In celebration of the 60th anniversary (although for a Time Lord is an anniversary relevant ?) the BBC have put many of the “classic” period Dr Who episodes on iPlayer along with the more recent reboot and the various spin off series. Not all episodes are there – many are still lost and some are caught up in licensing issues, but it’s a pretty impressive collection.
I’m sure many of us on here grew up with the classic period Dr Who and all have our memories and favourites. I guess is one of those programs that ingrained in our culture.
I was born in 1967 and so just about remember Jon Pertwee – I have memories of “The Green Death” (which I cannot remember anything about, just that I watched it and its name has stuck). However, I guess I was really a Tom Baker man.
With regards to the reboot, I’ll go with David Tennant as the best Dr (with Blink being the best ever episode)
So, favourite Dr Who, favourite episodes, which ones from the classic are worth revisiting, looking forward to the new series?….. etc etc
noisecandy says
In 1963 I was 4 years old and can remember the BBC trailers for their brand new series Dr Who. The graphics were the opening title sequence with “Coming Soon” written large on screen. I can particularly remember being spellbound by the theme tune. This must be the first piece of music I ever heard. The first episode was scheduled to be broadcast on Saturday 23.11.63. On Friday 22.11.63 JFK was assassinated, and although the broadcast of Dr Who went ahead it was overshadowed by that dreadful event in Dallas. I have never watched an episode of Dr Who and can’t say that I’m a fan, but I have Ron Grainger and Delia Derbyshire to thank for my introduction to the wonderful world of music.
Black Celebration says
It is an amazing piece of music. It was so familiar throughout my childhood that I didn’t really know how special it was.
mikethep says
That’s interesting – I’ve always associated the start of Dr Who with a time of crisis and upheaval without knowing why. I have vivid memories both of the Kennedy assassination and of watching the first episode of Dr Who, but I had no idea they happened on successive nights.
Black Celebration says
To address the OP, my favourite era of Doctor Who is the Christopher Ecclestone ones but Tennant and Smith were really good too. Although I have affection for Jon Pertwee and particularly Tom Baker – those ones don’t hold up well when watched again.
dai says
Pertwee/Baker, can’t remember any specific episodes though, the Cybermen were my favourite ones.
Watched the start of the “reboot” and thought it was overblown nonsense. Haven’t bothered with it since.
Gary says
I agree Blink is the best ever episode. One of the best 45 minutes of fictional drama telly has ever shown, imo. Superb writing.
I liked Tennant and Smith, but wasn’t so impressed by any of the other doctors. I remember as a kid finding the Pertwee episodes got really, really boring after a while as they seemed to be all set on Earth. The reboot was much better. Ecclestone was fine but I don’t remember his episodes much, Tennant was a total hoot and Smith was an excellent choice cos he had a kinda alien look about him anyway.
My favourite Doctor Who moment is when Smith confronts the big eyeball in the sky (an idea clearly nicked from The Perishers) with three questions: Is this planet a threat to the Atraxi? Are its people guilty of any crime by the laws of the Atraxi? And, most importantly, is it protected?
“Hello. I’m the Doctor. Basically… run.”
stevieblunder says
I remember the first episode, repeated the following Saturday, William Hartnell was very good.
Kaisfatdad says
Fascinating! To my shame, I had never realised that JFK was assassinated the day before the first episode of Who.
At the time, the latter made a far greater impression on me.
The BBC really have gone to town with all the past episodes on iPlayer. A labour of love.
It’s odd how what was a very British, children’s show has become such a gigantic international sci fi success. I was surprised a few years back, when visiting a sci fi bookshop in Florence, to find a whole section of the shop devoted to our favourite Timelord.
Who’d have thought an actor who had started as the Doctor’s companion could go on to become a major league Hollywood star?
I agree with you, Chrisf, that Blink was a brilliant episode. But it was very untypical. Not much running!
Incidentally, as long as there has been Dr Who there have been parodies.
Spike Milligan
Crackerjack – Look at all those cub scouts in the audience! They were the target audience and the ones who were dashing home every Saturday afternoon to catch the latest episode.
This Comic Relief sketch captures the spirit of Who brilliantly.
hubert rawlinson says
I remember watching the first episode and later after the Dales we’d roam around the playground arms in front one shorter than the other doing our best to add a metallic note to our voices “Exterminate”.
