Watching Classic Who

[Willie Oleson]

A new computer, a new optical drive = finally using my DVDs again. Hurrah!
Since there are stories missing I'll refer to it as "discs", and from what's available I've managed to put everything in chronological order.
That wasn't easy with stories being released both seperately and parts of box sets but I had no intention do this half-heartedly.

So anyway, the first disc acted problematically and I've only watched the first half of An Unearthly Child.
A bummer, but I had already watched it on vimeo (or was it daily motion?) a few years ago.
The only thing I have to say about it is how the character of Susan changed from mysterious and "alternative" to being in a constant state of hysteria. It's a far cry from the Amy Ponds.
Thankfully we have some great companions in Ian and Barbara and right from the beginning it shows what a weird protagonist Doctor Who is.
As River Song said (is going to say!) "remember this: the Doctor always lies". He's selfish and conniving and only shows his good nature when the situation gets seriously bad or dangerous. It seems as if William Hartnell understood that kind of duality from the very beginning and there's often an element of surprise in the decisions of the first Doctor that I recognised from New Who.

Whereas AUC looks like a typical try-out and pilot story, The Daleks feels like the real beginning.
I am surprised to see how ambitious and committed it is to its storytelling, world building and all the sci-fi technology that goes with it.
If this is the boring and old-fashioned Doctor Who then how good is seventies Doctor Who going to be?
The Daleks is 7 (!) episodes with cliffhangers and lots of tense moments. Just when you think the situation will improve it actually becomes worse.
The sets don't look particularly flashy but it looks weird and that's the most important thing.

I'm sure there's some editing and camera trickery involved but it looks very big.
Of course it doesn't hurt that this story features Doctor Who's most iconic villain: the super-evil but also very funny Dalek (they're both plural and singular).

Even though the episodes mostly focus on the plot, there's enough character interaction that prevents them from becoming stock characters.
Initially it seems as if all the Thals are on the same wavelength (like the Daleks) but as the story progresses they start to act more individually and sometimes even anarchistic.
I think it was Antodus who no longer believed in the mission, and that attitude endangered Ian and another Thal resulting in Antodus' suicide. Nice stuff for kids.
There's not much going on in the l'amour department therefore I was very pleased with one of the final scenes.


I don't know how long it will take me to finish classic Who because I also want to return to Southfork. I'm afraid Dark Shadows is over. I got to episode 800-ish and then I simply didn't have the mental strength anymore to continue. It's no problem, I think I've watched the best parts and "Adam" was the last good one.
Either way, it'll take some pressure off my series-watch schedule. Not that it's meant to be a race, of course.

Eventually, this will me get to the precious 20K post count, and I say eventually because every now and then I experience a 20+ post count setback. It's all very mysterious, almost like sort of an amnesia caused by external powers.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

A new computer, a new optical drive = finally using my DVDs again. Hurrah!
Since there are stories missing I'll refer to it as "discs", and from what's available I've managed to put everything in chronological order.
That wasn't easy with stories being released both seperately and parts of box sets but I had no intention do this half-heartedly.

So anyway, the first disc acted problematically and I've only watched the first half of An Unearthly Child.
A bummer, but I had already watched it on vimeo (or was it daily motion?) a few years ago.
The only thing I have to say about it is how the character of Susan changed from mysterious and "alternative" to being in a constant state of hysteria. It's a far cry from the Amy Ponds.
Thankfully we have some great companions in Ian and Barbara and right from the beginning it shows what a weird protagonist Doctor Who is.
As River Song said (is going to say!) "remember this: the Doctor always lies". He's selfish and conniving and only shows his good nature when the situation gets seriously bad or dangerous. It seems as if William Hartnell understood that kind of duality from the very beginning and there's often an element of surprise in the decisions of the first Doctor that I recognised from New Who.

Whereas AUC looks like a typical try-out and pilot story, The Daleks feels like the real beginning.
I am surprised to see how ambitious and committed it is to its storytelling, world building and all the sci-fi technology that goes with it.
If this is the boring and old-fashioned Doctor Who then how good is seventies Doctor Who going to be?
The Daleks is 7 (!) episodes with cliffhangers and lots of tense moments. Just when you think the situation will improve it actually becomes worse.
The sets don't look particularly flashy but it looks weird and that's the most important thing.
View attachment 55735
I'm sure there's some editing and camera trickery involved but it looks very big.
Of course it doesn't hurt that this story features Doctor Who's most iconic villain: the super-evil but also very funny Dalek (they're both plural and singular).

