3 thoughts on “Doctor Who – The Beginning (An Unearthly Child [1963] / The Daleks [1963] / The Edge of Destruction [1964]) [DVD]”
Vintage T.V. ‘Doctor Who – The Beginning Boxset’ comprises of the first three William Hartnell adventures and contains some interesting special features, along the way.There’s something for everyone on this boxset, which up to now is probably the best Doctor Who release for fans of the original series.I myself, didn’t get the chance to watch these episodes on their original run (1963-64) but one of my friends, kindly lent me VHS copies of some Hartnell stories and I can tell you for sure that the Restoration Team (the people who improve the picture quality of these episodes) have clearly made a difference to the way we watch them, which makes them look as if they’d just been shown recently.As for the features themselves, they have got to be among some of the best First Doctor outings ever.’An Unearthly Child’ (the first story) is a very entertaining T.V. gem to watch, even though its been over 40 years since it was aired on 23rd November 1963-14th December 1963. We are introduced to two schoolteachers, Ian Chesterton and Babara Wright who are suspicious about a strange pupil who they teach, Susan Foreman. A series of events follows, leading them to a mysterious stranger who calls himself the Doctor, and a police box standing in a junkyard, which is believed to travel through time and space. After an argument breaks out between the Doctor and the two teachers, the time-machine accidently transports them to the year one million B.C.The second story (The Daleks), introduces us to Doctor Who’s most popular villain, which Terry Nation created. Even though these episodes are must-sees, admittedly it does towards the end drag on, partly because ‘The Daleks’ runs one or two episodes too long.Finally, ‘The Edge of Destruction’ is definitely the weakest of the three, but at the time a two-parter had to be written with only the Tardis and the main actors in it, within a very low budget.Coming on to the extras, the stand-outs include ‘Doctor Who: Origins’ a great documentary looking back at nearly everything that lead to this phenomenal Saturday tea-time show and there’s also a reproduction of the missing historical seven-parter ‘Marco Polo’ which followed after ‘The Edge of Destruction’.Overall, a great set which every Whovian should buy, to relive the birth of Doctor Who or discover how it all began in the early 60s.
As near to how they originally looked as they’ll ever be… I’d seen all these stories as they were released over the years on video, out of order, in visually and audially low-grade editions, so it was interesting to sit down and watch them in order, and with restored visuals and much improved sound. It’s surprising how much having sharper images and clearer sound improves even the dullest story, and reminds one that 1963 wasn’t so very long ago – whereas the original video releases were so low-grade they made one feel that Doctor Who was made around the same time as The Cabinet Of Doctor Caligari.
Forget the big bang THIS is the real beginning of it all After being drawn in and addicted to The Doctor by the 3rd season of the new doctor who I wanted to visit the history that i had previously missed.Hartnells original Doctor is very different to the other doctors i have seen (Tennant, Eccleston, McCoy and McGann). He hasn’t the love of humans that the later doctors developed seeing them merely as one of millions of different species spread through time and space. After two humans discover the TARDIS and see inside The Doctor is forced to take them with him so as to protect the secret of time travel from an Earth not yet ready for it.The Doctor in these early episodes is very aloof and plans things for his own ends more than for the good of others and this can often result in the problems that he and the three companions then face. The Doctor and his companions only encounter the Daleks on Skaro because he pretends that part of the TARDIS has leaked and they need to find some mercury from a nearby deserted city he wants to explore.This is a great set of serials with some brilliant storytelling and plot (these early shows couldn’t really on the special effects of today to carry a show it had to be done through good dialogue.I would recomend this to every fan of the show
Vintage T.V. ‘Doctor Who – The Beginning Boxset’ comprises of the first three William Hartnell adventures and contains some interesting special features, along the way.There’s something for everyone on this boxset, which up to now is probably the best Doctor Who release for fans of the original series.I myself, didn’t get the chance to watch these episodes on their original run (1963-64) but one of my friends, kindly lent me VHS copies of some Hartnell stories and I can tell you for sure that the Restoration Team (the people who improve the picture quality of these episodes) have clearly made a difference to the way we watch them, which makes them look as if they’d just been shown recently.As for the features themselves, they have got to be among some of the best First Doctor outings ever.’An Unearthly Child’ (the first story) is a very entertaining T.V. gem to watch, even though its been over 40 years since it was aired on 23rd November 1963-14th December 1963. We are introduced to two schoolteachers, Ian Chesterton and Babara Wright who are suspicious about a strange pupil who they teach, Susan Foreman. A series of events follows, leading them to a mysterious stranger who calls himself the Doctor, and a police box standing in a junkyard, which is believed to travel through time and space. After an argument breaks out between the Doctor and the two teachers, the time-machine accidently transports them to the year one million B.C.The second story (The Daleks), introduces us to Doctor Who’s most popular villain, which Terry Nation created. Even though these episodes are must-sees, admittedly it does towards the end drag on, partly because ‘The Daleks’ runs one or two episodes too long.Finally, ‘The Edge of Destruction’ is definitely the weakest of the three, but at the time a two-parter had to be written with only the Tardis and the main actors in it, within a very low budget.Coming on to the extras, the stand-outs include ‘Doctor Who: Origins’ a great documentary looking back at nearly everything that lead to this phenomenal Saturday tea-time show and there’s also a reproduction of the missing historical seven-parter ‘Marco Polo’ which followed after ‘The Edge of Destruction’.Overall, a great set which every Whovian should buy, to relive the birth of Doctor Who or discover how it all began in the early 60s.
As near to how they originally looked as they’ll ever be… I’d seen all these stories as they were released over the years on video, out of order, in visually and audially low-grade editions, so it was interesting to sit down and watch them in order, and with restored visuals and much improved sound. It’s surprising how much having sharper images and clearer sound improves even the dullest story, and reminds one that 1963 wasn’t so very long ago – whereas the original video releases were so low-grade they made one feel that Doctor Who was made around the same time as The Cabinet Of Doctor Caligari.
Forget the big bang THIS is the real beginning of it all After being drawn in and addicted to The Doctor by the 3rd season of the new doctor who I wanted to visit the history that i had previously missed.Hartnells original Doctor is very different to the other doctors i have seen (Tennant, Eccleston, McCoy and McGann). He hasn’t the love of humans that the later doctors developed seeing them merely as one of millions of different species spread through time and space. After two humans discover the TARDIS and see inside The Doctor is forced to take them with him so as to protect the secret of time travel from an Earth not yet ready for it.The Doctor in these early episodes is very aloof and plans things for his own ends more than for the good of others and this can often result in the problems that he and the three companions then face. The Doctor and his companions only encounter the Daleks on Skaro because he pretends that part of the TARDIS has leaked and they need to find some mercury from a nearby deserted city he wants to explore.This is a great set of serials with some brilliant storytelling and plot (these early shows couldn’t really on the special effects of today to carry a show it had to be done through good dialogue.I would recomend this to every fan of the show