I don’t have a favourite Doctor. Never really believed you can even compare them that well, let alone have a favourite.
However… I think you do have Doctors that you grew up with, who become “Your” Doctor (or Doctors) without ever actually being either better or comparable to the others. For me, it’s Jon Pertwee and Sylvester McCoy. McCoy was The Doctor when I started watching in 1987 and after Doctor Who was viciously cancelled by the evil BBC, the few repeats and VHS videos I could get my hands on seemed to be Pertwee stories. So those two became “my” Doctors.
So it is with some trepidation that I commence The Pertwee Years as I worry whether the stories will live up to my memory. As I look ahead at the stories to come there are certain ones that I really cannot wait for but the question is simply this – are those stories as good as I remember or am I just remembering them as a 12 year old kid watching Doctor Who for the first time?
And this is a good place to start in that regard – Spearhead is a story I loved growing up. I still have my VHS copy, even though I don’t own a video player anymore. That being said, I have watched it once or twice (cough) since my first viewing so I’m willing to bet my impression of it is fairly sound…
First thing to note is that I’m watching this on Blu Ray. Mainly because I was bored during The Space Pirates and was mucking about on Amazon and it only came out this week. I appreciate the irony here – I only own three Blu Rays and this is one of them – a Doctor Who story from 1970 when the concept of High Definition was the fact that the story is in colour. Again, I blame The Space Pirates.
Pertwee starts off with the (already traditional) confusion and odd behavior of a newly regenerated Doctor. He’s instantly interesting to watch as he obsesses about shoes and then promptly steals some clothes and a car…
As this is all going on a plot develops in the background but we’re also introduced to other characters. The Brigadier is back and we get to meet Liz Shaw. The immediate bickering rapport between the Brigadier and the instantly splendid Liz Shaw is a joy to watch and when the Doctor gets involved the three of them are superb.
The Doctor uses the (probably meaningless) term “Dimensionally transcendental” and from that moment Pertwee just has both hands on the role. Liz Shaw’s disbelief at The Doctor’s claims is great and she’s so much more interesting than the usual companion who just believes whatever old line the Doctor feeds them. I do love Pertwee’s Doctor as he tries to escape in the TARDIS (selfish sod) but then creeps out of the thing looking utterly sheepish when he finds the Time Lords have disabled it.
The quality on the Blu Ray is fantastic. I’ve never really noticed the plasticcy sheen on the Autons’ assistants’ faces before properly but now it’s clear as day.
It is quite brutal. A copper gets shot as the Autons go on a really rather nasty rampage through London (this is probably for the best considering the fact the Doctor still hasn’t returned the car he stole in episode 2). Their plot is simple enough – colonise Earth – and the idea of a hive mind entity is a nice new idea for the show.
The scene between The Doctor and The Brig at the end bartering over terms of the Doctor’s long term assistance at the end is simply a joy and it caps off what is simply one of my all time favourite stories.
Pertwee is brilliant, the story is great and the Brigadier and Liz Shaw are simply superb. Utter classic. 10/10.
However… I think you do have Doctors that you grew up with, who become “Your” Doctor (or Doctors) without ever actually being either better or comparable to the others. For me, it’s Jon Pertwee and Sylvester McCoy. McCoy was The Doctor when I started watching in 1987 and after Doctor Who was viciously cancelled by the evil BBC, the few repeats and VHS videos I could get my hands on seemed to be Pertwee stories. So those two became “my” Doctors.
So it is with some trepidation that I commence The Pertwee Years as I worry whether the stories will live up to my memory. As I look ahead at the stories to come there are certain ones that I really cannot wait for but the question is simply this – are those stories as good as I remember or am I just remembering them as a 12 year old kid watching Doctor Who for the first time?
And this is a good place to start in that regard – Spearhead is a story I loved growing up. I still have my VHS copy, even though I don’t own a video player anymore. That being said, I have watched it once or twice (cough) since my first viewing so I’m willing to bet my impression of it is fairly sound…
First thing to note is that I’m watching this on Blu Ray. Mainly because I was bored during The Space Pirates and was mucking about on Amazon and it only came out this week. I appreciate the irony here – I only own three Blu Rays and this is one of them – a Doctor Who story from 1970 when the concept of High Definition was the fact that the story is in colour. Again, I blame The Space Pirates.
Pertwee starts off with the (already traditional) confusion and odd behavior of a newly regenerated Doctor. He’s instantly interesting to watch as he obsesses about shoes and then promptly steals some clothes and a car…
As this is all going on a plot develops in the background but we’re also introduced to other characters. The Brigadier is back and we get to meet Liz Shaw. The immediate bickering rapport between the Brigadier and the instantly splendid Liz Shaw is a joy to watch and when the Doctor gets involved the three of them are superb.
The Doctor uses the (probably meaningless) term “Dimensionally transcendental” and from that moment Pertwee just has both hands on the role. Liz Shaw’s disbelief at The Doctor’s claims is great and she’s so much more interesting than the usual companion who just believes whatever old line the Doctor feeds them. I do love Pertwee’s Doctor as he tries to escape in the TARDIS (selfish sod) but then creeps out of the thing looking utterly sheepish when he finds the Time Lords have disabled it.
The quality on the Blu Ray is fantastic. I’ve never really noticed the plasticcy sheen on the Autons’ assistants’ faces before properly but now it’s clear as day.
It is quite brutal. A copper gets shot as the Autons go on a really rather nasty rampage through London (this is probably for the best considering the fact the Doctor still hasn’t returned the car he stole in episode 2). Their plot is simple enough – colonise Earth – and the idea of a hive mind entity is a nice new idea for the show.
The scene between The Doctor and The Brig at the end bartering over terms of the Doctor’s long term assistance at the end is simply a joy and it caps off what is simply one of my all time favourite stories.
Pertwee is brilliant, the story is great and the Brigadier and Liz Shaw are simply superb. Utter classic. 10/10.