Bailed out at Pertwee as I found him annoying in the role and the stories were less interesting. Rejoined at Tom Baker. Didn’t watch any of the others until the reboot with C Eccleston.
Favourite episode was The Celestial Toymaker which I see is there, so I may give that a view.
Peter Cushing also played the Doctor in the film Dr Who and the Daleks.
Once shook hands with a cyberman (very polite either a ‘resting’ actor or one trying to get his equity card). There was also a Dalesk there and a zarbi (a giant ant.)
Kaisfatdad says
So what else was on telly on Saturday 23 November 1963?
https://transdiffusion.org/2016/11/23/tonights-bbctv-in-1963/
jazzjet says
I was away at school and can distinctly remember watching the first Dr Who on the dodgy TV in the common room, followed by the Telegoons if I remember correctly.
NigelT says
I was 13 when it started and loved it – I was always a sci-fi fan from childhood. I still watch it, but have been annoyed by a few things – for instance the clumsy crowbarring of social comment into the stories, Jodie Whittaker being extremely irritating, the lack of multipart stories with cliffhangers (so much part of the old Who), and the complexity of some of the ‘stories’, thus requiring extensive exposition…which I can’t follow. There have also been far too many earthbound episodes that stretch credulity – just how many times have the Daleks arrived and no one remembers them? I also used to enjoy the historical stories, but they seem to have largely been dropped.
But Tennant is/was terrific, and I have high hopes for the 60th anniversary celebratory episodes…!
Kaisfatdad says
This is full of interesting titbits.
https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-guide/an-unearthly-child/
The first episode was written by an Aussie: Anthony Coburn
The director was Waris Hussein.
“Their discovery that a police box is a portal to a massive alien space/time ship still has impact – and has been repeated many times over the decades. But, in 1963, the creators were also perhaps lulling viewers with a subtle riff on the two most popular BBC hits of the day: junkyard sitcom Steptoe and Son and police drama Z Cars (possibly Dixon of Dock Green). The familiar leading to the sinister. Another arresting feature was the avant-garde title sequence, wedded perfectly to Delia Derbyshire’s radiophonic arrangement of Ron Grainer’s theme music. It exudes a throbbing, hissing menace (diluted in later versions).”
noisecandy says
When Ron Grainer heard Delia Derbyshire’s arrangement of the theme tune, he is reportedly to have said, “Did I write that?”
Sniffity says
To which Delia replied “Mmm, some of it.”
retropath2 says
Pertwee was the one for me, altho’ the main draw was the the Master, who, as played by the original actor, Roger Delgado.
Gatz says
I was born the same year as @chrisf so have similar childhood memories, being aware of Pertwee but really being the right age for Tom Baker. In more than 15 years of bookselling I think my happiest memory was enjoying Tom’s company over a glass of wine and a piece of cake after he did a signing for his autobiography in my shop. He’s every bit as good company as you would hope.
The reboot started well, but lost it when it disappeared up its own space-time continuum when River Song arrived. And does anyone remember a single episode of the Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker years? I doubt it, and I probably watched most of them. I’ve also watched a couple from my childhood years on iPlayer (noticeable that green screen technology has barely advanced between Pertwee’s flying car and the new Beatles vid) for nostalgia value and even as an adult I find them amiable company and will watch more.
Sewer Robot says
Moff gets a lot of grief for his unsatisfying series arcs as showrunner, but he got that gig because The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, The Girl In The Fireplace and Blink are among the show’s best ever episodes.
From the old series, I have great affection for The Pirate Planet, because of Douglas Adams’ terrific story concept and Bruce Purchase’s outrageously over-the-top performance as the Captain. The fact that Mary Tamm is easily the Doctor’s most alluring companion is merely a bonus..
paulwright says
Thing is that Chibnall’s episodes before he was showrunner were not great.
Moffat’s were.
Combined with a female doctor, and it being time for a backlash, the last few series were always in trouble. And of course they were not very good (possibly the best was the one with the daleks, a time loop and a storage depot). Then Chibnall decided to rewrite all of Doctor Who history on the way out – whether just to annoy the fans or not, it was not gracious.
I am sure that RTD coming back will lead to better writing, but I am slightly disappointed them he and DT are coming back. Much as I love both of them on DW, I think it should always be moving forward.
But then again, it is a kids programme and I am 61 so maybe I should shut up?