Even though the episodes mostly focus on the plot, there's enough character interaction that prevents them from becoming stock characters.
Initially it seems as if all the Thals are on the same wavelength (like the Daleks) but as the story progresses they start to act more individually and sometimes even anarchistic.
I think it was Antodus who no longer believed in the mission, and that attitude endangered Ian and another Thal resulting in Antodus' suicide. Nice stuff for kids.
There's not much going on in the l'amour department therefore I was very pleased with one of the final scenes.
View attachment 55736

I don't know how long it will take me to finish classic Who because I also want to return to Southfork. I'm afraid Dark Shadows is over. I got to episode 800-ish and then I simply didn't have the mental strength anymore to continue. It's no problem, I think I've watched the best parts and "Adam" was the last good one.
Either way, it'll take some pressure off my series-watch schedule. Not that it's meant to be a race, of course.

Eventually, this will me get to the precious 20K post count, and I say eventually because every now and then I experience a 20+ post count setback. It's all very mysterious, almost like sort of an amnesia caused by external powers.

The classic series is the REAL Doctor Who. It's creativity and quality on relatively low budgets is remarkable to this day.
William Hartnell IS the FIRST DOCTOR
I would rather watch any classic series episode instead of the farce/ travesty that has been broadcast after Capaldi departed

 

[James from London]

Can this please not be a negative complainy thread about everything people don't like about Doctor Who? That's what the last one turned into. I wanna read about someone watching Who (old Who, new Who, whatever Who) with fresh eyes and no preconceptions. You can always start your own thread if that's what you want to do.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Well I did make sort of a negative comment about Susan but I forgot to mention one thing that I like about her.
Occasionally she laughs in a sort of uncontrolled way even though there's nothing comical about the scene (at least not from the perspective of the characters who are in these crazy stories).
I can't say for sure but somehow it looks ad lib rather than what Susan is supposed to do.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I'm afraid Dark Shadows is over. I got to episode 800-ish and then I simply didn't have the mental strength anymore to continue. It's no problem, I think I've watched the best parts and "Adam" was the last good one.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Is this in the right thread? I do think the Adam storyline was really good

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

We ARE celebrating the classic series. It was a great collection of episodes.
Calling attention to the flaws of any era is not negativity, it is legitimate criticism.
To be a fan is want the best for the show, and sometimes that includes acknowledging its flaws, so that it can be repaired.
According to much of the news, Doctor Who faces an uncertain future, and the best solution
is for the fans to make it known that changes are needed

 

[Daniel Avery]

Is this in the right thread? I do think the Adam storyline was really good

But to say it was the last good story....blasphemy!

I'm hoping that this thread will just address aspects of the classic series and not become another venue in which to compare it unfavorably to the current series. Even if such opinions are rooted in observable truths (ratings, public polling, etc.), these comparisons are not what the OP had in mind when the thread was created. It would be more enjoyable IMO to read a thread that stuck to the (sole) discussion of the classic series as the OP views it. Steering the thread to "compare/contrast with the new series" is what we refer to as "hijacking a thread" and I would hope not to see that happen....though I will admit DW threads often lose their original train of thought since the series tends to inspire many strong opinions. Still, I think if we can stay in the boundaries of the topic, this thread might survive longer than others because the classic series is such a large, fertile ground.

 

[James from London]

To be a fan is want the best for the show, and sometimes that includes acknowledging its flaws, so that it can be repaired.
According to much of the news, Doctor Who faces an uncertain future, and the best solution
is for the fans to make it known that changes are needed

And you and "the fans" have the whole of the rest of the internet and beyond to make the same complaints over and over again if that's what you want to do. All I'm requesting is that you not make them on this one teeny tiny thread here.

I'm hoping that this thread will just address aspects of the classic series and not become another venue in which to compare it unfavorably to the current series. Even if such opinions are rooted in observable truths (ratings, public polling, etc.), these comparisons are not what the OP had in mind when the thread was created. It would be more enjoyable IMO to read a thread that stuck to the (sole) discussion of the classic series as the OP views it. Steering the thread to "compare/contrast with the new series" is what we refer to as "hijacking a thread" and I would hope not to see that happen....though I will admit DW threads often lose their original train of thought since the series tends to inspire many strong opinions. Still, I think if we can stay in the boundaries of the topic, this thread might survive longer than others because the classic series is such a large, fertile ground.

I sort of agree and disagree. If Willie sees a connection between the Who he's watching now and the Who he's seen before (i.e., Future Who), I for one would interested to hear about it. It's kind of wherever his "journey" (for want of a less cringey word) takes him really.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

And you and "the fans" have the whole of the rest of the internet and beyond to make the same complaints over and over again if that's what you want to do. All I'm requesting is that you not make them on this one teeny tiny thread here.



I sort of agree and disagree. If Willie sees a connection between the Who he's watching now and the Who he's seen before (i.e., Future Who), I for one would interested to hear about it. It's kind of wherever his "journey" (for want of a less cringey word) takes him really.

