Thanks so much! I totally agree about the negativity one comes across frequently online. I think it's easier for some to be endlessly critical- maybe it's more entertaining, I don't know. However, part of my philosophy for this series is to redress that balance a little. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series!
Life Upgrade I don't know why but for some reason the Moonbase is my favourite second Doctor story rather than the Wargames. It's something about the cybermen walking across the moon..
Troughton seemed like he would have been a nice guy to just sit down and have a conversation with. He seemed very welcoming and kind, like a favorite uncle.
I am 62 years old, As a young boy Dr.Who was my escape my joy, i remember, connecting to Dr Who because my father was an alcoholic my mother bless her driving me mad with catholic propaganda./ Patrick Troughton was my Dr. Who and to end this story i am not bitter, just grate ful that some of us know Dr. Who was a product of our dreams our hopes in the 1960,s and a wonderful gift , take care everybody
It is almost criminal that hardly any Patrick Troughton stories exist in full. Despite that, his portrayal was convincing and powerful enough to warrant continuing the series and meaning that a change of lead actor wouldn't mean the end of the programme. He is also my second favourite Doctor next to Tom Baker.
I really love the little speech Doctor gives to Victoria (the one you titled as key moment). As someone who's still pretty young and not very used to loss of family members it really helped me through some harder times in my life.
"If The Doctor had not helped, none of this would have taken place" That reminds me, if the First Doctor had never gone to Skaro, would the Daleks have ever realized there was life in the universe in which to exterminate? Is The Doctor the true catalyst of the rise of the Daleks, and maybe why he always seems to feel a responsibility in stopping them?
I mean he seems to keep getting involved with skaro’s past. After going to skaro that first time, he goes back to stop their creation, and then he saves Davros as a child. He just keeps going back farther and ther the older he gets
Nice mention. In Tom Baker's season 14, he seems to cause most of the trouble he encounters. Starting with Masque of Mandragora in which his TARDIS inadvertently transports the malevolent foe, to The Hand of Fear in which he and his companion's presence in "the wrong rock quarry" allows the evil to come back to life. Then on to The Deadly Assassin in which he is accused of being the eponymous culprit. Next it's off to The Face of Evil where he is reviled as an evil god owing to past misadventures. Perhaps Leela's presence alongside him was a welcome good influence indeed.
Perhaps the Tribe of Gum in the first serial were the race that evolved into the Kaleds. By introducing them to fire, the Doctor sent them on their way.
I love the fact you include the public responses to these. It shows that the saying " (insert name here) ruined Doctor Who" is just as old as the show itself.
Yes, that's something I've noticed, too. I remember it happening when Peter Davison took over from Tom Baker (my own personal introduction to the character, though I've gone on see most of the original series as well as the reboot). Personally, I feel that each actor has brought something quite valuable to the role, and while I have my favorites, I think it would have been sadly diminished if any had NOT played the Doctor. As for Jodie Whittaker... she (like Capaldi) very quickly won me over, and in fact I think that, in time, quite a few of the stories featuring each of these will come to be regarded as superb examples of the show. Someone else here asked what the OP thought of the new origin story. I had heard a lot of negative reactions before I had a chance to see the latter part of the latest season, and was unsure how I'd feel. In the end, I think it is a brilliant, albeit challenging, move. It IS a game-changer, and shakes things up tremendously... and I see that as a good thing. The show has always had a tendency to do this, and I think that aids in its vitality. I also like the way they took various anomalies from throughout the show's history, and wove them into the pattern in a way which allows them to make sense (e.g., the Toymaker as one of the Eternals; the deadly game between Morbius and the Doctor, where we see what seem to be numerous earlier regenerations of each, etc.). I've been quite favorably impressed; and I say that as one who has seen (or, where the video is lost, heard) all of Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, and the majority of Colin Baker (one story to go) and Sylvester McCoy (about 3 left). As someone who loved the "classic" series, I was more than dubious about the reboot, but (with a wobble here and there), I think they've done a wonderful job, and I look forward to seeing what lies ahead.