Timbar says
I think having DT return is a way for RTD to steady the ship (Tardis?) & ditch all the Chibnall “retcon” before being able to move forward with the new Doctor.
With Disney behind the series now (apparently this is a soft relaunch & will be known as Season One) it needs to be as appealing as possible.
DT is a familiar, safe pair of hands & was particularly popular.
Don’t make it too over complicated – just entertaining Sci Fi
(I’m not 61 until Christmas!)
Sitheref2409 says
My first Doctor was Tom Baker.
My favourite? Matt Smith. Even if some of the stories were not great, he put such glee into it, it was infectious.
Skirky says
The best Who’s (Whose) are generally anything produced by RTD and written by Moff. Upon rewatching, Capaldi’s episodes are really, really brilliantly acted but sometimes let down by the need to stay within the arc. His Clara episodes are sometimes some of the best television of this century – especially anything involving Missy.
Jodie Whittaker was horribly let down by her showrunner, and it’s probably not a coincidence that her tenure ended with a convenient dumping of a memory stick down a Tardis chute.
chiz says
I was going to compose a response to this thread, but – this is it. Such a shame that it lost its way under Moffatt, who was and still is a glorious writer, but once he got the show runner job, tried to make it all a bit too cerebral for a Saturday night kids’ show. Even worse, he had to allow for a slightly unhinged fanbase who pretended they understood what the hell was going on.
I gave up on Chibnal at the Rosa Parks episode but I’ll be back for the Russell T / Tennant ones. It’s pretty obvious where things went wrong.
Rigid Digit says
Tom Baker very much my era (just missed Jon Pertwee, and then watched as things slowly descended with Peter Davidson and Sylvester McCoy).
Saturday night telly – Grandstand ends, News, Pink Panther, Dukes Of Hazard, and then Doctor Who.
But … I never really got Doctor Who, I watched it (cos we only had 3 channels, and everywhere else was just fields) but was never gripped by it.
If nothing else, it did create the funniest Knock Knock joke (when you’re 7 years old)
Watched a couple of the Christopher Eccleston eps when it restarted (just in case I was wrong, and misunderstood the whole concept) but was still not drawn in to them.
Sewer Robot says
Incidentally, a bit weird having a Doc thread on here without the participation of the Dogfacedboy..
Vulpes Vulpes says
I watched An Unearthly Child at the age of 8 and was immediately hooked. I can still recall the astonishment at the fact that its bigger on the inside. I had the hots for Susan, as she knew more physics than Ian or Barbara, and she lived in the TARDIS. It was a constant delight right through to my University years. I was delighted by the TV Movie, and even more so by the reboot. But then I got a bit fed up with all the forced culture war nonsense, and I can’t stand that shouty woman who played a character called Donna. So maybe I’ll finally lay it to rest, as she’s back in the new series I fear.
I much prefer to have the series-long stories with weekly cliff-hangers; these compact one-episode yarns with a longer background arc just don’t seem the best way to keep the tension up to me, as it largely throws away the water-cooler aspect, but there you go. Having said that, possibly my best ever episode is The Girl In The Fireplace, which really delivers a powerful one episode hit. That yarn was so good it could happily have fitted into almost any of the countless series as a one-off.
Black Celebration says
The Doctor needed the assistant so that complex things can be explained out loud for the benefit of us in the audience. In later years, the assistant(s) become powerful too and part of the complexity. The Tardis is also more of a decision-making, free thinking entity now, rather than something the Doctor commands.
Gary says
Purdey and Gambit were the best assistants.
chiz says
Sapphire and Steel
hubert rawlinson says
Derry and Toms
Rigid Digit says
C3PO and R2D2
Black Type says
Morecambe and Wise.
Rigid Digit says
Mike & Bernie Winters
Black Type says
Oh come on, now you’re in the realm of fantasy.
chiz says
Boffin, Bongo, Weirdy and Beardy
Skirky says
“Oh Christ – there’s two of them…”
Mike_H says
Hepworth & Ellen
Vulpes Vulpes says
Fleagle, Beagle, Drooper & Snork.
fitterstoke says
Fleagle, Drooper, Snorky and Bingo, shurely??
hubert rawlinson says
Or even Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel
Vulpes Vulpes says
Damn posting from my phone while waiting for a cab.
exilepj says
Filthy, Rich and Catflap
Johnb says
The version I heard was much more profane
sarah says
Dr Who was always popular in our house when I was young. I always liked Sarah Jane Smith (probably because there weren’t many of us Sarahs about back then).
