Cast : Doctor : William Hartnell
Susan : Carol Ann Ford
Ian : William Russell
Barbara : Jacquelline Bissett
Za : Derek Newark
Hur : Alethea Charlton
Old Mother : Eileen Way
Kal : Jeremy Young
Horg : Howard Lang
Episodes :
1) “An Unearthly Child”
2) “The Cave Of Skulls”
3) “The Forest Of Fear”
4) “The Firemaker”
First Broadcast : 23 November – 14 December 1963.
Plot : 1960’s Coalhill School (London) teachers; Ian and Barbara, both tutor an exceptionally gifted (but impossibly naive) young girl; called Susan Foreman. They decide to follow Susan home to learn more and wind-up being kidnapped; by a time-travelling alien – called “The Doctor”.
Whats good : There is a tangible air of mystery behind the Doctor and Susan’s characters – at this stage. Susan belittling her intellectually inferior school colleagues, with learnings of genius proportions but unable to grasp basic concepts. Such as, which currency is in circulation – in 1963. Ian and Barbara show early promise as a companion duo – and backbone of early stories.
Whats bad : Clunky slow and loose (pilot) serial, doesn’t understand what it wants to be. Things introduced, are later abandoned – in favour of revised backstories. I.e. Susan naming the Tardis. Being 49th century renegades. Hartnell doesn’t do that much, after the first episode, leaving the meat of the story, action and important dialogue for captive/companion Ian.
Review With Spoilers :An Unearthly Child, is the beginning of Doctor Who and the pilot serial first episode. It was originally broadcast, on the day after the J.F.K assassination – in 1963.
An Unearthly Child is essentially – like attempting to bake a cake; without a recipe. All of the basic ingredients are present but the final mixture is not quite right and will be perfected after further attempts.
The initial setup, is suspenseful and mysterious. Introducing us, to exceptionally bright but mysterious Susan and the interesting interplay between Susan and her suspicious teachers; Ian & Barbara.
Most of the first episode, is seen through Ian & Barbara’s eyes. As they follow Susan home, to force a meeting with Susan’s guardian (later revealed to be the Doctor). Uncovering bit-by-bit; who these junkyard squatters are – and why they are hiding in a junkyard.
What is not present here, is a sense of what the show will build into, over the next 27-years or the mythos it will go on to create. As explanations given here, are muddled and uncertain. Established things are later abandoned and forgotten about.
I.e. Susan inventing the name of the Tardis (after the abbreviation of “Time And Relative Dimensions In Space”). Rather than the fact a whole fleet already exist on Gallifrey. The notion of the Doctor being a family man; never covered again, bar fleeting references through the original series.
“We are not of this race. We are not of this earth. Susan and I are wanderers in the fourth dimension of space and time, cut off from our own people by distances beyond the reach of your most advanced science!” Doctor
Even the first trip in the Tardis is painfully grinding and feels like a reuse of the trippy tunnel title sequence, similar to 2001 Space Odyssey.
On the plus, however, the suspenseful feel is about right due to budget constraints and limited studio space. We even get a reasonably entertaining romp back to caveman times, from episode 2 onwards. This begins to flesh out the Earth historical period story template the First Doctor’s era uses alot. This story is much more interesting and realised than some of the later broadcast Earth period romps.
Hartnell spends much of this, attempting to find his feet in the role and hasn’t quite mastered the fine line; between tetchy and endearing – at least not yet.
Ian quickly settles into his counterpoint role (to the Doctor), in challenging the Doctor’s authority and outlook and also providing the necessary brawn; to the Doctor’s brain.
Ian and Barbara have some good early scenes together, in the buildup to the reveal of the Doctor and Susan being aliens aswell; whilst they investigate.
They also fall well into becoming the explainers or the every-people of the show. Reacting and explaining things in a way the audience can appreciate and understand
A reasonably paced opener to the beginning of a 26-year phenomena. It starts slowly and unassuredly but gets enough of the basic story ingredients in place, to be watchable in it’s own right. It has some interesting aspects established, which are later abandoned (from a Who historical-sense!). Most importantly – though, it sets the tone for what Doctor Who will endure and evolve into; over the next 2 decades.
🔵🔵🔵⚪⚪ (3/5)
Watch ‘An Unearthly Child’ For Free On Dailymotion :
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6dj48s
