears more willing to use violence than the modern incarnations and maintains a short temper.
Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman - Her role in the first episode was very captivating and compelling, but as soon as they journey off into the TARDIS she spends several episodes as a scream queen who easily defaults to whichever of the main characters is in the scene with her. To a degree that's to be expected as she's just a teenager, however she gets much better material starting with her limited role in The Aztecs and shines from the Sensorites onward. I can see why Ford was frustrated by the material she was given, but when she's given the space to do so she turns in great work.
William Russell as Ian Chesterton - For the majority of this season he essentially functions as the main character, though in that regard he's usually the one who gets beaten up or poisoned. Its in these moments that Ian's the most interesting, as when he's in full 'leading man' mode he can come off as too condescending or generic. When he's in peril and leans on his friends he's very engaging, and does well during the limited chances he has to be silly. He's better whenever he's on screen with Barbara.
Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright - My favorite character, and easily the most capable and complex during this season. Her moral dilemma grappling with the unchangeablity of history is very compelling and one the show has revisited several times in the modern era. She's incredibly clever, and often figures out what's happening before even the Doctor. She suffers from a lot of the same sidelining that Susan does, but she's given a lot more material that allows Hill to show her range and add a depth that, so far, has yet to be matched. She's better whenever she's on screen with Ian.
The Serials
I've ranked the serials based off my own personal preference which is only tangentially related to how good they are on a critical level.
8) Serial 4, Episodes 14-20 - Marco Polo (All 7 episodes as an Audio Play)
Not seeing the events of this serial play out on screen was disappointing, but ultimately one I can live with. At seven episodes, this serial was too long and extremely frustrating. The title character is an idiot, and the serial makes it a hard sell that he's someone who should be sympathized with whatsoever. In addition, Barbara figures out who the villain is fairly early on, but is ignored and disbelieved by everyone, including her friends, for several episodes - which was not remotely fun to listen to. The biggest failing of this serial though is simply how boring it is. There are basically no stakes, since the audience knows that the Doctor is going to get back into the TARDIS, and none of the main characters experience any real personal growth aside from a friendship Susan makes with a girl in the caravan.
7) Serial 5, Episodes 21-26 - The Keys of Marinus
This serial was extremely confusing to watch and it seemed to have a different setting every episode, and had characters disappear with only the barest presence of an explanation. How exactly the murder in the middle happened still doesn't really make sense to me, and I can't critically evaluate the plot because it was so confusing I couldn't remember it. The world building seemed like nonsense to me, though I know on a technical level it wasn't. Barbara and Ian had strong showings mostly by default, as The Doctor and Susan were absent from large stretches of this serial with thin justification. Maybe this would play better during a second viewing, but I'm content with not going that far to be perfectly honest. At least the sets all looked nice.
6) Serial 2, Episodes 5-11 - The Daleks
I know I'll probably get pushback on ranking this so low, and in my defense I actually did enjoy chunks of it. However, much like Marco Polo, this serial was way too long. Most of the material with the Thals was very boring, and the journey through the caves in the latter half particularly dragged. I kept waiting for there to be some kind of plot twist with them but none ever happened, and it felt like a huge letdown. Every scene with the Daleks on screen was aces though, and they were easily the best alien villains this season. The scene with Barbara encountering the Dalek for the first time is iconic, though she and Susan get saddled with a lot of poor material this serial. I understand why a lot of the lore of this episode was later retconned.
5) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - An Unearthly Child
The only reason this serial ranks as high as it does is because the first episode is fantastic. It does a brilliant job of setting up not only the characters themselves but the plot of a whole franchise. Susan gets some of her best material in her introduction, and there's much more dramatic tension than I expected. That being said, this serial absolutely deflates when they travel back to the stone age. The tribal drama is hard to take seriously, as they have political issues that would be more at home in the 13th Century. The main characters spend the majority of it trying to escape caveman jail and it isn't particularly fun to watch as a result. It was the right length at least.
