The Three Doctors - Episode 1

Today I start on the 10^th season of Doctor Who and the first story of that anniversary season is the first multi-Doctor story. It’s the first time for a long time that I have wanted work to be over as quickly as possible so I could start this part of the marathon. This is the first time since ‘The Tenth Planet’ that William Hartnell has appeared in a Doctor Who episode (last seen on September 26^th) and it’s the first time since ‘The War Games’ that Patrick Troughton has appeared in Doctor Who (January 23^rd). The story sees us return to the Gallifrey for the first significant scene since Patrick Troughton’s last story. This is by way of introducing Hartnell and Troughton.

As Troughton hadn’t really been gone that long, it seems quite easy for him to get back into the character and from the very moment that he appears in the story he is fantastic. He hasn’t missed a beat. The lack of Jamie means that the recorder becomes his companion and it’s a nice reminder to the early days of Troughton’s time. In an anniversary story, its only right that there are little nods to the past. Sadly William Hartnell’s involvement in this story is perhaps a burning issue in this story. He was too ill to take part in the story to the extent that Troughton and Pertwee were. The scene where all three of them are talking to each other and Hartnell’s Doctor is yelling at the other two is a fun scene. That’s why I’m have mixed feeling with Hartnell’s involvement because he’s not in it enough to feel like a proper part of the story yet when he is in it he’s still magnificent.

There are two effects used here that don’t entirely work and that’s the psychedelic blob and a sort of white sphere. It’s used to take Mr Ollis, Doctor Tyler, Bessie. Another rather poorly realised thing are the Gellguards. They look stupid and they walk at a ridiculous speed and yet still manage to get past a group on UNIT soldiers. There is a good x-ray picture which is used to show Ollis’ face.  I love the line that the Brigadier gives about UNIT being a top secret organisation yet about five minutes later the Doctor and Jo drive past a UNIT signpost with the Brigadiers name on it. Not terribly top secret.

It’s a cracking opening episode and in some ways it doesn’t feel like a normal Doctor Who story. It feels like after the last few stories, that this is a sort of light hearted adventure that doesn’t really have the seriousness that a normal story would have. All the performances are fun and it feels like a fun adventure with more fun to come. I feel like I have a renewed enjoyment to watching Doctor Who and I would like to think that this is a new strong period of Doctor Who but I suppose only time will tell.