Top 10 William Hartnell Doctor Who Stories

Top 10 William Hartnell Doctor Who Stories

Since 2018 brings us a new Doctor in Jodi Whittaker I thought it would be good to do a countdown of the top stories from each Doctors era.  First up is the best stories from the William Hartnell era.

10.  An Unearthly Child
Written By Anthony Coburn
Directed By Waris Hussein
Why It’s In The Top 10:
It was the one that started it all.  An Unearthly Child introduced us to The Doctor and the TARDIS.  The first part is totally a classic as it sets up the mystery of the series and the main character.  You get a sense of dubiousness about the Doctor but we end up thinking he is alright by the end of the story.  Unfortunately the next three parts are pretty dull and it is a wonder that the show makes it at all.  But we have a certain villain in the next story to thank for the success of Doctor Who. An Unearthly Child’s place in history for being the starting point for Doctor Who more than makes up for its short comings and the legion of fans should be thankful for it.

Doctor Who - Twice Upon a Time Review

Doctor Who:
Twice Upon a Time 
By Steven Moffat

“Doctor, I let you go.”

The 2017 Christmas Special is here and it is a historical one that will be remembered more for the debut of Jodie Whittaker than for Peter Capaldi leaving Doctor Who along with Steven Moffat.  This years special is also a little bit more special as it also stars David Bradley as the First Doctor, taking the reins from the late William Hartnell, to join forces in a rare multi Doctor story.  Needless to say this story has a full complement of characters.  Oh did I mention that Bill returns in this story too?  Yes she pops back also as Peter Capaldi is joined once again by Pearl Mackie.

Doctor Who Christmas Special Interview With David Bradley

It's that time again when there is a new episode of Doctor Who and that means interviews from the BBC Media Centre.  Today we continue with the second interview with David Bradley who plays The 1st Doctor.

How did you get the call?

Well it all started with An Adventure in Space and Time (the 2013 biopic about the start of Doctor Who) a few years ago. Mark Gatiss who wrote that tapped me on the shoulder one day at an event in London and asked me to play Hartnell in that, and I was absolutely thrilled. I said yes even before I’d seen a script! Doing that was a great experience but most of it was getting under the skin of this amazing actor and quite complicated man which Mark’s script captured beautifully I thought.

After that wrapped I thought “Well, I’ve done it now. That’s my Doctor Who adventure over” I’d sort

Doctor Who Christmas Special Second Trailer

Doctor Who Twice Upon a Time Promo Pics

Doctor Who Christmas Special Children In Need Preview Clip

Big Finish Brings David Bradley Back to Doctor Who in The First Doctor Adventures

Big news out of Big Finish today as they have announced a series of The First Doctor Adventures starring David Bradley and his TARDIS crew from the docudrama "An Adventure in Space and Time" .  The first box set will be out in December with another box set out in July.   For fans of the 1st Doctor and the early years of the show this box set will be perfect for you and for all fans of the classic series.  i for one can't wait to listen to these sets.  For more information and to preorder this audio adventure follow the links below to the Big Finish website.

https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/david-bradley-returns-to-the-tardis-in-doctor-who-the-first-doctor-adventures

https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-first-doctor-adventures-volume-01-1692?range=105

2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special Promo Pics

Doctor Who - Galaxy 4 Review

Doctor Who:
Galaxy 4
By 
William Emms

“Two dawns! Tomorrow is the last day this planet will ever see.”

The TARDIS arrives on what looks like a pretty harmless looking planet when they come across a strange looking robot that seems to have pieces of its body stacked up on itself. Vicki names the robots Chumblies and they appear to be blind or in the most part not interested in The Doctor, Steven and Vicki.  The travelers then meetup with a group of female aliens called the Drahvins who seem to come and rescue them from the Chumblies.  The travelers are soon brought to the Drahvins ship and meet their leader another female named Maaga who explains to the Doctor that their ship along with the Rill ship has crashed landed on will explode in 14 planetary cycles.