"The Fans" are the reason that Doctor Who returned to television in 2005 (and continues) after the series was cancelled in 1989, because "The Fans" supported the show in many, many ways during the time period 1989-2005. "The Fans" deserve respect. I thought that this was an open forum where all views can be expressed. Surely one sentence about the show that does not celebrate a certain era(s) does not dismiss an entire thread. In any case, I will not comment any further since only unqualified compliments seem to be tolerated. It is a shame because I would enjoy talking about the classic series.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Disc 3 is The Edge Of Destruction and to me it looks like a psychological chamber drama that combines all the weirdness you can get in a Doctor Who story except for the monsters or aliens.
It reminded me of the Midnight episode from the Tenth Doctor.

If Willie sees a connection between the Who he's watching now and the Who he's seen before (i.e., Future Who)

I think this is almost inevitable since New Who is my beginning and therefore the main source for reference points.

The Tardis crew is temporarily unconscious because of a small explosion, and when they awake they all act very strange but not equally strange.
It's as if they're all in their own mini-universe bubble, conversation doesn't make sense and it sounds more like the tea party from Alice In Wonderland.
I found it very disorientating but in a pleasant way.
The story becomes a little bit problematic when they try to figure out what's going on because I don't know if a thought comes from a sane or confused mind.
They also consider the idea that an unknown entity has entered the Tardis and taken over one of the characters (this actually made sense to me).
A lot of conspiracy theories, accusations, explanations pulled out of the hat and then...it turned out to be a faulty spring mechanism.

I could almost believe that this story (only two episodes) was 100% improvisation. But whatever it was, the actors handle it very well.

I think this was the Doctor's theory monologue about a solar system trying to suck the energy source out of the Tardis, turn it into dust and then stone and then a new world. Sure, why not?

 

[Willie Oleson]

Next disc is The Keys Of Marinus

My grandfather's name was Marinus.

The Tardis crew arrives on a seemingly lovely island but soon they find out there's something fishy going on.
Susan almost loses her feet in acid and when they explore a big building they all mysteriously disappear inside the walls.
And that's just the beginning!
It's a very entertaining story that takes the characters to various places on planet Marinus: a make-believe land, an angry jungle land, a boobytrap land, ice cube land - it could have been Epcot Center.
It also has various villains and plot twists, and the trial episode neatly bookends the theme of law and justice as it was explained by the Keeper Of The Conscience at the beginning of the story.
The physical action is...hmm, so-so but I guess that has everything to do with the budget and the deadline to finish recording in time.
The Doctor doesn't appear in every episode but I think the scenes are crowded enough.

This is like going through a second childhood and sometimes I think about the kids who watched this on "live" TV in the 1960s. That must have been amazing.

 

[Laurie Marr]

I have started Who from the beginning recently too. For all of Hartnell’s flubs (quite endearing really) it’s very entertaining stuff. There is something so enjoyable about getting caught up in good old fashioned adventure stories. So enthusiastic have I been that I have even built my own 1:13 scale model of the Hartnell TARDIS.

 

[Willie Oleson]

After a relatively good start I kinda struggle to finish THE SENSORITES, aliens in polyester and the poor cousins of THE OOD.
The sets are drab and this is not one of those series that benefits from black & white picture.
On the other hand it was fun to recognise a young Ilona Rodgers (Patricia's sister Margaret Dunne in Sons & Daughters).
The Doctor and Ian have the best chemistry, every now and then there's a little bit of joking going on that seems very natural.
It's also a good series for a drinking game: take a shot every time Susan screams or faints.

I wonder if all these stories are about being disconnected from the Tardis one way or another. And I thought the Tardis was able to appear and disappear on its own power...
@Laurie Marr we also want to look inside!

 

[Willie Oleson]

I continued with the soft-space story of the Sensorites, not expecting too much, but gradually I started to realise how funny it was.
Oddly enough, it is that funniness that makes it intriguing to watch even if it feels like it goes on forever.
Schemes and treachery and kidnapping and blackmail...it's not that different from a Roman Empire drama.
Some Sensorites pretend to be other Sensorites and because they all look the same you need to pay attention to what's being said.
Yes it is all very childish but that also makes it very "Batman".

Doctor: What are all these things?
Sensorite: Left behind by the humans that were killed in the spaceship explosion.
Ian (laughs): Look at these, Doctor. Family snapshots.

At the end of the story, John and Carol (Ilona Rodgers) travel back to earth in the 28th century.
Ian casually mentions "at least they know where they're going on".
This results in one of the Doctor's bizarrely bipolar reactions.

It's such a strange and downbeat way to end an adventure, but at the same time I love it when Ian or Barbara are being shouted down by the Doctor.
They never really know where they stand in all of this.

Sometimes I think of new Doctor Who when I watch these old stories, and how incredibly lavish those episodes looked.
But part of the fun of watching the beginning is knowing where it all leads up to. And that Clara Oswald is the invisible co-traveller which may or may not explain some peculiar events.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Planet Of Giants (31-10-1964 / 14-11-1964)



It took two weeks to show this story? They must have been a very patient audience.

