50 First Episodes

[SiHart]

Number 33:
The Three Doctors (1972)

Oh this one is just an absolute joy. Begins quietly enough like many a Pertwee story then turns into something extraordinary when we have our first glimpse of the planet of the Time Lords, and then, gasp! an old Doctor, and then another old Doctor! Blimey! Just so, so lovely!

[SiHart]

Number 34:
An Unearthly Child 1963

Where it all began, the very first part one. It's difficult to fault this one. It gets it all so right- it's mysterious and intriguing and spooky and wonderful. It turns on its head from a run of the mill school drama to something extraordinary.

There are so many magical moments, but the best of them is when Barbara first walks through the TARDIS doors into the huge control room and the look on her face at that moment- bewildered and amazed is wonderful. An absolute triumph.

[SiHart]

Number 35:
Dimensions in Time (1993)

This is the part one with the most Doctors in it! 5 of them!

OK, this is rubbish, but I absolutely love it to bits. It's fun, the dialogue is rubbish but quotable, and it's just lovely to see everyone. Davison comes in for the last minute and steals the show by being utterly brilliant. Pertwee is commanding, Colin is brash, Tom is reading from the autocue and Sylvester is wonderfully eccentric.

[SiHart]

Number 36:
Death to the Daleks (1974)

From the ridiculous to the sublime. Terry Nation knows how to do a good part one, and Michael Briant rises to the challenge of the script to give us a scary and atmospheric episode. The idea of the TARDIS failing is great- it makes the Doctor and Sarah's peril all the more real, because there is no escape until they find out what has drained all the power.

Exxilon is nicely done. I love the way you don't know what are rock formations and what are actually living Exxillons. That makes it quite scary, especially when they unexpectedly start to move. It was a good move getting the costumes to look so much like the location quarry! Unexpectedly, they sing too. You don't get many singing aliens in Doctor Who!

Of course you know what the cliffhanger will be, but hey, that's all part of the fun.

[SiHart]

Number 37:
Masque of Mandragora (1976)

I like the opening scenes in the TARDIS. At this point in the show's history, the interior of the TARDIS hadn't really been shown very much for quite a long time, so bringing it back in and introducing the new control room is rather lovely. Tom and Lis seem to be enjoying these scenes a lot- there is a lovely warmth to them.

I like the way we start in a big sci-fi story and then head back to renaissance Italy. The two don't seem to be linked at first, but we realise that what happens in the story is all down to the Doctor. He brought the Mandragora energy to Earth in the TARDIS. Nice.

[Rob McCow]

And there's that orange-eating scene, isn't there?

[Stuart Wallis]

Tom is reading from the autocue

"Aahhhh, well that's what I've always done; learn from a script? I should cocoa!"

[SiHart]

Number 38:
The Assassination Games (2013)

I very much enjoyed this. There's not a lot of the Doctor and Ace in it, so it feels like they're infiltrating a Counter Measures story. Since I rather like the Counter Measures series, this really isn't a huge problem! The three returnees from Remembrance are fabulous. The themes are very 1963, Very cold war. Great stuff- can't wait to hear the rest of it.

[SiHart]

Number 39:
Remembrance of the Daleks (1988)

It's a noisy episode, full of guns and explosions, but my goodness it's a great part one. Sylvester is a revelation in this. So very good, such a contrast to Dragonfire and all the better for it I think. Sophie is immediately likeable in this too.

Cosidering the budget, this still look good. The Dalek effects are fine- the gun shots still look rather fine now, and 1963 is nicely protrayed on screen without too many obvious anachronisms. The cliffhanger is still awesome!

[SiHart]

Number 40:
The Ribos Operation (1978)

This is an episode it's easy to love. It's got an ever so witty script from Robert Holmes, with lots of easy banter between the Doctor and Fred, sorry, Romana, and between Garron and Unstoffe- a great double act, along with the rather straighter dialogue for the Graff and Shurlack. As it's so entertaining the 25 minutes pass very quickly indeed.

The Guardian scene sets us off on the quest for the Key to Time. Tom baker once described it as two old sweats filling in the plot, but again the dialogue and the acting turn it into something very entertaining indeed. There's a real feeling of power from the Guardian thanks to the Doctor's little seen deference to him, but also in the off hand way the Guardian issues his threats, like it'd be so easy to make sure nothing ever happens to the Doctor again, Splendid.

I want to go on the quest for the Key again.

[Nyder]

After reading your review Si, so do I!

[SiHart]

Number 41:
The Armageddon Factor (1979)

I always forget how grim the atmosphere of this first episode is. Atrios really feels like a war torn place- the dull grey corridors, dour performances, the shonky hospital. It's all rather nasty really. Addf to that the propaganda film (Young men are dying for it!) and the Marshall's stirring speeches (great performance from John Woodvine) and you get a feel for a planet at war.

Into this you throw The Doctor and Romana and K9, who's flippancy is a huge contrast to the place you find themselves in. It works- Tom's quipping seems out of place, which is why it's so good.

