Good Luck to you and God Speed!

... Cause I would give up half way through the first season! ^^;

Well, from what I've heard, you're going to have a hell of a time finding most of the first few seasons; unless someone had it recorded and held onto it for this long, they're been lost to time (lol irony).

New Who was kind of designed to be jumped into with a new audience, without having to have watched the old show, while still keeping plenty of fanservice for those who did grow up with Old Who, but using special effects, pacing, and characterizations that will hold the attention span of a modern audience. From what I've seen, Old Who could, not entirely unfairly, be described as slow-paced and cheesy, with laughable special effects, but some would say the writing on the original series was great, and decry New Who as having one deus ex machina too many.

Hey, but look at me, what the hell do I know. Have fun.

Hey, for a drinking game, down one every time someone says "What are you doing here?".

EDIT: Holy crap, 4500 posts.

Yep, you won't be able to watch every single episode ever, as the BBC wiped the master tapes for several of the early ones. They haven't restored them all, either, although stuff like "The Invasion" has rather nice animation by the genii at Cosgrove Hall.

DW

I understand that some episodes are lost, luckily those that were lost were made into telesnaps (pictures of shots from filming with the audio tracks) and books. Anyway onto the first review!

Plot: Teachers Ian and Barbara are concerned about their remarkably intelligent student Susan. Finding out that she lives in an abandoned junkyard they search the place only to find her and her grandfather (none other than Doctor Who himself) inside a police box, but this ain't no ordinary police box.

What I like: The intro is one of the best parts of this first episode, it fits the mood very well not to mention it fits into the actual story. Every line the Doctor had in this episode was great, he clearly dislikes humans meddling in his affairs. The idea to make Susan and her grandfather aliens was very clever and who would have thought that a police box would be a time machine, or TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) to be exact.

What I didn't like: Not alot really happened, sure most of the stuff was introducing us to the characters and explaining how the Doctor and Susan got here but it still felt like not much was going on other than bickering between one person and the another (everyone seemed to get a chance to yell at the Doctor.) If my assumption is correct the Doctor plans on dumping the 2 teachers in whatever time period they landed in, that seems a little harsh for the guy that's suppose to be the hero and when his granddaughter disagrees with him he says "Then I suppose, you can go with them." Apparently, kindness is not one of the things the Doctors race is known for.

Rating: I'll give this one 4 out of 5 stars. While it seemed to move at a slow pace, it accomplished it's main goal of introducing the characters and it made me want to see what happens next, that's a winner in my book.

Yeah, I heard the doc was practically an Villain Protagonist originally before the writers settled on him being a badass time-travelling hero, and him wanting to dump them God knows when seems to agree with that.

Holy crap man, that's insanity!

Then again, I always thought about reviewing a bands' discography before.......... so who am I to talk XD

I don't take it many people would be too interested in that anyway.......

Plot: The Doctor, not wanting Ian and Barbara to tell his secret, sends the gang back into prehistoric time. The group quickly becomes embroiled in a tribal power struggle.

What I like: The group being in prehistoric time is quite an interesting dynamic, I especially liked that the prehistoric characters actually spoke English and not grunts and screams, which is great, since the majority of the episode is dedicated to them. On that subject the caveman power struggle is very intriguing and I absolutely love that they intellectualize while praising the Sun and asking for fire, a nice contrast. Ian's reaction to his logic and faith being essentially destroyed was touching but very brief and the Doctor being able to talk his way out of getting killed was very cool. Also, Doctor Who was spoken twice during the episode. Once, by The Doctor himself, after Ian calls him Doctor Foreman, perhaps indicating that he doesn't know Susan uses the last name Foreman or just playing dumb. The second time, Ian describes how mysterious and untrustworthy The Doctor is to Barbara. "We know nothing about this man, about this Doctor Who."

What I didn't like: The Doctor lighting a pipe was just plain weird, especially when he's suppose to be figuring out what time period they are in. The switches to different shots when The Doctor is kidnapped felt clunky and took me out of it for a minute and Susan's reaction felt very overacted.

Rating: This one gets 4.5 out of 5 stars. The goods far outweighed the bads of this episode. Plus, it has (somewhat) intelligent cavemen who aren't trying to sell you car insurance. That's a winner in my book!