My late brother was a huge fan. He had additional needs and was obsessed with the programme. He took ill last year and I promised to bring him a vintage Dr Who jigsaw (I didn’t have a clue where I was going to find one). I never got the chance as he passed away soon afterwards. Just a few days after his funeral I was in an antique shop and there was the exact jigsaw he’d have loved. I bought it and plan to one day have the completed picture framed.
fitterstoke says
@sarah
I’m sorry to hear about your loss.
Finding that jigsaw must have been hard, given it was so close to your brother’s funeral.
But I think your plan for it is a lovely idea.
sarah says
Thank you, fitterstoke. I was stunned when I saw the jigsaw, especially so soon after losing him. My brother had two obsessions in life – jigsaws and Dr Who. I was so happy to have found it when I did.
Vulpes Vulpes says
A little wrinkle in the time/space continuum, nudged by the passing TARDIS.
sarah says
That’s lovely, thanks Vulpes.
Black Type says
The Pertwee/T.Baker iterations were my childhood eras. Particular favourites that come to mind are The Pyramids Of Mars (TB), which I remember as being quite disturbing at the time; the one with the giant worm things that made me cringe (JP); and the first appearances of the Sontorans and Davros. Also childhood crushes on Katy Manning and Elizabeth Sladen, and the two iterations of Romana.
Of the reboot, my favourite Doctors were Eccleston (typically intense and committed, shame he left so early) and Smith, who was quirky and irreverent (remember ‘timey wimey stuff’?) but also effectively conveyed the Doctor’s awareness of his power. My favourite episode of the whole reboot is the one focused on Vincent Van Gogh, which is sublimely realised and acted and is incredibly moving. I thought Tennant was too manic and garbled for most of the time, though I did think Blink and the episode(s) with the ghost kids wearing gasmasks were/are outstanding. I thought the Doctor’s relationship arc with Rose was touching, and also loved the character of Clara Oswin Oswald, the Impossible Girl (although full disclosure, I have no critical facility whatsoever when it comes to the divine Jenna Coleman).
The Daleks have sadly become a bit soap-operaish, and have spoilt the built-in joke of how to stop their nefarious plans, by virtue of now being able to fly.
chiz says
“Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey” was Tennant. It’s from Blink.
You’re right about the Van Gogh one. I’d forgotten about that.
hubert rawlinson says
More Wibbly-Wobbly
I recall Tingha and Tucker also sang a wibbly-wobbly walk song probably the same one.
Kid Dynamite says
Love Doctor Who. I devoured loads of the Target novelizations when I was a kid, and wish I’d kept them all. Tom Baker is clearly the best Doctor, partly because he was my childhood Doctor, partly because in his era the stories leant hard into a gothic horror / Quatermass vibe that I think has unduly influenced my adult tastes, and partly because he was just obviously the best.
The reboot has been a mixed bag. I was never sold on Eccleston as the Doctor, but that series did a great job in re-establishing the character, and I still love RTD for the misdirection in ‘Dalek”. David Tennant’s reign was probably the best the series has been since the return, although I feel he did stay one season too long, and he and RTD got a bit carried away with success. After that, well…Matt Smith was a decent Doc, I thought Peter Capaldi was excellent, and Jodie Whittaker had a lot of unfulfilled potential, but the problem underlying all of them is that their stories just weren’t been good or memorable enough. Ask me to name the best episodes from New Who, and it’d be something like Blink, The Girl In The Fireplace, The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit, The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances, Human Nature / The Family Of Blood ….all RTD productions.
But the bottom line is I’m very happy Doctor Who is back and a mainstream concern. For a long time it looked like it was well and truly dead, so those moans have to be weighed against my gratitude that it’s here at all. Only another five or so years until it’s run longer than the original series did!
joe robert says
I was just old enough for the tail end of (Tom) Baker, but Peter Davison was really ‘my’ Doctor. I was hooked (not as much as my older brother, a massive Whovian since the Pertwee era), but it was an unfortunate time to get into Doctor Who, each series steadily getting worse.