The Doctor seems pretty unsure about the Drahvins especially when they told him that they turned down help from the Rills.  So The Doctor does some scientific research of his own and discovers that in fact this planet does not have 14 planetary cycles but only two and that the planet will explode tomorrow.  The Doctor and Vicki convince the Drahvins to let them talk to the Rills if they steal the Rills ship for them.  The Doctor and Vicki encounter the Rills at their ship and tell them what the Drahvins had planned for them and that the planet will explode in two cycles.  The Doctor decides to help the Rills get power to their ship from the TARDIS in exchange for help to free Steven from the Drahvin ship before the planet explodes and everyone is killed.

Details on Doctor Who - The Sontarans

Out Now from The Early Adventures is the first meeting between The Doctor and The Sontarans. This audio adventures stars Peter Purves and Jean Marsh who played Steven and Sarah during the William Hartnell era. You can order this audio adventure from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-sontarans-1083

The TARDIS arrives on a moon-sized asteroid orbiting two gas giants. With an amazing view, it’s a chance for the Doctor, Steven and Sara to unwind after their recent adventures.

But they quickly find themselves in the midst of battle - on one side: a familiar group of space-suited soldiers - members of the Space Security Service. On the other: strange, squat aliens in body armour.

Surviving the initial hostilities, the Doctor and his friends discover that the SSS squad is on a terrifying mission. With many lives at stake, they have to venture deep inside the asteroid in search of a hideous weapon. But who can they trust in the battle against these Sontarans?

Written By: Simon Guerrier
Directed By: Ken Bentley

Cast
Peter Purves (Steven/The Doctor/Narrator), Jean Marsh (Sara Kingdom), Dan Starkey (Corporal Ellis/Slite/Shrok/Stack/Commander), Jemma Churchill (Captain Papas), John Banks (Corporal Gage), Rosanna Miles (Tinder/Human Soldier)

Producer: David Richardson
Script Editor: John Dorney
Executive Producers: Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Details on Doctor Who - The Ravelli Conspiracy

Out this month in the Early Adventures is a story that features the TARDIS crew of The Doctor, Vicki and Steven.  This story stars Peter Purves and Maureen O'Brien as they star in a story that is a historical set in Italy 1514.  You can order this audio adventure from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-ravelli-conspiracy-1082

When the TARDIS lands in a house in Florence, Italy in 1514, it isn't long before the guards of Guiliano de Medici arrest Steven and Vicki. To rescue them, the Doctor has to employ the help of the house's owner - one Niccolo Machiavelli. But can he be completely trusted?

Guiliano confesses to his brother Pope Leo X that he has angered the wealthy family of Ravelli and believes the newcomers may be part of an assassination plot. But when the Doctor arrives an already tricky situation starts to spiral out of control.

As the city rings with plot and counter-plot, betrayal and lies abound. The Doctor and his friends must use all their ingenuity if they're not to be swept away by history.

This conspiracy is about to get complicated...

Written By: Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Maureen O'Brien (Vicki), Peter Purves (Steven Taylor/The Doctor/Narrator), Mark Frost (Niccolo Machiavelli), Jamie Ballard (Guiliano de Medici), Robert Hands (Pope Leo X), Olivia Poulet (Carla), Joe Bor (Guard Captain). Other parts portrayed by the cast.

Producer: David Richardson

Script Editor: John Dorney

Executive Producers: Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Details for Doctor Who - The Fifth Traveller

This month sees the continuation of the 1st Doctors turn in The Early Adventures Series where the TARDIS crew deal with a new traveler.   You can order this Big Finish adventure starring William Russell and Maureen O'Brien at the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-fifth-traveller-1081

The Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki and Jospa land the TARDIS on the homeworld of the Arunde. Emerging into the jungle that covers the planet and encountering the strange wildlife dwelling within, the travellers are unaware that the true rulers live high above them in the trees.

The ape-like members of the tribe are in trouble. The last Matriar's nest has been lost to the surface, and the people are hungry... Maybe these strangers may be responsible. And some believe they may be salvation.

The TARDIS crew are about to find themselves in the middle of somebody else's battle. But there's more at stake than even they can know.

Written By: Philip Lawrence
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
William Russell (Ian/The Doctor), Maureen O'Brien (Vicki/Narrator) Jemma Powell (Barbara/Fula), James Joyce (Jospa), Kate Byers (Sharna), Elliot Cowan (Gark) and Orlando James (Krube)

Producer: David Richardson
Script Editor: John Dorney
Executive Producers: Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - The Tenth Planet Review

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the First Appearance of the Cybermen and the First Regeneration

Doctor Who:
The Tenth Planet
By Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis

“Emotions. Love, pride, hate, fear. Have you no emotions, sir?”

