Doctor Who, Season One

So, after a mammoth run of forty-two episodes, double the length of a modern series, I’ve successfully watched through all of Season One of Doctor Who. It’s honestly hard to say if I’m even watching Doctor Who yet; for every familiar element that begins to crop up, a curious dead end or idiosyncrasy of 1960s television meets it to remind me that I’m far outside of my element. Whatever the case, I’m enjoying myself, and, one hopes, getting the knack of how to watch and digest the sort of program that Who was at the start of its original run. Since I’ve met this milestone, I thought I would reflect on the progress the program is making and sum up the scores I’ve been entering on my top-secret spreadsheet all this time. Expect similar posts to this one at the close of each run of stories.

To begin with, An Unearthly Child gives things an electric starting point. The premiere episode of the serial really knocks it out of the park in a big way, which probably did wonders for tiding the program over until the Dalek craze really kicked into gear. Our four regulars introduce themselves with very good performances (and in the case of one regular, probably her best) and sell for the viewer the bizarre world which they set foot into. Even past this episode, the remaining three of the serial hold up well, in my estimation (which I’m well aware is higher than that of many who watch them). If anything, I appreciate them on the merits of what they’re trying to do, in expanding upon the conflict of the first episode and offering the TARDIS crew a trial by fire, of sorts.

The Daleks almost carries itself by reputation alone, as its historical significance is second only to the serial preceding it. On its own, it’s a solid serial, but one weighed down by a frustratingly slow back half. Still, there’s much to love about it beyond just rescuing the program. The Dalek city on Skaro is wonderfully creepy, the musical score is good, and the Daleks themselves look so fantastic that their basic look has stayed fresh for fifty-four years and going. It stands on its own two feet. Or its Dalek bumps, at the very least.

The Edge of Destruction is profoundly bizarre, but still pleasing to watch. The short runtime and constrained setting make for some uneven writing at times, but it has its share of brilliant moments. More importantly, it marks something of a turning point for the Doctor as a character and for the show generally, as it is the point where the people who accompany him stop being hostages and start to be companions. (Well, more or less, I know full well that Tegan’s coming, somewhere down the line…)

Marco Polo carries with it a fantastic degree of confidence for what it’s trying to do, and I couldn’t help but to admire it for that. Its sumptuous scenery and fair story beats definitely helped it along the way, no matter its status as a lost story or its length. An admirable assortment of guest stars fill out the backdrop for the first really “epic” story of Doctor Who, despite the fact that very little of what we see here will be part of the show’s DNA in the long run.

I think that The Keys of Marinus tries, but it doesn’t really help. This seems like a less competent attempt to do what Marco Polo was doing, only with a science fiction backdrop. This epic falls somewhat short, but it does at least have some fair moments to its credit. The excellent drama of the city of Millennius in the final two episodes and the sheer creepiness of the Voord more or less make up for the dreary middle portions of the serial to balance it out to something merely average.

By contrast, The Aztecs comes along like a breath of fresh air to provide 100 minutes of perfect historical drama. For all that its use of white actors in brownface is both badly dated and unfortunate to watch, the serial makes up for it with wonderfully brisk pacing and standout performances from just about all of the cast. I’m almost apprehensive when I note that this is just about as flawless as a historical can get, because it means that almost anything from now on is bound to disappoint.

The Sensorites is probably only as dreaded as it is because of the act it has to follow. It’s true that it’s a little slow, especially later on, but it’s really just bland, not bad. The first two episodes are wonderfully creepy and atmospheric, despite a few problems and some wooden acting. It’s possible to appreciate The Sensorites nonetheless, if only for its status as a portent of things to come.

And last, The Reign of Terror, which rounds out the season on another uninspiring but inoffensive note. Like the last, I found it difficult to say many good things or bad things about this serial, only a few of each. It certainly doesn’t capture the formula of historical it’s trying to emulate. I’m looking forward to Spooner’s future historicals, which I suspect might suit his talents a little better.

Overall, Season One struggles to find its feet in some places, but in others performs magnificent feats of competence which capture the imagination and promise great things to come. The production team who put this all together had to have been wizards to happen upon a formula as timeless and flexible as this. At this point, they clearly still haven’t learned how to use it to its fullest effect, but in all honesty, maybe we still haven’t.

Here’s the score breakdown:

An Unearthly Child - 9.00
An Unearthly Child - 10.00
The Cave of Skulls - 9.00
The Forest of Fear - 8.00
The Firemaker - 9.00

The Daleks - 7.14
The Dead Planet - 8.00
The Survivors - 8.00
The Escape - 8.00
The Ambush - 7.00
The Expedition - 7.00
The Ordeal - 4.00
The Rescue - 8.00

The Edge of Destruction - 8.50
The Edge of Destruction - 8.00
The Brink of Disaster - 9.00

Marco Polo - 9.00
The Roof of the World - 9.00
The Singing Sands - 10.00
Five Hundred Eyes - 9.00
The Wall of Lies - 8.00
Rider from Shang-Tu - 9.00
Mighty Kublai Khan - 9.00
Assassin at Peking - 9.00

The Keys of Marinus - 6.17
The Sea of Death - 6.00
The Velvet Web - 7.00
The Screaming Jungle - 4.00
The Snows of Terror - 6.00
Sentence of Death - 8.00
The Keys of Marinus - 6.00

The Aztecs - 10.00
The Temple of Evil - 10.00
The Warriors of Death - 10.00
The Bride of Sacrifice - 10.00
The Day of Darkness - 10.00

The Sensorites - 6.17
Strangers in Space - 7.00
The Unwilling Warriors - 7.00
Hidden Danger - 6.00
A Race Against Death - 5.00
Kidnap - 5.00
A Desperate Venture - 7.00

The Reign of Terror - 5.83
A Land of Fear - 6.00
Guests of Madame Guillotine - 5.00
A Change of Identity - 6.00
The Tyrant of France - 6.00
A Bargain of Necessity - 5.00
Prisoners of Conciergerie - 7.00

Best episode: The Temple of Evil (The Aztecs, pt. 1) - 10.00
Worst episode: The Ordeal (The Daleks, pt. 6) - 4.00

Season One average: 7.50

Best guest performance: John Ringham as Tlotoxl (The Aztecs)

Best special effect: The first TARDIS dematerialization (An Unearthly Child)

Best musical score: The Daleks (Tristram Cary)

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 23 January 2018.)