Re-watching the William Hartnell years (1963-1966)!

bhvictorybhvictory Posts: 3,410
Forum Member
✭✭✭
Just been rewatching the William Hartnell years on DVD, including telesnap reconstructions using the original soundtracks....... It reminded me just how creative and down-to-earth those early stories were, in particular the period ones set in a particular time in Earth's history...... For me, the first story set in the stone age set up the tone of the show perfectly........ Which other stories do you think defined the Hartnell era.....?

Comments

  • jimbo_bobjimbo_bob Posts: 1,935
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    bhvictory wrote: »
    Just been rewatching the William Hartnell years on DVD, including telesnap reconstructions using the original soundtracks....... It reminded me just how creative and down-to-earth those early stories were, in particular the period ones set in a particular time in Earth's history...... For me, the first story set in the stone age set up the tone of the show perfectly........ Which other stories do you think defined the Hartnell era.....?

    I enjoy the Hartnell years. My particular favourite stories are The Edge of Destruction and the Time Medler.
  • Tom TitTom Tit Posts: 2,554
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    bhvictory wrote: »
    For me, the first story set in the stone age set up the tone of the show perfectly........ Which other stories do you think defined the Hartnell era.....?


    One of the most sophisticated stories ever seen in Doctor Who, by my reckoning.

    Possibly the most sophisticated Doctor Who scripts were for 'the Mythmakers'. It's amazing what they could try in the Hartnell era; the show wasn't as closeted then as it became. As much as I love the Troughton era the stories were all the same.

    'The Aztecs' has to be considered a very definitive story for the 1st Doctor - The historical milleu pulled off with verve; scheming and intrigue. Good plotting and strong themes. Very good perfromances from all the cast. Fantastic period costumes and sets. And that definitive quartet of Billy, Susan, Ian and Barbara. It's one that I struggle to find faults with.
  • M@nterikM@nterik Posts: 6,982
    Forum Member
    bhvictory wrote: »
    Just been rewatching the William Hartnell years on DVD, including telesnap reconstructions using the original soundtracks....... It reminded me just how creative and down-to-earth those early stories were, in particular the period ones set in a particular time in Earth's history...... For me, the first story set in the stone age set up the tone of the show perfectly........ Which other stories do you think defined the Hartnell era.....?

    The Hartnell era is great. Some of the stories are a little slow but they are very much of their time. The Sensorites and Web Planet could both lose 2 episodes through editing and be far better. I would say the stories that define the era for me, and I look at it as two different blocks. With Ian/Barbara and without.

    The stories would be Daleks and Marco Polo for the early Hartnell years and Dalek Masterplan and Myth Makers for the second half. The comic orientated historicals that really started with Romans are great.
  • chuffnobblerchuffnobbler Posts: 10,771
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I watched The Dalek Invasion of Earth last week, and it's stunning. I think it's the best Dalek story. The Daleks are terrifying, and there are so many moments with screams happening offscreen. It's wonderfully cynical, negative and unpleasant. Brilliant stuff.

    I'd also like to nominate The Massacre. Hugely intelligent and thoughtful, with a bitterly grim conclusion.

    I'm a big Billy fan.
  • bhvictorybhvictory Posts: 3,410
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    The final story The Tenth Planet which introduced the Cybermen is pretty impressive too.......
  • CAMERA OBSCURACAMERA OBSCURA Posts: 8,002
    Forum Member
    The Dalek Invasion of Earth every time, up there with the best of them.

    There is something about this story that feels epic for me, yes its a bit clumsy at times but it is rather joyous.

    There is a scene that blew me away when I first saw it, as for the main the direction was rather static/studio direction, but there is a scene in DIOE where Barbra (I think) is running through a derelict industrial site and the camera is following her but it isn't a group of just static shots it is almost in a hand held style. That blew me away because it stuck out as doing something different, even in those early days there were these little gems in production, The Doctor's stand-off in The War Machines springs to mind as well, that moment is absolutely gorgeous TV. It defines the character of The Doctor there and then and it hasn't changed from that basic premise since.


    Apart from a couple of stories, I've never been a big fan of that era in genral, (thank god it was there though eh!) but it is absolutely peppered with these wonderful little moments that make my ears (eyes:confused:) prick up. So if I revisit I tend to watch more for those moments rather than the stories themselves.


    Ohhhh I just remembered, that dark lit Tardis stood in a yard in the the very first minutes of the very first episode. *swooon*
  • tingramretrotingramretro Posts: 10,974
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I love the Hartnell era, it's probably the most consistent in quality, tone and style of the entire classic series. Favourite stories? Well, several of those already mentioned of course, but also The War Machines, The Aztecs, The Gunfighters (yes, really!) and the tragically underappreciated but tremendously enjoyable 'The Chase'.
  • Ed SizzersEd Sizzers Posts: 2,671
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Hartnell's the one classic Doc I stlll can't muster any interest for. Even back when I was a 'full on fan' back in the 80's, I'd buy the first Doc videos when they were released and watched all the repeats on BSB... but I was never really engaged by them - and never rewatched 'em, 'cept maybe An Unearthly Child.

    I think I just find Hartnell too generic. That's daft, I know, given that he's the template but he's just not... I dunno, Doctory enough for me. His Doc' is just a generic eccentric old bloke, the likes of which we've seen in numerous films and shows.

