Doctor Who 2005 Season 2 Episode 1 Torrent

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Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The show has been a large influence in the media since its inception in 1963. Along with the regular series, special Christmas episodes were broadcast every year between 2005, the year of the programme's revival, and 2017's 'Twice Upon a Time'. The special episodes were moved to New Year's Day in 2019.[1]

Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 1 Putlocker Watch. 2005 / Doctor Who / Season 1 / Episode 1. As We do not host any films, media files like (Flv,Mp3, Mp4, Torrent). Doctor Who 2005 2005 Season 2 Episode 1 - Duration: 31:46. Velas Dusy 6,257 views. Doctor Who: Some of Matt Smith's Funniest Moments - Duration.

  • 1Episodes

Episodes[edit]

Classic era[edit]

During the first run of the programme (1963 to 1989), special episodes were not a frequent occurrence. During the third season, the twelve-part serial The Daleks' Master Plan was broadcast weekly over the 1965-66 Christmas period, with its seventh and eighth episodes scheduled for Christmas and New Year's Day respectively. The former, entitled 'The Feast of Steven', was scripted as a comic interlude in the style of a pantomime, in the middle of an otherwise epic adventure.[2] In its final scene, as the Doctor and his companions celebrate Christmas with a toast, the Doctor (William Hartnell) turns to the camera and breaks the fourth wall by saying 'Incidentally, a happy Christmas to all of you at home.'[2] The following episode, 'Volcano', returns to the main narrative of The Daleks' Masterplan, although its ending briefly features a contemporary New Year's Eve.[2] No subsequent episodes of the series' original run were broadcast on Christmas Day; the first episodes of Day of the Daleks (1972) and The Face of Evil (1977) were first shown on New Year's Day, but make no reference to the holiday season.

Revived era[edit]

SpecialStoryTitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
UK viewers
(millions) [3]
AI [3]
Tenth Doctor
1167'The Christmas Invasion'James HawesRussell T Davies25 December 20052X9.8484
Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and the newly-regenerated Tenth Doctor return to Rose's house, where Rose, her mother Jackie (Camille Coduri) and her former boyfriend Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) carry him inside to rest. When out shopping, Rose and Mickey are attacked by Santa robots; the Doctor theorises that energy from his regeneration has lured them here. Prime MinisterHarriet Jones (Penelope Wilton) is threatened by the leader of the Sycorax to give them half of the Earth's population as slaves; Harriet tries to negotiate and is transmatted on their ship. Rose, Mickey, and Jackie drag the Doctor onto the TARDIS, but the TARDIS is detected by the Sycorax and they transport it to their ship, with Rose, Mickey, and the Doctor inside. After the Doctor has fully recovered, he challenges the Sycorax leader to a sword fight for the future of the Earth, which he eventually wins. However, the Sycorax ship is destroyed against the Doctor's wishes by Harriet Jones, who had called Torchwood on the matter.
2178'The Runaway Bride'Euros LynRussell T Davies25 December 20063X9.3584
Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), a woman about to walk down the aisle on her wedding day, suddenly materialises in the TARDIS, much to the shock of both her and the Doctor, who has just said his final goodbyes to Rose Tyler. While trying to get her back to her wedding, the Time Lord discovers that Noble has unwittingly been placed into the center of an alien plot to release an alien spider's offspring trapped in the centre of the Earth, which would thereby destroy the planet. The two must face the Empress of Racnoss (Sarah Parish), the alien spider and the last of her kind, together to stop it.
3188'Voyage of the Damned'James StrongRussell T Davies25 December 20074X13.3186
The Doctor finds his TARDIS colliding with an interstellar replica of the famous ocean liner Titanic orbiting present-day Earth, during a Christmas party. With the help of a waitress named Astrid (Kylie Minogue) and several passengers, the Doctor must take on an enemy called the Heavenly Host as the lives of the Titanic crew and those on Earth are in danger. The angels have been tasked with killing everyone aboard and crashing the space liner into the Earth. The reason why is not obvious though the ship's owner, Max Capricorn, has his reasons. Can the Doctor stop the Christmas inferno?
4199'The Next Doctor'Andy GoddardRussell T Davies25 December 20084.1413.1086
This special sees the return of the Cybermen (of the design of the parallel universe's Cybus Industries Cybermen), following their previous appearance in the two-part finale of series two in 2006, 'Army of Ghosts'/'Doomsday'. Having fallen back in time to Victorian London, the Cybermen create a huge 'Cyber-King' with child labour and the help of Miss Hartigan (Dervla Kirwan). Meanwhile Jackson Lake (David Morrissey) has accidentally absorbed the Doctor's memories and thinks himself to be the Doctor.
5a202aThe End of Time, Part OneEuros LynRussell T Davies25 December 20094.1712.0487
On the Ood-Sphere in 4226, the Ood warn the Doctor that the Master has returned, heralding 'the end of time'. On Earth, a cult of women resurrect the Master, but Lucy Saxon sabotages the ceremony, causing the Master to be brought back with incredible strength but constant hunger. Arriving back on Earth on Christmas Eve, the Doctor encounters Wilfred Mott. The Doctor finds the Master at wastelands outside London, and learns that the Master has been suffering from hearing the sound of drums. The Master is taken by armed troops and placed in custody of Joshua Naismith. Naismith has recovered a broken alien 'Immortality Gate' and wants the Master to fix its programming. The Doctor regroups with Wilfred; a woman in white warns Wilfred to arm himself before departing. At Naismith's mansion, the Doctor and Wilfred meet two Vinvocci disguised as humans, who assert the Gate is a harmless medical device from their homeworld. The Master activates the Gate, which he has reprogrammed to replace all of humankind's DNA with his own; only Wilfred and Donna are unchanged, and Donna remembers the Doctor. Elsewhere, the Lord President of the Time Lords asserts their plan can continue, and that the Time Lords will return.
5b202bThe End of Time, Part TwoEuros LynRussell T Davies1 January 20104.1812.2789
The Doctor and Wilfred become fugitives from the Masters, and take refuge on the Vinvocci spacecraft. The Lord President implants the sound of drums in the Master's head as a child, and launches a whitepoint star to Earth, to be used to create a link that allows the Time Lords to bring Gallifrey to Earth. The Lord President and an ensemble of Time Lords appear in Naismith's mansion. The Doctor and the Vinvocci bring the ship to land, the Doctor jumps from it. The Doctor debates between shooting the Master or the Lord President. The Doctor spots the same woman in white Wilfred had seen, who silently communicates to him. The Doctor fires the gun at the whitepoint star, shattering it. As Gallifrey is pulled back, the Lord President, Rassilon, attempts to kill the Doctor, but the Master intervenes, and humanity is restored as Gallifrey returns. The Doctor finds Wilfred is now trapped in one of the Gate's control rooms that is about to be flooded by radiation. The Doctor sacrifices himself, and absorbs the radiation, but knows that his body will soon regenerate. After returning Wilfred, the Doctor visits past companions and acquaintances. Inside his TARDIS, the Doctor sets the TARDIS in flight before regenerating into the new Doctor.
Eleventh Doctor
6213'A Christmas Carol'Toby HaynesSteven Moffat25 December 20102.X12.1183
A space liner containing 4,000 people and Amy and Rory on their honeymoon becomes caught in an electrified cloud. The Doctor, summoned by Amy, lands on the planet beneath and discovers that the atmosphere is controlled by the miserly Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon) who refuses to let the ship safely land. The Doctor travels back to Kazran's youth and attempts to alter his past to make him kinder, spending time adventuring with young Kazran and a young woman named Abigail (Katherine Jenkins), who was released from a cryogenic chamber as her singing abilities calm the sharks which occupy the atmosphere. However, Abigail was suffering from an incurable disease, and Kazran grows up bitter that she cannot be let out again or she will die; but, the Doctor shows Kazran's younger self what he would become and he decides to release the ship. Unfortunately, Kazran's personality has changed too much for the atmosphere controls to recognize him, and the Doctor must convince Kazran to release Abigail so she can sing and calm the atmosphere, and the two enjoy their last time together.
7225'The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe'Farren BlackburnSteven Moffat25 December 2011X1110.7784
The Doctor crash-lands on Earth in 1938. He is helped back to the TARDIS by Madge Arwell (Claire Skinner). Three years later, Madge's husband Reg (Alexander Armstrong) has disappeared while piloting an Avro Lancaster bomber in the Second World War, but she keeps it a secret from her two children, Lily (Holly Earl) and Cyril (Maurice Cole). They evacuate London to stay at a house in Dorset, where the Doctor masquerades as the caretaker. Cyril is lured through a present, which is a portal to a winter planet. Looking for Cyril, the Doctor and Lily and later Madge enter the box; Madge encounters miners, who plan to harvest the trees. Lily and the Doctor follow Cyril's tracks to a tower where wooden humanoids attempt to put a crown on Cyril, which will allow the souls of the trees to escape. When Madge arrives, she is deemed strong enough to pilot the top of the tower to safety. When they land, Reg is alive as he had followed the light from the tower and landed safely. The Doctor turns down Christmas dinner with the family and visits Amy and Rory, two years after he last saw them.
8231'The Snowmen'Saul MetzsteinSteven Moffat25 December 20129.8787
Depressed after the loss of Amy and Rory, the Doctor hides himself in Victorian London. The 'Great Intelligence', a form of 'memory snow' which can mirror the thoughts of anything around it, hatches a plot to create an army of ice people. While Strax drives the Doctor around, they run into Clara, a barmaid. The Doctor refuses to investigate the snowmen and returns to the TARDIS, in a cloud above London, accessible via a staircase. Clara soon returns to her job as a governess and learns of the danger to all of humanity. She turns to the Doctor for help and he takes action. With Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Strax, the Doctor and Clara defeat the Great Intelligence and its human servant. In the process, the Doctor regains his enthusiasm, deciding to take Clara on as his companion. However, Clara is thrown off the edge of a cloud and falls to her death. The Doctor discovers Clara's full name – Clara Oswin Oswald – and realises that Clara is the same person as Oswin Oswald. Concluding that she is likely still alive in some other time and leaves in the TARDIS to find her.
9241'The Time of the Doctor'Jamie PayneSteven Moffat25 December 201311.1483
A message echoing through all of time and space emanates from the farming town of Christmas on the planet Trenzalore, where a prophecy states the Doctor will spend the last of his years. With the help of the Papal Mainframe, the Doctor and Clara travel to the village and discover that the message is being sent from Gallifrey by the Time Lords. Sending Clara home, he proceeds to spend hundreds of years fighting and defending Trenzalore against hordes of aliens determined to prevent the Time Lords from returning. Clara returns to find the Daleks are the last remaining aliens, and that the Doctor has fought for so long, with no more regenerations, that he is on the cusp of dying of old age. As the Doctor faces his last stand, Clara convinces the Time Lords to give the Doctor a new regeneration cycle. The Doctor begins to regenerate, destroying the Daleks and ending the war. Clara returns to the TARDIS to find a rejuvenated Doctor about to finish his regeneration. After vowing to remember the incarnation he was and hallucinating a final goodbye to Amy Pond, he finally regenerates into the Twelfth Doctor, as the TARDIS suddenly begins crashing.
Twelfth Doctor
10253'Last Christmas'Paul WilmshurstSteven Moffat25 December 20148.2882
Clara is awakened and discovers Santa Claus on her rooftop. As she tries to deny his existence, the Doctor arrives and takes her away in the TARDIS. At the North Pole, a group of scientists work on trying to save their fellow base personnel who have been taken over by crab-like creatures. The Doctor and Clara arrive at the base and come under attack from the crabs, only to be rescued by Santa. The Doctor realizes the creatures are Dream Crabs, alien crabs that induce a dream state while devouring a person's brain. The Doctor realizes everyone is in a dream, with Santa being part of it. They escape when they dream that Santa is flying them home. One by one they wake up and their crabs die, until only Clara is left. The Doctor awakens and removes the crab from Clara, only to discover that it has been 62 years for her since they last met. Santa appears and the Doctor realizes he is still dreaming. Back in reality, the Doctor finds Clara at her normal age. He asks Clara if she wants to rejoin him aboard the TARDIS; she accepts.
11263'The Husbands of River Song'Douglas MackinnonSteven Moffat25 December 20157.6982
The Doctor is on the planet Mendorax Dellora in 5343, where due to a case of mistaken identity he is recruited by his former companion and wife River Song to assist her in removing a diamond from the head of King Hydroflax after his maligned attempt to steal it. Surprised that River cannot identify his newest face, the Doctor struggles to break the news to her while learning how she acts on her own – and how many other lovers she has had. The Doctor and River bring the head of Hydroflax to the starship Harmony and Redemption to sell it, and a series of events cause River to discover the Doctor's identity. The starship is caught in a meteor strike and crashes into the planet Darillium, where the Doctor and River are fated to have their final date together before River dies meeting a younger Doctor. Having deliberately held it off for as long as possible, the Doctor finally decides to give in and arranges for a restaurant to be constructed on the planet. The Doctor and River then have their final date together, which lasts for 24 years – the span of a night on Darillium.
12264'The Return of Doctor Mysterio'Ed BazalgetteSteven Moffat25 December 20167.8382
The Doctor, with Nardole, investigates the New York branch of 'Harmony Shoal', a multinational research company. Also investigating is journalist Lucy Fletcher, and they discover that Harmony Shoal is transplanting alien brains into humans. One of the alien workers finds the three, but they are rescued by the superhero called the Ghost, an alter ego for Grant Gordon, whom the Doctor met several years beforehand when Grant was a child and accidentally turned him into a superhero. Grant is also a nanny working for Lucy. However Lucy is unaware of Grant's true identity. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Nardole find the aliens' ship, but soon discover that the ship has been turned into a bomb that will crash into New York as part of a complex plan to implant the alien brains into world leaders, thereby giving them control of the Earth. However, the Doctor aims the ship towards New York earlier than planned and the collision is stopped by Grant, revealing his identity to Lucy. After he and Lucy announce their love for each other, Grant throws the ship into the sun. UNIT then shuts down Harmony Shoal, but an alien brain implants itself into a UNIT soldier.
13276'Twice Upon a Time'Rachel TalalaySteven Moffat25 December 20177.9281
Wandering back to his TARDIS at the South Pole, the First Doctor refuses to regenerate. He encounters the Twelfth Doctor outside his own TARDIS in a similar state of mind. The pair are approached by a displaced, confused and injured First World War British captain. All three are abducted by a spaceship, where inside they meet Bill Potts. They are offered freedom by the ship's glass-like holographic pilot in exchange for allowing the return of the captain. They escape and take the First Doctor's TARDIS to Villengard. Alone, the Twelfth Doctor meets with the rogue Dalek Rusty. Given access to the Dalek Hivemind, the Doctor learns that the pilot and its ship, known as Testimony is designed to extract people when they died, and archive their memories; Bill is one such avatar. The Doctors agree to return the captain to his timeline. The First Doctor informs the Twelfth that he is prepared to regenerate, and returns to his TARDIS. After being alone with Bill's avatar, the Doctor returns to the TARDIS and regenerates after relaying advice to his next incarnation. After the Thirteenth Doctor examines her reflection, the TARDIS suffers 'multiple operations failures'. Tumbling out of the ship, the console room explodes and the TARDIS dematerialises, as the Doctor plummets towards the Earth.
Thirteenth Doctor[1]
14287'Resolution'Wayne YipChris Chibnall1 January 20197.1380
On New Year's Day 2019 in Sheffield, archaeologists Lin and Mitch unintentionally revive a deadly intelligence that has been separated and dormant on Earth since the 9th century. The Doctor is alerted to its presence, and lands the TARDIS at Lin and Mitch's dig. The Doctor takes a sample of the creature's slime, while the squid-like creature attaches itself to Lin's back. At Graham and Ryan's home, the latter's father Aaron returns. Ryan agrees to talk to him, while the Doctor discovers that the creature she faces is a Dalek. Controlling Lin, the Dalek steals a ray gun belonging to its race from an archive base and constructs a makeshift Dalek casing out of scrap metal. The Doctor and her friends find Lin, freed from the Dalek's control, and the Doctor confronts the rebuilt creature. The Dalek flies off and attempts to summon a battle fleet, but the Doctor follows and defeats it with the help of Aaron's microwave oven. The exposed mutant creature possesses Aaron in an attempt to force the Doctor to take it to Skaro, but she releases it into a supernova instead.