It would’ve been a lot worse back then though, they’ve only ever known William Hartnell whole today we’ve been spoiled with 13 different incarnations and we are used to it. Imagine if a show you enjoyed today pulled something like regeneration and the character basically became a new person
2nd: “Hm! I see you’ve been doing the TARDIS up a bit. I don’t like it.” 11th: “Oh you’ve redecorated! I don’t like it.” 10th: “Oh, you’ve redecorated... I don’t like it.” Runs in the dialect
So much respect for the portrayal of Time Lords as powerful, mysterious beings of an other worldly existence. They really seem to imply that the Doctor is a below average Time Lord, gallivanting around and being smart next to other humans but being somewhat of a weirdo to his own people. I started on the Tenth Doctor's run and that was my perception and respect for the Time Lords grew as I slowly learned more and more about the Time War. It provided an excellent example of power escalation as the Doctor's threats became greater and greater. First I learned about the Daleks and how big of a threat they were. The Doctor kept fighting them and they kept getting stronger. But then we saw the Master, the first Time Lord besides the Doctor and he was such a huge threat! It was like he was both a dark reflection of the Doctor as well as a shadow of what a Time Lord could be. Finally, in the Tenth Doctor's last arc we saw the true power of the Time Lords. They had become a people so corrupted by war they were as bad as the Daleks! The Daleks were brutal enough and now you're showing me the guys they couldn't defeat? It was awesome and horrifying, especially when we saw both the Doctor and the Master as mere pawns compared to the full might of the Time Lords! Now I had an understanding of both sides of the war and I also thought I understood the mechanisms of the Time War itself. I thought Time War as a war in which time itself was a weapon. The war would have had Daleks and Time Lords constantly fighting all over the fabric of Time, rewriting history and then racing the other to re-rewrite history or stop history from being re-rewritten! It would have been an unimaginable battle of paradox, time loops, and time travel. It would have been such an insane war the was beyond human comprehension, a war taking place in the past, present and future simultaneously! Then we got Day of Doctor. Now I love Day of the Doctor but I'm not going to pretend that it didn't diminished both the Time War and the Time Lords. The previously incomprehensible and accordingly impossible to show Time War was finally shown and it was... an ordinary war fought with laser guns. Seriously? All this build up and it's a normal war with lasers? That's it? The Time Lords are relegated to normal foot-soilders and generals who plan the war in conference rooms while the Daleks also had soldiers and spaceships that shoot lasers. That's pretty standard when it comes sci-fi and it has nothing to do with time at all! And this special also makes the Doctor seem way more powerful in comparison to the Time Lords. He's always been treated as being smarter than Earthlings but now he's even smarter than his own people! He's basically the smartest man in the universe! Before it seemed like the Doctor was a belt average time lord and fate of ending the Time War was thrust upon him. Now is seems like he's an unstoppable force, a man who is so far and above the Time War but that doesn't make sense! The Time War nearly had a huge impact on him! It was the war he, the Doctor could not solve and was accordingly pulled into as just another ordinary solider. That level of humanity and normality makes the Doctor interesting and makes his relationship with his own people very unique! And this problem gets even worse with some of Peter Capaldi's episode. The Time Lords are for the most part treated as ordinary guys with an ordinary alien civilization and ordinary laser guns. The prison they devised for the Doctor was absolutely cool but it was definitely overshadowed by all the mediocrity that followed in the next episode. All in all, it's a pretty ordinary disappointment and ordinary is never how you want the Time Lords to be described. I really do think Time Lords and the Doctor both deserved better.
Jamie ties it with Donna Noble and Leela for my second favorite companion (most favorite being Sarah). I loved how fiercely loyal and protective he was of the Doctor. His humorous and sardonic chemistry with Troughton was almost magical. It also didn't hurt that he was absolutely adorable to this fan.
The Sonic Screwdriver was introduced in Fury of the Deep. Interestingly Patrick lost the actual prop and they decided to use one of the lifevest whistles instead. Of course, that episode is lost
This is a really fantastic series, I can't thank you enough for putting these videos together. I have a great respect for Patrick Troughton, as do many Classic Who fans. I still remember the day I heard of his passing in 1987 (at a US fan convention, no less) and felt very sorry for the loss. That loss was compounded by the fact that, at the time, so few of his Dr. Who episodes were available, the lion's share having been destroyed by the BBC. Thankfully, we had the Target paperbacks to read, which is really where my love of the series is rooted, but it's never quite the same thing. Today, we have found a few more episodes, and Tomb of the Cybermen is a miraculous find (I loved the book). The use of recorded audio, still photos and animation to reconstruct these serials is a wonderful innovation, and I hope all fans appreciate the hard work and dedication required to make such things happen. Of the Troughton serials, I enjoyed the Cybermen adventures, particularly Tomb and Wheel in Space. The Mind Robber had a brilliant inventiveness that almost broke through the fourth wall, making you question the reality of the program itself. And The War Games was a brilliant epic. It doesn't work nearly as well in the "US format" (episodes crammed together into a long movie format, instead of 20-minute episodes), but the paperback edition works very well. I would certainly agree that the mystery surrounding the Time Lords works best here, and their power becomes is dramatically reduced over time as details and histories are revealed. By the end of the classic series run, the Time Lords are just another weak parody of British politics, stripped of their mystical powers and little more than dull snobs. I do wish Troughton had stayed on a little longer, or that we at least found more lost episodes. His personality just shines and his approach to Dr. Who is as close to iconic as one can get. He's the one that all the other actors used as inspiration, and there's good reason for that. If I were in charge of the program, I would have crammed him into as many cameo episodes as humanly possible.
