We’re kicking off a less formal, more passionate side to our TV coverage. We all have blind spots, and this is meant to help alleviate some of that. Think of this as a journal as I work through some of the classic shows that I’ve never watched before. With that in mind, let’s hop into the very first show of our series, Doctor Who. Christopher Eccleston leads Season 1 (or Series 1) as the iconic hero of the series. Full disclosure, I have watched clips of this show, know most of the modern Doctors, and have a passing knowledge of the TARDIS. That’s about as much as I know, so we hope you enjoy our journey.
Season 1 – Episode 1 – “Rose” – Directed by Keith Boak
IMDB Synopsis: “When ordinary shop-worker Rose Tyler meets a mysterious stranger called the Doctor she is drawn into his strange and dangerous world; her life will never be the same again.”
Episode Breakdown
Rose (Billie Pipper) certainly shines in the first episode. Her ability to play the anger, surprise, and overall shock of the experience gives us a nice baseline for the first companion. Even as a Doctor Who neophyte, the way that Russell T. Davies weaves in lore and terminology is impressive. The writing is sharp, the effects are as good as one might expect in 2005, and the simple adventure is a great jumping-off point. Nice way to begin our watch, and frankly if the show is just this tone, I’m embarrassed I have not started Doctor Who earlier. Definitely in my wheelhouse.
MVP of the Episode
Christopher Eccleston – He so thoroughly gets us to buy into the lore and the character. I know he only gets a single season as the Doctor, but honestly, I’d be in for far more. Eccleston is both very funny and very committed and definitely sells us on the series from the word go.
Episode Rating: 7/10
Season 1 – Episode 2 – “The End of the World” – Directed by Euros Lyn
IMDB Synopsis: “The Doctor takes Rose to the year 5 billion to witness the destruction of the Earth.”
Episode Breakdown
I understand why there’s a full CG character with Cassandra, but my god, it was unpleasant. The makeup and prosthetics are spectacular on all of the characters. Even the visual effects of the sun are quite marvelous. Just Cassandra is very upsetting. Zoë Wanamaker is very good in her role, even as an unpleasant monster. It’s a profound episode for many reasons, but perhaps most daring to destroy the world in episode 2.
MVP of the Episode
Billie Pipper – She shows up to play in this one. She adds all the gravitas and wonders one faced with this kind of world-altering experience would have on a person.
Episode Rating: 8/10
Season 1 – Episode 3 – “The Unquiet Dead” – Directed by Euros Lyn
IMDB Synopsis: “The Doctor has great expectations for his latest adventure when he and Rose join forces with Charles Dickens to investigate a mysterious plague of zombies.”
Episode Breakdown
Right into a Christmas episode with an iconic British who is famed for…well his Christmas story. The period setting – the 1860s – allows the series to showcase its technical prowess. The visuals for the spirits are upsetting, and the finale is quite excellent. The excellent performances from the guests, including Simon Callow and Eve Myles, add considerable emotional stakes to the technically brilliant episode.
MVP of the Episode
Simon Callow dominates the screen from the moment he appears. Playing Dickens gives him a leg up, both in terms of the language he uses and because of the iconic nature of his role. However, Davies frames him as an old man desperate to break out of his creative rut. Callow tears into the language of A Christmas Carol.
Episode Rating: 9/10
Season 1 – Episode 4 – “Aliens of London” – Directed by Keith Boak
IMDB Synopsis: “The Doctor returns Rose to her own time – well, sort of – but her family reunion is ruined when a spaceship crashes in the middle of London. What is the origin of the spaceship, and where has the Prime Minister gone in this time of crisis?”
Episode Breakdown
This one would work if the aliens were not childish. Great performances from Penelope Wilton and Camille Coduri help the story considerably. A tragic moment with a Pig-Human adds one of the saddest moments in the series yet. However, the farts and the Slittheens are really difficult to buy as the monsters. While it’s goofy, it really suffers after following “The Unquiet Dead.” While one could right it off as a callback to old creature features, there are too many issues in the episode to overlook. In this one, the tone does not land.
MVP of the Episode
Camille Coduri can frustrate audiences, but her performance lives up to the moment. After missing her daughter for a year, Coduri turns in a reasonably emotional and fragile performance. She does not have the context to understand what she’s seeing, and her rash decisions are those of a person struggling for control.
Episode Rating: 5/10
Season 1 – Episode 5 – “World War Three” – Directed by Keith Boak
IMDB Synopsis: “The Slitheen have infiltrated Parliament and have the Doctor and his friends trapped as the Doctor works to prevent them from starting World War Three.”
Episode Breakdown
The inclusion of WIlton ends up being the secret sauce to the episode. While the CG monsters are still quite bad, I would much rather have these monsters than the farting humans. There’s still a bit of fatphobia in the human depiction of the Slatheeen, and the camp only goes so far to help the episode. There’s a world where the slightly better execution could have helped the episode feel essential.
MVP of the Episode
Penelope Wilton shines in this one. Adding more of Wilton helps the episode take a full 180 over the other episode. She adds a fresh optimism that helps carry the bleak story. Perhaps most important of all, she actually manages to land the tone of the episode. While we hear her character is important at the end of it all, she proves fun and intelligent throughout. They do just enough in the story to convince us of her potential, despite the nerdy exterior they try to hide behind.
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