Home media release[edit]

The DVD cover art for Doctor Who – The 10 Christmas Specials.

The Christmas specials between 'The Christmas Invasion' and 'Last Christmas', inclusive, were released as a DVD and Blu-ray boxset titled Doctor Who – The 10 Christmas Specials on 19 October 2015.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ abDee, Christel (14 November 2018). 'Doctor Who festive special to air on New Year's Day'. Doctor Who TV. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  2. ^ abcCornell, Paul; Day, Martin; Topping, Keith; Howe, David J.; Walker, Stephen James. 'Doctor Who: The Classic Series — The Daleks' Master Plan'. BBC Doctor Who website. BBC. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  3. ^ ab'Ratings Guide'. Doctor Who News.
  4. ^'Doctor Who News: Doctor Who - The Ten Christmas Specials'. Doctor Who News. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Doctor_Who_Christmas_and_New_Year%27s_specials&oldid=894077626'
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This article is about the 1963/64 season. For the 2005 series, see Doctor Who (series 1).
Doctor Who (season 1)
Cover art of the Region 2 DVD release for first serial of the season
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of stories8
No. of episodes42 (9 missing)
Release
Original networkBBC TV / BBC1[a]
Original release23 November 1963 –
12 September 1964
Season chronology
List of Doctor Who episodes (1963–1989)

The first season of Britishscience fiction television programme Doctor Who was originally broadcast on BBC TV[a] between 1963 and 1964. The series began on 23 November 1963 with An Unearthly Child and ended with The Reign of Terror on 12 September 1964. The show was created by BBC Television head of drama Sydney Newman to fill the Saturday evening timeslot and appeal to both the younger and older audiences of the neighbouring programmes. Formatting of the programme was handled by Newman, head of serials Donald Wilson, writer C. E. Webber, and producer Rex Tucker. Production was overseen by the BBC's first female producer Verity Lambert and story editor David Whitaker, both of whom handled the scripts and stories.

The season introduces William Hartnell as the first incarnation of the Doctor, an alien who travels through time and space in his TARDIS, which appears to be a British police box on the outside. Carole Ann Ford is also introduced as the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman, who acts as his companion alongside her schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, portrayed by William Russell and Jacqueline Hill, respectively. Throughout the season, the Doctor and his companions travel throughout history and into the future. Historical stories were intended to educate viewers about significant events in history, such as the Aztec civilisation and the French Revolution; futuristic episodes took a more subtle approach to educating viewers, such as the theme of pacifism with the Daleks.

The first eight serials were written by six writers: Whitaker, Anthony Coburn, Terry Nation, John Lucarotti, Peter R. Newman, and Dennis Spooner. The show was developed with three particular story types envisioned: past history, future technology, and alternative present; Coburn, Lucarotti, and Spooner wrote historical episodes, Nation and Newman penned futuristic stories, and Whitaker wrote a 'filler' serial set entirely in the TARDIS. The serials were mostly directed by junior directors, such as Waris Hussein, John Gorrie, John Crockett, Henric Hirsch, Richard Martin, Christopher Barry, and Frank Cox; the exception is experienced director Mervyn Pinfield, who directed the first four episodes of The Sensorites. Filming started in September 1963 and lasted for approximately nine months, with weekly recording taking place mostly at Lime Grove Studios or the BBC Television Centre.

The first episode, overshadowed by the assassination of John F. Kennedy the previous day, was watched by 4.4 million viewers; the episode was repeated the following week, and the programme gained popularity with audiences, particularly with the introduction of the Daleks in the second serial, which peaked at 10.4 million viewers. The season received generally positive reviews, with praise particularly directed at the scripts and performances. However, many retrospective reviewers noted that Susan lacked character development and was generally portrayed as a damsel in distress, a criticism often echoed by Ford. Several episodes were erased by the BBC between 1967 and 1972, and only 33 of a total of 42 episodes survive; all seven episodes of Marco Polo and two episodes of The Reign of Terror remain missing. The existing serials received several VHS and DVD releases as well as tie-in novels.

  • 2Production
  • 3Release
  • 4Reception

Serials[edit]