I remember reading somewhere that Fraser and Troughton slipped as many gay innuendos as they could into their character interactions to troll and spite the BBC. What a duo lmao
Having watched both Tomb of the Cybermen and The War Games for the first time tonight, i can definitely say I was quite impressed, especially by The War Games, whose unwinding mystery is so compelling that you can get through those ten episodes without getting bored. And yeah, you're totally right, the Time Lords have never been as enigmatically engaging as they are in their short, subdued appearance here.
I agree. I've often felt that most of the mystique and legend of the Time Lords comes from the fact that the Doctor, with all of his great accomplishments, is a member of their species, and they can automatically treat him/her as their equal (or even look down upon him/her) and it can make sense despite his achievements. It's hard to feature them in a major capacity without (a) making the Doctor appear mediocre in comparison to the rest of the Time Lords (good luck doing that to the protagonist) or (b) losing a lot of that mystique of the Time Lords. I think the whole "Trial of a Time Lord" was about as good as it could have been done from that perspective (although it also made them look completely corrupt). By having it be a high-stakes encounter for the Doctor but not for the Time Lords, their power and command over the Doctor came through, while the Doctor was able to emerge victorious without having seriously damaged the Time Lords (keeping their mystique by avoiding a complete loss).
Aged 56 I can just about remember Patrick Troughton as my first doctor , but it wasn’t until Jon Pertwee that I really can remember watching it and understanding what was going on. The “drop hands” of the The Autons crashing through the shop windows was my forever memory as well as the Ice Warriors. I think I tailed off watching it mid way through Tom Baker era , never really to return to it being a regular watch , but this series that you’ve put together has been brilliant watch
There’s something more complex about Patrick Troughton’s performance than other actors who played the role of the Doctor. I can’t really pinpoint what it is, but he knows more than he lets most people around him know.
The more quiet and philosophical moments of Troughton‘s Doctor are among the best of the whole show. When he breaks the image of the jester and you get to see just a glimpse of the knowledge and wisdom of his character, genius.
Troughton was come and gone before my time but he's still the #1 defining Doctor to me when you consider how his portrayal is so different from his predecessor yet so resonant with all the best Doctors after him. Troughton could've followed Tom Baker without it feeling like a downgrade, for example, and all the New Who representations are far closer to Troughton than they are to Pertwee. If Hartnell is the lyrics to the spirit of Doctor Who then Troughton is the music.
Like a lot of fans in UK, I am currently enjoying most of the catalogue on BBC iPlayer. Haven’t seen most of the pre-Tom Baker era. What a treasure trove!
As a Person of Colour myself I don't get wound up/offended when watching old media. It's the past, they were different. You have to watch it with that lens or everything will annoy you in old media :).
It's only "offensive" to white guilt infested idiots who think that they can speak for minorities and out of touch celebrities, as well as their cults of personality
Richard, I am watching your series here for the second time. It’s terrific stuff! Thank you so much, again, for all your immense work on this Dr Who Review series. Excellent narration, and well researched and written. Your series here is a sparkling gem and should be archived forever as part of the historical records of this wonderful Sci-Fi series.
I remember watching the transformation episode in October 1966. It was a national sensation. We were prepared for it by the front cover of the Radio Times. To me at the time it seemed both fantastical and contrived.
I love the look of horrified recognition on Troughton's face when the Doctor realises he's in the presence of a fellow Time Lord. If he's that frightened of just 1 Time Lord, imagine how powerful the species as a whole must be. I like to think that this Time Lord was the Master, although he's never stated to be so in the story. It would add 1 more regeneration to the Master's far too short list of incarnations. He was supposed to have run out of them in the Classic series, yet even by combining Classic Who and New Who together, we still don't have 13 Masters.
I don't understand why you don't have 10 times the number of views. These films are excellent quality, extremely informative and fascinating. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series - and this is the first comment I've ever left on UA-cam!
Classic Doctor Who isn't a very popular topic. I don't mean that as a pejorative, but as matter of fact. It's simply too obscure to gain any sort of large traction.