Plot: The gang escapes from their prehistoric captors, thanks to a crazy old lady, and head into, you guessed it, a forest, but the cave dwellers are in pursuit.

What I liked: Ian and The Doctor's arguments over life and death were great, I particularly liked that The Doctor considered killing Za, before Ian stopped him. Speaking of that scene, Ian helping Za despite having no real medical training was pretty badass. (Normally I'd count this as a thing I dislike, but since it's a Science Fiction program, I'm willing to bend the laws of reality.) Kal showing his true colors was nice, and rounding the other cavemen up to join him was also very well done.

What I didn't like: There wasn't a whole lot I didn't like this episode, there seemed to be some disjointed acting in Barbara, who was absolutely hysterical the first half of the episode and calm the other half.

Rating: This one gets 4.5 out of 5 stars. It sets up for the finale to this story, and has made the whole thing very interesting. That's a winner in my book!

Nice @ your avatar. That's the doc, right?

Sounds interesting so far.

Yeah, I decided to make my avatar whatever Doctor I'm currently watching, so I imagine I'll have this one for a good while (3 seasons it looks like.)

Personally, I love the first episode more and more every time I watch it. It's moody, atmospheric, mysterious, and superbly directed by Waris Hussein. The rest of that serial, with the cavemen, is less awesome, in my opinion, but I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Plot: Being captured, yet again, by the cave-dwellers, The Doctor and friends try a new plan, and this one involves, FIRE!!

What I like: The Doctor used that wit of his to prove who really murdered the old woman, I was surprised that he was working so well with Ian. Of course, when it's life and death, I suppose you have no time to argue. Kal and Za fighting was great, if only for the fact that Za smashes his head with a boulder.

What I didn't like: The only thing that really bothered me about the episode was how little Barbara has done. Her only purpose seems to be falling behind the group when their running away and screaming. But, then again, this was 1963, that seemed to be every unmarried woman's purpose on TV.

Rating: Despite some minor grievances, this episode get 4.5 out of 5 stars. This episode was a great conclusion to the first ever Doctor Who serial and sets up nicely for the next one, the first appearance of the Daleks, from what I heard they were based on the Nazis, so we'll see just how evil they are.

Yeah, they're totally Nazis. They shift the metaphor into overkill in the most recent season finale of New Who, where the Daleks become "THE MASTERS OF EARTH" and patrol the world oppressing humanity. They show them in Germany shouting their catchphrase, except in German: "EX-TER-MAN-EGAN EX-TER-MAN-EGAN". I lol'd.

Plot: Landing on a strange planet with petrified forests, The Doctor and friends investigate.

What I liked: The Doctor was very conniving this episode, sabotaging his own ship just for a chance to explore the city. The creepiness of the entire episode was well played, the music set the forboding mood perfectly. Barbra and Susan actually get some legitimate screen time! We get to see some more features of the TARDIS, such as the food machine, and, of course, the best cliffhanger that involves a plunger.

What I didn't like: Their wasn't anything that I didn't like in this episode, everything worked for me.

Rating: This episode gets 5 out of 5 stars. This was a perfect episode, just the right bit of Sci-Fi and just the right bit of creepiness. That's a winner in my book.

Plot: The gang is captured by the ruthless Daleks and mistaken for they're sworn enemies the Thals. Also, due to The Doctor's trickery they all have radiation sickness and will die soon without the proper help, of course, The Daleks aren't exactly the help they're looking for.

What I liked: The Daleks are introduced so well that I'm beginning to see why Britain fell in love with these Nazis with toilet plungers for weapons. The Doctor's first interaction with said Nazis was classic, The Doctor showcases some of that trademark intellect, even when he is about to die (regenerate, sorry) from radiation poisoning.

What I didn't like: It seemed kinda pointless for Ian to attempt to run away from the Daleks when all of their weapons were pointed right at him.

Rating: I give this episode 5 out of 5 stars. While not perfect it introduces the most popular sci-fi villains in history and saved Doctor Who from cancellation, that's a winner in my book!