See also: List of Doctor Who episodes (1963–1989)
StorySerialSerial titleEpisode titlesDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
UK viewers
(millions) [2]
AI[2]
11An Unearthly Child'An Unearthly Child'Waris HusseinAnthony Coburn23 November 1963A4.463
'The Cave of Skulls'Waris HusseinAnthony Coburn30 November 1963A5.959
'The Forest of Fear'Waris HusseinAnthony Coburn7 December 1963A6.956
'The Firemaker'Waris HusseinAnthony Coburn14 December 1963A6.455
Schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are concerned about one of their pupils, Susan Foreman. When they visit her address to investigate, they encounter a police box and hear Susan's voice inside. An old man arrives, but refuses to let the teachers inside the police box; when they enter, they discover it is much bigger on the inside. Susan explains that the object is a time and space machine called the TARDIS and the old man is her grandfather, the Doctor. Refusing to let Ian and Barbara leave, the Doctor sets the TARDIS in flight and ends up in the Stone Age. After exiting the TARDIS, tribe man Kal witnesses the Doctor light a match and takes back to the tribe; Ian, Barbara, and Susan intervene, but the group is imprisoned in a large cave. Kal says they will be sacrificed if they do not make fire. While Ian tries to start a fire, Kal enters the cave and attacks the leader Za, but is killed. Ian gives a burning torch to Za, who shows it to the tribe and is declared leader. The group flee to the TARDIS and escape through time and space to a silent and unknown forest.
22The Daleks'The Dead Planet'Richard MartinTerry Nation21 December 1963B6.959
'The Survivors'Richard MartinTerry Nation28 December 1963B6.458
'The Escape'Christopher BarryTerry Nation4 January 1964B8.963
'The Ambush'Richard MartinTerry Nation11 January 1964B9.963
'The Expedition'Richard MartinTerry Nation18 January 1964B9.963
'The Ordeal'Christopher BarryTerry Nation25 January 1964B10.463
'The Rescue'Christopher BarryTerry Nation1 February 1964B10.465
The TARDIS lands in a petrified jungle, where they find an advanced city and decide to explore it. Barbara becomes separated from her colleagues, threatened by an unseen creature. Before long, the entire crew is captured by the Daleks, and learn they are in the middle of a war between the Daleks and the pacifistic Thals. Susan attempts to broker peace between the two groups, and while it appears to work, the Daleks eventually betray the Thals, opening fire on them at what was supposed to be a peaceful exchange of food. The Thals conclude that Daleks need radiation to survive and decide to bombard the atmosphere with more radiation. In order to save them from the Daleks, the TARDIS crew convinces the Thals of the importance of aggression and warfare, and manages to lead the Thals in a successful attack against the Daleks. At the end, it is believed the Dalek race has been destroyed when their power supply is knocked out. The TARDIS crew leave Skaro, but an explosion in the TARDIS knocks them out.
33The Edge of Destruction'The Edge of Destruction'Richard MartinDavid Whitaker8 February 1964C10.461
'The Brink of Disaster'Frank CoxDavid Whitaker15 February 1964C9.960
The Doctor, while attempting to correct the TARDIS's faulty navigation circuits, causes a small explosion. The Doctor, Barbara, Ian, and Susan are all temporarily rendered unconscious. After they awake, Ian and Susan appear to have slight cases of amnesia and everyone begins to act strangely. Gradually it becomes clear that the strange events are an attempt by the TARDIS itself to warn the crew that something is wrong. Barbara's clue gathering forces the Doctor to trace the problem to a broken spring in the Fast Return Switch. The malfunction is causing the TARDIS to head back to the beginning of time; the strange events were just attempts by the TARDIS to warn the passengers before the ship is destroyed. Fixing the switch brings all back to normal.
44Marco Polo'The Roof of the World'Waris HusseinJohn Lucarotti22 February 1964D9.463
'The Singing Sands'Waris HusseinJohn Lucarotti29 February 1964D9.462
'Five Hundred Eyes'Waris HusseinJohn Lucarotti7 March 1964D9.462
'The Wall of Lies'John CrockettJohn Lucarotti14 March 1964D9.960
'Rider from Shang-Tu'Waris HusseinJohn Lucarotti21 March 1964D9.459
'Mighty Kublai Khan'Waris HusseinJohn Lucarotti28 March 1964D8.459
'Assassin at Peking'Waris HusseinJohn Lucarotti4 April 1964D10.459
The TARDIS crew lands in the Pamir Mountains of the Himalayas in 1289, their ship badly damaged, and are picked up by Marco Polo's caravan on its way along the fabled Silk Road to see the Emperor Kublai Khan. The TARDIS crew attempt to thwart the machinations of Tegana, who attempts to sabotage the caravan along its travels through the Pamir Plateau and across the treacherous Gobi Desert, and ultimately to assassinate Kublai Khan in Peking, at the height of his imperial power. The Doctor and his companions also attempt to regain the TARDIS, which Marco Polo has taken to give to Kublai Khan in effort to regain the Emperor's good graces. Susan gets the TARDIS key from Ping-Cho but is captured by Tegana before they can depart. They are finally able to thwart Tegana, who kills himself, and, in doing so, regain the Emperor's respect for Marco Polo, who allows them to depart.
55The Keys of Marinus'The Sea of Death'John GorrieTerry Nation11 April 1964E9.962
'The Velvet Web'John GorrieTerry Nation18 April 1964E9.460
'The Screaming Jungle'John GorrieTerry Nation25 April 1964E9.961
'The Snows of Terror'John GorrieTerry Nation2 May 1964E10.460
'Sentence of Death'John GorrieTerry Nation9 May 1964E7.961
'The Keys of Marinus'John GorrieTerry Nation16 May 1964E6.963
After arriving on an island of glass surrounded by a sea of acid, the TARDIS crew are forced to find and retrieve the five keys of Marinus. Each key is scattered across the island and must not come into the wrong hands of the Yartek and Voord Warriors. After collecting the keys from a variety of cities and settings, the travellers return to the island, where the inhabitants have been held prisoner by Yartek and the four keys are seized. The Doctor frees the prisoners and unmasks the Voord. Ian gives Yartek a false key found in the screaming jungle; when Yartek places the key in the Conscience, the machine explodes and he is killed along with the occupying Voord. The Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara flee the tower with Altos and Sabetha before the growing blaze overtakes the ancient structure.
66The Aztecs'The Temple of Evil'John CrockettJohn Lucarotti23 May 1964F7.462
'The Warriors of Death'John CrockettJohn Lucarotti30 May 1964F7.462
'The Bride of Sacrifice'John CrockettJohn Lucarotti6 June 1964F7.957
'The Day of Darkness'John CrockettJohn Lucarotti13 June 1964F7.458
The TARDIS crew arrive in Mexico in the 15th century. With the TARDIS trapped in a tomb, Barbara is mistaken for a female reincarnation of the ancient high priest Yetaxa, and assumes her guise and identity. From her new position of power, Barbara sees her chance to bring an end to human sacrifice. Ian has been compelled into the military and fights the strongest warrior, Ixta, to prove his ability to command the Aztec forces. Cameca helps the Doctor and Ian find a way to re-enter the tomb by a secret entrance. Ian braves a treacherous tunnel in which he is almost drowned to re-enter the tomb by a secret door and soon tells his friends that they can flee. Despite her efforts, Barbara realises that she cannot change an entire culture. Autloc helps Barbara reunite with her friends. In a pitched battle to gain access to the tomb door, Ian kills Ixta in a fight to the death to protect the TARDIS crew, who leave knowing that despite their intervention, history will take its pre-destined course. As they depart, Tlotoxl is very much in control and sacrifices the Perfect Victim to end the naturally-occurring eclipse.
77The Sensorites'Strangers in Space'Mervyn PinfieldPeter R. Newman20 June 1964G7.959
'The Unwilling Warriors'Mervyn PinfieldPeter R. Newman27 June 1964G6.959
'Hidden Danger'Mervyn PinfieldPeter R. Newman11 July 1964G7.456
'A Race Against Death'Mervyn PinfieldPeter R. Newman18 July 1964G5.560
'Kidnap'Frank CoxPeter R. Newman25 July 1964G6.957
'A Desperate Venture'Frank CoxPeter R. Newman1 August 1964G6.957
The TARDIS travellers land on a spaceship and find a crew on an exploration mission from Earth orbiting Sense-Sphere. Its inhabitants, the Sensorites, refuse to let them leave the orbit. The Sensorites ask the crew to board Sense-Sphere and reveal that a previous Earth expedition caused them great misery. On their journey to Sense-Sphere, the party learns that the previous visitors from Earth exploited Sense-Sphere for its wealth. Some of the Sensorite Council believe the humans can help with the disease currently killing many Sensorites. The Doctor discovers and removes deadly nightshade from the aqueduct, the cause of the poisoning. Ian and the Doctor discover that monsters in the aqueduct were actually the survivors of the previous Earth mission, and they had been poisoning the Sensorites. Their deranged Commander leads them to the surface, where they are arrested by the Sensorites. The Doctor and his party return to the city, pleading clemency for the poisoners. The leader of the Sensorites agrees and sends them back.
88The Reign of Terror'A Land of Fear'Henric HirschDennis Spooner8 August 1964H6.958
'Guests of Madame Guillotine'Henric HirschDennis Spooner15 August 1964H6.954
'A Change of Identity'Henric HirschDennis Spooner22 August 1964H6.955
'The Tyrant of France'Henric HirschDennis Spooner29 August 1964H6.453
'A Bargain of Necessity'Henric HirschDennis Spooner5 September 1964H6.953
'Prisoners of Conciergerie'Henric HirschDennis Spooner12 September 1964H6.455
The TARDIS crew arrive outside Paris in 18th-century France. Ian, Barbara, and Susan are captured and taken to Paris to be guillotined. Ian's cellmate tells him that there is an English spy highly placed in the French Government, who is now being recalled to England. Barbara and Susan are rescued and taken to a safe house, where they are told that they will be smuggled out of France through an escape chain. Ian escapes his cell and finds Barbara and Susan. The Doctor reaches Paris and imitates a Regional Officer of the Provinces, and stays in the prison overnight. Barbara and Susan are later captured and taken to the prison, where they find the Doctor. The Doctor leads the Conciergerie to the English spy, where Ian relays a message revealing where a conspiracy against Maximilien Robespierre will take place. The spy arranges Susan's release from prison. The coup against Robespierre has begun. The spy heads for Calais and England. Meanwhile, the Doctor and his companions return to the TARDIS.

