23rd November, 1963. The date
that started it all. The magic, the adventure that we have all held so dear to
our hearts ever since.
A blue Police box, an incredibly
intelligent pupil whose behaviour prompts her teachers to find out more about
her. Then they meet her Grandfather…..
First impressions count, right? Susan and
Ian’s first impression really wasn’t complementary (especially after being
kidnapped) and this has throughout the years been the assumption of quite a number
of Doctor Who fans:
“Oh the First Doctor, he was a grumpy old
boy”
“He really didn’t do much apart from talk,
quite boring really”
“Don’t think he was very nice, quite rude
in fact”
Why has the Doctor’s initial attitude in
his first scene of An Unearthly Child continued to be the general consensus of
his character? This article will hopefully change people’s unfair perception of
the First Doctor and encourage everyone to watch more of his stories.
Grumpy? Of course! How would you feel in an
elderly body plagued with rheumatism, surrounded by silly humans and having to
save the World and the universe on a regular basis? Now, cast you mind back to
each and every subsequent regeneration and tell me, have any of the other 10
never been grumpy? Of course they have- even the mild mannered Fifth Doctor had
his grouchy moments.
 |
| "You took away my cricket bat, how DARE you!" |
People have also have an unfair opinion
that the First Doctor had no sense of humor, and had no taste for adventure.
Take a look at The Romans where he is clearly happy and joyful, amusing Vicki
with his unusual quirky humour. In The Web Planet he demonstrates his
excitement and wonder in exploring the terrain of the planet Vortis. Like every
regeneration since, the Doctor clearly shows his sense of wonder and his thirst
for excitement when he discovers something new and interesting.
In the same story when Ian’s pen goes
missing and he gets the sense he’s being watched, the Doctor is keen to explore
to find out, rather than take the boring cowardly option of staying in the
Tardis. Hardly a boring old chap you have to agree. It appears Ian would be
more appreciative of pipe and slippers than the Doctor!
He has also demonstrated he can be quite
the action man. Take for example scenes from The Chase, The Romans and The
Crusade where he demonstrated his fighting skills, which could easily match
someone half his age.
What a lot of people forget is although he
did take the unusual and not so pleasant step of kidnapping Ian and Barbara in
the first story, was to protect himself and Susan. However, he could be just as
warm and gentle as his subsequent regenerations. He was very much a devoted
Grandfather to Susan protecting her ferociously, and when she found love it
took all his composure to let her go. Listening to his final farewell to Susan:
“One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall
come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just
go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.”
Although there wasn’t any of the dramatic Tenth Doctor
tears and angst, in a way the First Doctors farewell is somewhat more poignant
and tragic as he looks upwards, proud and composed yet, you can tell he’s
suffering on the inside. He was also very protective of his companions,
especially Vicki who reminded him of his beloved Granddaughter.
He also demonstrated the sarcasm and wit
which has never left him even after 10 regenerations:
“The Doctor: What do
you think of that, now, eh? A Viking helmet.
Steven Taylor: Maybe.
The Doctor: What do you mean,
"maybe"? What do you think it is, a space helmet for a cow?
I hope this article has changed a few
misconceptions people have had and it has encouraged fans to explore this
greatly forgotten era with the First Doctor who started it all. Next time look at
all the subsequent regenerations; you’ll see the mischievous, grumpy but
gracious and kind old man in each and every one.
To end, here are a few lovely comments
regarding the First Doctor I found on YouTube:
“I've been going through the classic
episodes in chronological order. I'm still on the Hartnell era, and he is a
real joy to watch. He's grumpy, stubborn, and utterly devious, but he has two
hearts of gold.”
“The First Doctor doesn't get enough
credit, I mean after all, he began this legacy. So before everyone who is a crazy
Tennant or Baker fan goes on about how they can't imagine Who without him, just
remember that there would be no Tennant or Baker if it weren't for Hartnell.”
“While
all of the subsequent Doctors have been really brilliant, none of them could be
where they are without the foundation that William Hartnell laid down.
Bless
him and may he rest in peace.”
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