4) Serial 7, Episodes 31-36 - The Sensorites
Another serial that changes settings halfway through, this one actually works on several levels despite revisiting tropes that weakened other episodes. The Sensorites are creepy until they're not, and their stance is a much more reasonable and fleshed out one than many previous "villains". These episodes more explicitly dealt with themes like trust and loyalty, and each character feels like they get something tangible to work with, even Barbara who was absent for two episodes. Susan and the Doctor's relationship is tested in a way that leads to growth for both of them, and really touches on how they're different from the humans for the first time in the series. I enjoyed the well set up "twist" ending and all its implications, though I wish the main villain received more attention towards the end.
3) Serial 3, Episodes 12-13 - The Edge of Destruction
The Edge of Destruction is my favorite serial so far. It's very story arc focused and a lot more character driven than the others, 5 stars. (x)
The shortest serial but one that focuses exclusively on the core characters and their arcs up until that point. It accomplishes its main goal on justifying why Ian and Barbara would continue traveling with The Doctor and Susan, though it offers up some interesting visuals and some juicy, albeit somewhat confusing, character drama. Ford gets a lot to do as a completely unhinged Susan, and the others get a lot of tense and compelling material that turns out strong performances. It also went a long way into explaining how the TARDIS works as well as setting up future malfunctions that would become a mainstay throughout the series.
2) Serial 8, Episodes 37-42 - The Reign of Terror (Episodes 40-41 as animated reconstructions)
Visually one of the better-looking serials, its one that everyone excels in acting-wise as, I suspect, it more closely resembles the type of material the cast would have more experience with. It touches on many of the themes explored throughout the season, and really highlights how much the Doctor and Barbara in particular have grown. As someone who didn't particularly like studying the French Revolution in high school, I found it fun to explore here, and the final episode reveal of Napoleon was a fun addition I feel most people would understand. While no means a perfect serial, its much more fun to watch than it has any right to be.
1) Serial 6, Episodes 27-30 - The Aztecs
There's a reason this is on many best-of-series lists, and its easily the most thematically complex serial this season. Jacqueline Hill is phenomenal in this, and the writing allows Barbara to reach the narrative and character potential only alluded to in earlier serials. Her scenes with the Doctor where they discuss the moral implications of changing history are especially compelling, and serve to elevate the series to much more than it previously was. The other actors also seem to be having a lot of fun with the material they're given, Hartnell in particular. That being said, the depiction of the Aztecs in this episode shows its age, and there were a handful of moments where I found myself wincing. It says a lot about how strong the strong aspects of this serial were that it still ranks as my #1.
Final Thoughts
This season really ended on a strong note and I'm excited to see where it goes from here. I wasn't expecting to enjoy the historical episodes as much as I did, especially after how much of a dud Marco Polo was. Arbitrary alien ranking from best to worst: The Daleks and the Sensorites were the only real aliens this season and they were both great in very different ways.
Watch Status Roundup:
Cardcaptor Sakura - 48/71
Natsume's Book of Friends - 2/80
The X-Files - 74/210
The Golden Girls Extended Universe - 76/442
While the show definitely show its age, I enjoyed the first season a lot more than I initially expected to, and enough still feels relevant that I wasn't completely removed from them. Here's a quick rundown on my thoughts, based more on my own enjoyment rather than any critical evaluation.
The Characters
William Hartnell as The First Doctor - While he starts out as more of a plot device than an actual character, by the end of the season he has a lot more complexity and proves a lot more dynamic and proactive. Hartnell manages to portray him as a man who grows warmer and more open over time, with the man presented in the first and last episodes of the season feeling like a large change, but one that was earned. Of course, he's still a cranky old man. He appears more willing to use violence than the modern incarnations and maintains a short temper.
Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman - Her role in the first episode was very captivating and compelling, but as soon as they journey off into the TARDIS she spends several episodes as a scream queen who easily defaults to whichever of the main characters is in the scene with her. To a degree that's to be expected as she's just a teenager, however she gets much better material starting with her limited role in The Aztecs and shines from the Sensorites onward. I can see why Ford was frustrated by the material she was given, but when she's given the space to do so she turns in great work.
