Absolutely worth the wait! The Third Doctor is my favourite of all the Doctors, Jon Pertwee struck the perfect balance of tough guy, fun guy and paternal figure. And he's the best-dressed Doctor, period. It's been a blast seeing you journey through the era which holds a special place in my heart. I've especially enjoyed Yates being a surprise hit, the shine you took to the fashion, all the UNIT love and everything you mentioned about the Doctor's relationship with: - the Brigadier (few things in DW are as charming and grin-inducing as Pertwee and Courtney sharing the screen together) - Jo (to date my own favourite Doctor-companion duo, the prickly start developing into mutual devotion and respect is beautiful) - and The Master. No hate for future Masters but the legendary Pertwee-Delgado chemistry will never be topped for me. You're right about The Master liking Jo too, there's a priceless moment in Big Finish when Derek Jacobi's War Master says to the Doctor "if you were in your previous incarnation being helped by the delightful Ms. Grant, I might even have spared you." All great choices for your Top 5, I did predict The Daemons would make the list but not at first place! Not an unpopular opinion either, it's always been among Three's most beloved adventures, including Pertwee's favourite story from his time on the show too. My own top 5 are: 1: Inferno (favourite of all time too) 2: Spearhead From Space 3: The Green Death 4: The Daemons 5: Dr. Who And The Silurians (Honourable mentions to Terror Of The Autons, The Ambassadors Of Death and The Mind Of Evil and many, many more) Thanks again for the review and all the reactions to the exile in style, Sesska it's been a pleasure.
They say your favorite Doctor is the one you first saw,and in my case the axiom is true.I was lucky enough to see the Pertwees when they were first syndicated in the US and Canada in the mid-late 70s,and he had me hooked from the first episode of The Silurians!
I 100% agree on Liz and Jo being around at the same time. I've thought about it for a long time and I genuinely think it would've made the dynamic of the UNIT family much more interesting. You could have Jo be the inexperienced "traditional" companion and have Liz take on more of a Benton/Yates sized role where she still plays an active part even if she's not the main "companion." It's a missed opportunity I think only a few novels explore.
It’s Frontier In Space and when ‘the ambassador from Sirius 4’ is announced, walks in and you say “Shut the f*** up” over and over, don’t know whether to put your tea mug down and end up biting your cheek and say “I’m mad at myself” is one of the funniest reactions I watch again every so often - along with your reaction to the Second Doctor appearing in the TARDIS in The Three Doctors.
I know people say Pertwee's predecessor and successor Troughton and Baker are their favorite classic doctors. But for me it is The Third Doctor hands down. He is the most underrated doctor and he's so cool
You're so kind to your audience, we appreciate you back! This was a delightful way to spend 86 mins, it was more like an affectionate chat then anything else, and well sustained for such long takes!
In a much later interview - to celebrate Jon's centenary - his son, established actor Sean Pertwee, noted his father was simultaneously 'hard as nails and camp as Christmas' and it's that dichotomy that fuels almost everything you see about the third Doctor. In retrospect it's hard to see who could have done it better.
1) Jo and Three are my favorite TARDIS duo. One little detail I like about their relationship (other than being absolutely adorable) are those rare moments where they tag-team a fight scene. Normally the Doctor is the one kicking and karate chopping, but there was a scene or two where Jo took part. Like in The Sea Devils (I believe). The Doctor was tied to a chair, and a guard entered the room. Without speaking to each other, Jo crouched down so the Doctor could push the guard to trip over her, and then she sprang up to karate chop him in the neck. It's an odd moment to pick out, but it shows just how IN SYNC they are as a team. 2) I used to be on Gallifrey Base, I believe the largest Doctor Who forum, and I've never seen anyone complain about Benton. (Don't worry, I adore him, too!) 3) Speaking of rockin' outfits, you're rocking that outfit, too! Maybe you said something and I missed it, but I feel like you intentionally picked that green jacket to match Pertwee's style. Nice touch! 4) Thanks for your "Bitch could be a Rockette" callback! I still think about it sometimes.😁
Oh Jess. The Daemons is a beloved story! As you say, it has all the elements - so much fire and brimstone. Roger at his most villainous. Mike being his heroic self. Benton the rescuer. Nick with his "Chap with wings. Five rounds rapid!", plus his earlier angst about the fate of his helicopter! And who could forget Olive Hawthorne with her charm and her reticule - with her crystal ball inside - "The outcome's a certainty!" and Bok. There was always Bok! Aldebourne was such a wonderful setting and - as far as we know - the church is still there!! Edit: Your last words in the review. To quote you, yourself, in your Power of the Doctor reaction. "You're making tears form in my eyes and I don't appreciate it!" 🙂
The way I read The Master is the epitome of folklore in UK 70s culture. The Third Doctor was all about modernity, and he represented late post-war consumerist culture; it was a time when, influenced in part by French culture and the drop in property prices, there was an uplift of acquiring a new home, and "convenience" goods and food, etc. There was also the development of atomic modernity and globalism (ever present with opec, and so on). However, the early 70s also saw the divide of generations: because of the counter-culture, the adult generation were suspicious of young hippies, and the movement that widened the radicialism of 68. Part of that was a huge groundswell in folkloric horror in UK culture. The Master represents that fear of the one breaking into the other. Even when communicating with aliens it's couched in fetish objects (how the lifeless manufactured object comes alive with something unknown) or magick.
Woah! Not a perspective I'd thought about before. Interesting... I shall make a note discuss with a fellow fan of the era, who happens also to be a bit of a back-to-nature Wiccan. =:o}
Barber Boom + Le Corbusier high-rise aesthetic. Regarding folklore in popular culture - Wheatley, Children of the Stones, The Changes, Blood on Satan's Claw, to name but a few.
Happy New Year🎉 it’s been a blast watching your reactions this year starting off with three doctors and ending your 3rd doctor review. I hope 2023 will be great for you.
Oh! As a secondary note, as this is the end to your Pertwee vids, I wanted to recommend/reminisce on a few Pertwee-related things-- the first and last are the biggies, which I'd recommend to anyone-- 'The Daemons' is SO beloved that in 1993 there was a straight-to-video documentary called "Return to Devil's End" where almost the whole cast (Jon was still with us then) went back to the village it was filmed in and had a whole nostalgic time. It might appeal to you! You can probably find it in parts on UA-cam I can't find it myself, but there was a long interview years back where Jon talked extensively about his career and experiences, including fighting in WW2. If anyone knows the interview I'm talking about, it's incredible. He went through some truly harrowing stuff. I just recalled a brilliant short story from a collection called 'Decalog' called "The Duke of Dominoes" which starred Delgado's Master, set in 1930s Chicago. It's gorgeous. The opening line-- "The slanting rain reminded him of prison bars." Lastly, and this is the big one-- I don't know if you'd consider this kind of thing (you're super busy I'm sure) but for ages I had it in mind to make a little suggestion-- Jon playing the Doctor so straight was really interesting, as what he'd been known for for years was witty radio comedies. Well, after DW he deliberately went and starred in a very silly and charming family comedy called 'Worzel Gummidge' where he played a living scarecrow who befriends two kids and has lots of silly slapstick adventures! The best ones are amazingly good, and he plays it with a broad rural accent. I thought maybe a one-off video where you watched a couple of episodes, just as a fun contrast to five seasons of serious Pertwee. What do you think? Now that there's some space between the two it might just work :) Just a thought! Well done again on the lengthy chat!
There’s another UNIT regular deserving of a mention: Corporal Carol Bell, as played by Fernanda Marlowe. She’s noteworthy for holding rank in a largely male-dominated UNIT. She appeared twice: in “The Mind of Evil” and “The Claws of Axos.” She also frequently appears in the novels set during the 3rd Doctor era.
I think she would have gotten more recognition had she appeared in Day of the Daleks instead of a new radio operator or even did some action in the Daemons or the Time Monster than her sitting on a desk, but I think Fernanda Marlowe left acting or something. Which novels does she appear in?
Technically not a "regular" (in the TV production sense), but definitely a fan-favourite! She has very few lines or minutes on screen, even across two whole stories; but just the fact that (1) they had another woman (GOSH!) on the (local) UNIT team besides Jo, and (2) they bothered to bring back the same actress, *and give her the same character name*, when a 2nd story required someone in the humble role of "communications operator", established her as someone more notable than the average UNIT "red-shirt"/one-story squaddie. =:o}
@@fadikhoory5350 Corporal Bell appears in several novels, including The Face of the Enemy, Interference, Business Unusual, The Devil Goblins from Neptune, The Eye of the Giant (promoted to Sergeant), The Scales of Injustice, and she even becomes a Captain in The Left-Handed Hummingbird. We’ve reviewed several of these novels on the Doctor Who Book Club podcast 📚
@@CardiffOneOne Fortunately, especially since some of us enjoy the extended media such as books & audios, it’s worth reiterating that, unlike Paramount with Star Trek or Disney with Star Wars, the BBC has never taken an official position on canon, which is something all three showrunners of the modern series have wholeheartedly embraced. So there is no official Doctor Who canon - everyone has their own head-canon.