For years my brother would complain that people always hold some of the missing episodes as the best stories ever. He said people only thought that because they couldn’t see them. When Tomb of the Cybermen was found he was proved right. It’s still good, but it was hailed as the best Doctor Who story ever before it was found.
The Doctor's speech with Victoria about grief is perhaps my favorite 2nd Doctor moment. It's so tender and such a lovely way to describe living with loss to a young audience. As to the cybermen, while they are generally not my favorite on camera monsters, the concept behind them is one I find particularly horrifying. I find them most effective when they are not an amassing army but rather a small scale, intimate threat. When you watch a body horror flick, you don't need an army of psychos with a sea of victims, you need a football player tied up in the school basement with his eyelids taped open and a bitter janitor with a rusty melon-baller.
60s Who was a mixture of progressive values and patriarchal throwbacks. There were stories back then quite clearly showing a black hero in an important profession (like astronaut), yet quite often the women are left making the tea for the fellas and waiting to be rescued while screaming at monsters. Saying that, one of my favourite lines from the Troughton era was when a woman is asked the question "What's a nice girl like you doing working here?" "Well, when I was a little girl, I wanted to become a scientist. So I became a scientist." Brilliant!
Troughton's Doctor was much more the eccentric time traveller that he would continue to be in the show. A classic character who took the role and made it his own. A perfect casting choice. Wish more episodes of his existed though.
I really miss the pure historicals. They were great fun and I´m sad they got rid off them. I find that they do work very well on their own even without sci-fi.
Patrick Troughton probably had the hardest job of all the actors to portray the Doctor - what with dealing with the regeneration and establishing some connection with the audience after Hartnell's time. It's very sad that most of his stories have been lost. A lot of people(including Peter Davison and Colin Baker) think highly of his portrayal, as the clownlike cosmic hobo with a recorder. It says a lot that he came back later on for three separate appearances(The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors and The Two Doctors). I tend to like the more surreal style episodes of his era. I also thinking the pairing of his Doctor and Jamie is one of the series' best. My favourites are Tomb of the Cybermen and The Mind Robber.
I couldn't believe how good Patrick Troughton is, his run during the marathon ended a few weeks ago but I still miss him. Truly one of the very best. Great video this!
The second doctor's final episode is seriously one of the most touching scenes inn all of Dr. who. Like, it gives "I don't want to go" a run for its money.
William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton aren't necessarily the best Doctors (I'd put them high on the list but not at the very top of it) but they're definitely the most important. Without Hartnell, Doctor Who wouldn't even have gotten off the ground and without Troughton, it would have ended when Hartnell left.
@@tomnorton4277 Yeah that's what I meant, William Hartnell Patrick Troughton and Christopher Eccleston had a lot more pressure put on them to prove that the show could still be a success. Without them it might have failed
They merchandised Dr. Who into 4 Magic: The Gathering decks, but I've pathetically only ever seen one episode and I thought I should at least watch some highlights to help me understand the card jokes/references better. I am so glad ~your~ reviews popped up, because they are absolutely terrific!! My 10-yr-old even eschewed her Switch to watch with me. I love your thoughtful commentary, the scenes you chose to highlight, and the production insights. I am loving every second actually, whilst amassing a list of episodes I plan to watch after I finish your lovely reviews. Sad about Marco Polo, and dearly hoping at some point they return to historical fiction. I believe you may have turned me into a Dr. Who fan. Thank you for your excellent work!!!!!
Pat Troughton was the first doctor I remember, from ages 6 to 9, and he will always be the doctor for me. For that reason I'm biased, but it was a bloody good era anyway. There were several cybermen stories, surely the scariest of all Dr Who monsters. There was the one where they came up through manhole covers and walked about the streets - utterly terrifying and gave me nightmares. And I loved it! Just what a young boy needs.
William hartnell will always be creditited as the first doctor. But if I'm honest I think Patrick Troughton was the most important incarnation due to what could very well of happened if he didn't knock it out of the park. None of what we have today would be here.
Totally agree. I've always said that. William Hartnell was obviously excellent or the series would never have been a success but Patrick Troughton had the hardest job because he was the first change in actor and had to convince the audience that regeneration worked at a time when we had never heard of it.
The early, Mondas Cybermen are still some of the most terrifying monsters the show has put out. They remind me of Klansmen, with their cloth masks and dark, soulless eyes.
Watching Patrick Troughton he was a wonderful Doctor, giving the impression of being both very kind and intelligent..Tomb Of The Cybermen is an excellent pastiche of The Hammer Mummy films with the Cybermen at their most iconic. A well researched documentary that explains elequently this fundamental era of Doctor when so much of the mythology of the programme was created
As a 16 year old who is watching Classic Who in its entirety after seeing new Who, this is very nice. I don’t really have anyone to share my obsession with this show with and the way you give your opinion with such positivity and details. Keep up the good work I’m loving it. Especially this one as Troughton is my favourite Doctor with an era that’s missing a lot and is surrounded by a lot of mystery.