The BBC are still releasing the odd Sylvester McCoy episode, should you make it to the Seventh Doctor. His debut, "Time & the Rani" is on pre-order at the moment - I think it's out late December or early January. It's not a very good story arc, granted, but it does showcase Bonnie Langford's amazing lung capacity & decibel production, along with a wander through the TARDIS wardrobe.

DW

Plot: As Susan makes her way back to the Dalek City, she encounters their enemies the Thals, but who are the real bad guys?

What I liked: Of course, if you've been following along with my reviews you already know the answer to that. The Daleks were so manipulative in this episode, they offer food and "peace" to the Thals, but we all know what's going to happen. It's so good! The entire gang working as a team was great, but I'm a little concerned. It took them so long to take down one Dalek, how will they fare against a whole city? Of course this review wouldn't be complete without mentioning the Thals. The Thals, unlike the Daleks, don't speak of their enemies with hatred, they speak with remorse. Perhaps, the Thals were the ones who started the war by killing the Daleks?

What I didn't like: Once again, I don't think there was one thing I didn't like about this episode.

Rating: I give this one 5 out of 5 stars. This entire serial has made me a fan of the series for the long haul, and that's a winner in my book!

Plot: The gang attempts to escape from the Daleks as the Thals try to make peace with the Daleks. One of these works, the other, not so much.

What I liked: The escape from the Daleks was tense, it's the first time I felt an actual danger for The Doctor and his allies. After they escaped things got even more tense (tenser?) The Thal leader attempted to make peace with the Daleks. The scenes between this and his eventual extermination are some of the best I've seen in the series. They get the mood down perfectly. Also, it appears the Thals were the Warrior race during the war and the Daleks, the peaceful scientists, you don't tend to find irony this beautiful in shows on in America in the 60's. Hell, you don't find irony this beautiful on American Television now.

What I didn't like: Dyoni, the female Thal, seems to have no purpose other than to be a female Thal.

Rating: Another well done episode, I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Giving The Doctor a legitimate threat, that's a winner in my book!

Plot: Ian tries to convince the Thals to fight against the Daleks, while the Daleks decide the best way to keep themselves alive is by dropping another bomb.

What I liked: Barbara actually siding with The Doctor was something new, she wants off the planet just as much as him, and she's willing to sacrifice the Thals to do it. Ian, on the other hand, tries to convince the Thals to fight, and succeeds. On the Dalek side of things they get even eviler (I'm aware of that not being a word.) By deciding the only way to survive is to set off another bomb. I'm not completely sure if their right about how to survive or just guessing, but either way, it does not bode well for our heroes.

What I didn't like: The pacing was pretty abysmal this episode, maybe it wasn't the greatest idea to make this a 7-part story. This is the first Who episode where I found myself losing interest. Perhaps it was the way the Thals talk, or the fact that nothing really happens for 15 out of the 22 minutes of the show.

Rating: I give this one 3.5 out of 5 stars. The pacing really put a damper on this episode, hopefully the next one will redeem this serial.

Shoes! Shoes! Where are my shoes?

Plot: Ian and Barbara make their way to the Dalek City as the Doctor and Susan sabotage their power supply.

What I liked: It's pretty bad when the only thing I can say I liked about an episode is the Hartnell playing the Doctor like a mad scientist.

What I didn't like: It's not that this episode was bad, it was just another case of bad pacing. Almost nothing relative happens this episode, I think if they combined this episode and the last one I would have liked it, but apart it's just not compelling. Which is very sad because, up until now, these Dalek episodes were fantastic.

Rating: This one get's 2.5 out of 5 stars. Hopefully the end next episode will finish this serial off right.

What I liked: Antodus sacrificing himself was quite a shock, it's remarkably adult for a children's show. The entire sequence with the Daleks counting down was tense and brought a proper climax to this epic tale. Hartnell delivers his first defining line as the Doctor, "Always search for truth, mine is in the stars." It's become a symbol to what the First Doctor was all about and is worth mentioning. Speaking of the Doctor, his wit backfired on him this episode when he told the Daleks about the TARDIS. They weren't about to let their plan go to waste, so they decided they'd check it out, after killing every other living thing.

What I didn't like: Despite the countdown scenes, this episode still felt rather anti-climactic. They spent all this time building The Daleks as a threat only to have them fall so easily. I think, this can all be attributed back to the fact that 7 episodes was probably too long for this serial.

