January 4: "The Escape" / "The Ambush"

(The Daleks episodes 3 & 4)

Hey, look, it's another actor!  Before we've just had the four regulars and a bunch of people in not-obviously-human-looking costumes, but now John Lee appears as Alydon, one of the Thals.  He speaks with Susan a bit, but then later on we get most of the Thals as they discuss what they're going to do regarding approaching the Daleks.

This was a bit of a surprise to me, honestly; I'd forgotten the Thals (other than Alydon) made an appearance in "The Escape" (which actually aired fifty years ago today!).  But that's probably because, even though the Thals have been introduced, the focus of this episode is still firmly on the Doctor, Ian, Susan, and Barbara, and how they're going to escape (it's the title of the episode, so no spoilers there).  In some ways their escape is one of the most memorable parts of this story, as they trick a Dalek into entering their cell and then overpower it.  The script gives each person a significant part to play in their escape.  It's nice, thoughtful writing that shows that the characters haven't descended into stereotypes yet -- because no stereotypes have been codified yet.

The Daleks cutting their way in. ("The Ambush") ©BBC.

Their escape continues in the next episode (after the cliffhanger showed a glimpse of the Dalek mutant!), but here the Thals are given more development too.  I'm not actually convinced that it works that well, since we only get broad brushstrokes for most of the characters: Alydon is the strong one, Temmosus the naïve leader, and Dyoni the woman.  But really, they're only there to react to the TARDIS crew -- except that doesn't happen until later.  It's actually surprising how long it takes the Doctor and company to escape the city, yet it never feels like just marking time -- a tribute to the show's creative team.  (And while we're bringing them up, a moment to note just how fabulous the blistering of that wall next to Ian under Dalek fire is.)

The end of the episode is interesting: when the Thals do interact with the TARDIS crew, there's a bit of an argument against unyielding pacifism and an examination of racism (in Ian's words, "a dislike for the unlike"), but it all feels rather half-hearted.  There's a sense of "well, we tried" from Ian, but he's just as ready to leave as the Doctor is.  One could almost believe that this was the end of this adventure—after all, the previous locale only lasted about four episodes—until the cliffhanger.  But I wonder if any viewers were in fact momentarily fooled, since there's a distinct sense of unresolved business at the end of "The Ambush" -- the Daleks haven't been dealt with, just left in their city, and the Thals' future is still very uncertain.  Which means that, even before the revelation about the fluid link, it's fairly clear that our time on Skaro isn't over yet.

January 3: "The Dead Planet" / "The Survivors"

(The Daleks episodes 1 & 2)

As I sort of implied last time, episodes 2-4 of An Unearthly Child often get a bad rap, with the claim being that they're dull and uninteresting.  I wonder if that's because people are -- subconsciously or otherwise -- impatient to get to this story.  Because as good as An Unearthly Child is, The Daleks (or The Mutants, if you really must¹) is even better.

The first episode is an exercise in mood.  Other than a hand there's no one present besides the four travellers.  Consequently there's a real sense of character at work as they explore this strange (and utterly fabulous-looking) petrified jungle.  We're starting to get a greater sense of who these people are -- and this may be where the idea of the "selfish Doctor" comes from, rather than An Unearthly Child, as here he's completely determined to get his way and see the city, no matter what.  It's a strange, eerie place that the TARDIS has arrived at, with the design and the soundscape contributing to something special.  There are also some nice directorial touches from Christopher Barry -- everyone mentions the shot of Barbara putting her hand on the camera, making us the silent observers, but the use of angles and different props inside the TARDIS is also very well done, giving the Ship a sense of space even greater than in the first episode.  And then there's the cliffhanger, where something comes at Barbara.  I assume it was composer Tristram Cary who pitched that musical sting as the same as Barbara's scream, but regardless of who it was, it's a stroke of brilliance.

THAT cliffhanger. ("The Dead Planet") © BBC.

It's the next episode, "The Survivors", that introduces the Daleks, and what an introduction!  Totally alien-looking, not even recognizably a man in a costume, you can see why they made such a visual impact -- Terry Nation may have thought them up, but Ray Cusick came up trumps in designing them.  But in some ways, The Daleks may be the best Dalek story ever, and that's because they're allowed to be characters, rather than just an unstoppable force.  The galaxy-conquering race are nowhere to be found here; instead we get a race of survivors (as the title says) who are simply concerned with trying to leave the city they've been trapped in, at the cost of all others.  They'll kill if they have to, but they don't yet derive pleasure from killing for its own sake -- note the way they merely paralyze Ian, rather than just exterminate him (one of only two times we see this happen²).  Their motivation is simple and understandable, and that's what makes them compelling: the idea that they were once people like us who were forced into desperate measures to survive.  Meanwhile, the radiation sickness afflicting our heroes works to sustain the tension, adding to a sense of desperation: will Susan make it to the TARDIS and back before it's too late?  And will the Daleks let her keep any of the drugs?