William Russell as Ian Chesterton - For the majority of this season he essentially functions as the main character, though in that regard he's usually the one who gets beaten up or poisoned. Its in these moments that Ian's the most interesting, as when he's in full 'leading man' mode he can come off as too condescending or generic. When he's in peril and leans on his friends he's very engaging, and does well during the limited chances he has to be silly. He's better whenever he's on screen with Barbara.
Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright - My favorite character, and easily the most capable and complex during this season. Her moral dilemma grappling with the unchangeablity of history is very compelling and one the show has revisited several times in the modern era. She's incredibly clever, and often figures out what's happening before even the Doctor. She suffers from a lot of the same sidelining that Susan does, but she's given a lot more material that allows Hill to show her range and add a depth that, so far, has yet to be matched. She's better whenever she's on screen with Ian.
The Serials
I've ranked the serials based off my own personal preference which is only tangentially related to how good they are on a critical level.
8) Serial 4, Episodes 14-20 - Marco Polo (All 7 episodes as an Audio Play)
Marco Polo is about how Marco Polo was a huge, gullible tool and I'm sorry it's missing but I'm really glad I only had to listen to it. (x)
Not seeing the events of this serial play out on screen was disappointing, but ultimately one I can live with. At seven episodes, this serial was too long and extremely frustrating. The title character is an idiot, and the serial makes it a hard sell that he's someone who should be sympathized with whatsoever. In addition, Barbara figures out who the villain is fairly early on, but is ignored and disbelieved by everyone, including her friends, for several episodes - which was not remotely fun to listen to. The biggest failing of this serial though is simply how boring it is. There are basically no stakes, since the audience knows that the Doctor is going to get back into the TARDIS, and none of the main characters experience any real personal growth aside from a friendship Susan makes with a girl in the caravan.
7) Serial 5, Episodes 21-26 - The Keys of Marinus
The Keys of Marinus was entertaining but somewhat confusing to watch. It had a different setting each episode, and The Doctor and Susan were mostly absent from it. Still not clear on what happened to the people from episode 1. (x)
This serial was extremely confusing to watch and it seemed to have a different setting every episode, and had characters disappear with only the barest presence of an explanation. How exactly the murder in the middle happened still doesn't really make sense to me, and I can't critically evaluate the plot because it was so confusing I couldn't remember it. The world building seemed like nonsense to me, though I know on a technical level it wasn't. Barbara and Ian had strong showings mostly by default, as The Doctor and Susan were absent from large stretches of this serial with thin justification. Maybe this would play better during a second viewing, but I'm content with not going that far to be perfectly honest. At least the sets all looked nice.
6) Serial 2, Episodes 5-11 - The Daleks
The Daleks was a much better serial and the Daleks were actually kinda scary? But it also dragged A LOT at the end and had a bad final fight (x)
I know I'll probably get pushback on ranking this so low, and in my defense I actually did enjoy chunks of it. However, much like Marco Polo, this serial was way too long. Most of the material with the Thals was very boring, and the journey through the caves in the latter half particularly dragged. I kept waiting for there to be some kind of plot twist with them but none ever happened, and it felt like a huge letdown. Every scene with the Daleks on screen was aces though, and they were easily the best alien villains this season. The scene with Barbara encountering the Dalek for the first time is iconic, though she and Susan get saddled with a lot of poor material this serial. I understand why a lot of the lore of this episode was later retconned.
5) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - An Unearthly Child
An Unearthly Child was an interesting opener. Everything with the Doctor and his Companions was great, and everything else was pretty dull. (x)
The only reason this serial ranks as high as it does is because the first episode is fantastic. It does a brilliant job of setting up not only the characters themselves but the plot of a whole franchise. Susan gets some of her best material in her introduction, and there's much more dramatic tension than I expected. That being said, this serial absolutely deflates when they travel back to the stone age. The tribal drama is hard to take seriously, as they have political issues that would be more at home in the 13th Century. The main characters spend the majority of it trying to escape caveman jail and it isn't particularly fun to watch as a result. It was the right length at least.