^†Episode is missing

Production[edit]

Conception[edit]

In December 1962, BBC Television's Controller of Programmes Donald Baverstock informed Head of Drama Sydney Newman of a gap in the schedule on Saturday evenings between the sports showcase Grandstand and the pop music programme Juke Box Jury. Baverstock figured that the programme should appeal to three audiences: children who had previously been accustomed to the timeslot, the teenage audience of Juke Box Jury, and the adult sports fan audience of Grandstand.[3] Newman decided that a science fiction programme should fill the gap.[4] Head of Serials Donald Wilson and writer C. E. Webber contributed heavily to the formatting of the programme, and co-wrote the programme's first format document with Newman;[5] the latter conceived the idea of a time machine larger on the inside than the outside, as well as the central character of the mysterious 'Doctor', and the show's name Doctor Who.[6][b] Production was initiated several months later and handed to producer Verity Lambert and story editor David Whitaker to oversee, after a brief period when the show had been handled by a 'caretaker' producer, Rex Tucker.[6]

Casting and characters[edit]

Carole Ann Ford in 1986
William Russell in 1998
Ford was chosen to portray the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman, while Russell plays her teacher Ian Chesterton.

William Hartnell portrayed the first incarnation of the Doctor (referred to as 'Dr. Who') in this season. The role was originally offered to Hugh David, Leslie French, Cyril Cusack, Alan Webb and Geoffrey Bayldon; David, Cusack and Webb turned down the role as they were reluctant to work on a series,[8][9] while Bayldon wished to avoid another 'old man' role.[9] Lambert and director Waris Hussein invited William Hartnell to play the role; Hartnell accepted the role after several discussions, viewing it as an opportunity to take his career in a new direction.[10] Hartnell had always wished to play an older character in his work, but failed to do so, becoming typecast as a 'tough' actor due to his roles in Carry On Sergeant (1958) and The Army Game (1957–61).[11] Although portrayed as grumpy and antagonistic in early episodes, the Doctor warms to his companions as the show progresses.[12]

Stella 9.1 crack. The Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman was portrayed by Carole Ann Ford, a 23-year-old who typically played younger roles. Lambert was originally in talks with actress Jacqueline Lenya for the role,[13] and several actresses auditioned for the part, including Christa Bergmann, Anne Castaldini, Maureen Crombie, Heather Fleming, Camilla Hasse, Waveney Lee, Anna Palk and Anneke Wills.[14] Ford felt that the character of Susan deteriorated throughout the series; although the show's initial pitch depicted Susan as a strange alien creature, she often played the damsel in distress role, panicking at minor events.[15] Susan's school teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright were played by William Russell and Jacqueline Hill, respectively. Russell was the only actor considered by Lambert for the role of Chesterton.[16] While Sally Home, Phyllida Law and Penelope Lee were considered for Barbara,[14] Lambert chose Hill, her friend, for the role.[17]

Writing[edit]

Three particular story types were envisioned for the show: history of the past, technology in the future, and alternatives of the present.[15] Historical stories were intended to educate viewers about significant events in history, such as the Aztec civilisation and the French Revolution; futuristic episodes took a more subtle approach to educating viewers, such as the theme of pacifism in The Daleks.[18]

The programme was originally intended to open with a serial entitled The Giants, written by Webber,[19] but was scrapped by June 1963 as the technical requirements of the storyline—which involved the leading characters being drastically reduced in size—were beyond the technical capabilities, and the story itself lacked the necessary impact for an opener. Due to the lack of scripts ready for production, the untitled second serial from Coburn was moved to first in the running order.[20] The order change necessitated rewriting the opening episode of Coburn's script to include some introductory elements of Webber's script for the first episode of The Giants; as a result, Webber received a co-writer's credit for 'An Unearthly Child' on internal BBC documentation.[21] Coburn also made several significant original contributions to the opening episode, most notably that the Doctor's time machine should resemble a police box, an idea he conceived after seeing a real police box while walking near his office.[21]

Some of the first season's stories feature historical figures such as Marco Polo (left) and Maximilien Robespierre (right).

The second serial of Doctor Who was always planned to be futuristic due to the historical nature of the first. Comedy writer Terry Nation had written a 26-page outline for a story entitled The Survivors at his home, influenced by the threat of racial extermination by the Nazis and the concerns of advanced warfare, as well as taking influences from H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine (1895).[22] Newman and Wilson were unhappy with the serial, having wanted to avoid featuring 'bug-eyed monsters'; however, with no other scripts prepared, they were forced to accept the serial for production.[23] Due to other sudden commitments, Nation quickly wrote the scripts for the serial at the rate of one per day.[24] Nation also wrote the show's fifth serial, The Keys of Marinus, to replace Dr Who and the Hidden Planet by Malcolm Hulke, which was deemed problematic and required rewrites. Nation and Whitaker decided to base the serial around a series of 'mini-adventures', each with a different setting and cast; Nation was intrigued by the idea of the TARDIS crew searching for parts of a puzzle.[25] Nation was also set to write the show's eighth serial, Doctor Who and the Red Fort, a seven-part story set during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, but other commitments prevented him from doing so.[26]

Newman suggested writer John Lucarotti to the production team during the show's early development. Lucarotti, who had recently worked on the 18-part radio serial The Three Journeys of Marco Polo (1955), penned a seven-part serial about the Italian merchant and explorer Marco Polo titled Dr Who and a Journey to Cathay.[27] Later known as Marco Polo, the serial was moved from its placement in the running order to accommodate The Edge of Destruction.[28] Lucarotti was approached to write The Aztecs while Marco Polo was in production. Having lived in Mexico, Lucarotti was fascinated by the Aztec civilisation[29] and their obsession with human sacrifice.[30] The show's eighth serial, The Reign of Terror, is also a historical story, though writer Dennis Spooner was initially interested in writing a science fiction story. Whitaker gave Spooner four possible historical subjects, and he ultimately selected the French Revolution.[31]

The show's third serial, The Edge of Destruction, was written as a 'filler' in case the show was not renewed beyond 13 episodes. Since the serial had no budget and minimal resources, Whitaker took the opportunity to develop an idea conceived during the show's formative weeks: a character-driven story exploring the facets of the TARDIS.[32] He wrote the script in two days, drawing upon influences of ghost stories and haunted houses.[33]Peter R. Newman wrote the show's sixth serial, The Sensorites, inspired by 1950s films set during World War II that explore the notion of soldiers who continued to fight after the war.[34]

Filming[edit]

BBC Television Centre in 2005
Ealing Studios in 2008
Some episodes of the first season were recorded at the Television Centre, and most inserts were filmed at Ealing Studios.