Thanks so much! I was very much like yourself when I was 16. Of course, that was when the show was off the air and anathema to anyone 'cool'. Glad you're enjoying the series and hope the rest bring you as much enjoyment!
also 16 funnily enough and finished this era yesterday. Sad to see the second doctors era end - I can't wait to start the 70s but I still want more Second Doctor Jamie and Zoe lol
Wonderful they recovered The Enemy of the World and all but one episode of The Web of Fear though. Personally I don't care for the DVD releases of other in complete stories from the same era. Nice for some but feel like it's ripping fans off.
The second doctor was the doctor that made me realize the concept of a “favorite doctor” wasn’t for me. Nine is my first doctor, Twelve is the one I hold dearest, but Two might be the one I enjoy the most as a person. Troughton is certainly one of my favorite actor players, especially of the classic era. I feel like more than most his Doctor is very similar to himself.
Nice way of looking at it. I wonder then, if my response is: 5 = first, 7 = dearest, 4 = enjoy the most. Although I absolutely adore Tom Baker and think he’s perfect, love the diversity of the program (before they felt the need to get heavy handed with it) and wear my huge scarf with pride!
@@mikerandall3819 I feel like it’s when parents say they don’t have a favorite kid. Like yeah, they probably do have a “favorite” they do more with, but it’s more about loving different aspects of them. I’m definitely past the “my doctor” or “favorite doctor” phase of my life because they’re all so good
I just finished watching the Troughton era and I really enjoyed it, I love it and the amount of lost episodes really saddens me, but that didn’t stop me
My Mum was Scottish and a massive Dr Who fan from the beginning. She named me after Jamie and my younger sister was called Sarah after Sarah-Jane in the Tom Baker era.
I love how Patrick Troughton could just casually admit that he was absolutely terrified of having his performances analysed by millions of people. Reportedly, he was "scared stiff" about taking over for William Hartnell and given how openly he confessed the terror of acting onscreen, I suspect that report was genuine. Who wouldn't be terrified out of their wits in his situation? Hartnell had cemented himself as the Doctor in 3 years and this was the very first test of regeneration. If Troughton screwed up, Doctor Who was finished. There were only two other Doctors who were under anywhere near as much pressure as Patrick Troughton. The first was Matt Smith, who was not only the youngest and therefore least experienced actor to play the role but came directly after David Tennant, the only Doctor who rivalled Tom Baker in popularity, AND had no established characters to help ease people through the transition. The second was John Hurt, who was brought in at the last moment during the 50th Anniversary and had only 1 full episode to get the Doctor right whilst all 3 of the most popular Doctors of all time were sharing it with him.
@@redfish3858 Ecclestone was brilliant but he wasn't under as much pressure because Doctor Who's reputation wasn't particularly good at the time. People weren't going into it with high expectations due to the failure of Paul McGann's TV movie. A high bar is much more intimidating and David Tennant and Matt Smith took Doctor Who to heights that haven't been seen since Tom Baker.
@@tomnorton4277 I always say there's a different between "starting importance" and "Long lasting importance", technically the first of any long lasting series will be the most important for getting popular for it, In Doctor who's case this happened twice with William Hartnell and Christopher Eccelston, with Paul McGann possibly also fitting into this category, but sadly that attempt failed. However For long lasting importance though, which is arguably more important than the first, that'd go to Patrick Troughton and Matt Smith for different reasons, Patrick Troughton had the hardest job of being literally the first time The Doctor had ever changed his appearance and personality, had Troughton failed, this series would not be alive. And Matt Smith well, there was A LOT going against him, and somehow he managed it spectacularly.
It wasn't just that he was inheriting someone elses role in a successful series, he was inheriting a role in a show whose ratings were going down the pan. Regeneration was a desperate all-or-nothing gamble that could easily have blown up in everyone's face.
The regeneration of a Doctor Who fan: *Part 1* I hate this new guy. *Part 2* I think he's growing on me. *Part 3* YEAH! This is my fave! *Part 4* Wait? Are you regenerating! *Part 5* WAIT! DON'T GO! *Part 6* Repeat.