[Rob McCow]

The Armageddon Factor is one of the most under-rated stories in the whole of Doctor Who. A cracking script let down by some desperately uninspired set design.

[SiHart]

Number 42:
The Mutants (1972)

Funny old episode this one, because not only is it dull, it's also fairly tedious. It's difficult to get a part one wrong, but this one is hardly inspiring. i suppose at the time there was a thought behind the scenes that a story set in the future and in outer space would be enough of a novelty to hold the audience's attention, but it's not really enough.

It's a shame as there are some nice performances from Garrick Hagon and Geoffrey Palmer too, but some of the others leave much to be desired- poor old Rick James seems to be out of his depth most of the time. It's a very lacklustre performance (and that's me being nice!)

Christopher Barry is trying to keep things interesting with some nice direction and clever effects, but ultimately it's an episode you just want to end.

[SiHart]

Number 43:
State of Decay (1980)

Gorgeous episode this one. Wrapped up in Paddy Kingsland music, I adore this. OK, Tom and Lalla aren't looking at each other in every other scene, Tom is ;looking well, but there's a joy to this episode that comes from the dialogue and the acting that saves this from being a schlocky retread of a thousand Hammer horror films.

And there's a fantastic shot of a slow motion bat superimposed over Aukon's face. That is just superb!

[Nyder]

I had the audio tape to this so I know the story quite well. I'll have to re-visit the E-space stories again soon!

[SiHart]

Number 44:
Human Nature (2007)

A very fine part one indeed. David Tennant does such a great job of making John Smith different to his Doctor. He really fees like he's a product of 1911 in demeanour and attitude to the world around him. The differences to the Doctor seems pointed- Smith allowing Tim to be beaten for instance, or standing back watching as the boys practice with the Gatling guns- not something you imagine Tennant's Doctor would ever allow.

She gets a lot of stick, but Freema is magnificent here. Martha is really likeable, and the only bit that sticks out is the unrequited love. It's such a shame she got saddled with that plotline, as aside from that, she's capable and likeable and a really good companion. can you imagine how Rose would have gone to pieces in this episode if it had been in the previous season?

Good performances all round- especially from the magnificent Harry Lloyd who is delightfully chilling as Son of Mine.

[SiHart]

Number 45:
Seeds of Doom (1976)

The Doctor is in an odd mood this week. He's at his grimmest, but fortunately there's still room for a grins and he's packed his toothbrush. It comes at an odd time for the show, because it's obvious he's called in via UNIT, but at a time when the ties were being severed with that period of the show. It probably seems odder with hindsight than it did at the time. It's especially odd considering how cross the Doctor was at the start of Morbius when he was called in to sort a situation out by a third party.

Anyway, lovely episode. The Antarctic scenes are done pretty convincingly and it's not easy to tell what's on location and what's done at TV Centre in the studio. Oh and of course, there's a lovely cameo from TV Centre too. Its very well cast the direction is great, but not showy. Like in the recently found Web of Fear pt 4, Camfield gives Tom Baker a magical moment in close up and Tom plays it for it's worth.

[Nyder]

You're doing well Si :-) Only 5 left - wonder what you'll choose for Number 50??

[SiHart]

Number 50 was the first one I chose. Not long till you find out!

[SiHart]

Number 46:
Seeds of Death (1969)

This is expertly directed. It's got some really good moments- the intro model shots of the Earth and Moon are superb, the hand held style bits for when Slaar arrives on the moonbase, the point of view shots are very nicely done in general Michael Ferguson makes this a stylish looking episode.

The episode rests on the premise that T-Mat failure would make the world crumble. It's somewhat unlikely that one form of transport would so dominate everything to the extent that there is literally no toher method of transporting stuff, but there we are, the people of the future are silly billys apparently.

I like the characters. Fewsham is fascinating, a coward who'll do whatever he can to stay alive. While I think we'd all like to believe we'd be the hero in a situation like that, it's probably far more likely we'd end up like Fewsham instead. Lovely performance from Terry Scully, who seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown in every scene.

[SiHart]

Number 47:
Caves of Androzani (1984)

Stylish direction, dialogue, acting, cheap sets that somehow feel real because the lighting is stylish, great music that adds to the style. This is one stylish pt 1.

[Rob McCow]

Stylish!

Seeds of Death is still the best Ice Warrior Story, I reckon.

[SiHart]

I think you are very probably right about that.

[SiHart]

Number 48:
Underworld (1978)

Even a bad story can have a good part one. This has some good moments. The mythology of the show is added to a great deal- lots of talk of the early days of the Time Lords are thrown into the mix, as are little hints of the future of humanity. All good. There's a nice weariness in the performances of the Minyan characters which emphasise the length of their quest (the Quest is the Quest) and the regeneration scene is good, again linking the Minyans and the Time Lords together.

The modelwork is fabulous- very high quality. The CSO on the screens is very good too. Obviously the worst was yet to come!