William Hartnell: 100 years

[Dirk Gently]

DWM have made a good point for this thread without trying. On the Galaxy Forum page. There's a picture of William Hartnell visiting children in hospital in his Doctor costume with a smile on his face. I'm not aware of any other Doctor doing that.

[SiHart]

Tom Baker said he used to go and do that sort of thing too.

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

So did Alan Partridge.

[Antony Cox]

A-ha...

[WhiteCrow]

"You know, I couldn't go out into the high street without a bunch of kids follwing me. I felt like Billie Piper....um...er...no that's not right. I felt like the Pied Piper, yes, that's it...."



http://www.nic.com/~dzien/drwho/whob1.html

Proves my belief that Ms Piper was destined for the role, making Rose the best companion EVER - it's official.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Just a thought... has anyone here actually ever used the word "crotchety" in any context other than discussing the first Doctor's character? Or even really heard it used anywhere else in general?

[Pip Madeley]

Memories? There are so many. There was the occasion when I arrived at an air display in the TARDIS and the kids were convinced I had flown it there! On another occasion I went by limousine to open a local fete. When we got there the children just converged on the car cheering and shouting, their faces all lit up. I knew then just how much the Doctor really meant to them.

Aww.

[WhiteCrow]

Just a thought... has anyone here actually ever used the word "crotchety" in any context other than discussing the first Doctor's character? Or even really heard it used anywhere else in general?

I have it often used in regards to me!

[Ralph]

Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that there were quite a few tender moments between the 3rd Doc & his companions. People more often than not tend to forget that.

Totally! The proof's there to be seen in the episodes and as for the banter on The Three Doctors - I love it!

[MacNimon]

Apart from watching An Unearthly Child as part of the 5 Faces season in 1981, the first time that I really got to see Hartnell in action was with the VHS release of The Daleks. The timing of this release was perfect, as at that time I was really pissed off with the series and the direction it had taken with Sylv McCoy and JN-T,this wasn't the series I'd grown up with and loved any more...but watching this early serial reminded me just why I had once loved the series so much, even though this serial was completely new to me. If it hadn't been for Hartnell, chances are that I'd have walked away from Doctor Who altogether at the time.

As time went on, I really enjoyed discovering all those other 'new' Hartnell stories, more so than any other era other than those I grew up with (Pertwee & early Tom Baker). Although there were a few turkeys along the way, I still feel that there was something magical and innocent about that era. To this day, he remains my 3rd favourite Doc, behind Pertwee and Baker. That young upstart Tennant has a long way to go yet before he can even lace these guys boots!

[Dirk Gently]

It seems I'm with a lot of others in that my first time I saw Hartnell properly was with the video of The Daleks. I missed the 5 faces so never saw a Hartnell repeat.

[WhiteCrow]

It seems I'm with a lot of others in that my first time I saw Hartnell properly was with the video of The Daleks. I missed the 5 faces so never saw a Hartnell repeat.

Yes - well in those pre-video days it was the first opportunity to see the past incarnations of the Doctor. I'd read about them, but to see them was something else.

I to be honest didn't warm to Hartnell, and found the story dull, hating the fact they didn't show the Daleks instead.

But from that season, I got to really love Patrick Troughtons Doctor. I remember really enjoying the Krotons.

As time has gone of I've really warmed to Hartnell, I like the energy a lot of those early shows have, and the mystery around the Doctor himself.

As for the man himself ... legend or monster? I think he probably could be very difficult at times, but not the tyrant some portray. Certainly he was a man of a different generation, and probably held ideas which it's easy to be offended by today.

But I remember a documentary where his Granddaughter said, he always had a great affection for the role, and he still made a lot of public appearances as the Doctor after Patrick had taken over the role.

On the other hand, some of the commentaries on Dalek Invasion of the Earth suggest that he felt almost trapped by the role from doing anything a bit more worthy.

I think like his Doctor, he seems a man who never really seems to add up. A man of contradications and mystery, which in many ways is why we're still wondering WHO? about him.

[Dirk Gently]

...he seems a man who never really seems to add up. A man of contradications...

To be honest, we can all come across like that. Especially me.