[Query] Doctor Who

[wispfox]

[Typed by jasra]

Because uncomfortable reactions to the intro of Doctor Who prevented me from getting into it until I recently gave it a shot again with the first season of the new Doctor Who, I know basically nothing about the original.

The first season of the new Doctor Who is making me very happy, and therefore, I would like to know where I would be advised to start, if I were to be attempting to educate myself on what I missed in the original series.

I apparently recognize Tom Baker and Peter Davison as their incarnations of the Doctor. This probably means I have seen _any_ that they were in and liked them enough to remember them. For what that's worth.

So, suggestions? And, for those who are local, if you have any DVDs of any episodes you think I would like to see, that would also be appreciated.

Note that I am somewhat easily creeped out and this makes it difficult to watch anything which is intended to do that. For example, in the season I've watched, the episode The Empty Child was _very_ hard for me to watch. So, unless an episode is important for character or plot development, I would prefer to avoid especially creepy ones.

Comments

[beaq.livejournal.com]

That one was way way way way creepy. Way.

[brynndragon.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Unfortunately I don't know enough about the earlier Dr Who to really give you a heads-up on which ones you'd like. I can say that what I've seen of the second season of the new Dr Who that there's only one episode that's at all creepy, The Iidiot's Lantern, and it doesn't come anywhere near The Empty Child (partially because it feels like it's trying too hard to be spooooooky, and I'm not even vaguely jaded when it comes to such things). Sad to say though, Tennant isn't anywhere near as awesome a doctor as Eccleston (who has surpased Baker in my personal Dr Who panetheon ;P).

[dphilli1.livejournal.com]

we have .avi's of all of 1st, 4th, and 7th Drs. you can borrow the dvds if you want

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Are the DVDs also avi? Or DVD format?

I am probably interested!

[dphilli1.livejournal.com]

we've pulled a lot of the Dr via BT, and burnt the files onto DVD for storage. You need a computer to watch tho.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Ok. I think my desktop doesn't read DVDs, but my laptop does. However, laptops are evil for tendonitis problems. THis is why I asked. :)

All of that said, though, I would still be interested in borrowing these, if possible. I don't know if I've ever met you, nor if I know where you live. Wanna go to email about this? wispfox @ livejournal . com does work.

[dphilli1.livejournal.com]

we've met @ psinging

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Huh! Ok, but it's near certain I won't recognize you, FWIW. :)

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I'd start with "An Unearthly Child", 'cause, why not? It was the first Doctor Who episode ever. It's interesting in that, watching it, even if you've never watched Doctor Who, you know things that the ORIGINAL audience wouldn't have known. I mean, the original audience wouldn't have known that the police call box was significant, for instance.

[ian-gunn.livejournal.com]

Well, I saw a lot of Doctor Who when I was in High School/early college but I have not watched a lot since then. I always liked Tom Baker's version of the Doctor, way smarter then anyone else around, slightly loony but competent. I also like Peter Davison who followed Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee who preceded him. Jon Pertwee's version of the Doctor was a bit more serious and less loony but more obviously competent.

The show quality veried greatly but almost any of Tom Baker's episodes are worth seeing, as well as Pertwee's and Davison's. It would take reviewing for me to make specific story positive or negative recommendations.

I recall that the show had a set format of 5 episodes per story arc, or possibly 4. Within a set they should be seen in order but overall the stories can be seen in pretty much any order and enjoyed. There are references between story arcs that can seem out of place if not seen in the over all order though. Here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/) is an episode guide.

I don't own any DVD's or anything... Given how much I use to like watching them perhaps I should change that.

Dr. Who

[staircasewriter.livejournal.com]

I don't think ANYTHING ever in the universe of the good doctor is as creepy as "Empty Child". Haven't felt warm and friendly about a gas mask every since...okay, I've never felt warm and friendly about a gas mask, but now I definitely wouldn't let my sister marry one!

This is the most serious doctor ever and also the best. I haven't seen season II yet, it airs on CBC starting this fall with yet another doctor. I think he is only one or two away from his regeneration limit. They'll have to write around that one!

Re: Dr. Who

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

I don't think ANYTHING ever in the universe of the good doctor is as creepy as "Empty Child".

Ah, ok. That's a relief!

I'm really partial to this doctor, as well, and sad that he only has one season. But I thought that was possibly because he was the first who I actually intentionally watched. :)

[yulecat.livejournal.com]

Ah, you're speaking my language... :)

I grew up watching the show, and am thrilled they've stayed so faithful to the original in this latest version. Thanks to a generous donation from beezy17, I have his old VHS collection, taped off PBS over the years, of nearly every episode that still exists, from 1963-1989. If we lived closer I'd give you the first couple tapes and trade them out for you as you went along. It took me many months, watching a little bit each night, to get through it all.

The show changed significantly over the years. Part of it was the times. In an episode from the late 60s, the Doctor asks his female companion to be useful and make everyone some coffee while he thinks of a way to solve the problem. (!) And part of it was who was playing the Doctor at the time. Jon Pertwee's era was more like James Bond with aliens than the concept of the show before or since. But all entertaining.

Personally, I'm with xiphias, start at the beginning and watch it all. But you wouldn't go wrong by starting with any particular Doctor, as each stands on their own to a great extent.

[crouchback.livejournal.com]

Two fourth Doctor episodes are very important for understanding the new series.

They are Genesis of the Dalkes and The Talons of Weng-Chiang.

They're worth viewing again if you've seen them before.

[crouchback.livejournal.com]

I've thought of a few 3rd. Doctor episodes, too.

Day of the Daleks, The Three Doctors, Spearhead from Space, Terror of the Autons, Carnival of Monsters, The Green Death, The Time Warrior, Frontier in Space and Planet of the Daleks.

I've thought of a few other 4th Doctor episodes, too. Pyramids of Mars, The Brain of Morbius (which is slightly creepy) and The Hand of Fear.

[greyduck.livejournal.com]

Ah, those poor uncredited Autons. You know, the mannequins in the first episode of the "new" Who? Poor sods.

Someone has to chime in for Mr. McCoy, I suppose: "Remembrance of the Daleks" is out on DVD, while "Battlefield" (among my personal faves out of the entire classic run, which admittedly marks me as a someone out-of-step Who fan) probably isn't, yet.

If you really have some time to kill, churn through Tom Baker's "Key to Time" sequence, some nine serials in all if I remember correctly. It's the best (also, arguably, only) consistent, overall story arc presented in all of Who's original run.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Vaguely confused re your comment about the Autons. Are you suggesting episodes involving them? Or replying to the previous comment and not to me?

Noted, re suggestions. :)

[greyduck.livejournal.com]

Replying to the previous comment, sorry. "Terror of the Autons" was listed as a recommendation, which made me think of the first episode ("Rose") of the new Who production. The Autons were the killer mannequins, the first monsters we meet, even though they're not named as such in that episode.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Good to know.

[madbodger.livejournal.com]

Apropos of nothing, that's an ADORABLE icon!

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

*grin* Thanks!