Past Seasons: Classic Who

[Lisin]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the shows first seasons. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[Llywela]

No movement on this topic yet. So does anyone else out there watch the classic show? Do you have a favourite season or era?

 

Me, I'm always torn for choosing a favourite season. I have an irrational fondness for season 12, the Fourth Doctor with my darlings Harry and Sarah - the quality of the writing is a bit patchy in places, but there are also some amazing stories, and even in the shakier episodes the actors bring their A-game and are an absolute delight.

 

But then there are seasons one and two, which I think are objectively much stronger and more character focused. I absolutely adore watching Ian and Barbara's journey with the Doctor, from abductees to dearly loved friends. Their exit is wonderfully performed, so emotional and so in keeping with the characters, really excellent stuff.

 

What does anyone else think?

Edited June 13, 2014 by Llywela

[ABay]

When they were doing the Revisited specials last year, I found some of the selected episodes watchable only because of my great fondness/nostalgia for Doctors 4-8. TV technology has evolved, the style of acting has changed, story pacing has changed, genre expectations have changed, and so on. My patience just wasn't strong enough to sit through some of it. And yet I do love them all...I think they're better on Big Finish and in my head, though.

[Llywela]

When they were doing the Revisited specials last year, I found some of the selected episodes watchable only because of my great fondness/nostalgia for Doctors 4-8. TV technology has evolved, the style of acting has changed, story pacing has changed, genre expectations have changed, and so on. My patience just wasn't strong enough to sit through some of it. And yet I do love them all...I think they're better on Big Finish and in my head, though.

I think this is a hurdle a lot of people face - I struggled at first myself when I went back to the classic show, despite having grown up on it. But just because it is dated doesn't mean it has nothing to offer, that's the lesson I learned from perservering. The trouble is, we get conditioned to expect everything we watch to be pretty much the same - television has fashions and trends, as well as evolving technology, and most shows today are made in pretty much the same style (same structure, same cinematography, same acting styles, same narrative trends etc) so when we watch something that isn't made to the same pattern, we find it really jarring and hard to watch, because our brain hasn't been trained to appreciate anything different. (Let's face it - the televisual trends we take for granted today are going to look just as dated in 10 or 20 years time - we'll look back and wonder why we were so obsessed with melodrama and hyperbole, for instance!)

 

The trick with vintage TV is to watch it on its own terms instead of holding it up against modern shows, against which it was never designed to compete. Take the First Doctor era, for instance. When I first tried watching a few serials, I found them really hard-going - they were so alien to everything I'd come to expect of TV - but once I'd got more used to the style and structure of the classic show, I started rewatching that era in its proper order and fell completely and deeply in love with it, because I was now able to look past the superficial to the heart of the show and the incredible journey those characters take.

 

Not everyone can do that, though.

 

The classic show has its ups and downs over the years and is flawed, of course - but the same can be said of the modern show, we just tend to be more forgiving of those flaws when the structure of the show falls into the pattern our brains are conditioned to expect, because we don't have to work as hard.

 

ETA - another thought. The usual advice for those attempting Classic Who is to just pick and choose serials from wherever, 'because there's no continuity so it doesn't matter', but the better I get to know the old show, the more flawed I find that advice to be. Classic Who does have continuity, albeit not in the modern style, it tells one long ongoing story, the separate serials often leading into/following on from one another, and you get far more out of it if you pick a Doctor or companion and watch their adventures through in order, so that you get to know them and their experiences properly, rather than dipping in and out randomly, which doesn't really let you get to know the characters properly.

 

It also helps, I find, to make the effort to learn a bit about the behind-the-scenes constraints of the time - technological and budgetary - because then instead of thinking 'wow this is awful' you find yourself thinking 'wow, how did they achieve as much as they did?' Who has always been a highly ambitious show, and in the classic era frequently aimed higher than could actually be achieved, but I love it for its ambition and creativity. I find that those primitive sets and costumes excite my imagination far more than the most hyper-realistic CGI ever could. But that's another thing about modern production values - we've become so used to CGI that we've almost forgotten how to let our imaginations do the heavy lifting.

 

So, to cut a long story short, I love both modern and classic Doctor Who, each in their different way :)

Edited June 14, 2014 by Llywela

[SnideAsides]

Speaking of Delta and the Bannermen, it is by FAR the most unexpected selection in Who's 50: The 50 Doctor Who Stories to Watch Before You Die, which I'm currently reading.