I've always felt that the original Cybermen looked that much scarier than the later ones. They were so obviously people in suits which was the whole point, a genius idea considering the budget. They were so creepy. The ones in The Tomb Of The Cybermen do look a little more like The Tin Man from Wizard Of Oz and subsequent appearances have varied. On the subject of Tomb, it was the first 2nd Doctor story that I saw, and I didn't initially take to him. I remember thinking that I wasn't going to enjoy this version of the show as much. By the end of part 1 though, I had started to come around and by the end of the story, any doubts I had were completely gone.
I have the same opinion about the cybermen, the early b&w ones are more chilling. Up until The Invasion (which is still one of the best cyberman stories), when the heads were expanded, they creeped me out (yes, the wider heads made for a less creepy cyberman)
These are such awesome videos! I used to watch Dr Who as a kid, randomly, on PBS, but just now as a 45 year old adult, am just getting into the show, seriously. Your reviews played a major role in my decision to follow my interest into this story.
Also, that intro with the narrated excerpt before the opening theme: Just EPIC. When you finished the reading, and the theme song started in, I got goosebumps.
A personal favourite of this era is the Eight Part Invasion from Season 6. It's strange because when you step back, you notice things about the story like how Tobias Vauhgn is really the main villain, the Cybermrn don't appear until half way through and it's really long, like, they have to split it across two discs length. But when you actually watch it you find you don't even mind. The acting is perfect, it's perfectly paced, the titular invasion doesn't even begin until around Part Six but because the story is so engaging, you don't care. 9/10. Don't worry, it's impossible to achieve a perfect grade.
Loving your documentaries. So we'll thought out and executed. Thanks do much for sharing your hard work with the world. I'm more of a casual fan but love and appreciate all incarnations of the series.
Don't mind admitting I was absolutely gripped when I finally saw The War Games on VHS. Sure, we'd already met The Monk, who turned out to have a TARDIS of his own - and that was interesting enough, because we learned that there were others out there like The Doctor. But whereas The Monk was very like The Doctor in a lot of ways - a renegade and a meddler - what happened in the War Games moved things up several gears, with The Doctor's own people catching up with him and "arresting" him. Even though I'd grown up with the Tom Baker era, in which there wasn't very much mystery surrounding the Time Lords anymore, I still got a heck of a thrill off The War Games. There was a palpable threat to the Time Lords in that story - and real fear from The Doctor, because here was an "enemy" that was his equal technologically and intellectually, because they were his own people, from whom he could not run anymore. If it managed to excite me, despite already knowing full well who the Time Lords were, I can only imagine how exciting that story must've been for audiences in 1969, finding out more about The Doctor in the closing couple of episodes of The War Games than they had learned in the entire 6 years prior to that.
22:21 Aww, don't say that about Victoria. She was so adorable and precious. Regardless though, love these videos! They're where I get a lot of my Doctor Who knowledge from, and I recommend them to a lot of people I know who have only watched Smith and Tennant.
These reviews are very well written and presented. A lot of childhood memories are being recalled and now I want to watch every episode that's available
I may collect every Doctor Who episode from the First Doctor’s An Unearthly Child to the Seventh Doctor’s Survival (1963 to 1989) when I’m older in my mid-adulthood life…
Thank you. These are very professional - I could be watching a BBC production. I appreciate the enormous time and effort you’ve put into creating these videos.
Again, wow! By far the best episode I've seen (and I've watched all your reviews). Love the section on the Cybermen and the detailed information concerning Jamie and the Doctor. Amazing, and thanks again.
Patrick Troughton maybe my favourite doctor. He is what the doctor who format is shaped after IMO. I love these videos as well, these videos are certainly a must watch for any doctor who fan.
@@wahmaster2788 I watched around on Ebay until I found the war games for region 1 (U.S. and Canada) for $99.95. This was the cheapest copy I ever found.
I started watching classic who on amazon prime about a month ago, and even tho a large amount of his stories are missing, Troughton is my favorite doctor so far. Going into season 4 I had no prior knowledge of him other than just being the doctor with a recorder. But the first story established his personality very well and it quickly grew on me. "The Enemy Of The World" solidified him for me and the story overall won me over and hes been my favorite since.
I can’t believe I missed this episode of your wonderful series. I don’t remember much of Patrick Troughtons doctor but I definitely want to see more if possible. I agree about the older cybermen - extremely scary. Very interesting about the plague of diazepam too. I’m a nurse and there are still many elderly ladies who’ve been on it for over 50 years. It would be impossible for them to stop and really not their fault. Still a popular drug of choice for the masses.
Tomb of the Cyberman scared the absolute shit out of me when I was a kid, first saw a clip during Dr Who night on BBC 2, must’ve been late 90s early 00s. The voice terrified me 😂
As a fan of classic Dr. Who, Patrick Troughton is my second most loved doctor. With Jamie (from the past) and Zoe (from the future) as companions you never knew what was going to happen next. In one scene the doctor is running for his life and in the next scene, the doctor is saving the day by using his understanding of science.
