Story by Story

[drwhofan1]

I thought that maybe there could be a discussion on each & every story of Doctor Who. From An Unearthly Child (or 100,000 BCE) to Survival. Whether we saw the show or read the novel, any thoughts about the story.

"An Unearthly Child", as I like to label it as, was a good start to the show. It introduced all the main characters & kept us guessing what was going to happen next. The Doctor was mysterious, ie. "Eh, Doctor Who?" when Ian (or Barbara) called him Dr. Foreman. It was a great watch.

The first episode was good just because its the one that started it all. Episode 2 & 3 were ok, but Episode 4 was good because it began the journey of the Doctor & for us to witness that journey.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

[tractator]

I think thats a good idea.

I was going to sit and watch it or scan through the book before I posted a reply but I had second thoughts. Perhaps its just better to talk about recollections.

I agree that the first episode has a specialness about it simply because it was the start of something so big.

The scenes at Totter's Yard were very atmospheric (wasn't it foggy the night they followed Susan home?), and the whole 'strange and enigmatic girl' angle added to the whole atmosphere of the situation.

Beyond that though I found the whole caveman thing very uninteresting... a bit of an anticlimax after episode 1.

If I had to grade this story, I'd give it 10/10 for episode 1, and a 6 for the remainder of the serial.

[ryard]

Unearthly Child is definitely the name that I prefer!

Some years ago, I decided I would read and watch and listen to every Doctor Who story in order, even the ones I had already watched. The Telos stuff hadn't come out yet, nor some other recent additions, so I started with Unearthly Child. I was maybe twenty minutes into it when I thought, "Oh man, this is gonna be harder than I thought."

I just found it tedious. I appreciate it, even respect it, for what it was and what I know it will grow into. But man...the school stuff was downright nauseating, the caveman stuff was downright dull, and I wanted to give the Doctor one heck of a beatdown!

Let's put it this way, if I was alive and watching BBC in 1963, I seriously doubt I would have finished watching the 4 episodes. Now, maybe I'm just watching with a cynical eye, and with too much knowledge of what's to come (oh really, Susan, is that why YOU named the TARDIS?), but I just didn't enjoy it...

The Target book, on the other hand, that's some good stuff there. I read that before I saw the episode, and I loved it.

I'd go 4/10 on this one.

[konczewski]

The Target novelization is like some weird precursor to the PDAs--Ian's first person narrative, the strangeness of the Doctor, and the liberties taken with continuity and story.

The first episode is just great, full of suspense, some fine acting by Hartnell, and some really terrific sets. The last three, eh, not so much.

I would like to make the point that this was the first episode. Go back and check the first episode of any long running TV show (e.g., ST:TNG "Encounter at Farpoint", Seinfeld's "The Pilot", the first two seasons of "The Simpsons", etc.), and you'll wonder how it ever lasted more than one season.

[scruffyluxian1]

I have to agree with the above assessments: The first episode is a good one but the rest is largely fast forward fodder.

However, if you were at Chicago Tardis last year the guys at Mysterious Theatre 337 did a good job making this story much more interesting

[Dominic Smith]

I can only really repeat what's stated above, the first episode is an absolute gem from start to finish but the rest of the episode doesn't quite reach that standard. However I still think it's a decent story and worth watching.

[ryard]

Maybe I'm just cynical, because I didn't care for the first episode much....although I'm curious...what are the thoughts on the original pilot?

[anewkindofdarkness]

The one they didnt show which had the doctor being ruder and being a bit of a git?
Not as good as the one they showed!

[Dominic Smith]

I quite liked the pilot episode, although I agree the Doctor was perhaps a bit too grumpy. Susan's drawing is an interesting idea, am I right in thinking that that may be where the Gallifreyan letting seen on the spines of the new Ninth Doctor books originated from or was it just a coincidence?

[The Thinker]

dominicsmith said:

I quite liked the pilot episode, although I agree the Doctor was perhaps a bit too grumpy. Susan's drawing is an interesting idea, am I right in thinking that that may be where the Gallifreyan letting seen on the spines of the new Ninth Doctor books originated from or was it just a coincidence?

I say it's a coincidence.

[Eryx]

I finally got to see An Unearthly Child a few months ago and while I looked forward to it at the time, in the end I found it drawn out, dull and quite boring. Nothing really happens. They get caught, they escape, they get caught and then escape again. Nothing there.

I'm guessing that its just dated, because it did its job and drew the British public in (though as we know it was The Daleks that elevated the show), but for me, its a dull and boring story.

[The Thinker]

In my opinion the best part of 'An Unearthly Child' is episode one. After that I find it a little bit boring. However not so boring that it sends me to sleep.

[extinctkarma]

I am curious to find out the name of an episode that I saw many years ago (mid 80's) that we watched in History class in which the Doctor visited Canada (or in this case Upper Canada). I believe it was in the middle of struggle between English, Americans & French - not too sure but I believe it was around that.

Does anyone recall or remember this episode or am I dreaming that there was anything like that? For some reason this is one of most memorable episodes for me and it maybe because I just learned easier visually and I would like to re-visit this particular episode. First time contributor and first time reader to this forum so let me know if this is the wrong area to pick everyone's mind

[tractator]

Which Doctor did it feature? I have a few suspicions but wouldn't want to commit myself without a bit more info. Welcome, by the way.