An Unearthly Child was provisionally scheduled to begin recording on 5 July,[35] but was delayed to 19 July.[36] Production was later deferred for a further two weeks while scripts were prepared.[37] The show's pilot recording was finally scheduled for 27 September and regular episodes made from 18 October.[38] Tucker was originally selected as the serial's director, but the task was assigned to Hussein following Tucker's departure from production.[21] Some of the pre-filmed inserts for the serial, shot at Ealing Studios in September and October 1963,[39] were directed by Hussein's production assistant Douglas Camfield.[40] The first version of the opening episode was recorded at Lime Grove Studios on the evening of 27 September 1963, following a week of rehearsals. However, the recording was bedevilled with technical errors, including the doors leading into the TARDIS control room failing to close properly. After viewing the episode, Newman ordered that it be mounted again. During the weeks between the two tapings, changes were made to costuming, effects, performances, and scripts.[41][c] The second attempt at the opening episode was recorded on 18 October, with the following three episodes being recorded weekly on 25 October, 1 November and 8 November.[21]

Tucker was initially appointed to direct The Daleks, but was later replaced by Christopher Barry.[43] A week of shooting for The Daleks took place from 28 October, consisting mostly of inserts of the city and models.[44] Weekly recording began on 15 November;[45] it was later discovered that the first recording was affected by induction—an effect in which the voices from the production assistants' headphones was clearly audible. The episode was re-recorded on 6 December, pushing the weekly recordings of episodes 4–7 back by one week.[46] The final episode was recorded on 10 January 1964.[44] The re-recording forced Paddy Russell to forego directing The Edge of Destruction due to other commitments; junior director Richard Martin was later handed the role,[47] and the first episode was recorded on 17 January.[48]Frank Cox directed the second episode on 24 January, as Martin was unavailable.[49] Filming for Marco Polo was preceded by a week of insert shooting of locations and props for the montage sequences.[50] The serial was recorded weekly from 31 January to 13 March, directed by Hussein;[50]John Crockett directed the fourth episode in Hussein's absence.[51]

Glee Season 2 Episode 1

Weekly recording for The Keys of Marinus, directed by John Gorrie, took place from 20 March to 24 April;[52] Hartnell was absent for the third and fourth episodes, as he was on holiday.[53]The Aztecs, directed by Crockett, was filmed from 1 to 22 May;[54] Ford appeared in pre-filmed inserts for the second and third episodes, shot on 13 April, due to her holiday.[55][56] Experienced director Mervyn Pinfield was chosen to direct the first four episodes of The Sensorites, while Frank Cox directed the final two episodes.[57] Recording took place from 29 March to 3 July;[58] Hill was absent for the fourth and fifth episodes due to her holiday.[59]The Reign of Terror featured the show's first outdoor filming in Denham, Buckinghamshire, led by cameraman Peter Hamilton on 15 June 1964.[60] Hungarian director Henric Hirsch directed the serial, which was recorded from 10 July to 19 August;[61] in preparation for his holiday, William Russell recorded inserts for the second and third episodes from 16–17 June.[62] Hirsch collapsed during the filming of the third episode. Lambert placed production assistant Tim Combe in charge until a replacement director could be found; documentation indicates that Gorrie oversaw production of the third episode,[63] though Gorrie has no memory of the event.[64] Hirsch returned to direct the final three episodes, splitting some of the workload with Combe.[61]

Release[edit]

Promotion[edit]

Doctor Who was announced by Control of BBC TelevisionStuart Hood on 12 September 1963, described by Television Mail as 'a serial of stories to entertain the whole family'. Trade newspaper Kinematograph Weekly devoted its TV column to the show on 24 October; journalist Tony Gruner described the show as 'a somewhat mysterious type of programme consisting in part of fantasy and realism'.[65] A trailer for the show was broadcast on the BBC on 16 November. The first serial was given a half-page preview in Radio Times on 21 November, outlining the show's main characters and upcoming settings.[66] On the same day, the main cast and production team attended the show's launch at Room 222 of the BBC's Broadcasting House. Hartnell hosted a radio trailer for the show on the BBC Light Programme.[67] The BBC Home Service programme Today hosted a one-minute piece about the show's 'space music' on 22 November, and a second trailer for the show was screened on BBC in the evening.[68]

Hartnell taped a radio interview for Northern View on 17 December to promote the show's second serial. To increase the profile of the Daleks, the BBC sent two Dalek models—operated by Kevin Manser and Robert Jewell—to interact with the public at the Shepherd's Bush Market on 23 December. Hartnell recorded an appearance for Junior Points of View on 8 January, broadcast the following day, at Television Centre Presentation Studio A. In character as the Doctor, Hartnell spoke about the Daleks, based on dialogue written by Nation.[69] A promotional image of Marco Polo was featured on the cover of Radio Times on 20 February 1964, with a half-page introduction to the serial inside.[70] The Voord creatures from The Keys of Marinus were featured in several stories the Daily Express and Daily Mail in April 1964,[71] while the titular creatures from The Sensorites were featured in similar press pieces in June.[72] Lucarotti provided a syndicated interview with the press regarding The Aztecs, published in various papers such as the North-Western Evening Mail on 9 May.[73] On 20 June, Ford opened the East Ham Town Show at the Central Park in East Ham, with 20,000 people in attendance.[72]Radio Times ran a half-page interview with Hartnell on 16 July to promote the fourth episode of The Sensorites.[74]

Broadcast[edit]

The first episode of An Unearthly Child was transmitted on BBC TV at 5:16 p.m. on Saturday 23 November 1963; the following three episodes were transmitted at 5:15 p.m. over the next three weeks.[42] The serial has been repeated twice on the BBC: on BBC Two in November 1981 as part of the repeat season The Five Faces of Doctor Who,[42] and on BBC Four as part of the show's 50th anniversary on 21 November 2013.[75]The Daleks was broadcast across seven weeks from 21 December 1963 to 1 February 1964,[76] and has been repeated twice on the BBC: the final episode was broadcast on BBC Two late in the evening on 13 November 1999 as part of 'Doctor Who Night'; and the serial was shown in three blocks from 5–9 April 2008 on BBC Four, as part of a celebration of the life and work of Lambert following her death in November 2007.[77]The Edge of Destruction was transmitted across two weeks, from 8 to 15 February 1964,[78] and Marco Polo was broadcast over seven weeks from 22 February to 4 April.[79] From the sixth episode of Marco Polo, the show's broadcast time was pushed a further fifteen minutes, from 5:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., overlapping with competitor programme ITV News.[80]Marco Polo was erased by the BBC on 17 August 1967; the entire serial is missing as a result.[79] It is one of three stories of which no footage whatsoever is known to have survived, though tele-snaps (images of the show during transmission, photographed from a television) of Episodes 1–3 and 5–7 exist,[81] and were subsequently released with the original audio soundtrack, which was recorded 'off air' during the original transmission.[82]

