Classic Who for Discussion

Ok heres the Classic Who thread. Four episodes per week-roughly. With a discussion on each.

So I'll start by putting up again the very first episode The Unearthly Child and second one The Cave of Skulls.






I'll post my own thoughts on these two episodes later once people have had a chance to view and comment.

A semi-related note for people who try to embed videos: you have to post the regular URL without extra coding and stuff. For YouTube, that means taking out "&player=embedded" and stuff like that. For Dailymotion, it means taking out everything from the # sign and after. I fix stuff like that when I see it but I thought I'd mention it.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion.

Thanks Eldo- wondered what caused that- why does it work sometimes though and not others? And why arent you watching the first episode on here whilst your popping by? Only 25 minutes long and TV history that is.

The Doctor seems a bit meek at the moment, like he's only just been created and is just beginning to find his way. Oh yes, is Susan his Real grand daughter - or is he some old guy who takes young girls for rides in his Tardis?

I hope the Doctor finds some other way to make fire, else he's finished, I'd say. (Good old fashioned heroines btw ).

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Thanks Eldo- wondered what caused that- why does it work sometimes though and not others?

The extra stuff at the end gets added on for different reasons. For instance, if you got to the main video page by way of a previously-embedded copy of the video, then it will add a bit of code saying as much. Other times, however, the URL is unchanged and so you don't have to delete anything to embed it properly.

And why arent you watching the first episode on here whilst your popping by? Only 25 minutes long and TV history that is.

I was watching Antiques Roadshow with my mum earlier and I'm afraid I'm about telly-ed out for now.

Mmmmm... bit of a culture shock from the action packed hour long eps

I have to say, that theme sounds great!

I like the slow build in getting to know them all, something that series don't seem to have the luxury of doing these days. Not sure I would say the doctor seems meek, just less in love with or bothered by humans at this stage. Still fascinated in finding info, exploring the world. I am intrigued by Susan. Another timelord on the Tardis?

You're right. Meek is not the right word at all on reflection. 'Insoucicant"? But then suddenly, when the s*^t starts going down, quite a worried Doctor?

NB Petty, I'll wait until you post the next episode here. If you do one at a time, with a few days in between, then it'll be more practical for me to watch. I am quite busy, you know, what with gardening and Dr Who and the Trolls and all!

Further edit: Also, it will be like watching Who back in the good old days. Waiting - seemingly forever - for the next episode and worrying that the Doctor was done for!

A Doctor on the run from the comments in ep 1 too!

Part of the reason why these episodes are "classic".

NB I didn't realize the "Orb" was the sun at first. I thought it was a being - maybe a Dalek or something. Shows one that he should never underestimate the Ancient Scriptwriters, what!

Don't think meek is the word I would use either. He is more crabbit which I like of course.

Spoiler:

He also has a fairly low opinion of humans at this point it seems.
The TimeLords as his race don't get a mention unitl the second Doctor but if one does the fan thing of extrapolating later knowledge backwards in the series then the Time Lords have a strict non-interference policy, which whilst the Doctor seems to have gone rogue, ("the daft old man who stole a magic box" as the 11th says of himself) he still is much more stand offish than he would become.
Another thing about early Who is back in the day the BBC took their public remit a bit more seriously, so Who had to both inform and entertain. The way it dealt with this early on was to set stories in histroical settings (reflecting the thinking of the day).
Susan is indeed the Doctor's granddaughter- or at least there has never been anything said to say otherwise. There is a pilot of the first episode which is more roughly shot and has painted cloth backdrops for some parts, in it Susan is considerable odder in her movements and how she speaks, they asked her to tone it down a bit when they shot the episode properly. I like her alienness however and she gets to show it more again as the series progresed.

I very much like the writing of the cave people- they are not stupid as such, they just lack the concepts, they are primitive not idiots- its one of the better portrays of this I've seen on TV where they usually resort to grunting monosylabbic apemen. Again this was part of the remit to reflect an educational dimension to the stories, so the cavemen were based on the understanding of them at the tme.

Entertaining AND informative. Now, that's what a Doctor should always be!

I have to say, that theme sounds great!- Kafria

I think at the time of transmission this must have been one of the stand out things about it. It was the worlds first entirely electronic theme music- quite literally the audience had never heard anything like it before, all new sounds- it must have made it seem both futuristic and alien in a way its famalirity now can't convey.

"I'll wait until you post the next episode here."- Orwell

I was planning to put the next two up on Saturday- it being the traditional Doctor Who night seems appropriate from now on I put up 2 eps every Sat (equiv to 1 modern episode). It will nicely help fill the time between now and the new series!

Pettytyrant101 wrote:I have to say, that theme sounds great!- Kafria

I think at the time of transmission this must have been one of the stand out things about it. It was the worlds first entirely electronic theme music- quite literally the audience had never heard anything like it before, all new sounds- it must have made it seem both futuristic and alien in a way its famalirity now can't convey.

Love that music! I missed it not being at the end of the 1st Episode. Lacked a bit of tension with it missing. But the 2nd Episode left me all tense with concern for the Doctor and his companions.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:"I'll wait until you post the next episode here."- Orwell

I was planning to put the next two up on Saturday- it being the traditional Doctor Who night seems appropriate from now on I put up 2 eps every Sat (equiv to 1 modern episode). It will nicely help fill the time between now and the new series!

Excellent!

Just as an interesting side note to the first episode, it was aired 23 November 1963. The Uk adopted decimalisation of the curency in 1971- so Susans claim it hadn't happened yet' was 8 years ahead, so they must have visted earth at some point after 1971.
Susan goes on later to say she liked this time period so presumably they hopped about a bit to find one she liked- swinging 60's aint a bad choice I suppose!

Another little spot for the dedicated Whovian is the French Revolution book which Susan leaves on the desk. In the 7th Doctor (McCoy) story 'Remembrance of the Daleks', in which the Doctor returns to Totters Lane, it is still there when Ace (the Companion of the time) fights a Dalek in the class room.

Another little nod to this first episode is the Doctor's Library card, which the 11th Doctor accidently shows in Vampires of Venice. The adress on it is Totter's Lane.

Susan looks elvish to me. Is there any chance the Doctor went to Mirkwood and met a Tauril type character in his travels?

tauril?

Or whaterver PJ's bimbo-elve is called. You know who I mean, Mrs Figg.

Oi!- we will be staying at least vaguely on topic here!!

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Oi!- we will be staying at least vaguely on topic here!!

I apologise profusely. (Mrs Figg started it! )

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Oi!- we will be staying at least vaguely on topic here!!

What... Here in forumshire, home of the free spirit, land of the rambling, multi thread discussion?

Fat chance!

Never mind what Kaf says, Petty, I'll continue to strive to my utmost to stay on topic.

Orwell started it wasnt me. tauril?