Oh, but then some lightning flashes as Susan's about to leave the TARDIS.  I guess all the cliffhangers can't be winners.







¹ 100,000 BC is enough of a losing battle, but using The Mutants as the "real" name of serial B has the extra problem of also being the name of a Pertwee serial. In case you haven't noticed, I've elected to go with the most commonly used title (and the one these things are known as commercially). Don't worry, this argument basically dies down after the next serial.

² Planet of the Daleks (in many ways a color remake of this story) being the other time.

January 2: "The Forest of Fear" / "The Firemaker"

(An Unearthly Child episodes 3 & 4)

The drama which began last time continues here.  As before, the direction in both of these episodes is excellent -- shots like Za being attacked by the beast and the fight between Za and Kal are particularly well done.  And the actors continue to take things utterly seriously, which really helps.  This is a genuinely scary place, as alien and unknowable as anything the Doctor and his fellow travelers may encounter.  Anthony Coburn's script does a good job of highlighting this: the scene with Za remembering what Ian told him, while Hur fails to understand, is just one such example of the thought that's gone into things.

Susan gives Ian an idea ("The Firemaker") ©BBC

Really, these four episodes could be viewed almost independently, telling the tale of two teachers ripped from their own time and thrown into a terrifying situation in which they have to learn to work with their fellow travelers in order to survive.  It's not really what we would nowadays call Doctor Who, but that's a strength here: you get the sense that anything could happen afterwards.  Although let's get this "the Doctor is a selfish dangerous old man" stuff out of the way right now: other than that scene where he picks up the rock, Hartnell gives us a person who is desperate to survive but still somewhat compassionate.  He may not have wanted to help Za, but he did save Ian's life and apologize to everyone for getting them into trouble.  He's not the crusader for justice that we see later, but neither is he completely self-centered.

An Unearthly Child as a whole may not resemble the shape of things to come, but what we get is still a compelling piece of television, even 50 years later.  Anthony Coburn may have grown to dislike the show after his treatment on his next, unproduced story (sometimes called The Masters of Luxor or The Robots), but he should have been proud of what he helped create here.  A very impressive beginning.

January 1: "An Unearthly Child" / "The Cave of Skulls"

So here it is, the start of the new year and therefore the start of my Epic Doctor Who Viewing™.  It feels like it should be momentous somehow, the first step on a journey that will last well over a year: at least into April 2015 -- and that's if you don't include any spin-offery or things of that nature.  Yet in the end I simply pulled the DVD off the shelf, popped it in the player, and sat down to watch the first two episodes of Doctor Who: episodes 1 and 2 of An Unearthly Child (or 100,000 BC, if you prefer).  So much for pomp and circumstance.

Rewatching these episodes, it's striking just how good they are.  I'm having difficulty thinking of another series premiere that's as good -- the only thing that comes to mind is Futurama, which, it must be said, is in rather a different league.  "An Unearthly Child" has rightly been praised by others, but that praise is nevertheless well-deserved.  The script is intelligently written, drawing us skilfully from the every day of London 1963 into an impossible craft, with Ian voicing the audience's disbelief while the Doctor (somewhat snidely but perhaps not unjustly) tolerates his questions and skepticism -- but only so far.  But it's not just the script; everyone's doing their best, with marvelous acting and great direction -- the point-of-view shots of Susan as Ian and Barbara recall earlier events is really quite wonderful to behold.  Meanwhile, the sound design is fantastic, and I can only imagine what it must have been like to experience the title sequence for the first time, with its bizarre moving patterns and otherworldly music: it's really unlike anything else on television at the time.  An impressive 25 minutes.

Yet "The Cave of Skulls" is just as good.  They've decided to give the cavemen dialogue, which all the actors involved deliver with utter conviction; anything less and it wouldn't have worked, but here they get away with it with ease.  There also seem to be some sly parallels with modern society, particularly when Za stands on that central rock and makes, essentially, campaign promises, while pointing out that Kal will let them down.  It's very good. 

This episode is very much about the cavemen and is primarily concerned with setting them up.  This means that there's not as much time with the regular cast, but they get some good material anyway.  Particularly striking is the way in which the TARDIS being stuck as a police box is handled; this could have been very clunky, but instead it's given to the Doctor as almost a throwaway line, before Susan explains a little further.  And it's only the second episode ever of Doctor Who, and we've already gotten the "Doctor who?" joke (twice, even!).

Bring on the next two episodes!