The Keys of Marinus was transmitted across six weeks from 11 April to 16 May;[83] the third episode became the first Doctor Who episode to be transmitted on BBC1, following its renaming from BBC TV due to the launch of BBC2,[1] and the show's broadcast time returned to its original slot of 5:15 p.m. from the fifth episode.[1]The Aztecs was broadcast weekly from 23 May to 13 June.[84] The first two episodes of The Sensorites were broadcast on 20 and 27 June;[85] the second episode aired 25 minutes late due to an overrun of the previous programme Summer Grandstand.[86] While the third episode was provisionally scheduled to run two hours late on 4 July due to extended coverage of the Wimbledon tennis championships and Ashes Test match,[87] it was replaced by Juke Box Jury and postponed to the following week,[86] The final three episodes were broadcast weekly from 18 July to 1 August; Episodes 3–5 were erased by the BBC on 17 August 1967, while the remaining three were erased on 31 January 1969. BBC Enterprises retained negatives of the original 16 mm film with soundtracks made in 1967; these were returned to the BBC Archives in 1978.[85]The Reign of Terror was transmitted weekly from 8 August to 12 September;[88] the second and third episodes were shifted to the later time of 5:30 p.m., the fourth episode was broadcast at 5:15 p.m. The office season 1 download. (due to coverage of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo),[89] and the final two episodes again shifted to 5:30 p.m.[88] The original prints of The Reign of Terror were wiped by BBC Enterprises in 1972. The sixth episode was returned to the BBC by a private collector in May 1982, and the first three episodes were located in Cyprus in late 1984; the fourth and fifth episodes remain missing, existing only as off-air recordings from 1964. The existing episodes were screened as part of the National Film Theatre's Bastille Day schedule on 14 July 1999, with links between the episodes by Ford.[88]

Home media[edit]

Serial nameNumber and duration
of episodes
VHSDVD
R2 release dateR4 release dateR1 release dateR2 release dateR4 release dateR1 release date
An Unearthly Child4 × 25 min.February 1990[90]
September 2000 (remastered)[90]
July 1990[90]
October 2000 (remastered)[90]
January 1991[90]N/A
The Daleks7 × 25 min.June 1989[91]
February 2001 (remastered)[91]
December 1989[91]
April 2001 (remastered)[91]
October 1993[91]
The Edge of Destruction
Includes An Unearthly Child: 'Pilot Episode'
2 × 25 min.
+ 1 × 30 min.
May 2000[92]May 2000[92]February 2001[92]
The Beginning:
An Unearthly Child
The Daleks
The Edge of Destruction
Includes condensed reconstruction of Marco Polo
13 × 25 min.
+ 1 × 30 min.
N/A30 January 2006[93]2 March 2006[94]28 March 2006[95]
The Keys of Marinus6 × 25 min.March 1999[96]July 1999[97]May 1999[97]21 September 2009[96]7 January 2010[96]5 January 2010[98]
The Aztecs4 × 25 min.November 1992[99]February 1993[100]May 1994[100]21 October 2002[99]2 December 2002[99]4 March 2003[101]
The Aztecs — Special Edition
Includes Galaxy 4: 'Airlock'
5 x 25 min.N/A11 March 2013[99]20 March 2013[102]12 March 2013[103]
The Sensorites6 × 25 min.4 November 2002[104]
(part of The First Doctor Box Set)
December 2002[104]
(part of The First Doctor Box Set)
October 2003[105]23 January 2012[104]2 February 2012[104]14 February 2012[106]
The Reign of Terror(animation of episodes 4–5)4 × 25 min.November 2003[107]December 2003[107]October 2003[107]28 January 2013[108]6 February 2013[109]12 February 2013[108]

Books[edit]

Main article: List of Doctor Who novelisations
Serial nameNovelisation titleAuthorFirst published
An Unearthly ChildDoctor Who and An Unearthly ChildTerrance Dicks15 October 1981[93]
The DaleksDoctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the DaleksDavid Whitaker12 November 1964[110]
The Edge of DestructionThe Edge of DestructionNigel Robinson20 October 1988[111]
Marco PoloMarco PoloJohn LucarottiDecember 1984[112]
The Keys of MarinusDoctor Who and the Keys of MarinusPhilip Hinchcliffe21 August 1980[113]
The AztecsThe AztecsJohn Lucarotti21 June 1984[99]
The SensoritesThe SensoritesNigel RobinsonFebruary 1987[114]
The Reign of TerrorThe Reign of TerrorIan MarterMarch 1987[107]

Reception[edit]

Ratings[edit]

Episode

The assassination of John F. Kennedy the day preceding the launch of Doctor Who overshadowed the first episode;[115] as a result, it was repeated a week later, on 30 November, preceding the second episode.[115] The first episode was watched by 4.4 million viewers (9.1% of the viewing audience), and it received a score of 63 on the Appreciation Index;[115] the repeat of the first episode reached a larger audience of six million viewers.[42] Across its four episodes, An Unearthly Child was watched by an average of 6 million (12.3% of potential viewers).[115] Mark Bould suggests that a disappointing audience reaction and high production costs prompted the BBC's chief of programmes to cancel the series until the Daleks, introduced in the second serial, were immediately popular with viewers.[116] The first two episodes of The Daleks received 6.9 and 6.4 million viewers, respectively. By the third episode, news about the Daleks had spread, and the episode was watched by 8.9 million viewers.[76] An additional million viewers watched for the following two weeks, and the final two episodes reached 10.4 million;[76] by the end of the serial, the show's overall audience had increased by 50%.[117] The following two serials retained these high viewing figures, with The Edge of Destruction receiving 10.4 and 9.9 million viewers,[78] and Marco Polo maintaining an average of 9.47 million viewers.[79]

The fourth episode of The Keys of Marinus received 10.4 million viewers, but saw a drop of 2.5 million viewers the following week, and an additional drop of one million for the sixth episode.[83] The drop in viewers for the sixth episode was attributed to the absence of Juke Box Jury, the programme that followed Doctor Who.[1]The Aztecs maintained these figures, with an average of 7.5 million viewers across the four episodes;[84] the third episode became the first episode of the show to place in the top 20 of the BBC's audience measurement charts.[118][d] The fourth and fifth episodes of The Sensorites dropped to 5.5 and 6.9 million viewers, respectively,[85] but were nonetheless the highest-rated BBC show in the BBC North region for their respective weeks.[86]The Reign of Terror received smaller audiences than previous serials due to the warmer weekends, with an average of around 6.7 million viewers, but still maintained a position within the top 40 shows for the week.[89]

Critical response[edit]

The Daleks, introduced in the show's second serial, became a cultural phenomenon and are considered the show's most iconic villains.[119]

Doctor Who's first season received generally positive responses. For An Unearthly Child, Variety felt that the script 'suffered from a glibness of characterisations which didn't carry the burden of belief', but praised the 'effective camerawork', noting that the show 'will impress if it decides to establish a firm base in realism'. Mary Crozier of The Guardian was unimpressed by the first serial, stating that it 'has fallen off badly soon after getting underway'. Conversely, Marjorie Norris of Television Today commented that if the show 'keeps up the high standard of the first two episodes it will capture a much wider audience'.[120] The following serial, The Daleks, was widely praised, described by the Daily Mirror's Richard Sear as 'splendid children's stuff'. The serial's villains, the Daleks, became a cultural phenomenon, and have been closely associated with the show since.[117]The Edge of Destruction was criticised at a BBC Programme Review Board Meeting in February 1964 by controller of television programmes Stuart Hood, who felt that the serial's sequences in which Susan uses scissors as a weapon 'digressed from the code of violence in programmes'; Lambert apologised for the scenes.[78]

Marco Polo was positively received; Philip Purser of The Sunday Telegraph noted that Mark Eden impersonated Marco Polo 'with sartorial dash', but felt that the main characters were poorly written, describing Barbara as 'a persistent drip'.[121]The Keys of Marinus was criticised by Bob Leeson of the Daily Worker, who felt that the fifth episode of the serial was the show's low point, noting that the introduction of a trial scene represented a rushed script.[1] The following serial, The Aztecs, received high praise and is retrospectively seen as one of the show's greatest stories. Television Today's Bill Edmunds praised the serial's villains, but felt that Barbara should have 'a chance to look beautiful instead of worried',[118] and Leeson of the Daily Worker felt that the serial had 'charm', applauding the 'painstaking attempts for historical accuracy' and noting a 'much tighter plot' than previous serials.[122]The Reign of Terror was criticised for its historical inaccuracies, described by Daily Worker's Stewart Lane as a 'half-baked royalist adventure'.[123]