Prior to taking on the role of the Doctor, Jon Pertwee had been best known for his comedy work primarily in the long-running radio show The Navy Lark (well worth checking out) in which he drew upon his own naval experience. So when he was cast as the Doctor and asked how they wanted him to play the part and they said to play him as Jon Pertwee, he quite famously replied "well, who's that?" He'd become used to hiding behind character roles and didn't know how to play it straight. He would later go on to play the second most-loved character on TV that he was proud of, that of the titular scarecrow Worzel Gummidge. I would love to see your reaction to that at some point.
Your comment about the Master liking Jo makes me think of the big finish audio Masterful- which was made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Master's first appearance in Terror of the Autons, so of course it has a whole bunch of different incarnations of the Master, and also Jo's in it. Missy ends up stuck somewhere with Jo and the two talk, Jo telling her that she always thought her version of the Master sort of liked her, and that the reason Missy is still hanging around her and hasn't killed her yet (and even saved her life a couple times) is because deep down she actually wants Jo to be her friend (which of course Missy denies, but I think we all know the truth.) Also the other versions of the Master still call her "miss grant", which is adorable.
16:25 - Quick answer - Caroline John (Liz Shaw) was pregnant so wouldn't have done the next season anyway but the producer Barry Letts felt the companion needed to be someone who the Doctor could explain things too for the sake of the audience.
It’s interesting that the show had back-to-back super intelligent companions (both Zoe & Liz). Wondering if the commonality for building-in that trait (companion’s intelligence to match the Doctor’s) was script editor & producer Derrick Sherwin? He left soon after getting season 7 in place.
Loved listening to your review. Your comments at the end had my heart melting into a puddle of happiness🧡. I love The Daemons too and also Jo Grant. It is such a pleasure to me to share this journey with you. Fridays at Sesska's! Unmissable!
Hi just noticed you have reached 90k subscribers and wanted to say well done, keep doing what you’re doing, you’ve got the big milestone only just around the corner. We’re grateful for your community, your taste in content, your reactions and your opinions. Hope you decide to react to receiving your 100k recognition from UA-cam too, when it happens. Thanks for your dedication and for finding a work life balance that enables you to put all your content out without burning out. You got this! - a Doctor Who fan. 💙
Hi Jess - if you have an unpopular opinion of "The Daemons", so do I. I read the Target Books novelization when I was in college (which was roughly a year before PBS started showing Pertwee era stories) and it drew me in. It's still one of my comfort stories. Bonus: I found the pairing of Sgt Benton and Olive Hawthorne adorably wholesome - I love how they protected each other without either one being made to be shown as lacking.
Regarding favourite 3rd Doctor stories, the one I'd choose is 'The Sea Devils', though if they were to re-show it on TV, I'd love it if they'd update the musical score as this would improve it no end. Your fondness for Doctor Who is such a lovely thing to see and I look forward to seeing what you think of the classic show as you venture forward. I wish you, your family and those you know and love all the very best for the year to come. Happy New Year 👏👍🍻🎉🎆
@@johnburton3865not really. If it wasn’t for The Daleks hype and Hartnell carrying that show with his great co-stars they would’ve been cancelled. Check how many syfy shows were cancelled during the 60‘s in the UK. Hartnell survived them all and later Throughton
@@GLBizzieSame is true of the Pertwee era though. The show was considered cancelled because of poor viewing figures after Troughton's last season and the team only managed to get granted further episodes when they presented the plan to strand the Doctor on Earth (because the earthbound stories had the most consistently high ratings, and because reusing the same main cast and sets would be cheaper than building everything new for each serial. Probably also explains why there are only four serials in the first year.). We would have had no more Doctor Who if popularity wasn't significantly boosted by the new Pertwee formula.
It's been a while, so memories may be off, but I seem to recall that Delgado and Pertwee were good friends. Delgado was (again, if I'm remembering correctly) killed in a car accident and Jon took the loss hard. When Katy Manning left, he decided that it was time for him to depart as well. Also, the plans for The Master changed after Roger's death. Again, if I still remember, the plan was to have The Doctor redeem his old friend and help him return to timelord society.
I always preferred the first two doctors over the others. I have vague memories of my father at the time being glued to the TV set waiting to see what the third doctor would look like at the beginning of Pertwee's debut episode, and seeing him drop out of the TARDIS. We didn't get colour TV in Australia until 1975, so we were already seeing Tom Baker by the time we got to see Doctor Who in colour.
The Third Doctor & UNIT are great - a really unique feeling era of Doctor Who when they are around. Glad you've enjoyed your time with this Doctor (well seemingly you've enjoyed all of them so far - will be interested to see who the first Classic Doctor is you don't like). Even once he gets back the ability to travel in the Tardis the Earth based UNIT focused stories just feel right for this Doctor - he never quite felt right to me once he started getting those travelling adventures away from the wider UNIT family. We did get something a bit similar to this with the 9th & 10th Doctor era's (especially when Rose was the companion) where the Earth based stories have a consistent recurring cast & ongoing continuity (and later on UNIT also had a recurring role too once they were reintroduced) - I'd like this to come back in future New Who seasons because it does help make the "present" set adventures feel very different to those set in the past & the future - like coming home for the audience. Pertwee was also the only Doctor so far to really emphasise the "action man" aspects of the character - it is always there to some extent in the background, but Pertwee really made that aspect define his Doctor - really makes him stand out amongst the rest of the classic who Doctor's. The main weakness of this era for me would probably be the Master, as good as he is, gets used too much in his introductory season. Altogether I think this era, more than any other, is divisive because so much of it is tied to UNIT - you either like the UNIT style investigations / conspiracies or you don't - nothing else in Doctor Who is quite like those stories. Personally I love UNIT and the unique feel of their stories, so I always rank Pertwee highly amongst Doctor's - but I don't think I'd like this to be all Doctor Who ever is - it's an era I do need to be in the right mood for when dipping in and out of Classic Who (I don't like to watch Classic Who in order, I just pick out specific stories to watch).
My experience of this era is, like most of my generation, not through TV or the modern wonder of streaming, but through Target novels. So a lot of my initial experience of Three came from Brian Hayles' adaptation of his own 'The Curse of Peladon' and Malcolm Hulke doing 'The Green Death' - both rather iconic in the era. And the TV versions vary in how they disappoint. But the strength of the vision is retained.
The third doctors era is in my opinion one of the best. It has consistently amazing stories (with the exception of one or two), incredible characters and one of my favourite doctors! the Dæmons is often regarded as the best of this era and was the favourite of Jon Pertwee as well as most of the cast! My personal favourite story however is planet of the spiders (chase included 😂) I feel like it sums up the pertwee era perfectly and the final scene with the Doctor, Sarah and the brigadier always breaks my heart. Other favourites of mine are Inferno, the mind of evil, the time warrior and Invasion of the dinosaurs (sorry not sorry 🤪)! Though this list of favourites changes constantly because I love so many stories of this era! Love your videos and watching your journey through classic who!! Can’t wait to see the rest of your reactions and reviews!
3 & Jo were my first (via PBS back in the day), and I've been hooked on Who ever since! I wonder if revisiting Series 1 of New Who would be a different experience now that you've seen the Old Who references in the stories (UNIT, etc.). Side note: didn't Moffat also boost the ending from Green Death for Sherlock? What I like about this era (and 70s Who in general), among other things, is generally longer stretches with assistants & Doctors. The actors got to grow into the roles more, and the audience got more time to bond with the characters. Outside of Liz getting written off off-screensville, it makes the eventual departures hit just a little bit harder. It's not like today where they just do their season or two then spring right into a Marvel deal or whatever. I feel like back then the actors held on to the roles and maybe cherished them a little more than what happens now. Just a thought... Awesome summary of 3; Happy 2023!
Loved this review of the third doctors era. My first ever story was from this era which was the claws of Axos DVd. Benton does have a spin off film called war time which was made when the classic era was cancelled so that could always be a potential reaction video after your classic who journey is over. My top 5 stories from this era are 5) The Three Doctors 4) Day of the Daleks 3) Invasion of the Dinosaurs 2) The Claws of Axos 1) Inferno
Fantastic review jess 👏 the third doctor was my favourite era of classic who your review of every unit character was spot on and my favourite classic who well between Sarah Jane is Jo grant her introduction in terror of the autons with the doctor was frosty with her clumsiness but by her departure he had grown to Melt with her proving how he will miss her that end scene was my favourite departure ever very emotional and more suttle than new who. Well my top five third doctor stories are 5) the sea devils 4) planet of the daleks 3) the three doctors 2) terror of the autons 1)the daemons ps please do a rewatch of Sarah Jane adventures on UA-cam with death of the doctor now that you have seen all of Jo's adventures
And last word its impossible to dislike Sergeant Benton and having been lucky enough to meet John Levene a couple of times you couldnt wish to meet a kinder more generous man.❤
Well I was wrong, Planet of the Daleks wasn't even in the top 5! Also, The Daemons is definitely not an unpopular choice for your #1. It's one of the most popular and iconic third Doctor stories in the fandom. Most people would have it in their top 3 at the very least. It's also a favourite of a lot of the cast members that worked on it. Both Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney called it their favourite story they ever did.
