The First Doctor By @cheezypeas

23^rd November, 1963. The date that started it all. The magic, the adventure that we have all held so dear to our hearts ever since.

A blue Police box, an incredibly intelligent pupil whose behaviour prompts her teachers to find out more about her. Then they meet her Grandfather…..

First impressions count, right? Susan and Ian’s first impression really wasn’t complementary (especially after being kidnapped) and this has throughout the years been the assumption of quite a number of Doctor Who fans:

“Oh the First Doctor, he was a grumpy old boy”

“He really didn’t do much apart from talk, quite boring really”

“Don’t think he was very nice, quite rude in fact”

Why has the Doctor’s initial attitude in his first scene of An Unearthly Child continued to be the general consensus of his character? This article will hopefully change people’s unfair perception of the First Doctor and encourage everyone to watch more of his stories.

 

Grumpy? Of course! How would you feel in an elderly body plagued with rheumatism, surrounded by silly humans and having to save the World and the universe on a regular basis? Now, cast you mind back to each and every subsequent regeneration and tell me, have any of the other 10 never been grumpy? Of course they have- even the mild mannered Fifth Doctor had his grouchy moments.

"You took away my cricket bat, how DARE you!"

People have also have an unfair opinion that the First Doctor had no sense of humor, and had no taste for adventure. Take a look at The Romans where he is clearly happy and joyful, amusing Vicki with his unusual quirky humour. In The Web Planet he demonstrates his excitement and wonder in exploring the terrain of the planet Vortis. Like every regeneration since, the Doctor clearly shows his sense of wonder, his thirst for excitement when he discovers something new and interesting.

In the same story when Ian’s pen goes missing and he gets the sense he’s being watched, the Doctor is keen to explore to find out, rather than take the boring cowardly option of staying in the Tardis. Hardly a boring old chap you have to agree. It appears Ian would be more appreciative of pipe and slippers than the Doctor!

He has also demonstrated he can be quite the action man. Take for example scenes from The Chase, The Romans and The Crusade where he demonstrated his fighting skills, which could easily match someone half his age.

What a lot of people forget is although he did take the unusual and not so pleasant step of kidnapping Ian and Barbara in the first story, was to protect himself and Susan. However, he could be just as warm and gentle as his subsequent regenerations. He was very much a devoted Grandfather to Susan protecting her ferociously, and when she found love it took all his composure to let her go. Listening to his final farewell to Susan:

“One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.”

Although there wasn’t dramatic Tenth Doctor tears and angst, in a way the First Doctors farewell is somewhat more poignant and tragic as he looks upwards, proud and composed and yet you can tell he’s suffering on the inside. He was also very protective of his companions, especially Vicki whom reminded him of his beloved Granddaughter. 

He also demonstrated the sarcasm and wit which has never left him even after 10 regenerations:

“The Doctor: What do you think of that, now, eh? A Viking helmet.

Steven Taylor: Maybe.

The Doctor: What do you mean, "maybe"? What do you think it is, a space helmet for a cow?

I hope this article has changed a few misconceptions people have had and it has encouraged fans to explore this greatly forgotten era with the First Doctor who started it all. Next time look at all the subsequent regenerations; you’ll see the mischievous, grumpy but gracious and kind old man in each and every one.

To end, here are a few lovely comments regarding the First Doctor I found on YouTube:

“I've been going through the classic episodes in chronological order. I'm still on the Hartnell era, and he is a real joy to watch. He's grumpy, stubborn, and utterly devious, but he has two hearts of gold.”

“The First Doctor doesn't get enough credit, I mean after all, he began this legacy. So before everyone who is a crazy Tennant or Baker fan goes on about how they can't imagine Who without him, just remember that there would be no Tennant or Baker if it weren't for Hartnell.”

“While all of the subsequent Doctors have been really brilliant, none of them could be where they are without the foundation that William Hartnell laid down.

Bless him and may he rest in peace.”

The Romans By @The_Knights87

“When we get out of here, I’m going to comb all the slave markets, question everybody. Someone must remember her.”

During Doctor Who’s second season the production crew decided to do something different.  They decided to make a historical with a different twist.  They decided to make it funny and take advantage of William Hartnell’s comedic presence.  William Hartnell used to do a lot of comedy when he first started acting and the Romans was the perfect vessel for him to revisit his roots.  

The Romans is not your usual Doctor Who story. Besides the fact that it is pretty funny it also was one of the few stories where there were two stories going on at once.  First you have The Doctor and Vicki are en route to Rome when they come across a body. In fact it’s the body of Maximus Pettulian.  The Doctor picks up the lyre just as a centurion arrives and mistakes The Doctor as the famous lyre player.   So they are whisked to Rome and an audience with Emperor Nero. 

