The Classic Doctor Who Thread (1963 to 1989/1996)

[By Jove its holmes]

Fact of the Day: Tom Baker was the first DW series lead who wasn’t a veteran of the Second World War. He had the mercy of a late birth.

Topic

[Rudolph]

I actually think City of Death is the worst place to start. It’s often considered the best story ever (not by me, I don’t like it at all, but that’s for another time), and so it can set unrealistic expectations for what the rest of the series will be like.

[Rushy]

(not by me, I don’t like it at all, but that’s for another time)

Finally, a voice of sanity

[Warbodog]

I approached City of Death as another Douglas Adams thing after I read his books, it could have been Doctor Who or anything. It’s always stuck out as different from the rest as a result. Oh yeah, there’s also that famous cameo whose presence also feels bizarre (tombow might not have got there yet).

[Ben Saunders]

The War Machines, Destiny of the Daleks and Four to Doomsday

Oh dear. War Machines is alright.

[Ben Saunders]

I actually think City of Death is the worst place to start. It’s often considered the best story ever (not by me, I don’t like it at all, but that’s for another time), and so it can set unrealistic expectations for what the rest of the series will be like.

It also begins with a slightly bizarre scene of a green spaghetti monster spouting incomprehensible dialogue back and forth on an unconvincing planet and then exploding. And it has the Thunderbirds guy doing a bad comic German accent. But apart from that it’s stellar.

[tombow]

Yeah I’ve realised I might be getting my hopes up for Adams level wit for the rest of era. I just want to jump in and get some different stories watched really. I can see there’s a lot of variety in style. I also have seen a clip of a certain icon appearing as an art critic.

[Technopeasant]

I actually think City of Death is the worst place to start. It’s often considered the best story ever (not by me, I don’t like it at all, but that’s for another time), and so it can set unrealistic expectations for what the rest of the series will be like.

Certainly shouldn’t for the frankly coincidental reason it had the highest ratings… against a static screen.

[Professor Flibble]

I think the best stories to start with are the ones that are fairly well liked, with one or two fan favourites peppered in.

The Curse of Peladon is my favourite story of all time and it’s also one I show people getting into the show.

[Jonathan Capps]

Remembrance and City of Death were my first two. I think it definitely makes sense to start strong.

[Rushy]

I bought my first two on DVD as a child with no understanding of what’s good and what’s not. I picked the Dalek Invasion of Earth and Attack of the Cybermen. 

[Professor Flibble]

Remembrance and City of Death were my first two. I think it definitely makes sense to start strong.

It makes sense but I suppose I’m a bit unusual in that a lot of the fan favourites are maybe in the middle of my era rankings, and I think you should lean towards more monster-heavy ones to give an idea of the show’s ambition in spite of its budget

[Technopeasant]

I mostly started on what my parents had recorded off KCTS (as with Red Dwarf) and whatever the public library network had on VHS and later DVD, which gave me a good taste of different Doctors. An Unearthly Child and The Daleks for Hartnell, The Invasion and The War Games for Troughton, The Sea Devils for Pertwee, Genesis of the Daleks, Robots of Death, and The Invasion of Time for Tom, Enlightenment for Davison, Vengeance on Varos and The Two Doctors for Colin, and Remembrance of the Daleks, Silver Nemesis, and Curse of Fenric for McCoy. That diet might be what makes me appreciate the ’80s more than some, and surprisingly little Barry Letts or Philip Hinchcliffe.

[Author]

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