Here's my delayed #Introduction - I'm a psychotherapist living in New England, in the U.S. I have a partner, kids, dogs, goats, cats, chickens. Living on four acres, far from the madding crowd. My interests are wide ranging - I'll drop some general hashtags below. Dark humor gets us through tough times. I might shitpost. I am not great at writing introductions.
I’m probably mad for attempting this again but… time to embark on ‘The Pilgrimage’ once more, with a year-long #DoctorWho marathon leading up to the 60th.
Last time I did this was from the 49th to 50th anniversary. Quite a few more seasons added since then of course! Can I squeeze them all in? Let’s find out! #DoctorWhoDay
Someone should do a running total of all the times companions in #DoctorWho have straight up murdered someone with their own hands. So far Ian’s caused that ice-soldier guy on Marinus to fall down a chasm and now he chucks Ixta off a pyramid.
Hmm, well after the brilliance of The Aztecs we now get the slow, plodding (both them and the story) The Sensorites.
Apart from The Daleks, it’s the sci-fi stories that are letting the side down in season one. The historicals are far more interesting.
Plus the cramped nature of Lime Grove studios is very obvious here. Everyone pretends that stuff happening three feet away is too distant to notice. Or they move painfully slowly down short corridors to make them seem longer. #DoctorWho
For such a supposedly advanced species, the Sensorites really are a bunch of thickies. They can’t figure out the obvious problem of the poisoned water and can’t tell each other apart if they wear different sashes. 🤷🏻♂️ #DoctorWho
I’d forgotten how grotty some of the surviving episodes of The Reign Of Terror look, like they’ve been dragged through the mud. Stands out in stark contrast to the surrounding stories. Thankfully the picture quality improves a bit by episode three.
The Doctor getting roped into the chain gang and then getting out of it is very funny. As is his impersonation of a high-ranking official. Hartnell was always so good when given a bit of comedy material. #DoctorWho
Switching to the recons for the two missing episodes rather than that hyperactive animation they released. (Seriously, what were they thinking with that??) #DoctorWho
Not the most exciting Historical (too much capturing/escaping/recapturing in that bloody prison) but the Reign Of Terror has its moments. And the jailer is a fun character.
Anyway, that’s season one done. Now hurry up Amazon and send me the Season Two Collection! #DoctorWho
Right, the Season Two box set’s arrived, so back to the #DoctorWho marathon with Planet Of Giants.
The oversized sets are very good. For the time and the budget what they achieved is near-miraculous. The DN6 plot feels like something from an early episode of The Avengers.
This is probably the prime example in the Hartnell era where, due to the tiny studio size, actors have to pretend they can’t see something that’s inches away until the camera pans over to reveal it.
By the way, I’m off on holiday by myself, sailing round France, so if anything happens to me nobody will notice my absence for quite some time and… oh you’ve pulled a gun. Bugger, I walked myself into that, didn’t I?” #DoctorWho
The Dalek Invasion Of Earth: Location filming! Aliens invading Earth! Returning villains!
The Daleks coming back is the first tiny step towards broadening the scope of #DoctorWho. Giving it a bigger, more structured, universe. Rather than just aimless wandering.
Ian asks how the Daleks can be here after being destroyed on Skaro. The Doctor replies that was a million years in the future and this is “the middle period of Dalek history”, clearly bullshitting and making it up as he goes along! 😜
So, we get our first cast change as Susan leaves. She always has this huge iconic status as not only the first companion but also, bogglingly, A MEMBER OF THE DOCTOR’S ACTUAL FAMILY. Yet sadly the character as written doesn’t live up to any of that. What a shame.
Also, Jenny was a really good character. Should have had her come on board as the replacement! #DoctorWhoَ
“So I’m going to leave you behind here, on a devastated planet, to marry a man you’ve only known five minutes. Even though you’re only fifteen. Goodbye Susan. Goodbye my dear!” #DoctorWho
Hooray, Vicki’s arrived. Clearly they were being super-conservative with the first ever cast change and just went for the safe option of another teenage space-girl, but Vicki’s immediately a much more sparky and interesting character, and fits in well. #DoctorWho
Not much you can say about the simplicity of the plot of The Rescue. It’s just a very perfunctory story to get the new companion introduced and then move on. He would have got away with it too, if it wasn’t for these meddling time-travellers! #DoctorWho