[Joe]

That is unexpected. What's the reasoning there?

[Sharpie66]

Classic Who! I tend to think of the show by Doctor-Companion, and not by season, since the episodes were just on a constant loop when I was growing up.

Favorite season-long arc was The Key to Time (I had a chance to meet Mary Tam at my second DW convention back in 1984, but I skippped her session for lunch instead). Loved Douglas Adams' being the head writer, and his script for The Pirate Planet even got my decidedly not a fan of DW mother to listen and laugh.

Favorite mini-arc was Turlogh being an evil toady for the season's Big Bad, but that might be mostly because I just had the hots for Mark Strickson! I remember reading an article (I think it was in TVGuide for The Five Doctors broadcast) that covered a DW convention in Chicago, the center of American DW fandom in the Classic era, in which the author mentioned Strickson stripping down to a Speedo for a dip in the hotel's pool, and alllll the females were drooling.

Favorite classic companion has to be Sarah Jane, but I also love Ace and Tegan, Ace because she had terrific chemistry with Sylvester McCoy, and Tegan because she was willing to tell Five when he was full of it. Her departure really stuck with me over the years, because she had just had it with the death and destruction that surrounds the Doctor. Having that in the back of my head made Nine's joy in The Doctor Dances ("Everyone lives!!") even more poignant to me.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Sharpie66

[SnideAsides]

That is unexpected. What's the reasoning there?

Basically, the authors consider Delta and the Bannermen the reset button the show needed to transition from the dreariness and shameless horror of the Colin Baker era to the hope and whimsy later McCoy stories (and much of the relaunch) have had. The only other really unexpected selections on the list are The Happiness Patrol and Love and Monsters.

[Joe]

That's an interesting take on it. Sounds crazy, but no one is paying me to write a book. They might be on to something, then.

[tessaray]

The only thing about Love & Monsters that I liked was the melancholy of Elton's first encounter with the Doctor.  The rest just makes me shudder.

 

But then, I love Battlefield, a story that gets very little respect.  :-)  It has the Brigadier, the amazing Jean Marsh and the luncacy of the whole Merlin storyline. 

[Joe]

I like the novelisation of Battlefield, turns it into this great sprawling epic. But the time and budget wasn't quite there for the TV story.

[tessaray]

I like the novelisation of Battlefield, turns it into this great sprawling epic. But the time and budget wasn't quite there for the TV story.

 

I guess I assumed that the novelizations were like the Star Trek ones, with nothing much else to add.  I did like the one where the Doctor met Leela, though. (The Face of Evil)

[Joe]

 

I guess I assumed that the novelizations were like the Star Trek ones, with nothing much else to add.  I did like the one where the Doctor met Leela, though. (The Face of Evil)

Many of them, yes. But Battlefield is worth tracking down. I'm not giving up my copy!

[taanja]

"A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting.” << Jon Pertwee

 

Ahh. Jon Pertwee. He was my first doctor but he "morphed" (or as we say now-a-days -- regenerate) into Tom Baker right away so I only really saw him in re-runs. And then Tom Backer won my heart. I mean he was the Doctor from 1974 to 1981. I was never the biggest fan of Sarah Jane Smith (I know!) but I loved Leela. Anyone remember "The Horror of Fang Rock" HaHa!! Right! The terrible special effects. You could almost see the damn zipper on the back of the "creatures" costume.  Good times!

 

And as to Tegan...I named my daughter Tegan! <<<that is how much I loved that companion!

[John Potts]

Tessaray But then, I love Battlefield, a story that gets very little respect.  :-)

 

I do too! It's a weakness in a lot of Who that (at least until the Grand Moff introduced River Song), although the Doctor was a time traveller, he never seemed to meet people in the wrong order. They were even aware that he "Was a shapeshifter" (Regenerated). I somehow doubt we'll ever revisit that story, however.

[Llywela]

I do too! It's a weakness in a lot of Who that (at least until the Grand Moff introduced River Song), although the Doctor was a time traveller, he never seemed to meet people in the wrong order. They were even aware that he "Was a shapeshifter" (Regenerated). I somehow doubt we'll ever revisit that story, however.

