Doctor Who, Season 1 (1963-64), 1st Doctor (William Hartnell), reviewed in brief
1:1 – An Unearthly Child (4 episodes) – Barbara and Ian, public school teachers, pay a surprise visit to the home of their pupil, Susan, only to discover that she is not a naive, wayward waif being brought up by a neglectful old man (oh, wait), but actually a time traveling alien, along with her “grandfather.” Then, cave people!
1:2 – The Daleks (6 episodes) – 1st Dalek episodes ever! A must see for fans. Guess what, the Daleks aren’t robots; they’re vehicles!
1:3 – The Edge of Destruction (2 episodes) – 2 of my favorite episodes. The Doctor and company spend most of their time not knowing who they are, where they are, or what the hell they are doing (oh, wait). First indication that the Tardis is sentient.
1:4 – Marco Polo (7 episodes) – Not available for me to view. I want to say “thank goodness” because the history-based episodes are damn dull.
1:5 – The Keys of Marinus (6 episodes) – I know I watched these and remember enjoying them, but I have no idea what actually happens in them. [a short break] Ok, I read the plot synopses on Wikipedia, and I sort of remember watching them, but still have no opinion on whether they were any good. Watch at own risk.
1:6 – The Aztecs (4 episodes) – Painfully dull. Barbara tries convincing the Aztecs that human sacrifice is wrong. That works out about as well as you’d expect.
1:7 – The Sensorites (6 episodes) – Better than The Aztecs, but not by much, Introduces Susan’s telepathic ability, which we never see again.
1:8 – The Reign of Terror (6 episodes) – The Doctor and company in Revolutionary France. Ho-hum. Two of the previously lost episodes have been restored using graphic images, which is cool to watch, but doesn’t make the story any less dull.
