Old Doctor

[MentPatient]

Okay, some, maybe most, of you have probably watched the original Doctor Who.

I was wondering, how important was he back then?
I watched a movie and the high council called in the Doctor 'cause they were in trouble and all.
Even in Parting of Ways (new Doctor Who season one finale), they suggested that the war ended because of the Doctor's doing. Killing off both the Time Lords and the Daleks.

Ooo, and what's with the name? Was he an actual doctor back then or... did his parents get all weird and drunk... or something.

:lame:

[N4H]

I'm not an expert on the old doctors like some here are, but I remember one where the Doctor returned to Gallifrey, and he was seen as some kind of rebel. I think he was on trial, or something.

[Angel's vision]

That was called Trial of a Time Lord, i think that's what you mean ..?
I do remember the film too but too much of it i'm afraid my sister is the expert i'll ask.

[MentPatient]

He's a rebel?
What did he do?

[Gollanth]

He's a rebel?
What did he do?
Er, he rebelled! :D

[N4H]

It's a while since I saw it, but I think they didn't like the way the Doctor messed with the time line. They thought Time Lords should more just sit and watch.

[dashboardprophet]

The Trial of a Time Lord took up the whole of season twenty-three of the show in 1986 when the Doctor was played by Colin Baker. It consists of four stories told across 16 episodes. The Doctor is put on trial for meddling with time, a charge that is increased to genocide as the season progresses. The whole thing is basically a plot by his old adversary The Master (a renegade Time Lord best remembered from the Jon Pertwee era when he was played by the much missed Roger Delgado) with various political machinations along the way.

The Colin Baker years were not a happy time for the show, which has got nothing to do with the actor, although he was made into a scapegoat and sacked because of the alarming fall in ratings.

The Jon Pertwee era (1970-1974) also delved into the concept that the Doctor was perceived as something of a rebel by the high council on his home planet (Gallifrey) and for a time the Time Lords disabled the TARDIS so that he was trapped on Earth.

There have been rumours that Russell T Davies intends to bring back The Master (who was last seen played by Eric Roberts in the 1996 Dr Who film), although I don't know if this is true or not.

[Black Eye Guy]

Is the old series as good as the new (better maybe?), like is it worth checking out?

[dashboardprophet]

Is the old series as good as the new (better maybe?), like is it worth checking out?

It's difficult to know how someone who hasn't seen the old show would react to it now when watching it for the first time.

All of the episodes featuring the first two Doctors (William Hartnell 1963-1966 and Patrick Troughton 1966-1969) were shot in black and white. Some of the episodes featuring Jon Pertwee (1970-1974) only exist now in black and white prints. Not all the episodes survived the old BBC policy of wiping tapes to reduce the size of their archive.

The show was made on a sub-zero budget and the special effects have, shall we say, a special charm all of their own. Over a period of twenty six years (the orginal show ran from 1963 to 1989) the quality is occasionally variable and everyone has their own favourite Doctor or era. Mine is Jon Pertwee. I also have a real soft spot for the much-maligned Sylvester McCoy (1987-1989). The most famous Doctor is Tom Baker (1974-1981).

So, is it actually worth watching? I would say yes, absolutely so, but I'm biased because I grew up with it. It is a bloody brilliant show, certainly one of the best if not the best sci-fi show of all-time. However, for new-comers I would say to approach the old show with caution at first. If the silly monster suits, wobbly sets, constant chase scenes in old disused quarrys and dodgy acting doesn't scare you away you'll have a great time.

[N4H]

I liked the Tom Baker's. I'd say anyone who's righteously into Spec Fic should be able to get into those.

I liked the Sylvestor McCoys too. I thought they were maybe a little ahead of their time. The writers took a lot of chances with that kind of unreasoned nuttiness. Sometimes it didn't work, but when it did it had similarities to the direction they're going in now. Understand though, I'm saying this with only a vague memory of what I'm talking about. :)