That’s where all the comedy starts.  As the Doctor plays Nero for a fool.  But impersonating Maximus Pettulian doesn’t come without it’s risk as assassins are still a foot to kill the Doctor now.  You see they think they failed in their attempt to kill Maximus Pettulian and well I think you can figure it out.

The second story involves Ian and Barbara getting kidnapped by slave traders Ian gets sold to one slave trader who has him rowing a boat in the Mediterranean while Barbara gets sold to Tavius who works in the court of Nero.  While a decent man he does warn Barbara that if she tries to escape she will be killed.  

This second part is truly good as it shows Ian to be the man of action.  In fact this is probably the best performance by William Russell in Doctor Who.  Ian goes through so much to try and save Barbara that you start to believe that there is something more than friendship between the two school teachers.

But the true comedic gem of this story is Emperor Nero himself. Derek Francis puts in an excellent performance as Nero.  He is funny and can turn dead serious at times that makes you wonder if Nero was truly like how they portrayed him. 

It is true that most historical Doctor Who stories are boring and dry at times but The Romans is the exception.  It is funny, and action filled and full of great moments that makes this story a must see for Doctor Who fans. Plus it is great how Nero gets the idea of how to burn Rome to the ground. The Romans is truly one of the best historical Doctor Who stories of all time and one of the best William Hartnell stories as well mainly because William Hartnell performance is as the Ninth Doctor says “Fantastic”.

The Web Planet By @The_Knights87

"We seem to be caught. Trapped somehow. This is some strange phenomena. There's no power in the ship. It's useless."

The Web Planet isn’t one of those stories that you go crazy over to watch again.  No in fact, it is quite boring.  Ok.  To be fair The Web Planet wasn’t intended to be watched in one sitting.  It was in fact a serial that was to be enjoyed weekly with the traditional cliff hanger and classic way to tell a story back in the sixties.

This story that comprises part of the second season of Doctor Who shows William Hartnell to be completely comfortable in the role of the First Doctor.  In fact despite his stumbling of words he does a remarkable job with the battle of wits with Animus. The Animus is an intelligence that has mind control over the Zarbi and their fellow creature the larvae gun. In fact the other creatures in this story the butterfly like Menoptera.  These creatures occupy the planet Vortis which at one time was peaceful where they all lived in harmony.

The Web Planet isn’t one of my favorites but it does hold a special place in my heart.  As a child my late Aunt gave me this book as a birthday present.  Not sure how old I was when I got the book as a present which as it was called back in the day “Doctor Who and The Zarbi” but I remember being enamored about reading a new Doctor Who adventure that I had not seen before.   Since I live in the USA we did not get the William Hartnell stories for quite some time yet.  So this was my first foray into an era of Doctor Who that I was not familiar with yet.

You see in the US we were inundated with Tom Baker stories for quite some time.  It wasn’t until the late 80’s that we got the Hartnell stories so most of our exposure was through the brilliant Target books of the series.  These books were a looking glass into worlds of Doctor Who that were not available to us and thanks to my aunt for getting me started on collecting the Target Books.

 So when I saw The Web Planet for the first time I was excited to see a story that I read come to life.  So in a sense The Web Planet isn’t one of the best stories but one that has special meaning to me.  So join us Wednesday for The Web Planet. Bar opens at the normal Wednesday time of 7:00 PM BST (2PM EST USA).

The Chase- Words by @Zeiton_7 and Pictures @cheezypeas

Oh those Pepper Pots are at it again!

After the exciting events of The Space Museum The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are off for a well earned rest. They have taken with them the Time- Space Visualiser (a device which allows the viewer to see any past event in space and time) It is through this device that they learn of The Daleks plan to follow the Tardis and exterminate The Doctor. To their further horror The Doctor realises that these events may have started to unfold. This isn't going to be the restful beach holiday they had imagined!

 In addition to The Daleks there are a number of other life forms that the Doctor encounters who are equally as disturbing.

 The first are Vicki's eyes. We, in the bar, noticed last week that her eyes are never still. Indeed, they are positively hyper and seem determined to out act the rest of her body (something which isn't very difficult) Once you notice this freak occurrence it is impossible to take anything she says or does seriously without noticing her odd eyes!

Secondly, we meet the Mire Beasts (guess where they live?) thats right in the sand! Strange looking creatures with multiple tentacles who attack any unwilling travellers and presumably eat them or tickle them to death.