But I fell for Who all over again with the first few series (never ‘seasons’) of the reboot. It helped having kids who were old enough to get into it. My son was a big fan of 10, my daughter more into Matt Smith. It wasn’t all great – there were plenty of cringeful moments, and bad CGI = the new wobbly sets. But when it was good, it was truly magical. I agree with the comments above about Nu-Who’s high points: Blink is peerless, as is the one with kids in gas masks (“Just this once, everybody lives!”). I think my favourite episode of the revival – among my favourite moments of telly, ever – is The Eleventh Hour, Matt Smith’s first episode. I remember watching it with my kids, wondering whether this youngster could ever convince us as the Doctor, and within the first few minutes we were totally sold.
Then along came Capaldi’s grumpy, grey-haired iteration, and my kids didn’t like the idea of exploring the universe with him. It’s a shame, as he was brilliant, but he was really a Doctor for us first-generation fans: as Andrew Collins put it, “he reminds us of when we were young and the Doctor was old”. That didn’t cut it with my kids, who wanted a swaggering, swashbuckling Time Lord. And, as noted above, Moffat’s stories had become nigh-on impossible to follow – certainly for my pre-teen kids. By the time Jodie Whitaker came along they’d moved on, and Chris Chibnall’s writing certainly wasn’t going to win them back. It’s such a shame; with a better show runner, she could have been brilliant.
So I dipped into old Who on the iPlayer to relive the moments that made me fall in love with this programme and… oh dear, it doesn’t stand up at all. It’s not the sets, or the effects – it’s everything else. The appalling acting by anyone other than Tom Baker; the stagey, hammy delivery of the creaking dialogue; and the worst chest-clutching, staggering-to-the-floor on-screen deaths you’ll ever see.
I’m not sure if it’s Doctor Who as such: it could just be that that’s what telly was like in those days. Mind you, I’ve started with late-period Tom Baker, when the programme was already on the slide; maybe I need to go further back in time.
In the meantime, I’m beyond excited for the re-reboot, and I can’t wait to see where RTD takes it next. The return of David Tennant might be just the ticket to lure my (now teenaged) kids back to the show.
Bamber says
I was Pertwee era and I remember really resenting Tom Baker but I grew to really like him. The McCoy and the two Bakers I remember as absolutely rubbish although I’m not sure exactly when I gave up. I never engaged with the reboots.
If I ever refer to Dr Who these days it’s as an example of one of the forgotten aspects of the troubles in this here Emerald Isle. It was unfortunately a regular occurrence for TV shows on BBC NI to be interrupted with the picture disappearing and the words “we interrupt this programme for a police message. Will keyholders in the Falls Road area please return and check their premises?” or words to that effect. This could be at a crucial point in a Dr. Who follyer-upper leaving the young Bamber wondering what happened with no internet to fill in the information void, nor any prospect of a video realease or even a TV repeat. Ye left that out of your Belfast movie Kenneth Branagh! (I assume. I haven’t watched it yet)
Hawkfall says
That is a fascinating point about the messages on BBC NI during the troubles. I had no idea that happened. This is the sort of thing that can disappear from social memory, thanks for sharing.
Sewer Robot says
Yes, I remember those too. I was fascinated by the word “keyholder” – it sounded like a character in a quest game: “in order to gain admittance into the enchanted castle you must answer the keyholder’s riddle” – that sort of thing.
Later, I grew to appreciate the seriousness of the message..
Podicle says
My history with the show has two distinct phases.
First, my childhood. It was ubiquitous on Australian television during the 70s and 80s, always at 6pm on weeknights (after The Goodies). I think the new episodes were played on Saturday nights. The Pertwee/Baker years are the gold standard for me, and Davidson was seen as a dud, possibly because I was outgrowing the show as he took over. I have many great memories, including the Robots of Death, the one set in an old Chinese theatre and various Sontaran excursions.
Cue forward a few decades, and I bought a couple of Baker-era Dr Who DVDs in a discount shop and showed them to my oldest son as a fun diversion. He became hooked and for the last 12 years or so (he’s now almost 18) he has been obsessed. He has fondness for the old ones but the reboot Doctors are his. He has purchased/built numerous sonic screwdrivers and our house is home to a headless Dalek that he built and the foundations of a life-sized Tardis. Like all true Who fans, he is critical of many of the writers and producers in recent years but has a strong belief that the upcoming specials will put it back on track.