Melanie Bush being a particularly notable exception to this - he met her very much in the wrong order, confusingly so! Maybe you have to have corkscrew curls for the trick to work? ;)

[benteen]

After my completion of New Who, I've been going back and watching a lot of Classic Who.  I just completed Tom Baker's first season as the Doctor (Season 12), which included the awesome Genesis of the Daleks serial.  I can see why Tom Baker's portrayal is so well regarded.  Sarah Jane was a great companion, a lot more proactive than some of the previous female companions.  And I thought Harry Sullivan was an underrated companion as well.  Up next for me is Terror of the Zygons.

 

Of the first three Doctors, I like Troughton the best.  I can definitely see where Matt Smith was influenced by him.  Troughton was a joy to watch.  I particularly liked The Mind Robbers and The Enemy of the World.  I almost think Jamie was a terrific companion for him, more like a buddy to the 2nd Doctor.

Edited July 29, 2014 by benteen

[Joe]

I never liked Genesis. "Do I have the right" was a good moment, but none of the rest. And I'll be interested in your opinion of later Baker. He goes a bit different over the years.

[Llywela]

After my completion of New Who, I've been going back and watching a lot of Classic Who.  I just completed Tom Baker's first season as the Doctor (Season 12), which included the awesome Genesis of the Daleks serial.  I can see why Tom Baker's portrayal is so well regarded.  Sarah Jane was a great companion, a lot more proactive than some of the previous female companions.  And I thought Harry Sullivan was an underrated companion as well.  Up next for me is Terror of the Zygons.

Aww, my favourite era and favourite TARDIS team. I adore the combination of Sarah and Harry as companions, balancing one another out - Harry is definitely very underrated by the fandom, remembered more for the Doctor's occasional jibes than for who he is and what he does. He's a lovely character. I also really love watching Sarah's evolution over her three and a bit seasons on the show, from ambitious and career-focused journalist to free-spirited adventurer.

 

And Baker is definitely at his best in his early years.

[HauntedBathroom]

I never liked Genesis. "Do I have the right" was a good moment, but none of the rest. And I'll be interested in your opinion of later Baker. He goes a bit different over the years.

It's alright, but it's definitely too long. I saw the 90 minute version of the story that was repeated in the Five Faces season, and that felt a lot snappier.

[tv-talk]

Classic Tom Baker is still as good as the Doctor gets, I enjoy watching the old episodes occasionally and he's just fantastic. The 4th Doctor got some great story arcs as well and a wide variety of companions. He fit the '70s very well too, great era for show. 

[SnideAsides]

I randomly decided to watch Paradise Towers last night. At least the music score was good.

[Joe]

I like Paradise Towers. It's all right, I accept that I have no taste. Good fun, and some interesting ideas. Pex, the one who was left behind. The rise of the Kangs, the cannibal old ladies. Good stuff. I'd like if Big Finish did either a prequel or sequel.

[Llywela]

Paradise Towers is bonkers, but I kind of love it anyway. Maybe it helps that I have vivid memories of watching it on TV when I was small and impressionable. I had a polka dot skirt just like Mel's, only mine was black rather than blue. :D

 

Funny, though, that I should like this one and yet loathe The Happiness Patrol, which runs along a similar vein.

[proserpina65]

Favorite mini-arc was Turlogh being an evil toady for the season's Big Bad, but that might be mostly because I just had the hots for Mark Strickson!

 

I'm glad to discover that I wasn't the only one.  :-)

 

Seriously, though, some of those episodes were really interesting and thought-provoking.  Of course, I loved Peter Davison, who is my absolute favorite Doctor, so that helped.

 

Patrick Troughton is my second-favorite, and Jamie is my all-time number one companion.  Their chemistry together was fantastic.  It's too bad that so few of their episodes still exist.

Edited July 30, 2014 by proserpina65

[Sharpie66]

This talk of Mark Strickson got me to look him up on IMDB--he's now living in New Zealand and producing environmental documentaries. It's always nice to see his face as the young Ebenezer in the George C. Scott A Christmas Carol when it reruns in December.

[Joe]

He also pops up in the audios. Good stuff.

[BK1978]

After my completion of New Who, I've been going back and watching a lot of Classic Who.  I just completed Tom Baker's first season as the Doctor (Season 12), which included the awesome Genesis of the Daleks serial.  I can see why Tom Baker's portrayal is so well regarded.  Sarah Jane was a great companion, a lot more proactive than some of the previous female companions.  And I thought Harry Sullivan was an underrated companion as well.  Up next for me is Terror of the Zygons.