What I find scariest about the Mondasian, and why I think they are the creepiest iteration of the Metal Monsters from Mondas, is, in some scenes, you can quite clearly see their eyes behind the dark felts on the mask, something I find incredibly creepy, as it is a constant reminder of their origins.
I had the Tomb of the Cybermen on audio tape, with Jon Pertwee narrating the bits of it. Have to admit it was way creepier then the visuals. Still a great story though
7:51 "There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things, things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought" Thank you. I avoid some eras of classic (often out of some stubborn sensibilities). But the inclusion of that moving line of heroic conviction and its electric delivery was the kick up the backside I needed.
I finally found someone optimistic and positive in this fandom
Love your job man, keep the great work
Thanks so much! I totally agree about the negativity one comes across frequently online. I think it's easier for some to be endlessly critical- maybe it's more entertaining, I don't know. However, part of my philosophy for this series is to redress that balance a little. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series!
The War Games is my favorite 2nd doctor story.
Life Upgrade I don't know why but for some reason the Moonbase is my favourite second Doctor story rather than the Wargames. It's something about the cybermen walking across the moon..
Capivaramaster 4 ?
So you are a transhumanist then?
Troughton seemed like he would have been a nice guy to just sit down and have a conversation with. He seemed very welcoming and kind, like a favorite uncle.
He was quite a quiet and shy man from what I heard. A bit like Freddie Mercury when he wasn't performing.
If you could get 5 minutes between work.
By all accounts the weirdest thing about him was his second family
He sounds so pleaseant to talk with during interviews
@@oswin1234second family? What’s so strange about that?
"He actually uses a sonic screwdriver to unscrew something."
*Dear God.*
Back before the sonic screwdriver was a tool and not an overpowered magic wand.
I am 62 years old, As a young boy Dr.Who was my escape my joy, i remember, connecting to Dr Who because my father was an alcoholic my mother bless her driving me mad with catholic propaganda./ Patrick Troughton was my Dr. Who and to end this story i am not bitter, just grate ful that some of us know Dr. Who was a product of our dreams our hopes in the 1960,s and a wonderful gift , take care everybody
“He brought out a sonic screwdriver-“
Me: what’s so special about tha-
“To actually unscrew something”
Me: this is groundbreaking
It is almost criminal that hardly any Patrick Troughton stories exist in full. Despite that, his portrayal was convincing and powerful enough to warrant continuing the series and meaning that a change of lead actor wouldn't mean the end of the programme.
He is also my second favourite Doctor next to Tom Baker.
Would be 100 today.
May he rest in Peace, was a True loss, he was amazing in almost every thing he did
That first regeneration was really well done - better than some of the later ones.
ahem colin baker
What was that nonsense about 'the watcher' all about?
It took a while to do that, too.
Man the BBC should be paying you for this content, it’s top notch
Thank you so much!
I concur. First rate job.
I really love the little speech Doctor gives to Victoria (the one you titled as key moment). As someone who's still pretty young and not very used to loss of family members it really helped me through some harder times in my life.
"If The Doctor had not helped, none of this would have taken place"
That reminds me, if the First Doctor had never gone to Skaro, would the Daleks have ever realized there was life in the universe in which to exterminate? Is The Doctor the true catalyst of the rise of the Daleks, and maybe why he always seems to feel a responsibility in stopping them?
Wow, just wow. Great theory
I mean he seems to keep getting involved with skaro’s past. After going to skaro that first time, he goes back to stop their creation, and then he saves Davros as a child. He just keeps going back farther and ther the older he gets
Nice mention. In Tom Baker's season 14, he seems to cause most of the trouble he encounters. Starting with Masque of Mandragora in which his TARDIS inadvertently transports the malevolent foe, to The Hand of Fear in which he and his companion's presence in "the wrong rock quarry" allows the evil to come back to life. Then on to The Deadly Assassin in which he is accused of being the eponymous culprit. Next it's off to The Face of Evil where he is reviled as an evil god owing to past misadventures. Perhaps Leela's presence alongside him was a welcome good influence indeed.
Perhaps the Tribe of Gum in the first serial were the race that evolved into the Kaleds. By introducing them to fire, the Doctor sent them on their way.
Classic Who fans have a great debt of gratitude to pay to Troughton. His brilliant interpretation of the Doctor insured it would continue for decades.
I love the fact you include the public responses to these. It shows that the saying " (insert name here) ruined Doctor Who" is just as old as the show itself.
