I don't know what the relevancy of any of that rambling is, but, hey, it's 4am.[/QUOTE]
No - I haven't got 'The Beginning' box set - this is from what's left of my memory from the first time around - back in the day
Cheers, daveac
As William Hartnell is my favourite doctor, I thought I would set up quiz; at the end of the week, I plan to check all the answers and find a current favourite, my vote is: The Daleks.
Here are all the stories(in order)
An Unearthly Child
The Daleks
The Edge Of Destruction
Marco Polo
The Keys Of Marinus
The Aztecs
The Sensorites
The Reign Of Terror
Planet Of Giants
The Dalek Invasion Of Earth
The Rescue
The Romans
The Crusade
The Space Museum
The Chase
The Time Meddler
Galaxy 4(finally, the 'the...'s have stopped)
Mission To The Unknown
The Myth Makers
The Daleks' Master Plan
The Massacre
The Ark
The Celestial Toymaker
The Gunfighters
The Savages
The War Machines
The Smugglers
The 10th Planet(Far too many'the...'s!)
(Some Of These You may not have seen, as some are missing from the BBC)
Please let me know if I have missed any.
I'm waiting to hear the missing episodes (actually the whole story) of The Reign Of Terror before I make a decision. I've seen the surviving episodes on video, but want to experience the whole story first. When my favorite importer in the States gets it in, I'll place the order.
Taras
When people who have not seen Hartnell ask which one they should see first, I usually recommend “The Rescue.” Not only because its only a two-parter and thus pretty compact (quite fast passed by Hartnell era standards) but I just feel he comes across so well in it, not old or cranky but rather more majestic and grand (especially the final scene).
The Time Meddler is my personal fave, but actually I’m in the middle of Keys of Marinus rerun right now and am really quite enjoying it. Funny enough I’m just about to start episode 4 (the Snows of Terror), quite appropriate considering New York City’s weekend weather forecast.
I really liked The Dalek Master Plan because it was a long story but didn't feel like it. It kept moving (literally) around from one focus to another with quite a few good momments which I will not describe for spoiler sake.
One thing it's best to try and watch these stories in order, as each episode begins just before the previous ended, Adam
Well, if you consider "Unearthly" as separate from "Tribe of Gum", then "An Unearthly Child" just can't be touched. But if you have to lump episodes 2-4 in with episode 1, the whole block's rating goes way down.
If you're gonna talk about all of them, regardless as to whether they exist as videos, I suppose I'd go with "Marco Polo".
If you're talking about the best of the surviving stories, I think it's "The Romans", with "The Daleks" very close behind.
I'm sorry but I just don't like Hartnell. "The Keys of Marinus" is about the only one I can tolerate because I like puzzles. I'd probably enjoy "The Celestial Toymaker" too if it were intact. The episode on the Lost in Time collection is very good. I'd like to see "The Tenth Planet." To me "The Gunfighters" is probably one of the worst EVER Doctor Who stories and "The Space Museum" is a close runner-up.
I'll admit that I've never really listened to the audio tapes that are out there. Maybe I'd have a different opinion.
I've just recently enjoyed watching The Time Meddler, The Rescue and The Romans.
Taras
I have a new current favourite: The Aztecs, the fact that The Doctor accidently gets engaged is good.
Remember The Tenth Planet is available inthe Cybermen boxset with all the surviving episodes and the last episode using the whole soundtrack and surviving stills.
[QUOTE BY= JeffL] I'm sorry but I just don't like Hartnell. "The Keys of Marinus" is about the only one I can tolerate because I like puzzles. I'd probably enjoy "The Celestial Toymaker" too if it were intact. The episode on the <i>Lost in Time</i> collection is very good. I'd like to see "The Tenth Planet." To me "The Gunfighters" is probably one of the worst EVER Doctor Who stories and "The Space Museum" is a close runner-up.[/QUOTE] The Gunfighters is nearly always thought to be the worst Hartnell story although in terms of viewing the worst is The Smugglers(it might be The Savages) [QUOTE BY= JeffL] I'll admit that I've never really listened to the audio tapes that are out there. Maybe I'd have a different opinion. [/QUOTE]
Well maybe you guys are convincing me to revisit Hartnell. I really haven't watched many of his stories in over fifteen years. I watched them all as they aired on my local PBS station at the time but I could never get into them. Perhaps...being older and allegedly wiser...I might have a change of heart.
[QUOTE BY= DarthSkeptical] Well, if you consider "Unearthly" as separate from "Tribe of Gum", then "An Unearthly Child" just can't be touched. But if you have to lump episodes 2-4 in with episode 1, the whole block's rating goes way down.
If you're gonna talk about all of them, regardless as to whether they exist as videos, I suppose I'd go with "Marco Polo".
If you're talking about the best of the surviving stories, I think it's "The Romans", with "The Daleks" very close behind.[/QUOTE]I have to agree 'Marco Polo' is excellent.
Honestly, there's really a lot to like about the Hartnell era. I keep revisiting this thread, even though it's not changing a great deal, just to see if anything's new here. Since it's not, I guess I'll throw in a couple more that I like. While they're stories usually passed over, I actually really enjoy "The Sensorites" and "The Space Museum". I'll even go out on a limb and say that, aside from Part 1 of "An Unearthly Child", maybe the best single episode of the Hartnell era is Part 1 of "The Space Museum".
I taped most of the Hartnell episodes on my local PBS station back in the late '80's. Unfortunately, those tapes have really decayed over the years and are practically unwatchable.
But as I've been buying the Hartnell DVD's and rewatching them my opinion is changing a little. I think I prefer 2nd and 3rd season Hartnell to Season #1. I really don't like Tribes of Gum or the original The Daleks stories. They seem to take an eternity to get through. Same with The Aztecs. But The Daleks Invasion of Earth is quite good. I haven't picked up my copy of The Web Planet yet. I have a 20% off coupon I can use at Borders next week. I'll probably buy it then.