    For me, the magic of the Doctor as a character didn't kick in until Power of the Daleks.
  • CAMERA OBSCURACAMERA OBSCURA Posts: 8,002
    Forum Member
    Ed Sizzers wrote: »

    I think I just find Hartnell too generic. That's daft, I know, given that he's the template but he's just not... I dunno, Doctory enough for me. His Doc' is just a generic eccentric old bloke, the likes of which we've seen in numerous films and shows.

    :)

    I see exactly what you mean but I tend to look at the Hartnell years like The Beatles first album. Basic, a few gems, rough and ready but a great door to what was to come.
  • TEDRTEDR Posts: 3,413
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    There is a scene that blew me away when I first saw it, as for the main the direction was rather static/studio direction, but there is a scene in DIOE where Barbra (I think) is running through a derelict industrial site and the camera is following her but it isn't a group of just static shots it is almost in a hand held style. That blew me away because it stuck out as doing something different, even in those early days there were these little gems in production,

    As you probably already know, one of the advantages of a location shoot is that you had to use film cameras (hence why outdoor shoots always looked completely different in tone), and in the 60s film cameras were significantly lighter than studio cameras and therefore much more manoeuvrable. It was still a gamble to do anything interesting though, as you didn't get to see the results of what you'd shot until at least the end of the day and you can bet a programme like Who didn't have the budget for reshoots.

    Anyway, I'll also vote in favour of The Time Meddler and The Dalek Invasion of Earth. The speech from the latter is also the best thing about The Five Doctors.
  • M@nterikM@nterik Posts: 6,982
    Forum Member
    I love the Hartnell era, it's probably the most consistent in quality, tone and style of the entire classic series. Favourite stories? Well, several of those already mentioned of course, but also The War Machines, The Aztecs, The Gunfighters (yes, really!) and the tragically underappreciated but tremendously enjoyable 'The Chase'.

    The Gunfighters is fantastic, absolutely fantastic.

    I think it went through a renaissance with fandom when copies finally became available widely in the eighties. It had a bad reputation largely based on it supposedly being the story with the lowest ratings ever and some of those involved, like P Purves, having bad memories of it.

    I agree with you on The Chase as well. What is not to love with it ?
  • CAMERA OBSCURACAMERA OBSCURA Posts: 8,002
    Forum Member
    TEDR wrote: »
    As you probably already know, one of the advantages of a location shoot is that you had to use film cameras (hence why outdoor shoots always looked completely different in tone), and in the 60s film cameras were significantly lighter than studio cameras and therefore much more manoeuvrable. It was still a gamble to do anything interesting though, as you didn't get to see the results of what you'd shot until at least the end of the day and you can bet a programme like Who didn't have the budget for reshoots.

    Anyway, I'll also vote in favour of The Time Meddler and The Dalek Invasion of Earth.


    It was also the pace and framing of that scene as well, more than the change in film 'tone'.. the whole package so to speak. I wonder if the director had seen A Hard Days Night a few months before.;)

    Sorry thats two Beatles references in two posts, dont know where they came from:confused::D



    Of course The Time Meddler, forgot about that one.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 231
    Forum Member
    I love the Dalek Invasion of Earth and the Time Meddler (I think Mortimus the Monk is a character ripe for revival) but for me the best Billy story was The Tenth Planet. Custer reminded me of traditional 60s American Sci-Fi generals, taking me back to my childhood. The Cybermen seemed to have a degree of character to them that the ones that came after didn't have (as much as I love them). My inner 7 yr old self's interest in astronomy loved the whole spaceship-near-a-new-planet angle and the drama from it. And, of course, the build-up to the regeneration enabled me to suspend my fore-knowledge of the shows future and for a moment or two, get swept up in the excitement of 'what's happening to the Doctor?'.
  • Face Of JackFace Of Jack Posts: 7,181
    Forum Member
    I loved 'The Daleks', 'Invasion of Earth', 'The Time Meddler', 'The Chase' - oh so many! I even bought 'The Keys of Marinus' recently....one of William's lesser thought of serials! I enjoyed it. OK they are all cheap and tatty some of the time.....but I just enjoy watching these classics!
    They are therapeutic stories to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon nowadays for me!:)
  • TEDRTEDR Posts: 3,413
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    It was also the pace and framing of that scene as well, more than the change in film 'tone'.. the whole package so to speak. I wonder if the director had seen A Hard Days Night a few months before.;)

    I mainly meant that the advantage was that you have a camera you can carry. There's not much to a film camera, it's all mechanical and 90% of it is the film itself, whereas a TV camera of the 60s is a massive piece of electronics that probably needs a couple of people just to roll around. I guess on location you're also freed from concerns as to whether you're accidentally going to turn too far and get the unadorned parts of the studio in shot...

    Further Hartnell excellence not yet mentioned: The Celestial Toymaker and Planet of the Giants.

    I even bought 'The Keys of Marinus' recently....one of William's lesser thought of serials! I enjoyed it.
    No. Impossible at this temperature. Besides, it's too warm!
  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,354
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I always thought The Time Meddler defined Hartnell's Era, it's why it's my favourite Hartnell story.

    In it you have:

    1) William Hartnell fluffing his lines
    2) William Hartnell on holiday for one episode
    3) The Doctor getting cross
    4) The Doctor using his wits to outfox the enemy
    5) The Doctor showing he does have a funny side
    6) The TARDIS being cut of for what must have been the umpeenth time.
    7) A straight mix of historical and sci-fi, showcasing both elements of the Series.

    All these things you find in other stories but in The Time Meddler every aspect of Hartnell's Era were present and that's why I love it so much! :D
Sign In or Register to comment.