 

Of the first three Doctors, I like Troughton the best.  I can definitely see where Matt Smith was influenced by him.  Troughton was a joy to watch.  I particularly liked The Mind Robbers and The Enemy of the World.  I almost think Jamie was a terrific companion for him, more like a buddy to the 2nd Doctor.

 

I agree, what I have been able to watch of him he is my favorite out of all of the Doctors.  If I had to say my top three I would go with Troughton, Peter Davidson, and Jon Pertwee. 

 

I liked War Games but I can understand why people would find it boring.  It did drag a bit in the middle, but I loved how they forced him to become the Third Doctor.

 

In regards to Genesis of the Daleks, that might be my favorite serial from the original show. 

[tv-talk]

Tom Baker will always be my favorite and it's hard to try and be objective about it as he was my original Doctor, but in watching much of the rest of the series I do think he opened up the role quite a bit. He was the first Doctor who truly behaved like a centuries old traveller through time and space insofar as the way he often looked down upon humans, conflict, and the general ignorance of the various peoples he encountered relative to the Time Lords (whom he also didnt like). Of course he was a rapscallion as well, prone to utter silliness and dry humor which kept the series funny and light as needed- but there was always that edge to him just under surface waiting to come out. The scene in Pyramids of Mars after Scarman kills his own brother is a great example. Sara is almost hysterical and becomes appalled by Baker's nonchalant reaction...she says something like "Doctor, A MAN HAS DIED" and his response is basically 'so what, you think that would bother me so much?'

 

I think that dynamic great influenced the entire series moving forward and in a very good way.

 

Maybe my favorite Baker line is in The Brain of Morbious when they're caught in driving rainstorm and the door opens only to have Doctor ask for a glass of water! That always cracked me up, and that type of humor coupled well with the 4ths darker side.

Edited August 2, 2014 by tv-talk

[Sandman87]

I just stumbled across RetroTV showing first season Doctor Who. I've seen very little of the first two Doctors up until now, so this should be fun.

 

Tonight they're showing all four episodes of the first serial. Three episodes in, I have to wonder how the show didn't get cancelled immediately, what with the awful pacing and writing. I'm not expecting great things from the first episodes of any show, especially a 1960s BBC show with a shoestring budget, but still...

 

I'm just glad that I know it'll get better.

[Joe]

Standards were different back then, is all I can say. There's a lot of stuff in old stories, not just DW, that I find hard to swallow.

[Llywela]

Tonight they're showing all four episodes of the first serial. Three episodes in, I have to wonder how the show didn't get cancelled immediately, what with the awful pacing and writing. I'm not expecting great things from the first episodes of any show, especially a 1960s BBC show with a shoestring budget, but still...

I love An Unearthly Child. The pacing isn't awful, it's appropriate for the style and the time and the length of the story. It feels odd to modern viewers because just about everything we watch today is told in 45 minutes at breakneck pace and thus we condition ourselves to believe that everything should be exactly the same. It is difficult to adjust to the slower pace and more theatrical style of 1963, and if you go into the story wanting it to be like a modern episode of television, you are always going to be disappointed because it was never intended to be anything of the sort. Sometimes the serialised format worked well and sometimes it became a little strained, but the same is true of Doctor Who's episodic structure today, because the truth is that neither 1x45minutes nor 4x25minutes is a natural format for storytelling; both are constructs artificially imposed on the writer for commercial reasons and they have to make do as best they can.

 

The trick to appreciating classic Doctor Who is to understand it and approach it on its own terms. Veterans of twenty-first century television are accustomed to fast-paced and sophisticated productions stuffed with action and witty banter, shows with high production values and glossy special effects, utilising the very latest in rapidly developing technology and filmed in high definition for a digital age. We are able to record our shows or buy them on DVD so that we can re-watch them over and over, scrutinising every tiniest detail and analysing frame-by-frame, gathering online the moment each new episode ends in order to dissect and discuss what we just saw. Twenty-first century television is an immersive, interactive experience that can be re-lived over and over, squeezing every last nuance out of each and every frame, with intricate story arcs woven through seasons and intertwined with intense emotional character arcs – arcs that are built, in fact, around the knowledge that viewers can and will re-watch every episode over and over, often in marathon viewing sessions, and are designed to reward such dedication.

