The Classic Doctor Who Thread – Spoilers?

[Zombie Jim Undead]

I thought it might be nice to have a thread dedicated to classic Doctor Who – i.e. Doctors 1 to 8.

You know…to discuss the whos, the hows and the wherefores.

The good stories, the shite, the classics, the fluffs, the eye-patches…

It struck me yesterday that there’s so many stories I haven’t yet seen. Watched Horror of Fang Rock over the weekend for the first time. Pretty good…though it was a while since I’d seen a classic story and it struck me just how long and drawn out it was.

Left me thinking how much better it would have been as a single 45 minute episode.

What does everyone else think of the classic series? Are you a fan? Or in your estimation does it all begin with Eccleston?

Topic

[Ian Symes]

Ah, it’s still there for me!
http://www.dalek6388.co.uk/ 

They’re also on YouTube, which I highly recommend if you like incredibly in-depth pieces of research about essentially trivial subjects. https://www.youtube.com/user/Dalek6388 

[Dave]

I highly recommend if you like incredibly in-depth pieces of research about essentially trivial subjects

I can’t imagine any G&T readers liking that kind of thing.

[Spare Hand One]

Ah, it’s still there for me!
http://www.dalek6388.co.uk/ 

They’re also on YouTube, which I highly recommend if you like incredibly in-depth pieces of research about essentially trivial subjects. https://www.youtube.com/user/Dalek6388 

It’s still not working for me. Yawnarama City. I’ll figure it out.

Utterly brilliant to know they’re still going.

[si]

It’s still not working for me. Yawnarama City. I’ll figure it out.
Utterly brilliant to know they’re still going.

If you’re getting the same 404 screen I got when I followed the link in your quoted text the first time, the drop down menu was still accessible. Try clicking on News or Home on there if you’re still having trouble.
The link that Ian shared has worked fine, though. Strange, huh?

[BlossomiestBlossom]

Hello!

I’m new to this site and don’t know how to make a topic, so I’ll just post here.

You can call me Blossom (yes it’s a Thirteenth Doctor thing, deal with it), and I love Doctor Who, and Red Dwarf of course 

[BlossomiestBlossom]

Hello!

I’m new to this site and don’t know how to make a topic, so I’ll just post here.
You can call me Blossom (yes it’s a Thirteenth Doctor thing, deal with it), and I love Doctor Who, and Red Dwarf of course 

Hold on, I found out how to make a topic, ignore this!

[sleepey]

Is 13 technically “classic” now they’ve supposedly rebooted it again?

[Ben Saunders]

It’s a reboot in all but everything.

[BlossomiestBlossom]

Is 13 technically “classic” now they’ve supposedly rebooted it again?

I’m not sure.

I wouldn’t say so, as that’s almost like saying the Original Trilogy of Star Wars are actually also Prequels to the Sequels.

But Thirteen’s era is very much like Classic in tone, and that’s one of the many, many reasons I love that era

[Rushy]

William Hartnell is easily the best Doctor. He is the only one who comes across like a real person, a real wandering scientist. There’s almost a Jules Verne quality to those very early serials with Ian and Barbara. 

[Flap Jack]

Tired: Classic Who ended in 1989.

Wired: Classic Who ended in 2022.

Inspired: Classic Who ended in 1966.

[BlossomiestBlossom]

William Hartnell is easily the best Doctor. He is the only one who comes across like a real person, a real wandering scientist. There’s almost a Jules Verne quality to those very early serials with Ian and Barbara. 

But the alien qualities are what I, and many others, love most about the Doctor

[Renegade Rob]

I’m inclined to agree with the assessment that Hartnell is the best Doctor, having started to work my way through the classic series. The Jules Verne-ness of Hartnell’s era is compounded by all the pure historical (non-alien shenanigan) stories, and also the fact that he isn’t inherently trying to solve problems or save the day, both of which are aspects I really really love. Base under siege stories are all good and well but it’s kind of awesome watching Hartnell and the others just trying to navigate and survive normal human history. Also, even 60 years on, that cliffhanger where he faces down the War Machines is bad ass. 

[Rushy]

But the alien qualities are what I, and many others, love most about the Doctor

I never said he didn’t feel like an alien. I said he felt real. The alien qualities come from his knowledge, his detachment from society, his wisdom.

The whole Tom Baker “you’re a beautiful woman, probably” shtick just feels a little too cartoony for my tastes. 

