Episode 1: An Unearthly Child.
This is a truly excellent episode giving the best possible start to the series which would go on to be one of the greatest TV shows ever.
It is incredible in a way that they got it so right straight from the beginning. It is not really surprising that the remainder of the first 'serial' which covered the following three episodes shows some flaws, it was a new show, it was experimental, it was low budget and filmed on a tight schedule. It is far more surprising that this first episode is such incredibly high quality. Those following episodes whilst good were perhaps not the best story to launch with (it was actually meant to be the second story) but this opening episode is near perfect.
It is very well written (it merges writing by Anthony Coburn with C.E. Webber's script for the original opening story which this replaced), very well acted, intriguing, a little bit unnerving, atmospheric and well conceived in every respect.
The episode features two teachers who are intrigued by a pupil with unusual knowledge and behaviour. They follow the girl into an old junkyard where they encounter 'The Doctor', a time-traveller with hidden origins, as played by William Hartnell. His portrayal is mysterious, rather sinister and severe. He was to soften and develop into a multi-layered interesting and endearing character over Hartnell's tenure as The Doctor but right from the start Hartnell is superb and makes a brilliant Doctor, even viewing it after all the subsequent actors who replaced him in the role. Ian and Barbara the teachers who become companions in time travel with The Doctor by accident are excellent characters as they develop over the series and even in the first episode are well acted and characterised. Susan Foreman, grand-daughter of The Doctor, is also very good in this first episode and it is sad that the character would not be developed well as the series continued. She turns into a screaming, annoying character too much of the time. In this debut though she is very interesting.
The fact that 50 years later the same main character (after numerous changes in actor), same concept, same time machine design, same theme music (though re-arranged) and other aspects, are still working with massive success shows what a brilliant idea it all was in the first place. All Doctor Who fans should watch this first episode.
This is a truly excellent episode giving the best possible start to the series which would go on to be one of the greatest TV shows ever.
It is incredible in a way that they got it so right straight from the beginning. It is not really surprising that the remainder of the first 'serial' which covered the following three episodes shows some flaws, it was a new show, it was experimental, it was low budget and filmed on a tight schedule. It is far more surprising that this first episode is such incredibly high quality. Those following episodes whilst good were perhaps not the best story to launch with (it was actually meant to be the second story) but this opening episode is near perfect.
It is very well written (it merges writing by Anthony Coburn with C.E. Webber's script for the original opening story which this replaced), very well acted, intriguing, a little bit unnerving, atmospheric and well conceived in every respect.
The episode features two teachers who are intrigued by a pupil with unusual knowledge and behaviour. They follow the girl into an old junkyard where they encounter 'The Doctor', a time-traveller with hidden origins, as played by William Hartnell. His portrayal is mysterious, rather sinister and severe. He was to soften and develop into a multi-layered interesting and endearing character over Hartnell's tenure as The Doctor but right from the start Hartnell is superb and makes a brilliant Doctor, even viewing it after all the subsequent actors who replaced him in the role. Ian and Barbara the teachers who become companions in time travel with The Doctor by accident are excellent characters as they develop over the series and even in the first episode are well acted and characterised. Susan Foreman, grand-daughter of The Doctor, is also very good in this first episode and it is sad that the character would not be developed well as the series continued. She turns into a screaming, annoying character too much of the time. In this debut though she is very interesting.
The fact that 50 years later the same main character (after numerous changes in actor), same concept, same time machine design, same theme music (though re-arranged) and other aspects, are still working with massive success shows what a brilliant idea it all was in the first place. All Doctor Who fans should watch this first episode.