Emotions - Love, Pride, Hate, Fear!

[Andrew Curnow]

We hear a lot about the new series being more emotionally-powered than the show as it was back in the old days. And it's probably true to say that, by perhaps regarding the regulars more as 'real' people, there's more of an exploration of how they feel, how they relate to the people they love, etc, etc.

But is it true to dismiss the old show as lacking any emotional drive? At its best, drama doesn't give us emotion by sticking in a weepy scene for effect, but simply by treating the characters not as 2-d cutouts to shore up a plot, but as real people, acting and reacting.

So, in short then, what moments from the 20th century version(s) of Doctor Who do you find generate an emotional response - sad, angry, whatever? There are some examples that are often cited, but there are also some smaller moments that tend to get overlooked.

So to start the ball rolling I'd like to suggest the brief reunion of the Scarman brothers in part 3 (or is it 2?) of "The Pyramids of Mars". We know, because the Doctor keeps telling us, that Marcus Scarman is dead, and that it is just his animated corpse walking around - and yet, when Lawrence (superbly played by Michael Sheard) tries to connect with the 'real' person, we can't help but understand his desire to do so, and also side with him in hoping it can be done. When he holds up the picture ("When we were boys") in the hope that it will spark some memory, it's a very moving little moment.

[Rob McCow]

In 26 years of television, there was probably only Binro the Heretic who had a scene that was there purely for emotional purposes, rather than plot or padding. Although that's clearly an overstatement!

It was always sad when a companion left. Even Leela!

[Pip Madeley]

I mis-read the thread title and assumed this was a thread about emoticons.

I agree with Steve, the original series was a very emotionless show for the most part, but when it got soppy it was fantastic - a great example was the Third Doctor's reaction to Jo's engagement, very touching.

[SiHart]

I think some of the most emotional stuff in the show happens in the first three adventures, where there's very real emotions on display- anger, fear, relief, because the original TARDIS crew were particualrly well written. Look at Barbara in The Edge of Destruction tearing the Doctor off a strip or look at them all in the cell in the Dalek city where being close to death brings them all close together or in the cave of skulls...

Si xx

[Captain Tancredi]

Offhand, the point towards the end of Part 1 of 'The War Games' where the Doctor says goodbye to Zoe knowing that in all likelihood he's about to be shot and doesn't have a plan for getting out of it.

[Jeff]

I don't think it is correct to say that the old series wasn't emotional compared to the new series... I think it would be more accurate to say that the new series is more 'melodramatic' than the old series instead.

We could come up with tons of examples of emotion in the old series, I'm sure. The difference is the stories weren't built around them.