100% agreement on your opinion of Jo -- my favorite companion in the show's history, and the one with the best relationship with the Doctor. She's sometimes called ditzy, but I think that's extremely unfair -- people seeing a cute young thing in fashionable clothing and thinking she must be dumb. But she was just young and inexperienced -- and by the end of the first episode, she's untying the Doctor from a chair. How many times did we see him tied to a chair and then he'd light up when he saw her face through a window as if the cavalry had arrived? And by her second episode, she's holding her own in a prison riot! And I love how the relationship between them is a dad-and-daughter thing: he's stern and sometimes exasperated with her, but he's mentoring and protecting her as well, and trying to bring her up as a scientist. Even the fact that she ended up falling in love with someone she told him was "sort of a younger you" is such a sweet thing for someone lucky enough to have a good father figure. I adore how she started out as so green and ended up making a choice on her principles and then off she went to have her own adventures. That's the perfect companion arc. She is absolutely the BEST companion with the BEST Doctor. And yes, Pertwee is the best -- and most effortlessly fly -- of all Doctors. 🙂 I love how he's such an unconfinable free spirit who respects no borders and ends up best friends with the dude who defends the borders, I love seeing him sparring with the Master to end all Masters -- all hail Roger Delgado, and I so love seeing him so paternal with Jo. And I love the jet skis, the roadster, the hovercraft, the gyro, alllllllll the gadgets!
Living in Dallas in the early 80s we were fortunate to get Dr. Who on tv then. Soon after Jon Petwee came to Dallas thanks to the local PBS station so I got to meet him!!! He said the death of Roger Delgado is what really caused him to call it short. They were friends.. My favorite doctor due to the on earth UNIT interaction. You were so spot on where you highlighted his dried moments of compassion. Pertwees personality was partially due to his frustration with other actors forgetting their lines. You see that in the show with those sarcastic remarks.
To me? The 3rd Doctor had heaps of action and comedy. These epitomised who Jon Pertwee was, as a person. Jon was in the Royal Navy. He was a tough man who wasnt afraid to take risks and often performed his own stunts. But for example, AFTER Doctor Who? He played Worzel Gummidge! A scarecrow that came to life. U can imagine the comedy gold he brought to that Role. Technically? He was my first Doctor. I have a GLIMMER of memory originally seeing the 2nd regenerate into the 3rd. But yes... he was my first. And i loved his era. I LIVE for the time his son, Sean, MIGHT (probably not) reprise his father's role. Sean is so much like his father. And is also a great actor. It felt like a terrible loss when he left.
There is a short 35 minute film made in 1988 called Wartime that had Benton as the main character. There is no mention of the Doctor so it doesn't contain any spoilers so you can watch it any time you find it
For me my favorite 3rd Doctor stories are, in no particular order: The Curse of Peladon Inferno The Daemons Carnival of Monsters The Green Death Honorable mentions: The Time Warrior Day of the Daleks Three Doctors Frontier in Space/Planet of the Daleks My least favorite story of Pertwee's era is a fan favorite that I've always felt is overrated, the Sea Devils. For some reason it really just rubs me the wrong way, I feel like some of that is because it has a lot going for it but it just doesn't deliver to me.
Despite something like the Bond franchise being a very different genre of fiction, it's interesting to see how many parallels there are with it, particularly in how infrequently one finds story franchises that have lasted 50+ years. And when you cross-compare both Doctor Who and Bond, as well as against other speculative fiction, you definitely see eras of popular trends. Three may've been stuck on Earth, but: - he had a fleet of "super" vehicles (not unlike Bond, particularly from Goldfinger onward) - he dressed much more fashionably in a way (kinda like Bond) - he was much more a Man of Action - he even worked for the government saving the world from existential threats! I mean, when you look at it.. the Doctor used to be James Bond, and that was Three! But also, in future regenerations, certainly of the ones you've seen, you can see aspects and traits of each of these previous lives the Doctor once had.
was not expecting The Daemons being #1. Such a great review. well worth the wait. can't wait to see your reactions to the rest of 4. I thought that The Three Doctors would have been #1
The Daemons has always been my favourite episode of Doctor Who within both Classic and New Who eras of the series. A majority of my favourite stories came from the 3rd Doctor Era.
Quite warming to see so many comments on Classic Doctor Who and Jess herself liking it so much to talk about it for 90 mins! I grew up in the 80's in the UK and Doctor Who was always on, and though I like Peter Davison's Doctor, and love many of the actors who have played him; I never really got into the series overall, even on reboot in 2005. As a Patreon sub of Jess's (well worth it folks!) this is something I might have to rectify one day.
[UNIT Mobile HQ] BRIGADIER: Is that you, Yates? Now look, we're going to blast our way in. I'm calling up the artillery and RAF strike command. You lot had better evacuate to the cellars. [The Cloven Hoof bar] BRIGADIER [OC]: Over. DOCTOR: What? Give me that. You'll do no such thing, Lethbridge Stewart. Of all the idiotic suggestions. In the first place, the energy released would only strengthen the barrier, in the second place it would provoke the most appalling reprisals and in the third place I've got a better idea. Over. Then later on: [The Cloven Hoof bar] JO: Of all the idiotic plans. As if blowing things up solves anything. DOCTOR: Jo, the Brigadier is doing his best to cope with an almost impossible situation. And since he is your superior officer, you might at least show him a little respect. Coming? Poor Jo. After all, she was taking her cue from The Doctor!
Inferno last a huge impact on me too. It's possibly my favorite story of all classic Who...Certainly beats the other 2 or 3 stories that get often cited as the best. And yeah I get why you pick the Daemons, I really like that one too.
I was surprised Carnival of Monsters wasn't on your top 5... Those costumes and the dinosaur 😄 This was such a good review, I always look forward to these so much
Jon and Roger were good friends in real life. When Roger was killed in a car accident Jon didn't want to continue without him. The reason his era just stopped is because he quit the show. The 4th doctor episode Robot was written for Jon and Roger but remixed for Tom Baker. That is why Unit is heavily used and he is riding around in Bessie. It was originally a Jon story.
Thankyou for an absolutely stellar review. Funny, thoughtful and fabulous as always. Great top 5 choices, and your number one gets no argument from me; Quintessential (3rd) Doctor Who! Have a fantastic 2023🥳
My first era review of yours I’ve listened to and absolutely loved it so I need to go back and find the other two! And yes The Daemons is a popular well regarded story as you sum up it captures the essence of this era in one story!
The Daemons, great choice and a very popular story. Doctor Who fans regularly visit Devils End (Aldbourne). If you visit the UK you must go there and eat in the pub.
Troughton is my favorite doctor overall, but pertwee is a very close behind him. But pertwee’s era is my favorite era in all of doctor who! His character develops similar to the first doctor, being prickly and stand offish to becoming softer and more lovable thanks to his relationship with his companions. Season 8 he is particularly grouchy and snipped understandably since by that point he would have been stuck on earth for enough time he is more desperate than ever to get away. His relationship with jo is what turns him into a softer version of his season 7 and 8 persona. The double act of the third doctor and the brigadier is unbeatable, and the whole unit family along with the black sheep roger delgado’s wonderful master is just utterly fantastic comfort doctor who! Happy new year when it arrives.
I agree with your top 5 and your number 1 is a worthy top choice. Everything that is classic about the Pertwee era is in that story and that probably down to Barry Letts really knowing his team and knowing what sort of story would bring all the characters out at their best.
The point is made (by Terrance Dicks I think) that the BOSS indoctrination and then the Metebelis Blue Crystal "cure" changed Mike Yates. He wasn't his old self in Dinosaurs. His idealism was out of balance compared to before.
Caroline John (Liz) left Doctor Who because she was pregnant at the time when the team was working on The Ambassadors of Death and that is where she revealed to the team that she was leaving Doctor Who to raise her child.
The Daemons - No. 1 - no controversy from me. If I had to give a talk about the third Doctor's era , albeit very unlikely, I would just copy and paste everything that you said and I know I wouldn't be going far wrong. Wonderful and entertaining appraisal , Sesska, thanks sooo much.
A terrific breakdown of your thoughts on the Third Doctor's era. I'm 100% on the same page as you about the Hartnell and Troughton eras. Dismissing them is like only eating the icing off the cupcake and throwing the rest away. I've never encountered any Benton haters in my many years as a Doctor Who fan. And there's nothing controversial about your love for The Daemons. It's a pretty popular story. I still think Miss Hawthorne, the White Witch from that story, should have become a regular member of UNIT. Thanks for the great review and Happy New Year!
The Daemons is my favorite Third Doctor story as well. From everything I've seen, it's a favorite with most viewers. I do know it's a favorite of most of the people who worked on it as well.
Pertwee was famously thrown out of both school and RADA and some of his rebel nature is probably the fuel his career needed. He was an expert raconteur, action man, comedian and someone of great passion for anything that enthused him. And I think his stature in the role has grown over the years.
Now that I've heard your points about Mike, I agree, it probably doesn't hold up to close scrutiny the way he turned against UNIT and the Doctor. It seemed to work at the time though, it was at least something we hadn't seen before so I kind of accepted it at the time. If I felt as strongly about him as you I probably would have felt the same. Although I guess the point was that the villains manipulated his strong idealism.
I know its not one of the more popular stories, but I will always have a soft spot for Colony in Space. This was the first classic Who story I ever saw.
People say that Doctor Who started here as Letts and Dicks layed the major groundwork of who the character was. Yes the show started with Hartnell and Troughton, but the character was a mystery up until the end of Troughton's era. We can thank Barry and Terrance for the Doctor we know today.