Rating: This one gets 4 out of 5 stars. Despite some problems, it ends the first Dalek story off well, That's a winner in my book. The next two episodes are featured entirely in the TARDIS, so this should be a fun little diversion.

Plot: Crazy things start happening after an explosion on the TARDIS control panel leave the crew in shambles.

What I Liked: Because this serial lacks supporting cast, the regular cast get bigger chances to shine, in this case, Barbara and Susan. They both got lots of screen time this episode. Susan brandishing scissors was particularly creepy, I continue to be surprised with how much they got away with on this show. The overall mood of the story is what makes it for me. You never really understand what's going on, atleast not yet. The scene with the clocks melting was trippy and bizarre, in fact, that's how I would describe the entire episode.

What I Didn't Like: This episode has nothing against it, I loved every minute.

Rating: I give this one 5 out of 5 stars. While the strangeness of this episode may turn some people off, I was absolutely riveted, that's a winner in my book!

Plot: The gang must put aside their differences to prevent the TARDIS, and themselves, from being destroyed.

What I Liked: The Doctor was downright evil at the beginning of this episode, he was about to kill Ian and Barbara. The entire group really coming together for the first time was nice. The concept of the TARDIS being sentient was a nice way to solve a mystery as weird as this one.

What I Didn't Like: The explanation of everything could have been handled better than it was. The trippy aspect of last episode was gone in this episode, which was really disappointing.

Rating: I give this one 4 out of 5 stars. It ties the 2-parter together nicely and puts a nice cap on the beginnings of Doctor Who, that's a winner in my book. Next, we have our first bump in the road as we "watched" the first historical episode, as well as the first lost one.

Plot: The Doctor and his friends land in 13th century China and meet Marco Polo. Wackiness ensues when Marco Polo makes the TARDIS his gift to ruler of China.

What I Liked: Mark Eden (the man who plays Marco) does a fantastic job, his scene arguing with The Doctor and Ian is the best part of this episode. Despite screwing over our heroes he still comes off as likeable. Do I smell character development with Susan! Seems her and Ping-Cho are getting close. This episode seems different than the previous ones. For one, it uses the traveling map feature, but it also has a vibe that's different than the previous episodes. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I like it!

What I Didn't Like: While, watching the show with Telesnaps takes some time to get used to, I can't fault the show for that. It's the BBC's fault not their's. I can, however, fault the show with.....nothing really, this was a pretty outstanding first episode. Hopefully, it stays outstanding and doesn't fall into the same trap The Daleks did.

Rating: I give this one 5 out of 5 stars. It gets it's point across and has me excited for the next episode. That's a winner in my book!

Plot: The caravan continues through the desert, they are quickly stopped by a sandstorm. Meanwhile, Tegan plans to sabotage the water supply.

What I Liked: Susan and Barbara got bigger roles this episode because of the lack of The Doctor. Tegan's mischievous nature is more precedent this episode.

What I didn't like: Honestly, there was more I didn't like than I did. For one, The Doctor was barely in the episode. I believe he had one line the entire show! I'm not sure I can take Tegan as a serious threat. He's like a villain from an ordinary kids show. (For the those that don't know, Doctor Who has always been more than an ordinary kids show.) We're also once again faced with the "What Actually Happened" scenario, in which one event is stretched out into the entire episode. (Also known as the Bendis Approach.) The pessimist in me knew it was going to happen when he found out this was a 7-part series.

Rating: I give this one 2.5 out of 5 stars. Hopefully next episode will be better and feature more of The Doctor, or we could just rename the show Chesterton.

Chester Who?

Plot: Tegana's plan to kill the team by dehydration fails, thanks to nature. This, however, leads to something more deadly and someones life hangs in the balance.

What I Liked: Okay, I made that sound more dramatic than it actually is. We all know Barbara isn't going to die, but it still causes some good drama. I'm really liking Mark Eden's portrayal of Marco Polo, the scene with Ian and The Doctor explaining Condensation was a high point of the episode. (It also reminded me of a certain Family Guy sketch about British people. 10 points to anyone who knows what I'm talking about.) The Doctor making a second TARDIS key to give to Marco was another favorite of mine. Speaking of The Doctor, guess who goes to save Barbara when she get's captured, not Ian. The Doctor really seems to be stepping up and being the hero.