I had expected them to land on a planet inhabited by giant alien spiders or something like that, but no, it's the Tardis version of The Incredible Shrinking Man.
Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed this enlarged world in which the mundane becomes extremely challenging.
As usual it starts with an unexpected malfunction inside the Tardis (does it ever not go wrong?) and in this case it's an error in the materialisation process that is an essential part of time travel. I can't believe I'm saying this but this actually makes sense to me.

They actually arrive on planet Earth but it's far from a home sweet home. Reduced to the size of ants they have to overcome many physical obstacles and on top of that they stumble upon a dangerous corporate scheme and murder.
Barbara sprains her ankle and somehow this looks familiar, maybe she's prone to this sort of accidents. At least it doesn't affect her bouffant which seems to get bigger in every episode.
For an old-fashioned TV series primarely aimed at a younger audience it shouldn't be too surprising that we get some educational references every now and then, but not so much that it makes the dialogue sound unnatural.
Insects are important because they help to make things grow, and it's interesting that in this episode none of the "giant" animals pose a serious threat to our beloved time travellers.

The combination of the telephone service and the intentional "bombing" of the can that contains the dubious insecticide spray made me think of an operation by the résistance during WWII.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about these episodes is that it allows the characters to become irritated or even a little catty, and it's usually very funny when the Doctor bosses his companions around or make them feel intellectually inferior. This makes it look more vibrant than the sanitised comradeship that we usually see/saw in children's TV programmes.
Susan Scream Factor: 5/10
The next episode will see the return (of what will become many returns) of the Daleks. They're so entertaining they don't actually need a story, they just have to behave very Dalek-sy.

 

[James from London]

Planet Of Giants (31-10-1964 / 14-11-1964)

View attachment 56454

It took two weeks to show this story? They must have been a very patient audience.

This was a fun one. Without checking, I think this is the first time the TARDIS lands back on contemporary Earth since the very first episode. Well, I guess it has to be otherwise Ian and Barbara would just say, “Oh great, we’re back. Bye.”

 

[Willie Oleson]

The Dalek Invasion Of Earth (21-11-1964 / 26-12-1964)



The team enters a dystopian world in which Africa, South America and India have been destroyed, and all the action takes place in London and nearby areas - although they do mention something about a "united europe".
To warm things up, especially for the younger audience, the story starts with a suicide drowning while totally ignoring the big "No Bodies To Be Dumped Here" sign.

The Dalek's evil scheme is summed up in two sentences (it was in episode 4, I think) but the story of Earth (well, England) plays out in a Day Of The Triffids fashion with lots of characters and locations.
It's become sort of a given that, as soon as the time travellers set foot outside the Tardis, one of them sprains or twists his/her ankle. It's also a given that the injury magically disappears once it's no longer relevant.
This time it's Susan who has to hop around for a while but it actually ends with worn shoes and a companion departure.
The Tardis group splits up ("where have they gone?") only to be (partially) reunited at various points in the story.

I found it impossible to keep track of where they were although they all seemed to be heading for the mining area where Daleks were doing their thing.
The bland studio sets makes it almost impossible to distinguish between various indoor locations, and since they're all moving both horizontally and vertically it gives the impression of one big cube.

And there's always an opening that leads to another room or location although it never looks as if they're making any progress.
That progress is established when the story says so ("now we are here, oh look, there's Barbara") .
There are real-life location shoots and they do look surprisingly deserted, I guess it was filmed in the early hours.
The score for these episodes is very good especially for the location scenes, the bongo rhythms reminded me of the score of Alice In Wonderland 1966.

Apart from the Daleks there are Daleks-controlled humans, smugglers, collaborators, escaped alligators and a Slyther that makes a horrific sound.
The urgency of the story - to defeat the Daleks - makes it impossible for all these additional story elements to shine or to become seriously threatening.
Depending on one's preference the story is either too long or too short.

Barbara has to do all the running and pushing wheelchairs while Ian spends most of his time hiding in small spaces, and it was only a matter of time before he ended up inside the big bomb itself.
I have yet to see what the other Doctors will bring to the episodes but I'm beginning to see that the New Doctor Who is a combination of the Doctor and Ian.

Story blabla victory, the evil oppressors have been defeated.

Funny.

Meanwhile, a little romance has blossomed between Susan and 22nd century earthling David whom I suspect to be Irish. I don't know why, maybe it's the romance combined with the desire to grow potatoes.

In the final scene he proposes to Susan but she says she can't accept and I screamed at the screen YES! YES YOU CAN!
Well, the Doctor agreed with me and Susan stays behind with David to rebuild England and work on a united Europe.
This makes it easier to guess who's going to sprain his/her ankle in the next episode.