Retrospective reviews of the season are positive. Kimberley Piece of Geek Girl Authority felt that, while the season started slowly, it 'managed to find its footing' and 'developed quickly into a popular ratings favorite'.[124]Simbasible found that most serials are memorable, though many feature repetitive and 'silly' storytelling.[125] Richard Gray of The Reel Bits praised the imagination and perseverance of the show's producers.[126] Reviewing the first serial in 2008, Radio Times reviewer Patrick Mulkern praised the casting of Hartnell, the 'moody' direction and the 'thrilling' race back to the TARDIS.[127] For The Daleks, Mulkern praised the strength of Nation's scripts, particularly the first three cliffhangers, but felt that 'the urgency and claustrophobia dissipate towards the end', describing the final battle as 'a disappointingly limp affair'.[128] Reviewing The Edge of Destruction, Mulkern described David Whitaker as 'a master of dialogue, characterisation and atmosphere', but felt he struggled with plot logic, as evidenced by the fast return switch explanation.[129]

Mark Braxton of Radio Times praised Marco Polo, stating that 'the historical landscape was rarely mapped with such poetry and elegance', though noted inconsistencies in the foreign characters' accents.[130] Mulkern wrote that 'standards slip appreciably' in The Keys of Marinus,[131] and Arnold T. Blumberg of IGN described the serial as 'a clichéd premise .. handled poorly and with no spark at all apart from Hartnell's late-hour rally'.[132] Christopher Bahn of The A.V. Club described The Aztecs as 'a classical tragedy infused with just enough hope toward the end to keep it from being unbearably bleak',[133] and Ian Berriman of SFX described the serial as 'Jacqueline Hill's finest hour'.[134]DVD Talk's John Sinnott considered The Sensorites 'well constructed' with impressive set design and an expanded role for Susan, but felt that there was 'nothing special' about the serial.[106] Mulkern wrote positively of the humour and Hartnell's increased role in The Reign of Terror, but felt that Susan was 'at her weakest'.[135]

References[edit]

Notes

  1. ^ abBBC TV was renamed BBC1 midway through the season, on 20 April 1964, following the launch of BBC2.[1]
  2. ^Hugh David, an actor initially considered for the role of the Doctor and later a director on the programme, later claimed that Rex Tucker coined the title Doctor Who. Tucker claimed that it was Newman who had done so.[7]
  3. ^The original episode, retroactively referred to as the 'pilot episode', was not broadcast on television until 26 August 1991.[42]
  4. ^The measurement for the same period by TAM (Television Audience Measurement) did not include the episode in the top 20, though the disparity between the two measurement systems was frequently debated at the time.[118]

Footnotes

  1. ^ abcdeAinsworth 2016, p. 119.
  2. ^ ab'Ratings Guide'. Doctor Who News. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  3. ^Howe, Stammers & Walker 1994, p. 3.
  4. ^Howe, Stammers & Walker 1994, p. 166.
  5. ^Howe, Stammers & Walker 1994, p. 182.
  6. ^ abMolesworth, Richard (2006). Doctor Who: Origins. 2 Entertain.
  7. ^Howe, Stammers & Walker 1994, p. 173.
  8. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 38–40.
  9. ^ abAinsworth 2015, p. 53–54.
  10. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 55.
  11. ^Plomley, Roy; Hartnell, William (23 August 1965). Desert Island Discs (Radio broadcast). BBC Home Service. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  12. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 10.
  13. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 58.
  14. ^ abAinsworth 2015, p. 48.
  15. ^ abAinsworth 2015, p. 11.
  16. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 57.
  17. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 59.
  18. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 12–13.
  19. ^Howe, Stammers & Walker 1994, pp. 181–2.
  20. ^Howe, Stammers & Walker 1994, p. 186.
  21. ^ abcdHowe, Stammers & Walker 1994
  22. ^Ainsworth 2015, pp. 117–118.
  23. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 123.
  24. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 120.
  25. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 96.
  26. ^Wright 2016, p. 57.
  27. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 48.
  28. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 49.
  29. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 134.
  30. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 135.
  31. ^Wright 2016, pp. 54–55.
  32. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 13.
  33. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 14.
  34. ^Wright 2016, p. 18.
  35. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 27.
  36. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 38.
  37. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 44–47.
  38. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 49.
  39. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 67.
  40. ^Howe, Stammers & Walker 1994, p. 220
  41. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 77–79.
  42. ^ abcdAinsworth 2015, p. 95.
  43. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 122.
  44. ^ abAinsworth 2015, p. 151.
  45. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 139.
  46. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 141.
  47. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 14—15.
  48. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 20.
  49. ^Ainsworth 2016, pp. 22—23.
  50. ^ abAinsworth 2016, p. 71.
  51. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 65.
  52. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 115.
  53. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 108.
  54. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 146.
  55. ^Howe, David J.; Walker, Stephen James (1998). 'The Aztecs: Things to watch out for..'. Doctor Who: The Television Companion. London: BBC Worldwide. p. 25. ISBN0-563-40588-0.
  56. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 141.
  57. ^Wright 2016, p. 20.
  58. ^Wright 2016, p. 32.
  59. ^Wright 2016, p. 29.
  60. ^Wright 2016, p. 64.
  61. ^ abWright 2016, p. 76.
  62. ^Wright 2016, p. 65.
  63. ^Wright 2016, p. 71.
  64. ^Wright 2016, p. 72.
  65. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 86.
  66. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 87.
  67. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 88.
  68. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 89.
  69. ^Ainsworth 2015, p. 153.
  70. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 73.
  71. ^Ainsworth 2016, pp. 117–118.
  72. ^ abWright 2016, p. 34.
  73. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 147.
  74. ^Wright 2016, p. 35.
  75. ^'Doctor Who Guide: broadcasting for An Unearthly Child'. The Doctor Who Guide. News in Time and Space. 2018. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  76. ^ abcAinsworth 2015, p. 159.
  77. ^Ainsworth 2015, pp. 158–159.
  78. ^ abcAinsworth 2016, p. 27.
  79. ^ abcAinsworth 2016, p. 78.
  80. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 76.
  81. ^Ainsworth 2016, p. 38.
  82. ^Chapman, Cliff (11 February 2014). 'Doctor Who: the 10 stories you can't actually watch'. Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
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Bibliography[edit]

  • Ainsworth, John, ed. (2015). '100,000 BC and The Mutants (aka The Daleks)'. Doctor Who: The Complete History. Panini Comics, Hachette Partworks. 1 (4).
  • Ainsworth, John, ed. (2016). 'Inside the Spaceship, Marco Polo, The Keys of Marinus and The Aztecs'. Doctor Who: The Complete History. Panini Comics, Hachette Partworks. 2 (32).
  • Bould, Mark (2008). 'Science Fiction Television in the United Kingdom'. In J.P. Telotte (ed.). The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN0-8131-2492-1.
  • Chapman, James (2006). Inside the Tardis: The Worlds of Doctor Who. I.B.Tauris. ISBN1-84511-162-1.
  • Howe, David J.; Stammers, Mark; Walker, Stephen James (1994). Doctor Who The Handbook – The First Doctor. London: Doctor Who Books. ISBN0-426-20430-1.
  • Wright, Mark, ed. (2016). 'The Sensorites, The Reign of Terror and Planet of Giants'. Doctor Who: The Complete History. Panini Comics, Hachette Partworks. 3 (21).
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