Season 1 X 2 The Daleks (contains spoilers)

popebenny16

As part of the Verity Lambert tribute night, BBC4 showed the first three eps of The Daleks last night.

Coming after Partner's in Crime the juxtaposition was startling, given the way that the Doctor was shouted at and came across as a meddler and fairly arrogant, not that this was a surprise to many today, but the difference was stark.

Rest of the story is on BBC4 from tomorrow night.

What i found equally startling was that my two boys were glued to it despite it being 40 years old and in black and white. I thought the slow pace and the black and white would have made it a trial for them, as they are PS2 addicts and love the fast pace of the latest Who stories. Just goes to show that assumptions can be always wrong. Perhaps someone should tell BBC Wales.....

can't believe you looked.....!!

ixoy

I'm surprised that the young 'uns enjoyed it as these older stories were often more padded. Far different pacing to RTD's run-around-shouting-with-big-explosions formula. Although the corridors have always been there - there's only less cardboard now..
Hartnell's Doctor was quite cranky and grouchy - only the story before he almost killed someone and Ian and Barbara were far more conservative. Even Susan, for all she was meant to be a brilliant pupil, had none of the feminist edge that the modern female companions have had since Ace (heh ). Still it had the classic nemesis in it so maybe that's what sealed the deal for them?

G-Dogg

ixoy wrote: »

I'm surprised that the young 'uns enjoyed it as these older stories were often more padded. Far different pacing to RTD's run-around-shouting-with-big-explosions formula. Although the corridors have always been there - there's only less cardboard now..
Hartnell's Doctor was quite cranky and grouchy - only the story before he almost killed someone and Ian and Barbara were far more conservative. Even Susan, for all she was meant to be a brilliant pupil, had none of the feminist edge that the modern female companions have had since Ace (heh ). Still it had the classic nemesis in it so maybe that's what sealed the deal for them?

...I will not talk about Doctor Who on the Internet... ...I will not talk about Doctor Who on the Internet... ...I will... oh for God's sake. What probably sealed the deal for them was the creepy atmosphere, the spooky electronic sound fx and music (performed by avant-garde mould breakers Delia Derbyshire and Tristram Cary) and the fact that the story is brilliant and contains scenes of strangely dreamlike horror and intelligent moral dilemmas such as the Thalls quitting their pacifism. The dynamics between the Tardis crew are tense and all the better for it and when it comes to feminism Barbara was quite ahead of the possy for Saturday teatime TV in 1963. Sorry it wasn't made in the last ten years but you can't have everything and anyway it's pretty damn good and was obviously good enough to be the reason you're still watching a programme about a nutter travelling through space and time in a blue police box today. Now, if you philistines will excuse me, I will return to my mug of Horliks and playing with my K9 toy, thank you very much. I will bid you both good day, ...word. Peace out.

anotherlostie

What I thought interesting was the amount of science in it - I had read somewhere that the fact that Ian and Barbara were science and history teachers was used in most stories - it was after all children's drama which back then would have had an educational remit. Completely different to the Adipose storyline in the new episode on BBC1 where the fact that adipose tissue is fat was hardly mentioned.

Barbara's scream at the site of the Dalek for the first time was pure Doctor Who though her acting out the radiation sickness was dubious! And after seeing Raquel Watts in the earlier episode playing Miss Foster, there was another Corrie connection as William Russell (Ian) played the short lived Ted Sullivan, husband of Rita, many years later.

popebenny16

G-Dogg wrote: »

O/U level Who post....

Get out!!!

Aso for lostie, you are correct, it was intended to be a intoduction to science show for children.

My main point was that my little experiment just goes to show that "dumbing down" or whatever you call it had pretty much no validity.

Just for kicks, next weekend I'm breaking out my Quatermass DVD's, see what they make of that.

ixoy

G-Dogg wrote: »

What probably sealed the deal for them was the creepy atmosphere, the spooky electronic sound fx and music (performed by avant-garde mould breakers Delia Derbyshire and Tristram Cary) and the fact that the story is brilliant and contains scenes of strangely dreamlike horror and intelligent moral dilemmas such as the Thalls quitting their pacifism.

It's a while since I saw 'The Daleks' but I do remember being quitely impressed with the first one. I think already some of the dumbing down with Dalek plotlines came afterwards and was often an excuse to run around being chased by Daleks (e.g. 'The Chase'...). When first introduced, you're right - it was done more intelligently.

The dynamics between the Tardis crew are tense and all the better for it and when it comes to feminism Barbara was quite ahead of the possy for Saturday teatime TV in 1963.

Of course she was and actually Barbara was probably more intelligent, and self-reliant than most of his female companions until say Liz or Sarah. Even so though, a lot of this would break down for a good old scream and I figured that may be something a younger audience, used to the "Honey to my Bee" Rose character would find more trouble relating to.

I actually wonder if we could go to that vaguely more hostile companion relationship now. The Doctor is friendly now but that incarnation was a cranky old git who resented his new companions (and who often resented him in turn). I don't think he was often that likeable, except when he got to do some lighter stuff in the more comedic episodes. I think people would have a harder time relating to him - assumedly why he was more eccentric in later years.

Sorry it wasn't made in the last ten years but you can't have everything and anyway it's pretty damn good and was obviously good enough to be the reason you're still watching a programme about a nutter travelling through space and time in a blue police box today.

No need to apologise - I'm hardcore enough to be making my way through ALL the episodes. That means having to sit through telesnaps of the many missing stories...

G-Dogg

popebenny16 wrote: »

Get out!!!

Aso for lostie, you are correct, it was intended to be a intoduction to science show for children.

My main point was that my little experiment just goes to show that "dumbing down" or whatever you call it had pretty much no validity.

Just for kicks, next weekend I'm breaking out my Quatermass DVD's, see what they make of that.

Quatermass and the Pit is ideal viewing for children of a tender age. Just stick it on and go out for the night. Make sure it's a windy dark night too and forget about a sitter. Studies reveal that kids also love the 'Baby' episode from The Beasts series. Again, stick it on and split. It's character building.