The third Doctor's era is an era I truly love and its one of the best in the show's history for sure. It isn't my favourite (other eras like Troughton's, the Hinchcliffe era and the RTD era simply have more great stories, which is why prefer those overall), but I do believe it's the most consistent era in the show's history in terms of there being only one bad story (Death to the Daleks) throughout its five seasons. The rest are all decent - excellent. Considering how much competition there is in this era, I'm very interested to see what your top 5 for it will be. As usual, I suspect there will be some surprises (I bet Planet of the Daleks is at least in your top 2!) thrown in there. FWIW, here's mine: 1. Inferno (obvious choice) 2. The Silurians 3. Spearhead from Space (can you tell I love season 7, lol?) 4. Carnival of Monsters 5. The Mind of Evil Honourable mentions, The Time Warrior, The Green Death and The Ambassadors of Death.
Ranking the Daemons so highly is not at all a controversial opinion. It's widely regarded as one of the best of the Third Doctor era and has been my favourite for years. I believe it was a favourite of both Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney as well.
Interesting idea to have had Liz and Jo on the show at the same time at least for an overlap period before Liz returned to Cambridge University. I think it may have been more likely to happen had it been ‘new’ Who (and I’m not saying that producer Barry Letts wouldn’t have seen the narrative possibilities). However, in Classic Who I suspect it would’ve tended to cast Liz in the Barbara mould and Jo (who is actually very resourceful, as most of the female companions were, though rather misrepresented in the media as just screaming and helpless) would maybe have ended up in the Susan role and sprained her ankle a lot (something that frustrated Carole Ann Ford who had been almost promised that Susan’d telepathy, alien qualities and possibly martial arts skills would be highlighted).
Yes, the Daemons, in my experience is very well-regarded. it's a good choice for top story, and I appreciate your inclusion of Inferno, because something from season seven has to be included in a top five!
The Dæmons being your favourite story? So true 👏 do you know why you know everyone is on top form? Because 👏 They 👏 (Finally 👏) Captured 👏 The Master 👏
While I'm More of a Benton fan myself, Love how much you enjoy Mike and his story. For me my top 5, 3rd Doctor stories would be: 5. Season 7: Couldn't pick one they're all great. 4. Frontier in Space: Recent edition, would find the constant Prison jumping annoying, but is done so often it becomes funny. 3. Carnival of Monsters 2. Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Underrated Classic, very much the last Fully UNIT story. 1. The Time Monster: Unsung Classic which gives all the team a chance to shine.
I absolutely adored the Jon Pertwee Era. Pertwee is amongst my personal favourite Doctors alongside Hartnell, Troughton, Baker and Capaldi; he was the most serious and dramatic of all the Doctors, being anti-authoritarian and skilled Venusian-Akido, but he had a warmth and a twinkle in his eye that made him instantly likeable. His relationship with the whole UNIT family was charming (especially with Jo Grant), as well as having the perfect Doctor/Master dynamic with the legendary Roger Delgado. My top 5 Pertwee stories would probably go like this (great we both have these stories in our top 5, even if they are mostly in a different order): 1. The Daemons (So happy we both have this as our No. 1!) 2. Inferno 3. The Green Death 4. The Time Warrior 5. The Three Doctors Once again, you done another brilliant insightful review, which makes me even more excited for your review of Tom Baker's Era.
You didnt incĺude The Seà Devils which hàs some very creepy/scary moments.The maintenance man on the rig traumatised by his mates death for example.The Masters manipulation of Trenchard and the twist at the end where the Master fakes his own death.
I love when the Master and the Doctor are connected to the fear machine. The Doctors worst fear was The Earth burning from the Inferno arc and the Masters worst fear was the Doctor!
Looking forward to your thoughts on 3rd Doctor. His Era was an Important move keeping things fresh with Earthbound UNIT stories in the beginning... Would be interesting to see if it can do that again someday... Maybe in smaller Arcs... Like 5's loss of the Sonic Screwdriver... The show could do many things to freshen things in 2023/2024...
I think the problem with Mike and his development - and we always forgive as fans - is that the actor himself later backed movements that perhaps some Brits cannot possibly support. And that is damaging to the image of the man rather than the character. However, as a story arc, it does sell him well.
Wow Jess, what a brilliant monster review that was. Thanks for all your thoughts and opinions. I agree with you on the Mike Yates situation but would always put Inferno at number 1. You have to be the best Who reactor that I've watched and always look forward to your videos. Keep up the good work!😁
The 3rd certainly a charmer. One dynamic we've rarely seen throughout DW is The Doctor being close friends with a male companion. Normally the men are either a spare wheel (like Harry) or a junior (like Adric) or attached to a female companion (like Rory). 2nd Doctor and Jamie might be the purest example, but 3rd and Brigadier comes close. BTW nice blazer.
1. Spearhead From Space 2. The Silurians 3. The Dæmons 4. Inferno 5. Terror of The Autons 6. The Sea Devils 7. The Green Death 8. The Dinosaur Invasion 9. Day of The Daleks 10. The Time Warrior 11. The Three Doctors 12. The Curse of Peladon 13. The Claws of Axos 14. Carnival of Monsters 15. Frontier In Space 16. Death To The Daleks 17. The Mind of Evil 18. Planet of The Spiders 19. Planet of The Daleks 20. The Ambassadors of Death 21. The Monster of Peladon 22. The Time Monster 23. Colony In Space 24. The Mutants
Hi Jess! Here's a tip I hope will be (1) non-spoilery, but also (2) useful going forward: You probably already know that Tom's era is quite a long one. (I mean, it's pretty hard to avoid knowing that!) However, it's arguably not just a single era. [DELIBERATELY DOESN'T SAY WHY]. So I would suggest making a few notes at the end of each season, with the thought in mind that "For all I know, the Doctor could regenerate two stories from now! Or then again, maybe not for twenty! And even if he does, I might not even notice when it happened!!!". (At least one of these thoughts is a red herring. What I'm saying is: Expect nothing; Be alert to everything!) For my part, it would be great if - without being too swayed by established fannish opinion - we could hear *your* take as to how TomDoc's era seems to be shaping up, from year to year... But then also how you reflect on those various changes, once the era finally closes.
Pertwee (through no fault of his own) broke the theory for me that the first Doctor you watch will be your favorite. In my area, the youngsters won't know this, but the third Doctor was the first one to appear on TV. We had a popular kiddie show host who had live-action segments in between the commercials and the various cartoons from Japan (nobody called them "anime" at that time) like Astroboy, Speed Racer, Kimba, et al. He seemed very excited to tell the viewers that in the fall they would be running a series from the U.K. called "Doctor Who" and that it was a "science-fiction soap opera." I guess he described it that way for two reasons. The stories were certainly serialized over the course of several episodes, for sure. But he was also fully aware that a soap opera, very popular with kids on another channel, had just been canceled, much to the dismay of all concerned. He even said, "If you like _Dark Shadows,_ you are gonna _love_ this one." ( _Dark Shadows_ was basically concerned with supernatural storylines, but it had some sci-fi elements to it, as well.) So I was optimistic about _Doctor Who._ I had hopes that it would fill the void left by the departed _Dark Shadows._ And the fact that it was British thrilled me, too, as the only other Brit TV show I had been exposed to was _The Avengers_ (Which was, I did not know at the time, another creation of _Doctor Who_ creator Sydney Newman) and I had loved that one. I recall being quite disappointed when _Doctor Who_ premiered in September. We never got any backstory on the main character (Why was he introduced face-flopping out of a blue phone booth that had just appeared from thin air?) And the formula was that he was going to battle unconvincing rubber-suited monsters every day? It just seemed laughably bad. Add to this the fact that every episode had to be trimmed down to make room for commercials. Often important details got lopped out in the process. When the Tom Baker episodes started running on public TV a few years later, I honestly thought it was a recast remake! And the main character was _still_ battling unconvincing monsters! So I didn't warm up to it all that quickly. Being that everything else in the SF genre was now only in syndicated reruns, _Doctor Who_ was the only game in town offering anything new. It was during this time that I slowly became a fan. Eventually, I was able to see the unadulterated Pertwee episodes (and in context, since now I knew this show was one big long unbroken epic). And I appreciate his era a lot more than I did initially.
Absolutely worth the wait! The Third Doctor is my favourite of all the Doctors, Jon Pertwee struck the perfect balance of tough guy, fun guy and paternal figure. And he's the best-dressed Doctor, period. It's been a blast seeing you journey through the era which holds a special place in my heart. I've especially enjoyed Yates being a surprise hit, the shine you took to the fashion, all the UNIT love and everything you mentioned about the Doctor's relationship with:
- the Brigadier (few things in DW are as charming and grin-inducing as Pertwee and Courtney sharing the screen together)
- Jo (to date my own favourite Doctor-companion duo, the prickly start developing into mutual devotion and respect is beautiful)
- and The Master. No hate for future Masters but the legendary Pertwee-Delgado chemistry will never be topped for me. You're right about The Master liking Jo too, there's a priceless moment in Big Finish when Derek Jacobi's War Master says to the Doctor "if you were in your previous incarnation being helped by the delightful Ms. Grant, I might even have spared you."
All great choices for your Top 5, I did predict The Daemons would make the list but not at first place! Not an unpopular opinion either, it's always been among Three's most beloved adventures, including Pertwee's favourite story from his time on the show too.