What I Didn't Like: The only thing I can fault the episode with is Tegana, after the terror of the Daleks and the bizzare TARDIS mishap, Tegana just seems too mustache-twirling of a villain.

Rating: I give this one 4.5 out of 5 stars. This episode's got me back into things and got me excited for Who again, that's a winner in my book.

Just thought I'd comment to say "I'm reading these and enjoying them". When you get somewhere near the Doctors I watched, I might have something useful to say

DW

Since this is the Dr Who thread I'll post this vid. It's the best ident the BBC have done in a long long while. Also has HD if you want but my connection can't cope with that right now 🙁

Clicky

I dunno, Tennant's eyebrow raising gets more annoying on every viewing - and I've barely watched TV this Xmas!

But roll on New Year's Day...

DW

Plot: Tegana's manipulation leads to Marco's relationship with the gang being strained. Meanwhile The Doctor tries to repair the TARDIS for escape.

What I Liked: It's hard to find new ways to praise Mark Eden's portrayal of Marco Polo, it's just marvelous. His conversations (arguments is probably a better word) with Ian and The Doctor are the high points. Tegana shows a more manipulative side this episode, which is a welcome change. Susan get's some more development as she and Ping-Cho are split up.

What I Didn't Like: The only problem with the episode wasn't actually the episode's fault. There are no known photos in existence for this episode so the telesnap is made off of other pictures. This causes a confusing moment at the end which, in turn, ruins the cliffhanger.

Rating: I give this one 4.5 out of 5 stars. It sets up for the final half of the serial in a fun and compelling way, that's a winner in my book!

Bad new, ladies and gentlemen. I'm officially putting this project on hold. I don't have the proper time to invest in this project at the moment, hopefully when things calm down and I get some free time I'll restart but for now we're on hiatus.

Shame, I was really enjoying it. Hope to see it continue soon!

And We're back! Let's just get right into it, shall we!

Plot: The gang battles bandits and tries to yet again escape from Marco Polo.

Good: The Doctor just wanting to escape, regardless of what it does to history, is the best part of this episode, gotta love him. Tegana is starting to convince me that he can be a good villain, he's at least better than Kal (the "bad" caveman for those who don't remember.)

Not Good: The old enemy of pacing is back again, this episode just seemed to slow down, but it certainly looks to be setting up for the next 2 episodes to be pretty awesome.

Overall: This is a solid 3.5 out of 5. It's really the pacing that keeps it from getting higher, I'm noticing a trend I don't like and hopefully the writers get better with it in time. Next episode: Can anyone say, Kublai Khan!

Plot: Getting caught again, the Doctor and friends try one last ditch effort to convince Marco to let them go home, as they finally make it to their destination.

Good: Ian's last effort to convince Marco to let them go, by revealing they're from the future, was brilliant, just for Marco's reaction. He's so close to believing Ian, but Ian's lying in the past changes his opinion. Also, in a rare moment of comedy for the show, the mighty Kublai Khan is revealed to be an old man with back problems. I wish that the video for this serial still existed just to see the scene of his "grand" reveal, in which it takes him a solid minute to walk up the steps to his throne, all the while the Doctor is trying to bow but he suffers from the same problem as Khan, old age. All together it was one hilarious scene.

Not Good: The only thing I can fault the episode with is the two, very annoying, Asian stereotypes (no not characters, stereotypes.) That appear for the sole purpose of making me want to stab something.

Overall: This episode get's a 4.5 out of 5. It sets up for the finale and gives us some humor and suspense in the process. Next Episode: Tegana and Marco sword fight!

Plot: Tegana's plan comes into action! Can the Doctor and the gang save the Khan?

Good: The Doctor and Khan playing a game of backgammon for the TARDIS was fun but I wish he would have won! The sword fight between Marco and Tegana was a moment where I wished that their was still active video for this. I won't spoil it here but I really love the ending, specifically Marco's line.

Bad: How the gang get the TARDIS back seems a bit contrived but I suppose they did need to wrap everything up.

Overall: This episode get's a 4.5 out of 5. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this serial but I did, it's possibly my favorite serial yet. Next Episode: Back to the Aliens!