[Ben Saunders]

I remember a Moffat quote where he said something along the lines of “my favourite Doctor is whichever I happen to be watching at the time.” This is largely true for me, although some definitely falter more than others, I think all the really good ones are all REALLY good, and picking a favourite between Docs 1-12 is basically impossible for me. But if you were to ask me on the street, I’d say 12.

[Hamish]

And in the sheets?

[Ben Saunders]

And in the sheets?

Troughton.

[Technopeasant]

A beautiful woman, probably.

[Flap Jack]

It was a mildly eerie coincidence to see Rushy talking about Paul Darrow in multiple threads here, because I just so happened to watch Doctor Who and the Silurians – off the fancy new Blu-ray collection set – last night. I had no idea he was even in it.

Having watched half the serial, I am now a 100% convert to the side of the people complaining about the Silurian redesign in the modern series.

I challenge anyone to hear the character description “Lesbian private detective in Victorian London who is secretly non-human” and not think this design would be a huge improvement:

[Ben Saunders]

I bloody love Doctor Who and the Silurians. The music is stupid and it’s too long. Marvellous.

[Ben Saunders]

the virgin “let’s cooperate” vs. the chad “I DISAGREE”

[Ben Saunders]

I had no idea he was even in it.

I didn’t even realise it was him while I was watching it. He features much more memorably in Timelash, of course.

[Warbodog]

Did the new series retcon their heads as helmets all along? Or it it like Klingons and you just happen to run into one variation consistently for a while.

[Flap Jack]

Just like future Amy and Rory flagrantly breaking COVID guidelines by going on holiday in 2020, they gave it a handwave.

Say what you will about the Chibnall era, its classic series creature designs were on point. The “Legend of the Sea Devils” sea devil design fucks.

Shame they seem to have watered it down (no pun intended) for the sea devils spin off which is inexplicably happening.

[Warbodog]

[Ben Saunders]

Legend of the Sea Devils is such a bonkers production, idk what happened, that in order to be fully convinced of the creature design I’d have to see them in a good episode that isn’t edited like I’m on crack.

>Different branch of the species mind, but all the same.

That’s, uh, a little racist, Doc.

[International Debris]

That’s, uh, a little racist, Doc.

Chibnall putting problematic ideas into the Doctor’s mouth? Never.

[Ben Saunders]

Chibnall putting problematic ideas into the Doctor’s mouth? Never.

[Flap Jack]

Sadly a lot of humans are racist towards the Silurians too. I’ve heard many people say that Alaya, Restac and Vastra all “look the same”. Can you believe that?

[Dave]

[Warbodog]

I’m afraid I don’t love any Classic Who, maybe because I wasn’t really there for it. I’d rather watch a Twilight Zone, a Prisoner, a Nigel Kneale thing or a Blake’s 7 over it, though not a Sapphire & Steel.

I like early Tom Baker best. I like the Gothic style and the camaraderie, and they’ve sorted the pace out by then, but it’s all just their takes on existing stories without much originality.

I liked the weirder Troughton outings too, when the tone of the story lives up to the theme tune, though can’t actually watch some of those, and it’s possible the likes of The Abominable Snowmen, The Macra Terror and Fury from the Deep would come out worse if they weren’t mostly in my imagination (I’d rather read or enigmatically listen than watch animations).

I find later McCoy quite watchable, but that’s more 1989 sound and vision nostalgia than the actual show sometimes.

[Technopeasant]

It’s a nice thing to watch with my father, who saw the Pertwee era growing up in New Zealand, and later bits from PBS after moving to Canada.

[International Debris]

Sadly a lot of humans are racist towards the Silurians too. 

“Earth Reptiles,” please. 

[Future Producer of Series IX – aaaaany day now]

though not a Sapphire & Steel.

Don’t you dare. That series did more with less than Doctor Who and Blake’s 7 combined.

[BlossomiestBlossom]

“Earth Reptiles,” please. 

Home Reptilia I think you’ll find! 🤓🤓🤓

[Renegade Rob]

Dirt Devils. 

[International Debris]

As a VNA fangirl, I’m sticking with Earth Reptiles. 

[Flap Jack]

I read in DWM after The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood came out someone saying that “homo reptilia” is bad Latin, because to be equivalent to “homo sapiens”, the second word should be an adjective not a noun. So according to the internet it should be something like “homo reptilis” or “reptilium sapiens”.

[Author]

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