Thirdly, the indigenous citizens of the planet, Aridius (sounds like a deodorant doesn't it?) The Aridians (wasn't he a runner up of The X Factor) are enslaved by The Daleks and set to work digging out the Tardis. But they are soon allied to The Doctor and aid him and his companions in their struggles.

Fourthly, The Mechanoids. At first glance these robots look like they could fall over at any moment (they probably did) But they prove to be worthy adversaries to the Daleks themselves. Watch out for the first ever Dalek vs robot foe mash up!

The Chase, of the stories title is a rip rawing ride through space and time. They visit the Empire State Building (interesting that The Daleks built the famous land mark but seem to have forgotten that here) the Mary Celeste and even the abodes of Frankenstein and Dracula. Yes, this is a story unlike any other and features a fast moving storyline and many locations. Anyone that thinks older Who episodes are slow moving and boring need to check this one out! At the end of this story Ian and Barbara say their goodbyes and once again William Hartnell's acting is both moving and memorable.

 


 So join us tomorrow and witness for yourself the fast paced story that is The Chase The Bar opens at 7pm and we press play at 7.30pm Whisky chasers will be served #DWBAR

The Space Museum by @The_Knights87

"You'll make a perfect specimen for my museum."

There are all types of museums.  All over the world and for the most part free to enter.  There are art museums, museums that house historical articles and museums that have natural history like dinosaurs and such. 

But the most famous museum of all is the Space Museum.  What is the Space Museum? Well it is a museum that is on the planet Xeros.  What is unique about this museum is that there are some pretty interesting exhibits on display.  Like for instance a Dalek from the planet Skaro.  Yes a Dalek on display.  Well maybe its shell as it is pretty empty inside luckily for us.

The gem of the museum is the exhibit of the time travelers.  Yes a true gem that.  The four time travelers and their blue box.  It is in fact a marvel that they can all fit in that box and travel through time.  So marvel at the time travelers known as The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicky and look at their wonderful craft The TARDIS the next time you are on Xeros and are visiting The Space Museum. 

So join us in seeing how The Doctor gets out of this predicament when we journey down the path of Doctor Who’s classic history as The DoctorWhoBar watches the second season William Hartnell story “The Space Museum”

Doctor Who - The Sixties By @The_Knights87

The 60’s.  A decade of psychedelic, strawberry fields, incense and peppermint and putting flowers in your hair.   It was also the decade that spawned a sci-fi phenomenon that still continues to this day.   I am of course talking about Doctor Who.    Yes many of you new to the program may not have been exposed to the early years of Doctor Who.  For shame if you haven’t.  Even though the stories are in black and white and some of the qualities of the effects are, well, let’s just say dated to put it nicely,  does not deter from the overall quality of the story that was written and  acted out by the actors involved.

60’s Doctor Who was an important era in the shows history.  For one it gave us the first appearances of the Dalek and Cybermen.  It introduced us to another of the Doctors people who happen to be a mischievous Monk and who would be the torchbearer to The Master and The Rani.  But the one most important thing that 60’s Doctor Who gave us which is the main thing credited for the shows longevity is of course regeneration. 

Yes regeneration.  If it wasn’t for the producers to come up with this idea then the show would have ended with William Hartnell.  So instead of ending the show with him the producers, well more or less booted William Hartnell from the role, changed actors by having the Doctor change appearances to keep the show going.  Brilliant idea and one that has been an occasion of great sorrow and excitement throughout the years when the current actor has decided to leave and replaced by the new guy.

The two main actors’ that portrayed The Doctor and more or less paved the way for the likes of Tom Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and David Tennant were of course William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton.   

William Hartnell who played The 1^st Doctor was the man who got the ball rolling.  His Doctor came across as crotchety but was also sharp as tack.  His Doctor was also very caring and loving even though he didn’t show it often but it was there.  The First Doctor was also the champion of the little guy.  If there was someone or something being oppressed the First Doctor was right there to help them out.  Whether it was helping earthlings against the Daleks in The Invasion of Earth or helping out Londoners against WOTAN in The War Machines you could expect The First Doctor to be there leading the charge.   

The second man to play The Doctor during the 60’s was Patrick Troughton.   The 2^nd Doctor is generally referred to as the cosmic hobo.  I refer to him as a classic Doctor whose mannerisms have been imitated by future Doctor’s right up to the current one Matt Smith.  His comedic style was quite a change from the dominating presence of his predecessor.  His style was a more kind and bumbling character but when the situation called for it the Second Doctor could be dead serious and commanded respect from his adversaries.   The Second Doctor also liked to make gadgets and brought some mystery to The Doctor like in Tomb of the Cybermen and also in The War Games.

