With over 60 years of Doctor Who to look back over, how do we take a proper account of hundreds of hours of the series? How can you fully assess the intricacies of such incredible work, put in by so many cast and crew members over several decades? How could we possibly dive deep into every single Doctor Who story ever, to appreciate a bold and amazing body of work?
With a series of one-sentence reviews, of course!
As it’s The Doctor Who Companion‘s 10th anniversary this year, we’re kicking off this new run of articles with… well, the First Doctor era. It just makes sense. Here goes…
An Unearthly Child/100,000 BC
The legend begins with a stunning first episode, and it’s true that the quality drops from there on, but the prehistoric shenanigans are nowhere near as bad as their reputation.
The Daleks/The Mutants
Terry Nation reinvents Doctor Who in the second story, with the Daleks, who are a magnificent creation, and while the story is great, it’s probably two episodes too long, and the finale is a letdown.
The Edge of Destruction
The TARDIS crew take a break from fighting monsters and starts fighting each other in this creepy and claustrophobic story, which is probably Carole Ann Ford’s finest hour.
Marco Polo
The most visually stunning story of the Hartnell era, so it’s a big shame it’s only available as an audio, but the story and the characters still sound compelling.
The Keys of Marinus
Terry Nation stretches the budget to the limit with a new scenario each episode, and as such, the story is a mixed bag, but overall, the quest is the best.
The Aztecs
A thoughtful and gripping adventure in which Barbara Wright gets to be centre stage, and isn’t she magnificent?
The Sensorites
After a creepy first episode, the story descends into snoozeville, so if you can make it awake to episode six, I salute you.
The Reign of Terror
Dennis Spooner livens up the historical stories with a dollop of comedy, pointing the way to a jollier future for jaunts back in time.
Planet of Giants
On a fraction of the budget of Land of the Giants, the sets and props look magnificent, but the jeopardy of the shrunken TARDIS crew is not matched by the pedestrian pesticides plot of the ‘giants’.
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
Gritty and gripping, the Daleks come down to Earth for a fantastic rematch, with the budget stretched to the limit to match the ambition of the adventure.
The Rescue
Vikki joins the TARDIS crew in a plodding adventure with a wholly unbelievable denouement, but, with the Doctor starting to take charge, it sets a course for the series from now on.
The Romans
A fun romp with some great lines that sometimes strays too far into broad comedy, but there are disturbingly dark undertones, particularly for Barbara.
The Web Planet
Depending on your mood, this is either a lyrical and thoughtful fairy tale or an insufferably dull adventure with actors unconvincingly pretending to be giant insects in silly outfits.
The Crusade
A gear change into high drama and compelling historical adventure with a magnificent cast, where William Russel gets to re-live his heroic performance as Sir Launcelot to great effect.
The Space Museum
Another serial with a brilliant first episode followed by the clunky letdown that is the final three, but it’s worth it to see Hartnell inside a Dalek shell and generally enjoying himself.
The Chase
The third Dalek story starts off well, but the chase through time doesn’t feel dangerous enough and the comedy falls flat, but at least it ends on a magnificent high in the city of the Mechanoids.
The Time Meddler
A gloriously well-directed adventure with a solid plot and a great performance by Peter Butterworth as the Meddling Monk, and a stunning reveal that shows the Doctor is not the only time traveller.
Galaxy 4
For the opening episode of Season 3, this is a bit of a plodder, but it’s livened up by the colourful animated version.
Mission to the Unknown
Not so much Doctor-lite as Doctor-free, this downbeat one-off episode holds its own, despite being a prelude to the epic adventure to come.
The Myth Makers
More merry mayhem in ancient times, but this time the comedy works, so it’s a bit of a shock when the bleak ending arrives.
The Daleks’ Master Plan
A story of many parts, it starts off with a cracking adventure and a great villain, gets lost a little in the middle, and ends on a shocking conclusion, but it just about deserves its epic episode length.
The Massacre of St Bartholomew’s Eve
Downbeat and serious, with the Doctor absent for much of the story, it’s time for Steven to take the lead and prove that he can carry the show brilliantly.
The Ark
A story literally of two halves, it’s pretty dull with poorly executed aliens, but livened up with the cliffhanger in the middle.
The Celestial Toymaker
A script full of ambition that could never be realised on any budget in 1966, but despite its detractors, the animated version is much more accomplished.
The Gunfighters
Don’t believe the naysayers: this may not be a classic, but it’s fun and the Western world is extremely well realised (actual live horses!), given the studio constraints.
The Savages
It’s easy to overlook this adventure because it doesn’t always feel like Doctor Who somehow, but underneath it’s okay and a great last hurrah for the (underrated) Steven Taylor.
The War Machines
Doctor Who finally arrives on contemporary Earth and the location work and setting in swinging London is a breath of fresh air, making this story a cracker.
The Smugglers
Somewhat plodding tale of Cornish smugglers that lacks the comedy of recent historicals or the adventure and intrigue of the more serious takes, but mostly this is overshadowed by the shock of the next adventure.
The Tenth Planet
Creepy or cheap-looking, depending on your view of the Mondasian Cybemen introduced in this adventure, but the second-best villains would return looking much fresher, and so would the Doctor — so it’s a shame that Hartnell doesn’t get the heroic denouement he deserves.
NEXT TIME: Cybermen galore as Patrick Troughton proves Doctor Who will forever have a future!