For my part, I thought some of the Ecclestone/Tennant episodes were superb but the writing of reboot episodes soon dropped off a cliff. It staggers me that so much can be spent on producing episodes with such weak stories, and as Dr Who is primarily a story-driven series, this is a significant problem. Add to this the clunky shoehorning in of social commentary and it’s not surprising that viewing numbers have plummeted.
jezk says
Inferno
Pessoa says
Tom Baker in “The Talons of Weng Chiang” (1977) and the cliffhanger of a giant rat in the sewer. On re-watching, it’s a witty, neo-Victorian romp but the “yellow face” performance of the titular Chinese magician is a big problem.
Arthur Cowslip says
Weirdly, the Doctor I associate with my childhood (well, teenagehood more appropriately) was Sylvester McCoy! I remember quite liking it, but in the 80s of course we didn’t have access to a lot of stuff and just had to make do with what we had. I was aware of Dr Who’s heritage, but had only passingly seen the older episodes.
I still think Sylvester McCoy was quite good in the role, although the storylines got a bit camp and silly (I think I saw it as knowingly ironic at the time – which was maybe giving it too much credit), and I was said when it ended (seemingly for good, at that point, if I remember).
NigelT says
During that time they also moved it to mid week, which never felt right!
Arthur Cowslip says
Ah yeah, I remember it was on during the week. I used to love mid-week telly around that time, and I associate it with long teenage evenings with no cares or responsibilities to bring me down. Ah, happy days. Doctor Who, Eastenders, Moonlighting, Alas Smith and Jones, Blackadder, Red Dwarf…
Vulpes Vulpes says
I used to like Alias Smith and Jones even moreso.
rotherhithe hack says
I can just about remember William Hartnell in the role, and watched regularly through to Tom Baker. Drifted away from it early teens because I was out at Saturday tea times, and in those days if you weren’t at home for the broadcast that was it.
Got back into it for the reboot, thought Tennant and Smith were both ace in the role, Eccleston and Capaldi both OK. And I was all in favour of a woman Doctor, but was surprised when Jodie Whittaker was cast – didn’t seem the right choice for me – and wasn’t sure Chris Chibnall was right as showrunner. The Mrs and I watched about four episodes and lost interest; felt the quality control slipped. But with Russell T Davies coming back to take control we’ll be giving it another try.
rotherhithe hack says
And another point to make – David Bradley should be made an honorary Doctor Who. He played William Hartnell in the 2013 dramatisation of the launch, and was perfect as the first Doctor crossing swords with Capaldi in Stephen Moffat’s final Christmas episode.
paulwright says
seconded
Black Celebration says
Jodie Whitaker was an entertaining Doctor but with her I felt that the Doctor *was* actually winging it and disaster was avoided thanks to luck or an assistant intervention. I think the Doctor is supposed to be God-like in that whatever happens is pre-planned and timed to the nano-second by the Doctor, so that everyone is always safe in the end.
This leads to comedy whereby in the aftermath the assistant pieces something together from the day’s events and says something like “so…you KNEW that the Tharg beast was the mild-mannered Janitor all along…but you still put me through all that?” Doctor shrugs apologetically, the cad!
salwarpe says
Tom Baker – tick – something about the big hair, long scarf, gruesome grin and eager eyes, deep blue swirling vortex and resonant, hammering theme tune complete with drones (readying me for a love of Loop and Spacemen 3). Leela in leathers was not unappealing, either.
Then there were what seemed like years with Bonnie Langford shrieking painfully in a polystyrene cavern in a Play School outfit.
Christopher Eccleston really was the chiseled, no nonsense Daniel Craig of the series – bringing it back from the silliness. Our Friends in The North, indeed. Then each successive Dr for better, bringing more colour and charisma to the role until Peter Capaldi, who I loved since the days of Soft Top Hard Shoulder, and thought would be great. He wasn’t. It was over complicated and required you to be an übernerd with a note book full of timeliness and a finger over the pause button to identify the little details that made it all make sense to those with hours on their hands. So I stopped and didn’t feel I was missing a thing. I have no idea what the female Dr was like, nor do I care.
I liked the episodes where they went to the end of time, or when the Dr got all melancholy, but there were many clever and entertaining episodes along the way – well, until Catherine Tate and Bernard Cribbins came along.