4) Serial 7, Episodes 31-36 - The Sensorites
The Sensorites was the first long serial that really justified its length. It had a lot of good character work for the Doctor and Susan, and I really appreciated the twist ending. It leaves me with high hopes for further improved writing as the show progresses. (x)
Another serial that changes settings halfway through, this one actually works on several levels despite revisiting tropes that weakened other episodes. The Sensorites are creepy until they're not, and their stance is a much more reasonable and fleshed out one than many previous "villains". These episodes more explicitly dealt with themes like trust and loyalty, and each character feels like they get something tangible to work with, even Barbara who was absent for two episodes. Susan and the Doctor's relationship is tested in a way that leads to growth for both of them, and really touches on how they're different from the humans for the first time in the series. I enjoyed the well set up "twist" ending and all its implications, though I wish the main villain received more attention towards the end.
3) Serial 3, Episodes 12-13 - The Edge of Destruction
The Edge of Destruction is my favorite serial so far. It's very story arc focused and a lot more character driven than the others, 5 stars. (x)
The shortest serial but one that focuses exclusively on the core characters and their arcs up until that point. It accomplishes its main goal on justifying why Ian and Barbara would continue traveling with The Doctor and Susan, though it offers up some interesting visuals and some juicy, albeit somewhat confusing, character drama. Ford gets a lot to do as a completely unhinged Susan, and the others get a lot of tense and compelling material that turns out strong performances. It also went a long way into explaining how the TARDIS works as well as setting up future malfunctions that would become a mainstay throughout the series.
2) Serial 8, Episodes 37-42 - The Reign of Terror (Episodes 40-41 as animated reconstructions)
The Reign of Terror was a lot more enjoyable than I thought it'd be and all the actors really seemed to be in their element. The Doctor was great and the animated episodes mostly worked. I don't enjoy media about the French Revolution but this binged very well and was very fun. (x)
Visually one of the better-looking serials, its one that everyone excels in acting-wise as, I suspect, it more closely resembles the type of material the cast would have more experience with. It touches on many of the themes explored throughout the season, and really highlights how much the Doctor and Barbara in particular have grown. As someone who didn't particularly like studying the French Revolution in high school, I found it fun to explore here, and the final episode reveal of Napoleon was a fun addition I feel most people would understand. While no means a perfect serial, its much more fun to watch than it has any right to be.
1) Serial 6, Episodes 27-30 - The Aztecs
The Aztecs was pretty great on multiple levels. I see why its on all those "top 10" lists and got chosen to represent the first doctor. Barbara is easily my favorite of the original companions so it was nice to see her carry a whole serial, though everyone got great material. (x)
There's a reason this is on many best-of-series lists, and its easily the most thematically complex serial this season. Jacqueline Hill is phenomenal in this, and the writing allows Barbara to reach the narrative and character potential only alluded to in earlier serials. Her scenes with the Doctor where they discuss the moral implications of changing history are especially compelling, and serve to elevate the series to much more than it previously was. The other actors also seem to be having a lot of fun with the material they're given, Hartnell in particular. That being said, the depiction of the Aztecs in this episode shows its age, and there were a handful of moments where I found myself wincing. It says a lot about how strong the strong aspects of this serial were that it still ranks as my #1.
Final Thoughts
This season really ended on a strong note and I'm excited to see where it goes from here. I wasn't expecting to enjoy the historical episodes as much as I did, especially after how much of a dud Marco Polo was. Arbitrary alien ranking from best to worst: The Daleks and the Sensorites were the only real aliens this season and they were both great in very different ways.
Watch Status Roundup:
Cardcaptor Sakura - 48/71
Natsume's Book of Friends - 2/80
The X-Files - 74/210
The Golden Girls Extended Universe - 76/442