 

In 1963, however, television was still in its infancy and was a very ephemeral, throwaway medium. Doctor Who was created as a low budget, educational tea-time science fiction show aimed primarily at children, with the expectation that each episode would be aired once and once only. Since each episode could only be seen once, the show had to tell simple, straight-forward stories that could be easily followed from one week to the next, focusing on the characters and how they handled whatever situation they found themselves in, rather than on intricately convoluted plots and sub-plots requiring multiple viewings to grasp all the nuances. Almost everything about the structure and production of those earliest seasons feels alien to a modern viewer, accustomed to hi-tech and fast-paced shows to match our hi-tech and fast-paced lifestyles, but we should be careful not to impose modern expectations onto vintage television. Just because something is old and outdated doesn't mean it has nothing to offer.

 

Vintage shows such as Doctor Who can never conform to modern standards because they were made for a very different age and for very different viewing habits, but if we adjust our expectations to meet the show on its own terms and watch it in the spirit with which it was made, if we can take our foot off the gas long enough to appreciate a simpler story told at a slower pace, the experience can be tremendously rewarding. Although it might come as quite a culture shock to the uninitiated, for those able to overcome that culture barrier and accept it for what it is instead of dismissing it for what it isn't, the early show is rich in characters and ideas and feels wonderfully fresh and free. Everything about Doctor Who was brand new in 1963. There was no set formula to adhere to, no constraint imposed by backstory or tradition – the fledgling show was free to explore its concept to the full, limited only by what could be achieved by 1960s television production. I absolutely adore it. Those early adventures are the origin story of the Doctor, the story of how he came to fall in love with the human race, the story of how he became the hero that later generations have come to take so much for granted. And for those able to look past the serialised narrative structure, primitive production values and theatrical acting style to fully engage with the characters and their situation, those first seasons of the show are tremendous fun to watch.

 

I do understand, though, that the adjustment doesn't come easily at first. Just try to see past the format to the ideas that lie behind. :)

Edited August 10, 2014 by Llywela

[Sandman87]

I love An Unearthly Child. The pacing isn't awful, it's appropriate for the style and the time and the length of the story. 

There's a difference between "slower" and "glacial". I've watched TV shows from all decades, including those before the 1960s. The pacing is awful for TV produced during any time period. And it isn't as if pacing were a phenomenon unique to television. What they were doing also wouldn't have worked as a play, a radio drama, or a book. For example, almost an entire episode was devoted to supporting characters arguing about who gets to be the shaggy boss, and the arguments tended to be "Yes I will, no you won't, yes I will, no you won't...", over and over.

[Llywela]

I daresay these things are all subjective. I don't find it glacial at all. It's slow-paced, yes, but that doesn't bother me. Each episode has its own dramatic arc as well as building toward the complete story. The power struggles among the cave folk allow us to get to know the primary guest characters as individuals and have both purpose and relevance, parallelling the situation of the time travellers, who must also learn to cooperate if they are to survive. The story introduces the four regulars well, shining the spotlight on each one at different times, showcasing their different outlooks and attitudes and approaches. Crucially, the Doctor's treatment of Ian and Barbara, who he initially dismisses as so much more primitive than himself, is thrown into high relief by their treatment, in turn, of the cave folk, who are so much more primitive than they are - the Doctor sees that difference, realises that he was wrong, and this is his very first step toward becoming the hero later generations came to know him as. It is significant, and that first step needed to be taken before any further progress could be made.

 

I don't need my drama to be high octane thrill all the time. I like the small scale of the crisis here, and that it represents a significant obstacle to the protagonists anyway. Oftentimes, we get such immense stakes thrown into the ring, all sense of proportion is lost.

 

You might feel differently if you get to know the characters better and then come back to this story - I know I did. I've often found that if I watch a random episode of a show I'm not familiar with, I find it strange and jarring, but then if I get to know the show and the characters, I can come back to that episode and find it great, because I'm in tune with it now.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Llywela

[BizBuzz]

With the season premier of the Twelfth Doctor, I have decided to go back and watch all the regeneration episodes of Classic Who, and I started with Five's regeneration in Castrovalva.