The Doctor, Ben and Polly arrive at the South Pole by the TARDIS in the year 1986.  There they quickly find the Snowcap Base which is a monitoring base for space rockets.  The crew of Snowcap Base is now in the process of supervising the mission of the Zeus 4 spaceship which is running a routine check of the Earth’s atmosphere.  But something unexpected happens.  Zeus 4 picks up a new planet heading toward Earth and suddenly Zeus 4 starts to experience power failures and the crew of Snowcap Base tries to help Zeus 4 back to Earth but to no avail as the ship is destroyed.

The Doctor quickly realizes what the planet is.  It is the Earth’s twin planet Mondas and he predicts its inhabitants will be visiting Earth soon.  While the crew of Snowcap Base are distracted with what happened to Zeus 4 no one noticed the three visitors that have entered the base wearing parkas that they acquired from the search party they killed earlier.  Once General Cutler realizes that something is wrong the Cybermen made their presence known and successfully takes over the base.  The Cybermen plan for the destruction of Earth has begun and it’s up to The Doctor, who isn’t quite his old self, with the aid of Ben and Polly to stop The Cybermen from siphoning the power from Earth causing Earth’s own destruction.

Details For Doctor Who - The Age of Endurance

The Early Adventures returns for a third series and this time the 1st Doctor era takes center stage. The first release sees the original TARDIS crew in the middle of a war zone.  You can order this release from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-age-of-endurance-1080

The TARDIS materialises on board a still and eerie spaceship. When a squad of soldiers land, they realise they've found themselves in the middle of a war zone. With one of their crew trapped by the enemy, the Doctor and his friends find themselves locked in a desperate race for survival. Vast warships manoeuvre around each other as both sides try to out-think their opponents, flying into ever more dangerous areas of space.

The stakes could not be higher. But as ever in war, the lines between good and evil are hard to define. Will anyone survive to claim the moral high ground?

Written By: Nick Wallace
Directed By: Ken Bentley

Cast
Carole Ann Ford (Susan/Narrator), William Russell (Ian/The Doctor), Jemma Powell (Barbara), Rachel Atkins (Myla), John Voce (Toban), Gethin Anthony (Olivan), Andy Secombe (Benya), Tom Bell (Arran/Shift). Other parts portrayed by the cast.

Producer: David Richardson

Script Editor: John Dorney

Executive Producers: Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Doctor Who - Covers and Details For Early Adventures Series 3

Starting in September the Early Adventures return with four new adventures featuring the First Doctor and his many companions. It all gets going with a story featuring the First Doctor with Ian, Barbara and Susan.  You can order these audio adventures from the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/v/doctor-who---the-early-adventures1

Doctor Who - The Age of Endurance

The TARDIS materialises on board a still and eerie spaceship. When a squad of soldiers land, they realise they've found themselves in the middle of a war zone. With one of their crew trapped by the enemy, the Doctor and his friends find themselves locked in a desperate race for survival. Vast warships manoeuvre around each other as both sides try to out-think their opponents, flying into ever more dangerous areas of space.

The stakes could not be higher. But as ever in war, the lines between good and evil are hard to define. Will anyone survive to claim the moral high ground?

Doctor Who - The Fifth Traveller

The Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki and Jospa land the TARDIS on the homeworld of the Arunde. Emerging into the jungle that covers the planet and encountering the strange wildlife dwelling within, the travellers are unaware that the true rulers live high above them in the trees.

The ape-like members of the tribe are in trouble. The last Matriar's nest has been lost to the surface, and the people are hungry... Maybe these strangers may be responsible. And some believe they may be salvation.

The TARDIS crew are about to find themselves in the middle of somebody else's battle. But there's more at stake than even they can know.

Doctor Who - The Ravelli Conspiracy

When the TARDIS lands in a house in Florence, Italy in 1514, it isn't long before the guards of Guiliano de Medici arrest Steven and Vicki. To rescue them, the Doctor has to employ the help of the house's owner - one Niccolo Machiavelli. But can he be completely trusted?