Unfortunately a lot of the stories from the 60’s have been destroyed or lost and we only have a handful of complete stories from this era.  This is a shame really because there are some great stories that will never be seen.   But the ones that we do have are a treasure trove of Doctor Who’s early history and should be watched over and over.  So if you are a new fan of Doctor Who who caught on with the show during David Tennant’s or Matt Smith’s era then you need to do yourself a favor and watch some of the show’s finest stories from the 60’s and see what has inspired the show you are watching now.

William Hartnell The First Doctor

William Henry Hartnell was the first actor to portray the role of the Doctor in the BBCtv series Doctor Who. He first played the role in the unseen pilot version of An Unearthly Child before Sydney Newman ordered the pilot to be reshot.

William Hartnell was the only child of Lucy Hartnell, an unmarried Mother. He spent many a happy childhood in Devon with his Mothers family of farmers, it was there that he learnt to ride a horse. Hartnell made various efforts to trace his Father, but unfortunately without success.

Hartnell entered the Theatre in 1925, working under Frank Benson as a general stagehand. It was whilst appearing in the play Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner that he met Heather McIntyre, they married the following year.

He appeared in more than sixty movies, beginning with Say it with Music. It was after playing the tough Sergeant in The Way Ahead in 1944 that he perhaps got typecast as thugs and policemen, he was usually known for comical roles prior to his appearance in this movie.

He made a memorable appearance in the very first Carry On Movie as Sergeant Grimshaw, the true star of Carry On Sergeant, but again he was playing another tough character.

It was Hartnell's performance in the film This Sporting Life which drew him to the attention of a young Verity Lambert. She had just been handed the producership of a brand new BBC sci-fi series, Doctor Who, and was looking for an actor to cast in the lead role.

Despite meeting with Verity Lambert to discuss the role, he was not overly keen to take the role initially, but was soon persuaded to accept the role. So began the very first era of Doctor Who with William Hartnell at the helm of the TARDIS, although it was usually just referred to as The Ship in his era. We didn't know at this point that he was a Time Lord from a planet called Gallifrey, he was just a wanderer in space and time with unknown origins.

Hartnell's era is a mixture of sci-fi and historical stories, when the show was trying to establish itself. Undoubtedly it was with the second story which featured the alien creatures known as the Daleks which catapulted the fledgling Doctor Who series into an instant hit.

It became a show which everyone knew about and wanted to watch. Hartnell's brusque performance of the Doctor, softened over his tenure in the role. To many the Hartnell era was definitive Doctor Who, where the show stretched it's format in many ways with stories like The Gunfighters and The Web Planet. This first era is looked back with much affection, as this era saw the birth of a show which would end up being a British Television Institution and later a Television Legend.

Hartnell left the role in 1966 in a story called The Tenth Planet, after becoming estranged with the shows new production team following the departure of Verity Lambert, and also because of health reasons, he suffered from arteriosclerosis which affects the memory.

However in 1973 he returned to the role in the story The Three Doctors, alongside his successors in the role - Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee. Despite being ill with his failing memory, William Hartnell appeared on pre-filmed inserts where he read his lines off cue cards. This would be the last time he would appear on television, and it is very fitting that it is on the show he helped to create and made one of the most popular and beloved television shows of all time.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to William Hartnell who began the famous role which continues today with Matt Smith in the illustrious role. Hartnell passed away on 23rd April 1975, at the age of 67 in his sleep following a series of strokes. He will never be forgotten. He gave birth to one of the most popular roles on television.

For anyone who has not seen any of the Hartnell Doctor Who stories on DVD, you don't know what you're missing. Although his era may have been quite experimental with it's choice of stories, Hartnell gives his all in the role. Let's not forget that his era was when Doctor Who was trying to establish itself, it was a very new series when he took up the role.

So please support the official DVD's from 2|Entertain, there are quite a few stories available from his era to buy. You wont be disappointed.

The Eleven Doctors Figure Set



The TARDIS Box

This is my most recent Doctor Who purchase, it's rather exellent I have to say and here are all the Doctor's figure's in all their glory. 

The First Doctor 1963 - 1966

The Second Doctor 1966 - 1969

The Third Doctor 1970 - 1974

The Fourth Doctor 1974 - 1981

The Fifth Doctor 1982 - 1984

The Sixth Doctor 1984 - 1986

The Seventh Doctor 1987 - 1996

The Eighth Doctor 1996

The Ninth Doctor 2005

The Tenth Doctor 2005 - 2010

The Eleventh Doctor 2010 - Present

These are highly detailed, fully poseable action figures, and I bought mine for £35 from Amazon which is the cheapest I have seen these figure set's go for and for me they are worth every penny.  They deserve to be in every Doctor Who fan's collection.