 

As cheesy as the filming is, the story line is kinda outta sight!  The only other Five episodes I have seen was Caves of Androzani before this, so this is only my second experience with Five, and it's making me want to watch his whole tenure now!  Why not, I have seen his beginning and his end, now I need to see the middle!  ::giggle::

 

Watching this, I got a deeper glimpse into the hell that the Doctor had to go through with regenerations.  With Nine into Ten, he slept most of the time, with Ten into Eleven, he didn't want to go, but then all of a sudden he was playing with young Amy.  At least with Eleven into Twelve, I am experiencing there is a lot that has to go on for the Doctor to become the Doctor again.

 

I am sort of excited to watch the other regeneration episodes. 

[Llywela]

Aww. Castrovalva is a bit of a favourite of mine - I was 4 when this was on TV and have fragmentary memories of it, but I mostly remember it well from my childhood because it was one of the serials my parents purchased on VHS, back when doing so was exorbitantly expensive!

 

In the classic era, every regeneration was very different, but they were always difficult in some way or another - that's something that perhaps has been a bit lost in the new Who regenerations. An 'every regeneration' rewatch sounds like fun! It'll certainly drive home how precarious and unpredictable regeneration can be! Spearhead from Space and Robot are particular post-regeneration favourites of mine. :)

Edited August 28, 2014 by Llywela

[BizBuzz]

An 'every regeneration' rewatch sounds like fun! It'll certainly drive home how precarious and unpredictable regeneration can be! Spearhead from Space and Robot are particular post-regeneration favourites of mine. :)

 

Thanks for the recommendation ... I will put those next on my list.

 

I can only imagine being a kid watching Castrovalva ... I was thoroughly caught up in the story, on the edge of my seat more than a few times.  The Master was beyond creepy and poor Adric! 

 

And all those big scientific words that Nessa was using!  ::giggle:::

[Llywela]

Spearhead from Space is tremendous fun, and has the advantage of being one of the shorter Pertwee stories - I love the style and characters and ethos of his era, but do find the longer stories a bit wearing after a while. Robot is a weaker story, but I love it anyway for the characters and the way it kind of passes the baton from one era to another.

 

Troughton's first story, Power of the Daleks, is lost of course. :( I haven't seen either Colin Baker or McCoy's first adventures since they aired, I don't think - they are among the few I don't now own on DVD! From memory, both are pretty shaky. On the wish list, I'll get there in the end...

 

The TV Movie for Paul McGann...isn't great, but I kind of love it anyway. I love McGann's Doctor and Grace and it has some fabulous scenes. :)

[dalek]

I started watching the show around 1979-1980 when it was on Channel 9 (WOR) in NYC.  They would show 2 parts of a story at 9 am on Saturday.  I was instantly hooked, despite the fact that the first episodes I saw were, IIRC, parts 3 and 4 of Underworld.  I'm fond of a number of different eras of the show, but I really like the Phillip Hinchcliffe era when they were doing the Dr Who version of Hammer horror movies.  I really like Image of the Fendahl, Horror at Fang Rock and Talons of Wen-Chiang,  although as an adult I cringe at the yellow face aspects of the last one..

[BizBuzz]

There is supposed to be some audio versions of The Power of the Daleks available ... have you listened to them Llywela?  I also found this:

 

http://whoflix.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/the-power-of-the-daleks/

 

Wonder if that might work?

[Llywela]

I've read the novelisation and have a reconstruction of it available, although I haven't watched that yet - I only relatively recently ventured into the realms of the recons and am currently working my way through the first Doctor era in order, I'm in season 3 and halfway through The Daleks' Master Plan at the moment! So I'll get to Power of the Daleks, but I'm not there yet. :)

Edited August 28, 2014 by Llywela

[Danny Franks]

So is anyone a fan of Remembrance of the Daleks? A Seventh Doctor story that probably wasn't that good, but made a huge impression on me as a kid.

 

The idea of a Dalek civil war was really cool. Imperial Daleks, all white and gold, and Renegade Daleks, coloured grey. The introduction of the absurd heavy weapons Daleks, as they fought each other in the streets of 60s London, and that shocking moment at the end of the first episode, where the Dalek began to levitate up those cellar steps, as the Doctor desperately tried to get the door at the top open! Terrifying moment for me, as a child.

 

But what was really great was, I got to actually root for Daleks. The Renegades were still evil, malevolent, destructive and amoral, but they were fighting against other Daleks, so they were immediately cool. Especially the shiny, black Supreme Dalek. He was so freakin' cool looking!

