Which Classic Doctor to start with?

Sleepy

I've only watched Doctor Who since the series was rebooted (first episode I saw was Girl in the Fireplace, then picked up the Ecclestone series and went forward from there. Have listened to a few of the Radio Times freebie CD's of the 10th Doctor novels and have finally started thinking of watching some of the Classic Who series...

Were there arcs in the old series that make it worthwhile watching full seasons or were they more episodic in nature (as there seems to have been far more 3/4 parters back then)?

I can remember disliking the original series as a child when watching a Sylvester McCoy episode in a friends house but as I've gotten older my tastes have definitely moved more and more towards sci-fi / fantasy...

So, where should I start?

ixoy

I wouldn't start with the B & W years as there's many episodes missing.

I reckon you should maybe start with Season 7 - Pertwee's first season (and easily his best). Four strong stories. With pre-reboot series, nearly all stories were spread over multiple 25-minute episodes (45 minutes for a brief period only). These would vary from 2 to 10 episodes in length with the average being 4-5. Season 7 has two seven parters but they're good ones.
After that I'd move on to Tom Baker - his early seasons in particular, before he went a bit mad...
That should be enough for now.

aidan_walsh

The very first old Doctor serial was Tom Bakers Genesis of the Daleks. Once I started watching more older serials, I began with Peter Davisons Doctor for no other reason than that was what was available at the time. Since then I've been keeping pretty chronological but once I have finished up to the end of the McCoy period I'm going to go back again.

iUseVi

ixoy wrote: »

I wouldn't start with the B & W years as there's many episodes missing.

Were they actually made in B & W or is it just that most TVs back then were B & W? (I'm too young to know!)

Jessibelle

Start with Tom Baker definitely, 'The Brain of Morbius' serial perhaps?

pixelburp

iUseVi wrote: »

Were they actually made in B & W or is it just that most TVs back then were B & W? (I'm too young to know!)

Thye were filmed in B&W, and even if the episodes still existed I would stay away - the stories featuring the first two Doctors were amateur & pretty flimsy. If nothing else, a lot of the mythology we now take for granted wasn't about.

I would recommend either the first season of Jon Pertwee (season 7), which showed how "dark" and adult Dr. Who could be - "Inferno" and "The Silurians" are great downbeat stories; and as other people have said, you can't go wrong with Tom Baker's stories (though the very first adventure - "Robot" - is bloody awful and the latter half of his reign went downhill fast)

Sleepy

Due to what's easily available, it looks like I'll be starting with Tom Baker...

Wibbs

Early tom baker IMHO. Pertwee was my first doctor, but Baker made me a fan.

ixoy

Sleepy wrote: »

Due to what's easily available, it looks like I'll be starting with Tom Baker...

Good choice - you've also got Sarah Jane in that too. And K-9!!!

Ridley

Personally, watch the very first episode then skip forward to who-ever you like out of Tom Baker or Peter Davison and go from there.

popebenny16

Sleepy wrote: »

I've only watched Doctor Who since the series was rebooted (first episode I saw was Girl in the Fireplace, then picked up the Ecclestone series and went forward from there. Have listened to a few of the Radio Times freebie CD's of the 10th Doctor novels and have finally started thinking of watching some of the Classic Who series...

Were there arcs in the old series that make it worthwhile watching full seasons or were they more episodic in nature (as there seems to have been far more 3/4 parters back then)?

I can remember disliking the original series as a child when watching a Sylvester McCoy episode in a friends house but as I've gotten older my tastes have definitely moved more and more towards sci-fi / fantasy...

So, where should I start?

during the Tom Baker years most stories were four 25 min episodes long. i see that a lot of my favourites are up there but you could also go for City of Death or Rememberance of the Daleks.

there were no arcs as such - one whole year was given over to finding the Key to Time and one year was given to The Trial of a Time Lord, but you could easily watch the individual stories of the former and, some of the latter without being bothered by any overarching plot. Occasionally there were returning baddies, locations or suchlike, which has resulted in the DVD wing of the BBC creating "the Black Guardian trilogy" and lately "the Dalek War" box sets, but i think its more to do with marketing than anything else

wintear

If you want to watch the first 2 doctors then the William Hartnell "Daleks invasion of Earth" and the Patrick Troughton "Tomb of the Cybermen" are probably the best of the early stuff that is available.

flazio

I suggest you check out
http://www.blinkbox.com, there is a section with free legal episodes of classic Doctor Who that work in the Republic of Ireland, for some strange reason the last episode of Tomb of the Cybermen is no longer available (DVD sales perhaps) but there are some good and perhaps not so good episodes in there.
You get what you pay for.

Gambler

Thanks for that link flazio, hadn't heard of blinkbox before but after doing some checking they seem to have a great setup.

Here's a direct link to the Dr Who stuff:

http://www.blinkbox.com/TV/Series/343/Doctor-Who-The-Classic-Series

ixoy

Gambler wrote: »

Here's a direct link to the Dr Who stuff:

http://www.blinkbox.com/TV/Series/343/Doctor-Who-The-Classic-Series

By the Rod of Rassilon - they have "The Caves of Androzani" there on the last page! One of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever and a must-see if you're looking for the best of the classic series.

Sleepy

Just finished Robot. A bit meh tbh.

Intention is to work through the Fourth Doctor in chronological order and take it from there...

ixoy

Sleepy wrote: »

Just finished Robot. A bit meh tbh.

Intention is to work through the Fourth Doctor in chronological order and take it from there...

Yeah "Robot" is a weak first story for Tom Baker. The next couple are better and then you have "Genesis of the Daleks" which is a classic.

popebenny16

And then the conumdrum of the Ark in Space - is it good or bad or Meh?

Robot isnt that bad - although the King Kong stuff at the end (which were a late add on) should have been resisted. In the book the RAF get involved. Given the use of Tonka Toy tanks, Action men and a barbie Doll, I am glad that Terrence Dicks didnt have to bring his airfix collection into the BBC television centre

Sleepy

The tank isn't a Tonka, it's an Action Man one - I had it as a kid!

Special effects are hysterically bad alright.

Ark in Space is my next one to go