Guiliano confesses to his brother Pope Leo X that he has angered the wealthy family of Ravelli and believes the newcomers may be part of an assassination plot. But when the Doctor arrives an already tricky situation starts to spiral out of control.

As the city rings with plot and counter-plot, betrayal and lies abound. The Doctor and his friends must use all their ingenuity if they're not to be swept away by history.

This conspiracy is about to get complicated..

Doctor Who - The Sontarans

The TARDIS crew encounter a dangerous race of clones, planning to drag the Solar System into an endless war.

Doctor Who - Details on This Sporting Life

This month's download only release features the 1st Doctor, Steven and Dodo and it takes place in London 1966 during the World Cup.  This adventure is narrated by Steven Purves and is available on the Big Finish website.
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/this-sporting-life-1348

When the Doctor, Steven, and Dodo arrive in London in March 1966, World Cup fever is already underway. But disaster has struck: the trophy has been stolen, and the police are at a loss as to who could have taken it. When someone shoves part of the trophy into Steven’s hands, the travellers become embroiled in the case..

Producer Ian Atkins
Script Editor Ian Atkins
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Written By: Una McCormack
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Peter Purves (Narrator)

Doctor Who - The Ark Review

Doctor Who:
The Ark
By Paul Erickson & Lesley Scott

“The success of all we stand for, everything aboard this spaceship is suddenly endangered by the strange fever. A fever brought by these strangers in our midst!”

The Doctor and Steven and new companion Dodo arrive in a strange place which doesn’t make much sense with the types of animals living together.  Dodo has a cold and is sneezing all over the place. The problem is its 10 million years into the future and the Earth is falling into the sun.  The ark is the last survivors of earth and they have cured the common cold and have no immunity to fight it off.  So it’s up to the Doctor to make the cure and save the humans and The Monoids.  After saving everyone TARDIS lands them 700 years into the future but on The Ark.  This time things are different as The Monoids have enslaved the humans.  The cold and remedy somehow mutates The Monoids and they have a higher intelligence and a very evil persona at that. As they want nothing more than to have the planet to themselves and wipeout the humans forever.

Doctor Who - Synopsis For Short Trips: Etheria

Short Trips starts back at the beginning with a 1st Doctor short story.  Narrated by Peter Purves who played Steven on Doctor Who this story sees The Doctor, Steven and Vicki stranded on an alien planet.  You can order this download only release on the Big Finish website.
http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/etheria-1102

Having escaped an ambush by pirates, the Doctor and Vicki are stranded on a strange world, in the shadow of vast rock formations and islands in the sky. The only way home is through the treacherous Etherlands, where the invisible Ether alters the perception of anyone who enters...

Producer Michael Stevens
Script Editor Michael Stevens
Executive Producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Nicholas Briggs

Written By: Nick Wallace
Directed By: Lisa Bowerman

Cast
Peter Purves (Narrator)

Doctor Who - The Chase Review

Last week was the 50th Anniversary of Barbara and Ian leaving the TARDIS.  See what we thought of The Chase.

Doctor Who:
The Chase
By Terry Nation

“I shall miss them. Yes, I shall miss them, silly old fusspots.”

Imagine being chased through space and time.  Imagine the ones chasing you are your most hated enemies The Daleks.   The Daleks have discovered time travel and are now hunting The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki all through time. The TARDIS crew is being chased all around to the Mary Celeste, to a monster themed fun house, to The Empire State Building in New York City USA.  The Daleks are relentless in their pursuit until the final showdown on the planet Mechanus with the Mechanoids.

Doctor Who - An Ordinary Life Review

Doctor Who:
An Ordinary Life
By Matt Fitton
Starring Peter Purves and 
Jean Marsh

While escaping from the Daleks the TARDIS makes an emergency landing in London in the 1950’s. Steven and Sarah rush over to The Doctor who has collapsed.  They go outside as the TARDIS more or less has pushed them out to save them from what is caused it to make the emergency landing.  Out in the cold and snowy streets of London Steven and Sarah find help and shelter from Joe and Audrey. Joe and Audrey are immigrants from the Caribbean and struggling to make a living with a new born and the constant racist harassments.  But despite all that they take the three travelers in and help them out.