My own top 5 are:
1: Inferno (favourite of all time too)
2: Spearhead From Space
3: The Green Death
4: The Daemons
5: Dr. Who And The Silurians
(Honourable mentions to Terror Of The Autons, The Ambassadors Of Death and The Mind Of Evil and many, many more)
Thanks again for the review and all the reactions to the exile in style, Sesska it's been a pleasure.
I once heard Jon Pertwee described as the only white man who could dress like Jimi Hendrix and make it work XD
They say your favorite Doctor is the one you first saw,and in my case the axiom is true.I was lucky enough to see the Pertwees when they were first syndicated in the US and Canada in the mid-late 70s,and he had me hooked from the first episode of The Silurians!
I 100% agree on Liz and Jo being around at the same time. I've thought about it for a long time and I genuinely think it would've made the dynamic of the UNIT family much more interesting.
You could have Jo be the inexperienced "traditional" companion and have Liz take on more of a Benton/Yates sized role where she still plays an active part even if she's not the main "companion." It's a missed opportunity I think only a few novels explore.
It’s Frontier In Space and when ‘the ambassador from Sirius 4’ is announced, walks in and you say “Shut the f*** up” over and over, don’t know whether to put your tea mug down and end up biting your cheek and say “I’m mad at myself” is one of the funniest reactions I watch again every so often - along with your reaction to the Second Doctor appearing in the TARDIS in The Three Doctors.
I replayed that moment so many times
I know people say Pertwee's predecessor and successor Troughton and Baker are their favorite classic doctors. But for me it is The Third Doctor hands down. He is the most underrated doctor and he's so cool
You're so kind to your audience, we appreciate you back! This was a delightful way to spend 86 mins, it was more like an affectionate chat then anything else, and well sustained for such long takes!
In a much later interview - to celebrate Jon's centenary - his son, established actor Sean Pertwee, noted his father was simultaneously 'hard as nails and camp as Christmas' and it's that dichotomy that fuels almost everything you see about the third Doctor. In retrospect it's hard to see who could have done it better.
1) Jo and Three are my favorite TARDIS duo. One little detail I like about their relationship (other than being absolutely adorable) are those rare moments where they tag-team a fight scene. Normally the Doctor is the one kicking and karate chopping, but there was a scene or two where Jo took part. Like in The Sea Devils (I believe). The Doctor was tied to a chair, and a guard entered the room. Without speaking to each other, Jo crouched down so the Doctor could push the guard to trip over her, and then she sprang up to karate chop him in the neck. It's an odd moment to pick out, but it shows just how IN SYNC they are as a team.
2) I used to be on Gallifrey Base, I believe the largest Doctor Who forum, and I've never seen anyone complain about Benton. (Don't worry, I adore him, too!)
3) Speaking of rockin' outfits, you're rocking that outfit, too! Maybe you said something and I missed it, but I feel like you intentionally picked that green jacket to match Pertwee's style. Nice touch!
4) Thanks for your "Bitch could be a Rockette" callback! I still think about it sometimes.😁
Oh Jess. The Daemons is a beloved story! As you say, it has all the elements - so much fire and brimstone. Roger at his most villainous. Mike being his heroic self. Benton the rescuer. Nick with his "Chap with wings. Five rounds rapid!", plus his earlier angst about the fate of his helicopter! And who could forget Olive Hawthorne with her charm and her reticule - with her crystal ball inside - "The outcome's a certainty!" and Bok. There was always Bok! Aldebourne was such a wonderful setting and - as far as we know - the church is still there!!
Edit: Your last words in the review. To quote you, yourself, in your Power of the Doctor reaction. "You're making tears form in my eyes and I don't appreciate it!" 🙂
The way I read The Master is the epitome of folklore in UK 70s culture. The Third Doctor was all about modernity, and he represented late post-war consumerist culture; it was a time when, influenced in part by French culture and the drop in property prices, there was an uplift of acquiring a new home, and "convenience" goods and food, etc. There was also the development of atomic modernity and globalism (ever present with opec, and so on). However, the early 70s also saw the divide of generations: because of the counter-culture, the adult generation were suspicious of young hippies, and the movement that widened the radicialism of 68. Part of that was a huge groundswell in folkloric horror in UK culture. The Master represents that fear of the one breaking into the other. Even when communicating with aliens it's couched in fetish objects (how the lifeless manufactured object comes alive with something unknown) or magick.
Woah! Not a perspective I'd thought about before.
Interesting... I shall make a note discuss with a fellow fan of the era, who happens also to be a bit of a back-to-nature Wiccan. =:o}
Barber Boom + Le Corbusier high-rise aesthetic. Regarding folklore in popular culture - Wheatley, Children of the Stones, The Changes, Blood on Satan's Claw, to name but a few.
Happy New Year🎉 it’s been a blast watching your reactions this year starting off with three doctors and ending your 3rd doctor review. I hope 2023 will be great for you.
Oh! As a secondary note, as this is the end to your Pertwee vids, I wanted to recommend/reminisce on a few Pertwee-related things-- the first and last are the biggies, which I'd recommend to anyone--
'The Daemons' is SO beloved that in 1993 there was a straight-to-video documentary called "Return to Devil's End" where almost the whole cast (Jon was still with us then) went back to the village it was filmed in and had a whole nostalgic time. It might appeal to you! You can probably find it in parts on UA-cam
I can't find it myself, but there was a long interview years back where Jon talked extensively about his career and experiences, including fighting in WW2. If anyone knows the interview I'm talking about, it's incredible. He went through some truly harrowing stuff.
I just recalled a brilliant short story from a collection called 'Decalog' called "The Duke of Dominoes" which starred Delgado's Master, set in 1930s Chicago. It's gorgeous. The opening line--
"The slanting rain reminded him of prison bars."
Lastly, and this is the big one-- I don't know if you'd consider this kind of thing (you're super busy I'm sure) but for ages I had it in mind to make a little suggestion-- Jon playing the Doctor so straight was really interesting, as what he'd been known for for years was witty radio comedies. Well, after DW he deliberately went and starred in a very silly and charming family comedy called 'Worzel Gummidge' where he played a living scarecrow who befriends two kids and has lots of silly slapstick adventures! The best ones are amazingly good, and he plays it with a broad rural accent. I thought maybe a one-off video where you watched a couple of episodes, just as a fun contrast to five seasons of serious Pertwee. What do you think? Now that there's some space between the two it might just work :) Just a thought! Well done again on the lengthy chat!
There’s another UNIT regular deserving of a mention: Corporal Carol Bell, as played by Fernanda Marlowe. She’s noteworthy for holding rank in a largely male-dominated UNIT. She appeared twice: in “The Mind of Evil” and “The Claws of Axos.” She also frequently appears in the novels set during the 3rd Doctor era.
Wonderfully, Fernanda Marlowe is still with us. I enjoyed her appearances on the programme.
I think she would have gotten more recognition had she appeared in Day of the Daleks instead of a new radio operator or even did some action in the Daemons or the Time Monster than her sitting on a desk, but I think Fernanda Marlowe left acting or something. Which novels does she appear in?
Technically not a "regular" (in the TV production sense), but definitely a fan-favourite! She has very few lines or minutes on screen, even across two whole stories; but just the fact that (1) they had another woman (GOSH!) on the (local) UNIT team besides Jo, and (2) they bothered to bring back the same actress, *and give her the same character name*, when a 2nd story required someone in the humble role of "communications operator", established her as someone more notable than the average UNIT "red-shirt"/one-story squaddie. =:o}
@@fadikhoory5350 Corporal Bell appears in several novels, including The Face of the Enemy, Interference, Business Unusual, The Devil Goblins from Neptune, The Eye of the Giant (promoted to Sergeant), The Scales of Injustice, and she even becomes a Captain in The Left-Handed Hummingbird.
We’ve reviewed several of these novels on the Doctor Who Book Club podcast 📚
@@CardiffOneOne Fortunately, especially since some of us enjoy the extended media such as books & audios, it’s worth reiterating that, unlike Paramount with Star Trek or Disney with Star Wars, the BBC has never taken an official position on canon, which is something all three showrunners of the modern series have wholeheartedly embraced. So there is no official Doctor Who canon - everyone has their own head-canon.
Prior to taking on the role of the Doctor, Jon Pertwee had been best known for his comedy work primarily in the long-running radio show The Navy Lark (well worth checking out) in which he drew upon his own naval experience. So when he was cast as the Doctor and asked how they wanted him to play the part and they said to play him as Jon Pertwee, he quite famously replied "well, who's that?" He'd become used to hiding behind character roles and didn't know how to play it straight.
He would later go on to play the second most-loved character on TV that he was proud of, that of the titular scarecrow Worzel Gummidge. I would love to see your reaction to that at some point.
Your comment about the Master liking Jo makes me think of the big finish audio Masterful- which was made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Master's first appearance in Terror of the Autons, so of course it has a whole bunch of different incarnations of the Master, and also Jo's in it. Missy ends up stuck somewhere with Jo and the two talk, Jo telling her that she always thought her version of the Master sort of liked her, and that the reason Missy is still hanging around her and hasn't killed her yet (and even saved her life a couple times) is because deep down she actually wants Jo to be her friend (which of course Missy denies, but I think we all know the truth.)
Also the other versions of the Master still call her "miss grant", which is adorable.
16:25 - Quick answer - Caroline John (Liz Shaw) was pregnant so wouldn't have done the next season anyway but the producer Barry Letts felt the companion needed to be someone who the Doctor could explain things too for the sake of the audience.