My favorite Hartnell episode is The Dalek Invasion of Earth.
[QUOTE BY= JeffL] I taped most of the Hartnell episodes on my local PBS station back in the late '80's. Unfortunately, those tapes have really decayed over the years and are practically unwatchable.
But as I've been buying the Hartnell DVD's and rewatching them my opinion is changing a little. I think I prefer 2nd and 3rd season Hartnell to Season #1. I really don't like Tribes of Gum or the original The Daleks stories. They seem to take an eternity to get through. Same with The Aztecs. But The Daleks Invasion of Earth is quite good. I haven't picked up my copy of The Web Planet yet. I have a 20% off coupon I can use at Borders next week. I'll probably buy it then. [/QUOTE]Honestly, if you didn't like "The Daleks" or "The Aztecs" you will be kicking yourself for using your coupon to buy "The Web Planet". It gives a whole new definition to the word "eternity". I love the Hartnell era, but that episode is.....well, let's be charitable and call it "experimental".
That said, the DVD extras are quite good, and I think, for my money, it's the best Hartnell-era commentary so far.
i remember watching the web planet when i was about 7 and thought it ruled...havn't seen it since mind you!
i'm about to rediscover hartnell, as i have quite a few episodes on vhs which i havnt seen for at least 15 years including the aztecs, the rescue, edge of destruction, the romans, the time meddler, the sensorites...
at the moment the 3 most memorable ones for me are:
1. the tenth planet.
maybe it was because when growing up as a kid it was my number 1 most wanted in terms of dr who stories. this was to do with it being the first ever cyberman appearance, the first regeneration, but mainly because when i saw a clip of it on the "cyberman: the early years" vhs, i remember how weird i thought the cybermen looked! i had already seen tomb, revenge, silver nemesis but these cybermen stuck out because they looked and sounded so bloody mental. i actually think they are the scariest they have ever been in this episode, maybe minus tomb...was overjoyed when i found out that a vhs copy had become commercially available a few years ago.
2. the war machines.
is this the first example of a sinistar-corrupt-government-style-plot-behind-the-back-of-joe-public on earth storyline in dr who? if so, then why is this such a forgotten gem? computers as villians, secret offices where people are brainwashed and secret warehouses where the brainwashed work in order to create these "war machines"...a more sinistar theme where you felt that you didnt have to travel in time or space to be in danger, you could just stay at home as your own planet is even more messed up than you could imagine! no aliens, just your own technology. you could even say that most of what we saw in pertwee's first two seasons, and what we are seeing now came from seeds that were sewn in the war machines! that is unless ive got a distorted memory of this episode and am going a bit over the top (it was about a year ago when i last saw it). nonetheless, a really underrated episode i think, and i love how after a lot of historical style stories and alien surroundings you get an episode that is very much set in the environment and time in which it was written. if i only i could say the same of the new series! well, maybe i'll retract that comment 40 years time...it also introduced ben, who despite being a bit "cor blimey", i did like a lot.
3. dalek invasion of earth.
in my opinion the best early dalek story. anyone who says otherwise and criticises it for it's length has a screw loose quite frankly, and it is a good example as to how 6 parters can work if you have a decent story and someone who knows how to write it! love the characters, and i always get well stuck into this story...the shots of the daleks in deserted central london are also CLASSIC and ESSENTIAL in not only dr who history, but popular british culture in the 20th century. and the doctors speech to susan at the end is hartnell at his very best...a very poignant ending for many reasons.
so yeah, in my opinion you cant go wrong with those three. stay away from the gunfighters though, as its bloody awful and i remember really enjoying the first episode of an unearthly child but when the other episodes kicked in i got bored and was too much like "yeah ok, ive seen the building blocks...", but im willing to be proved wrong on that one someday i hope!
Difficult!
From memory my favourite four:-
An Unearthly Child
Planet Of Giants
The Time Meddler
The Celestial Toymaker
Cheers, daveac
Ooooh, "Giants". Didja catch on "The Beginning" collection the tidbits about that one? I never knew that it was originally planned for much earlier in Season 1 and that it had such direct involvement from Sydney Newman. It's a pretty average story, but it's weird to think of it as potentially one of the lead-off stories instead of sorta buried post-"Daleks".
I don't know what the relevancy of any of that rambling is, but, hey, it's 4am.
[QUOTE BY= DarthSkeptical] Ooooh, "Giants". Didja catch on "The Beginning" collection the tidbits about that one? I never knew that it was originally planned for much earlier in Season 1 and that it had such direct involvement from Sydney Newman. It's a pretty average story, but it's weird to think of it as potentially one of the lead-off stories instead of sorta buried post-"Daleks".
I don't know what the relevancy of any of that rambling is, but, hey, it's 4am.[/QUOTE]
No - I haven't got 'The Beginning' box set - this is from what's left of my memory from the first time around - back in the day
Cheers, daveac
The first two Dalek stories are pretty untouchable and really show what Doctor Who is all about.
After seeing all the first doctor stories and hearing the missing ones, I went back to view Unearthly Child into the rest of the Tribe of Gum story and found it very interesting on a second viewing. Mainly because I became so familiar with companions Susan, Ian, and Barbra - to go back and see them on their forst adventure and how they took to it was so interesting
My fav has to be the Tenth Planet. --Billy
I would have to say the entire thing is one long story but if I had to choose: THE MASSACRE! It's just the way a historical should be all the way through to...the Dodo entrance scene (which is really piss poor).
Other than that: THE AZTECS, THE TIME MEDDLER, and so many others!
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