Question to the readers: Do you like this method of review or would you prefer a more classic method?

Plot: The Doctor and crew wind up on a strange beach made of glass with an acid ocean, and what's up with that tower in the (painted) background?

Good: A lot of people I've talked to knock this era of Doctor Who because of the cheap production and William Hartnell's tendency to mess up lines and this episode has both. However, while both are quite funny at times (a clearly cardboard alien is thrown into a pool of water.) I can't knock the production crew or Hartnell for things beyond their control, and why should I? I loved this episode! An interesting concept that I look forward to seeing played out. Like most first episodes of Doctor Who this was mostly set up but it was some damn good set up!

Bad: The actor playing the Arbitan was rather stiff, fumbling over his lines a bit and giving a pretty mediocre performance. You can spot two stage hands in the shot in the opening scenes, I know they didn't have time to shoot more than one take most times but come on!

Overall: This episode earns a 4.5 out of 5. This episode sets up for what's looking to be an awesome serial, I look forward to this one! Next Episode: Brains in Jars!

Plot: Ian and Barbara are saved from certain death in the snow by a trapper, but there's more to this man than meets the eye.

Good: Vasor's (the trapper) attempted rape of Barbara is quite shocking, while nothing graphic it's really a testament to how much Doctor Who pushed the envelope back then. The idea of the Ice Soldiers is quite interesting.

Bad: Vasor was threating for about the first 5 minutes, then he becomes a bumbling fool. Why would such a big man take orders from someone like Ian, who is likely not as strong as him? This episode was a bit of a bore with about 10 minutes being dedicated to climbing a bridge.

Overall: This one get's a 3 out of 5. A bit slow and more than a bit boring. Next Episode: Death Sentence!

Plot: Ian is framed for murder and must stand trial. But he shouldn't worry The Doctor is his defense!

Good: This episode is primarily courtroom drama, which I wasn't expecting, a rather nice change of pace. We get to see The Doctor give his best Sherlock Holmes, as well as Atticus Finch, both quite good. While the actual culprits of the case were obvious from the get-go, how we got there is quite interesting, very fun stuff.

Bad: Aydan (the man who framed Ian) has to be the worst liar on the face of the planet (Marinus that is.) I mean he pretty much let the cat out of the bag by his reaction to the fake key.

Overall: This episode get's a 4.5 out of 5. A nice revitalization to the serial, makes me look forward to the conclusion. Next Episode: Voord, Voord, wherefore art thou Voord?

Plot: The gang still need to prove Ian is innocent and to make matters worse, Susan has been kidnapped.

Good: Hartnell really stepped it up in this episode, it seems Ian and Barbara have grown on the old man after all. If you need proof the Doctor is brilliant, he really did know where the key was hidden the entire time, he just needed the evidence to prove it. Speaking of brilliant, Ian tricks Yartek (the Voord leader) into taking the fake key they got a couple episode's back.

Bad: Yartek's plan is to fool Ian by wearing Arbitan's cloak...I'll give you a second to take that one in (for those having not seen the serial, Yartek is shown above.) Big surprise! Ian doesn't fall for it! All in all the Voords have been pretty crummy bad guys, I mean they only showed up in 2 episodes of the serial and weren't very impressive in either! The cavemen from the first serial were more villainous than these guys!

Overall: This episode earns a 4 out of 5. Quite a good ending to quite a good serial. (Although, I wonder if someone was watching the Voords and got inspired to make Power Rangers when seeing their helmets?) Next Episode: Mexicans! I mean...Aztecs!

I've never seen this one, but it gets referenced a lot in the books I've read. I understand this is a good episode - glad you enjoyed it.

DW

I watched a Tom Baker Doctor Who story on Netflix the other day, "The Ark in Space". Pretty nice plot, a few great lines from the Doc, and epic bubble wrap special effects. =D It'll be a while 'til you get to those, though.

I didn't originally see Ark in Space, just read it. That came close to giving me nightmares - in my imagination, bubble wrap was *not* involved! Caught an episode on BBC 2 reruns a lot later in life - I presume back in the day the bubble wrap did not detract particularly from the story

DW

Well, it's not noticeable unless you take a good haaard look at the larvae sfx.