Edited August 28, 2014 by Danny Franks

[dalek]

I enjoyed and still enjoy Remembrance of the Daleks.  There are callbacks to the First Doctor (Totters Lane), and Ace gets to attack a dalek with a baseball bat.  

[SnideAsides]

Not to mention fire a bazooka.

[Sharpie66]

Remembrance of the Daleks is probably my favorite post-Five ep before they brought the show back. I loved a lot about it--Coal Hill School, Ace reading the same French Revolution book that Susan was in The Unearthly Child, the awesome female science advisor for the military (it wasn't UNIT yet, iirc) who complained about being made obsolete by the Doctor's knowledge, the turncoat who flirted with Ace (and whose mom was a racist who banned "Coloureds" from her boarding house), and the very sneaky meta-joke they snuck in when Ace turns on the tv, gets frustrated waiting for the tube to warm up, and turns it off just as the BBC announcer says, "...and stay tuned for our new show, an adventure in time and space, Doc--" and the set is turned off. Hah!!

[Llywela]

I love Remembrance of the Daleks - one of the stronger McCoy stories, imo. Plus I have the rose-coloured spectacles of having watched and loved it on the tellybox when I was 11-years-old - this story and Ace in particular made a huge impression on little me! It's probably the story that's always been most vivid in my mind from that childhood viewing. It was the first Doctor Who serial I bought on DVD, way back before the reboot was a twinkle in Russell Davies' eye.

Edited August 29, 2014 by Llywela

[Locutus]

Speaking of lengthy Pertwee stories, I remember Ambassadors if Death being very long, yet still told a good tale. Inferno will always be my fave of his era. I enjoy alternate timeline plots. The evil Brigadier talking about the execution of the Royal Family stays with me to this day still.

[Llywela]

Speaking of lengthy Pertwee stories, I remember Ambassadors if Death being very long, yet still told a good tale. Inferno will always be my fave of his era. I enjoy alternate timeline plots. The evil Brigadier talking about the execution of the Royal Family stays with me to this day still.

The Silurians is another excellent story, albeit long - season 7 is excellent all round, and I still lament losing Liz Shaw so soon (and the reason why). Maybe the 11th Doctor Silurian 2-parter might not have been so disappointing if it hadn't been such an obvious and poor remake of that previous adventure, stripping away all the class and style and substance of the original. Watching the Doctor and Liz frantically work around the clock to develop an antidote to the plague the Silurians have released, while its hapless victims slowly spread the contagion further and further with each individual they encounter - it's such a striking sequence, so powerful, and something we'd never get in this modern era, which prefers insta-fixes.

Edited August 31, 2014 by Llywela

[BizBuzz]

Over the weekend I indulged in Spearhead from Space.  I rather enjoyed the episode!  Being that this episode was done in 1970, I would like to say that it had a really nice b-flick horror type feel to it.  Bravo Doctor Who!

 

Didn't get to see the regeneration, so I guess I gotta go before this episode to see it, cause this one pretty much started with the new Doctor coming out of the Tardis.

 

The story line gave me a much better understanding of the whole Brigadier character, which I think is going to be important somehow to 12's tenure.

 

The Autons were significantly creepy.  The Nesteen Consciousness was a little cheesy, but it had me routing for the Doctor to get out of the mess he was in.

 

Liz Shaw, not sold on her yet as a companion.  Can't believe we didn't get to see the inside of the Tardis!  That was kind of strange, watching a Doctor Who and no inside of the Tardis, oh the horror!

 

All in all, a great watch, thanks for the recommendation.

 

I have seen the movie, so I guess the next one I will watch is Colin Baker and The Twin Dilemma.  I hear it's not all that great, but I am willing to go through this till the end.  If anything, watching the Classics are helping me better understand the New!

[benteen]

I just finished watching City of Death, which was a lot of fun and featured Julian Glover playing the villain.

 

 

Liz Shaw, not sold on her yet as a companion.  Can't believe we didn't get to see the inside of the Tardis!  That was kind of strange, watching a Doctor Who and no inside of the Tardis, oh the horror!

 

I liked Liz a lot.  She was a match for the Doctor intellectually (which was apparently a big no-no for the producers/writers back then) and was snarky as hell.

Edited September 1, 2014 by benteen