It’s interesting that the show had back-to-back super intelligent companions (both Zoe & Liz). Wondering if the commonality for building-in that trait (companion’s intelligence to match the Doctor’s) was script editor & producer Derrick Sherwin? He left soon after getting season 7 in place.
32:25 I don't know about other fans, but I love Benton as much as you love Yates, he's such an endearing character
Loved listening to your review. Your comments at the end had my heart melting into a puddle of happiness🧡. I love The Daemons too and also Jo Grant. It is such a pleasure to me to share this journey with you. Fridays at Sesska's! Unmissable!
Hi just noticed you have reached 90k subscribers and wanted to say well done, keep doing what you’re doing, you’ve got the big milestone only just around the corner. We’re grateful for your community, your taste in content, your reactions and your opinions. Hope you decide to react to receiving your 100k recognition from UA-cam too, when it happens. Thanks for your dedication and for finding a work life balance that enables you to put all your content out without burning out. You got this! - a Doctor Who fan. 💙
Hi Jess - if you have an unpopular opinion of "The Daemons", so do I. I read the Target Books novelization when I was in college (which was roughly a year before PBS started showing Pertwee era stories) and it drew me in. It's still one of my comfort stories. Bonus: I found the pairing of Sgt Benton and Olive Hawthorne adorably wholesome - I love how they protected each other without either one being made to be shown as lacking.
Regarding favourite 3rd Doctor stories, the one I'd choose is 'The Sea Devils', though if they were to re-show it on TV, I'd love it if they'd update the musical score as this would improve it no end. Your fondness for Doctor Who is such a lovely thing to see and I look forward to seeing what you think of the classic show as you venture forward. I wish you, your family and those you know and love all the very best for the year to come. Happy New Year 👏👍🍻🎉🎆
I totally agree with you. Doctor Who can't be Doctor Who without William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton.
And yet it is!
Without those two Doctor Who wouldnt still be here today also the success of the Daleks.
@@johnburton3865not really. If it wasn’t for The Daleks hype and Hartnell carrying that show with his great co-stars they would’ve been cancelled. Check how many syfy shows were cancelled during the 60‘s in the UK. Hartnell survived them all and later Throughton
@@GLBizzieSame is true of the Pertwee era though. The show was considered cancelled because of poor viewing figures after Troughton's last season and the team only managed to get granted further episodes when they presented the plan to strand the Doctor on Earth (because the earthbound stories had the most consistently high ratings, and because reusing the same main cast and sets would be cheaper than building everything new for each serial. Probably also explains why there are only four serials in the first year.). We would have had no more Doctor Who if popularity wasn't significantly boosted by the new Pertwee formula.
It's been a while, so memories may be off, but I seem to recall that Delgado and Pertwee were good friends.
Delgado was (again, if I'm remembering correctly) killed in a car accident and Jon took the loss hard.
When Katy Manning left, he decided that it was time for him to depart as well.
Also, the plans for The Master changed after Roger's death. Again, if I still remember, the plan was to have The Doctor redeem his old friend and help him return to timelord society.
I always preferred the first two doctors over the others. I have vague memories of my father at the time being glued to the TV set waiting to see what the third doctor would look like at the beginning of Pertwee's debut episode, and seeing him drop out of the TARDIS. We didn't get colour TV in Australia until 1975, so we were already seeing Tom Baker by the time we got to see Doctor Who in colour.
The Third Doctor & UNIT are great - a really unique feeling era of Doctor Who when they are around. Glad you've enjoyed your time with this Doctor (well seemingly you've enjoyed all of them so far - will be interested to see who the first Classic Doctor is you don't like).
Even once he gets back the ability to travel in the Tardis the Earth based UNIT focused stories just feel right for this Doctor - he never quite felt right to me once he started getting those travelling adventures away from the wider UNIT family.
We did get something a bit similar to this with the 9th & 10th Doctor era's (especially when Rose was the companion) where the Earth based stories have a consistent recurring cast & ongoing continuity (and later on UNIT also had a recurring role too once they were reintroduced) - I'd like this to come back in future New Who seasons because it does help make the "present" set adventures feel very different to those set in the past & the future - like coming home for the audience.
Pertwee was also the only Doctor so far to really emphasise the "action man" aspects of the character - it is always there to some extent in the background, but Pertwee really made that aspect define his Doctor - really makes him stand out amongst the rest of the classic who Doctor's.
The main weakness of this era for me would probably be the Master, as good as he is, gets used too much in his introductory season.
Altogether I think this era, more than any other, is divisive because so much of it is tied to UNIT - you either like the UNIT style investigations / conspiracies or you don't - nothing else in Doctor Who is quite like those stories.
Personally I love UNIT and the unique feel of their stories, so I always rank Pertwee highly amongst Doctor's - but I don't think I'd like this to be all Doctor Who ever is - it's an era I do need to be in the right mood for when dipping in and out of Classic Who (I don't like to watch Classic Who in order, I just pick out specific stories to watch).
My experience of this era is, like most of my generation, not through TV or the modern wonder of streaming, but through Target novels. So a lot of my initial experience of Three came from Brian Hayles' adaptation of his own 'The Curse of Peladon' and Malcolm Hulke doing 'The Green Death' - both rather iconic in the era. And the TV versions vary in how they disappoint. But the strength of the vision is retained.
The third doctors era is in my opinion one of the best. It has consistently amazing stories (with the exception of one or two), incredible characters and one of my favourite doctors! the Dæmons is often regarded as the best of this era and was the favourite of Jon Pertwee as well as most of the cast! My personal favourite story however is planet of the spiders (chase included 😂) I feel like it sums up the pertwee era perfectly and the final scene with the Doctor, Sarah and the brigadier always breaks my heart. Other favourites of mine are Inferno, the mind of evil, the time warrior and Invasion of the dinosaurs (sorry not sorry 🤪)! Though this list of favourites changes constantly because I love so many stories of this era!
Love your videos and watching your journey through classic who!! Can’t wait to see the rest of your reactions and reviews!
3 & Jo were my first (via PBS back in the day), and I've been hooked on Who ever since!
I wonder if revisiting Series 1 of New Who would be a different experience now that you've seen the Old Who references in the stories (UNIT, etc.). Side note: didn't Moffat also boost the ending from Green Death for Sherlock?
What I like about this era (and 70s Who in general), among other things, is generally longer stretches with assistants & Doctors. The actors got to grow into the roles more, and the audience got more time to bond with the characters. Outside of Liz getting written off off-screensville, it makes the eventual departures hit just a little bit harder.
It's not like today where they just do their season or two then spring right into a Marvel deal or whatever. I feel like back then the actors held on to the roles and maybe cherished them a little more than what happens now. Just a thought...
Awesome summary of 3; Happy 2023!
Loved this review of the third doctors era. My first ever story was from this era which was the claws of Axos DVd. Benton does have a spin off film called war time which was made when the classic era was cancelled so that could always be a potential reaction video after your classic who journey is over.
My top 5 stories from this era are
5) The Three Doctors
4) Day of the Daleks
3) Invasion of the Dinosaurs
2) The Claws of Axos
1) Inferno
Fantastic review jess 👏 the third doctor was my favourite era of classic who your review of every unit character was spot on and my favourite classic who well between Sarah Jane is Jo grant her introduction in terror of the autons with the doctor was frosty with her clumsiness but by her departure he had grown to Melt with her proving how he will miss her that end scene was my favourite departure ever very emotional and more suttle than new who. Well my top five third doctor stories are 5) the sea devils 4) planet of the daleks 3) the three doctors 2) terror of the autons 1)the daemons ps please do a rewatch of Sarah Jane adventures on UA-cam with death of the doctor now that you have seen all of Jo's adventures
You'll probably be pleased to know that "The Daemons" was reportedly much of the cast's favorite story, too.
And last word its impossible to dislike Sergeant Benton and having been lucky enough to meet John Levene a couple of times you couldnt wish to meet a kinder more generous man.❤
Well I was wrong, Planet of the Daleks wasn't even in the top 5! Also, The Daemons is definitely not an unpopular choice for your #1. It's one of the most popular and iconic third Doctor stories in the fandom. Most people would have it in their top 3 at the very least. It's also a favourite of a lot of the cast members that worked on it. Both Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney called it their favourite story they ever did.
Love your reviews, your passion and care you out into them . Thank you so much, hopefully you'll continue till the end of classic Who.
100% agreement on your opinion of Jo -- my favorite companion in the show's history, and the one with the best relationship with the Doctor. She's sometimes called ditzy, but I think that's extremely unfair -- people seeing a cute young thing in fashionable clothing and thinking she must be dumb. But she was just young and inexperienced -- and by the end of the first episode, she's untying the Doctor from a chair. How many times did we see him tied to a chair and then he'd light up when he saw her face through a window as if the cavalry had arrived? And by her second episode, she's holding her own in a prison riot!
And I love how the relationship between them is a dad-and-daughter thing: he's stern and sometimes exasperated with her, but he's mentoring and protecting her as well, and trying to bring her up as a scientist. Even the fact that she ended up falling in love with someone she told him was "sort of a younger you" is such a sweet thing for someone lucky enough to have a good father figure. I adore how she started out as so green and ended up making a choice on her principles and then off she went to have her own adventures. That's the perfect companion arc. She is absolutely the BEST companion with the BEST Doctor.