Max the Dog says
I was never into Doctor Who as a kid or teenager – but I knew of it and how culturally important it was in Britain. Then I had kids of my own and the reboot with Eccleston and we were hooked. That lasted all through Tennant and into Smith, but towards the end of the eleventh doctor the kids started to find other things to do on Saturday evenings and I eventually found myself wacthing it alone. I liked Capaldi and thought he maybe could have done another season or two. I think Jodie suffered from the different style of writing and I found the multiple companions thing annoying. I didn’t watch her final season at all I’m afraid but I’m happy to see her get her teeth into serious drama again in Time.
So, with no early history to choose from:
Favourite Doctor – Tennant, maybe because it was something I shared with my children when they were young
Best Doctor – Smith – obvoious from his first episode. He hit the ground running.
Favourite Companion: Couldn’t say – I like them all apart from Jodie’s crew. Very fond of Clara and Amy. Donna and River Song as well.
Favourite episodes – Most of the ones referenced above – Blink, Smith’s first episode, Turn Left , the one where he is ‘hiding ‘ as a teacher – but I have a soft spot for that soppy ending of the tennant era – when he meets Rose for the first time before meeting her for the first time (timey-wimey stuff)
hubert rawlinson says
‘Jodie’s crew.’ referred to as ‘fam’ I recall. If only for that reason I had to stop watching.
Skirky says
*This*
the simmo kid says
There’s some great comments above bringing back some wonderful memories. Thank you all.
I watched Dr Who from the start. Going to bed presented a number of challenges in those days. Never mind the wolves on the landing, I had to get past the Daleks in the hall first! At least in those days they couldn’t climb stairs. As for favourites, for me it was Tom Baker, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. The best episodes have also all been mentioned above: Blink, The Girl in the Fireplace and so on.
However, the real question for me is who was your favourite assistant? I suspect it wasn’t some bloke in a kilt and nor was it Bonnie Langford. The best story line involving an assistant – and saddest ending – was that of Rose (Billie Piper). The ‘hottest’ though was Jo Grant (Katy Manning). Indeed, I can still see her now posing naked* with a Dalek for a ‘girlie mag’ back in the day. Phew: nurse the screens!
* Actually she wasn’t totally nude: she had a pair of knee high boots on. Phew again.
Kaisfatdad says
That’s a very funny story @the simmo kid.
https://magforum.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/katy-manning-a-dalek-and-a-cup-of-cold-sick/
Can you imagine how furious those posh poms at the BBC were when this story broke.
She was quite a livewire!
Mike_H says
Part of the Dr Who “Whoniverse” set of programmes on the BBC iPlayer currently is “Delia Derbyshire: The Myths And The Legendary Tapes” a docu-drama created by and starring Caroline Catz with footage and audio by Delia herself, interview comments from some friends and Radiophonic Workshop colleagues and some contributions from Cosi Fanni Tutti.
90 minutes of your time, if you can access it. I enjoyed it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000w6tr/delia-derbyshire-the-myths-and-the-legendary-tapes
Arthur Cowslip says
Against my better judgement I’ve started watching these… from the start. Who knows if I’ll ever get through them all, but only a couple of episodes in and I’m very very impressed. I always believed in the cliche that Dr Who was always cheap and ropey, but given that this was being churned out weekly in 1963 the production values are astonishingly good. Imaginative sets, fantastic music and sound effects… and Daleks! I’m honestly genuinely impressed. Maybe a slight bit of amateurish acting and wobbly walls, but it’s clear everyone involved in the production was really just going for it and you can see why it was so popular.
Kaisfatdad says
That is exciting to hear @Arthur Cowslip. It’s probably a good job that I don’t have access to the BBC iPlayer here in Sweden. I’d just vanish into cyberspace.
retropath2 says
https://privacyhq.com/watch-bbc/sweden/
Arthur Cowslip says
I think I’m more surprised than anything else that the daleks arrived fully formed on screen, only a few weeks after the show debuted. The work involved in creating and building them in a short space of time like that must have been insane. Plus designing their voices and everything.
Maybe I’m back projecting though. They’ve become such an icon in the subsequent 60 years that maybe if they hadn’t caught the imagination in this way I would now be watching this thinking ‘what are these hokey, cheap looking robots that can’t even climb stairs??’.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Placebo’s unreleased abandoned album: “No Stairs On Skaro”.