An Unearthly Child

An Unearthly Child

As there are now under two weeks to go until the 13th Doctor makes her debut we thought we'd take a look at the introductory episode of each of the Classic Series Doctors.

So the logical place to start is with 'An Unearthly Child', which of course features not only the debut of William Hartnell but indeed the first appearance of the Doctor (or Dr Who / Doctor Who) himself.

And what an entrance he makes, and no I'm not just talking about Hartnell's off-screen coughing fit but the impact the episode makes as a whole.

Firstly we get the superb Delia Derbyshire theme arrangement and the original and highly innovative title sequence.

I really love the 'Doctor Who' theme music in all its different variations. And what a theme tune; nothing like it had been heard on television before and the skill and hard work of Delia and the Radiophonic Workshop cannot be praised enough.

It still sends shivers down my spine and brings me so much happiness. I associate it with exciting adventures that I always really enjoy.

The fact that this is a remount means that everyone has had the chance to try out their characters and make changes if necessary.

And I'm very glad that the Doctor has been softened quite a lot from the pilot as even though he is obstructive and rude you can see the start of the Doctor we will come to love.

William Hartnell plays the character very well and it is a joy to see him soften the character as he goes along, becoming the Grandfather figure we all adore.

William Russell is on top form as Ian Chesterton, and he is playing it very like Sir Lancelot, a part he had played a few years before. And while by no means being the hunk originally intended, he is a reassuring presence for the audience at home.

Jacqueline Hill as Barbara is a wonderful character and holds the Doctor to account on many occasions. Admittedly she has her moments of being the damsel in distress but on the whole is one of the first strong female characters to feature in the series.

Ian and Barbara are our way in the world of the Doctor and the adventures that follow, in the same way that I hope that Mandip Gill, Tosin Cole and Bradley Walsh will introduce us to the new Doctor.

And then. of course. we have the other-worldly Susan, played by Carole Ann Ford. She is an interesting character and is still quite independent at this point, not yet becoming the screaming young girl who falls over the smallest bump.

For this first episode we mostly feature the regular crew apart from a few non-speaking extras such as the Kenneth Williams-like schoolboy and Reg Cranfield's policeman who makes you think of 'Z Cars' or 'Dixon Of Dock Green'. When watching 'Doctor Who' it is always interesting to see what else was on at the time, and how different 'Doctor Who' was to the rest of what was on offer.

Although the appearance of the Daleks in a few weeks time is credited with the show's success, this first episode cannot be overlooked in making the 4.4 million people watching (and the many more who saw the repeat the following week) come back for more.

We'll be taking a look at Patrick Troughton's first episode 'The Power Of The Daleks' later in the week and the wonderful idea of regeneration that has allowed 'Doctor Who' to continue for almost 55 years.

Our video about 'An Unearthly Child' can be seen here.

(Written by Lisa Parker)