And yes, Pertwee is the best -- and most effortlessly fly -- of all Doctors. 🙂 I love how he's such an unconfinable free spirit who respects no borders and ends up best friends with the dude who defends the borders, I love seeing him sparring with the Master to end all Masters -- all hail Roger Delgado, and I so love seeing him so paternal with Jo. And I love the jet skis, the roadster, the hovercraft, the gyro, alllllllll the gadgets!
Living in Dallas in the early 80s we were fortunate to get Dr. Who on tv then. Soon after Jon Petwee came to Dallas thanks to the local PBS station so I got to meet him!!!
He said the death of Roger Delgado is what really caused him to call it short. They were friends..
My favorite doctor due to the on earth UNIT interaction. You were so spot on where you highlighted his dried moments of compassion. Pertwees personality was partially due to his frustration with other actors forgetting their lines. You see that in the show with those sarcastic remarks.
To me? The 3rd Doctor had heaps of action and comedy.
These epitomised who Jon Pertwee was, as a person.
Jon was in the Royal Navy. He was a tough man who wasnt afraid to take risks and often performed his own stunts. But for example, AFTER Doctor Who? He played Worzel Gummidge! A scarecrow that came to life. U can imagine the comedy gold he brought to that Role.
Technically? He was my first Doctor.
I have a GLIMMER of memory originally seeing the 2nd regenerate into the 3rd.
But yes... he was my first. And i loved his era.
I LIVE for the time his son, Sean, MIGHT (probably not) reprise his father's role. Sean is so much like his father. And is also a great actor.
It felt like a terrible loss when he left.
There is a short 35 minute film made in 1988 called Wartime that had Benton as the main character. There is no mention of the Doctor so it doesn't contain any spoilers so you can watch it any time you find it
ua-cam.com/video/4NCKVKMF6CE/v-deo.html
For me my favorite 3rd Doctor stories are, in no particular order:
The Curse of Peladon
Inferno
The Daemons
Carnival of Monsters
The Green Death
Honorable mentions:
The Time Warrior
Day of the Daleks
Three Doctors
Frontier in Space/Planet of the Daleks
My least favorite story of Pertwee's era is a fan favorite that I've always felt is overrated, the Sea Devils. For some reason it really just rubs me the wrong way, I feel like some of that is because it has a lot going for it but it just doesn't deliver to me.
Despite something like the Bond franchise being a very different genre of fiction, it's interesting to see how many parallels there are with it, particularly in how infrequently one finds story franchises that have lasted 50+ years. And when you cross-compare both Doctor Who and Bond, as well as against other speculative fiction, you definitely see eras of popular trends.
Three may've been stuck on Earth, but:
- he had a fleet of "super" vehicles (not unlike Bond, particularly from Goldfinger onward)
- he dressed much more fashionably in a way (kinda like Bond)
- he was much more a Man of Action
- he even worked for the government saving the world from existential threats!
I mean, when you look at it.. the Doctor used to be James Bond, and that was Three! But also, in future regenerations, certainly of the ones you've seen, you can see aspects and traits of each of these previous lives the Doctor once had.
was not expecting The Daemons being #1. Such a great review. well worth the wait. can't wait to see your reactions to the rest of 4. I thought that The Three Doctors would have been #1
The Daemons has always been my favourite episode of Doctor Who within both Classic and New Who eras of the series. A majority of my favourite stories came from the 3rd Doctor Era.
Quite warming to see so many comments on Classic Doctor Who and Jess herself liking it so much to talk about it for 90 mins! I grew up in the 80's in the UK and Doctor Who was always on, and though I like Peter Davison's Doctor, and love many of the actors who have played him; I never really got into the series overall, even on reboot in 2005. As a Patreon sub of Jess's (well worth it folks!) this is something I might have to rectify one day.
[UNIT Mobile HQ]
BRIGADIER: Is that you, Yates? Now look, we're going to blast our way in. I'm calling up the artillery and RAF strike command. You lot had better evacuate to the cellars.
[The Cloven Hoof bar]
BRIGADIER [OC]: Over.
DOCTOR: What? Give me that. You'll do no such thing, Lethbridge Stewart. Of all the idiotic suggestions. In the first place, the energy released would only strengthen the barrier, in the second place it would provoke the most appalling reprisals and in the third place I've got a better idea. Over.
Then later on:
[The Cloven Hoof bar]
JO: Of all the idiotic plans. As if blowing things up solves anything.
DOCTOR: Jo, the Brigadier is doing his best to cope with an almost impossible situation. And since he is your superior officer, you might at least show him a little respect. Coming?
Poor Jo. After all, she was taking her cue from The Doctor!
Inferno last a huge impact on me too. It's possibly my favorite story of all classic Who...Certainly beats the other 2 or 3 stories that get often cited as the best. And yeah I get why you pick the Daemons, I really like that one too.
I was surprised Carnival of Monsters wasn't on your top 5... Those costumes and the dinosaur 😄
This was such a good review, I always look forward to these so much
Yes I would agree with you that each incarnation is a reaction to some major aspect of the previous
Jon and Roger were good friends in real life. When Roger was killed in a car accident Jon didn't want to continue without him. The reason his era just stopped is because he quit the show. The 4th doctor episode Robot was written for Jon and Roger but remixed for Tom Baker. That is why Unit is heavily used and he is riding around in Bessie. It was originally a Jon story.
Thankyou for an absolutely stellar review. Funny, thoughtful and fabulous as always. Great top 5 choices, and your number one gets no argument from me; Quintessential (3rd) Doctor Who!
Have a fantastic 2023🥳
My first era review of yours I’ve listened to and absolutely loved it so I need to go back and find the other two! And yes The Daemons is a popular well regarded story as you sum up it captures the essence of this era in one story!
Thanks so much Sesska, you're home to us too :) So grateful for this journey
Your top story is a favourite story for everyone who worked on it and it's a very popular story with fandom.
The Daemons, great choice and a very popular story. Doctor Who fans regularly visit Devils End (Aldbourne). If you visit the UK you must go there and eat in the pub.
I love all the Doctors for different reasons, but Pertwee is my first and favourite!
We love ya, Sesska! Your love for the Third Doctor is joyous. I love The Daemons too :)
Troughton is my favorite doctor overall, but pertwee is a very close behind him. But pertwee’s era is my favorite era in all of doctor who! His character develops similar to the first doctor, being prickly and stand offish to becoming softer and more lovable thanks to his relationship with his companions. Season 8 he is particularly grouchy and snipped understandably since by that point he would have been stuck on earth for enough time he is more desperate than ever to get away. His relationship with jo is what turns him into a softer version of his season 7 and 8 persona. The double act of the third doctor and the brigadier is unbeatable, and the whole unit family along with the black sheep roger delgado’s wonderful master is just utterly fantastic comfort doctor who!
Happy new year when it arrives.
I agree with your top 5 and your number 1 is a worthy top choice. Everything that is classic about the Pertwee era is in that story and that probably down to Barry Letts really knowing his team and knowing what sort of story would bring all the characters out at their best.
The point is made (by Terrance Dicks I think) that the BOSS indoctrination and then the Metebelis Blue Crystal "cure" changed Mike Yates. He wasn't his old self in Dinosaurs. His idealism was out of balance compared to before.
Daemons is a good one. Very watchable. Delgado is in his element.
Caroline John (Liz) left Doctor Who because she was pregnant at the time when the team was working on The Ambassadors of Death and that is where she revealed to the team that she was leaving Doctor Who to raise her child.
Idea of Liz smarter than the Doctor greatly appeals to me, as it overturns the Doctor-Donna idea, it makes higher smartness possible in a human mind
The Daemons - No. 1 - no controversy from me. If I had to give a talk about the third Doctor's era , albeit very unlikely, I would just copy and paste everything that you said and I know I wouldn't be going far wrong. Wonderful and entertaining appraisal , Sesska, thanks sooo much.
A terrific breakdown of your thoughts on the Third Doctor's era. I'm 100% on the same page as you about the Hartnell and Troughton eras. Dismissing them is like only eating the icing off the cupcake and throwing the rest away. I've never encountered any Benton haters in my many years as a Doctor Who fan. And there's nothing controversial about your love for The Daemons. It's a pretty popular story. I still think Miss Hawthorne, the White Witch from that story, should have become a regular member of UNIT. Thanks for the great review and Happy New Year!
Miss Hawthorne is one of my all time favorites.
The Daemons is my favorite Third Doctor story as well. From everything I've seen, it's a favorite with most viewers. I do know it's a favorite of most of the people who worked on it as well.
Pertwee was famously thrown out of both school and RADA and some of his rebel nature is probably the fuel his career needed. He was an expert raconteur, action man, comedian and someone of great passion for anything that enthused him. And I think his stature in the role has grown over the years.
Now that I've heard your points about Mike, I agree, it probably doesn't hold up to close scrutiny the way he turned against UNIT and the Doctor. It seemed to work at the time though, it was at least something we hadn't seen before so I kind of accepted it at the time. If I felt as strongly about him as you I probably would have felt the same. Although I guess the point was that the villains manipulated his strong idealism.
The Daemons is great just for the Brigadier's line "Chap with wings there, five rounds rapid!"
I know its not one of the more popular stories, but I will always have a soft spot for Colony in Space. This was the first classic Who story I ever saw.
People say that Doctor Who started here as Letts and Dicks layed the major groundwork of who the character was. Yes the show started with Hartnell and Troughton, but the character was a mystery up until the end of Troughton's era. We can thank Barry and Terrance for the Doctor we know today.
The third Doctor's era is an era I truly love and its one of the best in the show's history for sure. It isn't my favourite (other eras like Troughton's, the Hinchcliffe era and the RTD era simply have more great stories, which is why prefer those overall), but I do believe it's the most consistent era in the show's history in terms of there being only one bad story (Death to the Daleks) throughout its five seasons. The rest are all decent - excellent. Considering how much competition there is in this era, I'm very interested to see what your top 5 for it will be. As usual, I suspect there will be some surprises (I bet Planet of the Daleks is at least in your top 2!) thrown in there. FWIW, here's mine:
1. Inferno (obvious choice)
2. The Silurians
3. Spearhead from Space (can you tell I love season 7, lol?)
4. Carnival of Monsters
5. The Mind of Evil
Honourable mentions, The Time Warrior, The Green Death and The Ambassadors of Death.
Ranking the Daemons so highly is not at all a controversial opinion. It's widely regarded as one of the best of the Third Doctor era and has been my favourite for years. I believe it was a favourite of both Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney as well.
Interesting idea to have had Liz and Jo on the show at the same time at least for an overlap period before Liz returned to Cambridge University. I think it may have been more likely to happen had it been ‘new’ Who (and I’m not saying that producer Barry Letts wouldn’t have seen the narrative possibilities). However, in Classic Who I suspect it would’ve tended to cast Liz in the Barbara mould and Jo (who is actually very resourceful, as most of the female companions were, though rather misrepresented in the media as just screaming and helpless) would maybe have ended up in the Susan role and sprained her ankle a lot (something that frustrated Carole Ann Ford who had been almost promised that Susan’d telepathy, alien qualities and possibly martial arts skills would be highlighted).
Yes, the Daemons, in my experience is very well-regarded. it's a good choice for top story, and I appreciate your inclusion of Inferno, because something from season seven has to be included in a top five!
The Dæmons being your favourite story? So true 👏 do you know why you know everyone is on top form? Because 👏 They 👏 (Finally 👏) Captured 👏 The Master 👏
Absolutely worth the wait! Brilliant review 😊
While I'm More of a Benton fan myself, Love how much you enjoy Mike and his story.
For me my top 5, 3rd Doctor stories would be:
5. Season 7: Couldn't pick one they're all great.
4. Frontier in Space: Recent edition, would find the constant Prison jumping annoying, but is done so often it becomes funny.
3. Carnival of Monsters
2. Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Underrated Classic, very much the last Fully UNIT story.
1. The Time Monster: Unsung Classic which gives all the team a chance to shine.
I absolutely adored the Jon Pertwee Era. Pertwee is amongst my personal favourite Doctors alongside Hartnell, Troughton, Baker and Capaldi; he was the most serious and dramatic of all the Doctors, being anti-authoritarian and skilled Venusian-Akido, but he had a warmth and a twinkle in his eye that made him instantly likeable. His relationship with the whole UNIT family was charming (especially with Jo Grant), as well as having the perfect Doctor/Master dynamic with the legendary Roger Delgado.
My top 5 Pertwee stories would probably go like this (great we both have these stories in our top 5, even if they are mostly in a different order):
1. The Daemons (So happy we both have this as our No. 1!)
2. Inferno
3. The Green Death
4. The Time Warrior
5. The Three Doctors
Once again, you done another brilliant insightful review, which makes me even more excited for your review of Tom Baker's Era.
Pertwee is my favorite.
Can't wait to see how you feel.
(At the start of the video)
You didnt incĺude The Seà Devils which hàs some very creepy/scary moments.The maintenance man on the rig traumatised by his mates death for example.The Masters manipulation of Trenchard and the twist at the end where the Master fakes his own death.
I love when the Master and the Doctor are connected to the fear machine. The Doctors worst fear was The Earth burning from the Inferno arc and the Masters worst fear was the Doctor!
We love you too Sesska!❤❤❤
Looking forward to your thoughts on 3rd Doctor. His Era was an Important move keeping things fresh with Earthbound UNIT stories in the beginning... Would be interesting to see if it can do that again someday... Maybe in smaller Arcs... Like 5's loss of the Sonic Screwdriver... The show could do many things to freshen things in 2023/2024...
I think the problem with Mike and his development - and we always forgive as fans - is that the actor himself later backed movements that perhaps some Brits cannot possibly support. And that is damaging to the image of the man rather than the character. However, as a story arc, it does sell him well.
To me andmanyThe Daemonsix a classic and hasone ofthemost iconic lines ever, "Chap with wings.Five Rounds Rapid."
JP was my Doctor. Mum preferred Dr Who and Dad preferred Star Trek. A great childhood :D
Wow Jess, what a brilliant monster review that was. Thanks for all your thoughts and opinions. I agree with you on the Mike Yates situation but would always put Inferno at number 1. You have to be the best Who reactor that I've watched and always look forward to your videos. Keep up the good work!😁
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
"In your face and kicking it." Yep, that's the third Doctor 😉
well what can i say this video is a masterclass ;)
The Master totally liked Jo! He has so many opportunities to hurt or kill her, and instead makes sure she’s not hurt.
The 3rd certainly a charmer.
One dynamic we've rarely seen throughout DW is The Doctor being close friends with a male companion. Normally the men are either a spare wheel (like Harry) or a junior (like Adric) or attached to a female companion (like Rory).
2nd Doctor and Jamie might be the purest example, but 3rd and Brigadier comes close.
BTW nice blazer.
My favorite Doctor/era! Glad you liked it so much
1. Spearhead From Space
2. The Silurians
3. The Dæmons
4. Inferno
5. Terror of The Autons
6. The Sea Devils
7. The Green Death
8. The Dinosaur Invasion
9. Day of The Daleks
10. The Time Warrior
11. The Three Doctors
12. The Curse of Peladon
13. The Claws of Axos
14. Carnival of Monsters
15. Frontier In Space
16. Death To The Daleks
17. The Mind of Evil
18. Planet of The Spiders
19. Planet of The Daleks
20. The Ambassadors of Death
21. The Monster of Peladon
22. The Time Monster
23. Colony In Space
24. The Mutants
Hi Jess! Here's a tip I hope will be (1) non-spoilery, but also (2) useful going forward:
You probably already know that Tom's era is quite a long one. (I mean, it's pretty hard to avoid knowing that!)
However, it's arguably not just a single era. [DELIBERATELY DOESN'T SAY WHY].
So I would suggest making a few notes at the end of each season, with the thought in mind that "For all I know, the Doctor could regenerate two stories from now! Or then again, maybe not for twenty! And even if he does, I might not even notice when it happened!!!". (At least one of these thoughts is a red herring. What I'm saying is: Expect nothing; Be alert to everything!)
For my part, it would be great if - without being too swayed by established fannish opinion - we could hear *your* take as to how TomDoc's era seems to be shaping up, from year to year... But then also how you reflect on those various changes, once the era finally closes.
Barbara & vicki. there is one coming up later for you, but there is at least one more that i can think of.
Pertwee (through no fault of his own) broke the theory for me that the first Doctor you watch will be your favorite. In my area, the youngsters won't know this, but the third Doctor was the first one to appear on TV.
We had a popular kiddie show host who had live-action segments in between the commercials and the various cartoons from Japan (nobody called them "anime" at that time) like Astroboy, Speed Racer, Kimba, et al. He seemed very excited to tell the viewers that in the fall they would be running a series from the U.K. called "Doctor Who" and that it was a "science-fiction soap opera."
I guess he described it that way for two reasons. The stories were certainly serialized over the course of several episodes, for sure. But he was also fully aware that a soap opera, very popular with kids on another channel, had just been canceled, much to the dismay of all concerned. He even said, "If you like _Dark Shadows,_ you are gonna _love_ this one." ( _Dark Shadows_ was basically concerned with supernatural storylines, but it had some sci-fi elements to it, as well.)
So I was optimistic about _Doctor Who._ I had hopes that it would fill the void left by the departed _Dark Shadows._ And the fact that it was British thrilled me, too, as the only other Brit TV show I had been exposed to was _The Avengers_ (Which was, I did not know at the time, another creation of _Doctor Who_ creator Sydney Newman) and I had loved that one.
I recall being quite disappointed when _Doctor Who_ premiered in September. We never got any backstory on the main character (Why was he introduced face-flopping out of a blue phone booth that had just appeared from thin air?) And the formula was that he was going to battle unconvincing rubber-suited monsters every day? It just seemed laughably bad.
Add to this the fact that every episode had to be trimmed down to make room for commercials. Often important details got lopped out in the process.
When the Tom Baker episodes started running on public TV a few years later, I honestly thought it was a recast remake! And the main character was _still_ battling unconvincing monsters! So I didn't warm up to it all that quickly. Being that everything else in the SF genre was now only in syndicated reruns, _Doctor Who_ was the only game in town offering anything new. It was during this time that I slowly became a fan.
Eventually, I was able to see the unadulterated Pertwee episodes (and in context, since now I knew this show was one big long unbroken epic). And I appreciate his era a lot more than I did initially.
Yay!!!!!! I'm so happy to hear your thoughts!
Great review, definitely worth the wait!
i love these reviews, I forgot it was friday so it was a nice surprise..