Yes, that's something I've noticed, too. I remember it happening when Peter Davison took over from Tom Baker (my own personal introduction to the character, though I've gone on see most of the original series as well as the reboot). Personally, I feel that each actor has brought something quite valuable to the role, and while I have my favorites, I think it would have been sadly diminished if any had NOT played the Doctor. As for Jodie Whittaker... she (like Capaldi) very quickly won me over, and in fact I think that, in time, quite a few of the stories featuring each of these will come to be regarded as superb examples of the show. Someone else here asked what the OP thought of the new origin story. I had heard a lot of negative reactions before I had a chance to see the latter part of the latest season, and was unsure how I'd feel. In the end, I think it is a brilliant, albeit challenging, move. It IS a game-changer, and shakes things up tremendously... and I see that as a good thing. The show has always had a tendency to do this, and I think that aids in its vitality. I also like the way they took various anomalies from throughout the show's history, and wove them into the pattern in a way which allows them to make sense (e.g., the Toymaker as one of the Eternals; the deadly game between Morbius and the Doctor, where we see what seem to be numerous earlier regenerations of each, etc.). I've been quite favorably impressed; and I say that as one who has seen (or, where the video is lost, heard) all of Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, and the majority of Colin Baker (one story to go) and Sylvester McCoy (about 3 left). As someone who loved the "classic" series, I was more than dubious about the reboot, but (with a wobble here and there), I think they've done a wonderful job, and I look forward to seeing what lies ahead.
It would’ve been a lot worse back then though, they’ve only ever known William Hartnell whole today we’ve been spoiled with 13 different incarnations and we are used to it. Imagine if a show you enjoyed today pulled something like regeneration and the character basically became a new person
2nd: “Hm! I see you’ve been doing the TARDIS up a bit. I don’t like it.”
11th: “Oh you’ve redecorated! I don’t like it.”
10th: “Oh, you’ve redecorated... I don’t like it.”
Runs in the dialect
And the doctor having a go at his own fashion tastes has become a staple
"Oh yeah, oh you never do!"
So much respect for the portrayal of Time Lords as powerful, mysterious beings of an other worldly existence. They really seem to imply that the Doctor is a below average Time Lord, gallivanting around and being smart next to other humans but being somewhat of a weirdo to his own people.
I started on the Tenth Doctor's run and that was my perception and respect for the Time Lords grew as I slowly learned more and more about the Time War. It provided an excellent example of power escalation as the Doctor's threats became greater and greater. First I learned about the Daleks and how big of a threat they were. The Doctor kept fighting them and they kept getting stronger. But then we saw the Master, the first Time Lord besides the Doctor and he was such a huge threat! It was like he was both a dark reflection of the Doctor as well as a shadow of what a Time Lord could be.
Finally, in the Tenth Doctor's last arc we saw the true power of the Time Lords. They had become a people so corrupted by war they were as bad as the Daleks! The Daleks were brutal enough and now you're showing me the guys they couldn't defeat? It was awesome and horrifying, especially when we saw both the Doctor and the Master as mere pawns compared to the full might of the Time Lords!
Now I had an understanding of both sides of the war and I also thought I understood the mechanisms of the Time War itself. I thought Time War as a war in which time itself was a weapon. The war would have had Daleks and Time Lords constantly fighting all over the fabric of Time, rewriting history and then racing the other to re-rewrite history or stop history from being re-rewritten! It would have been an unimaginable battle of paradox, time loops, and time travel. It would have been such an insane war the was beyond human comprehension, a war taking place in the past, present and future simultaneously!
Then we got Day of Doctor. Now I love Day of the Doctor but I'm not going to pretend that it didn't diminished both the Time War and the Time Lords. The previously incomprehensible and accordingly impossible to show Time War was finally shown and it was... an ordinary war fought with laser guns. Seriously? All this build up and it's a normal war with lasers? That's it? The Time Lords are relegated to normal foot-soilders and generals who plan the war in conference rooms while the Daleks also had soldiers and spaceships that shoot lasers. That's pretty standard when it comes sci-fi and it has nothing to do with time at all!
And this special also makes the Doctor seem way more powerful in comparison to the Time Lords. He's always been treated as being smarter than Earthlings but now he's even smarter than his own people! He's basically the smartest man in the universe! Before it seemed like the Doctor was a belt average time lord and fate of ending the Time War was thrust upon him. Now is seems like he's an unstoppable force, a man who is so far and above the Time War but that doesn't make sense! The Time War nearly had a huge impact on him! It was the war he, the Doctor could not solve and was accordingly pulled into as just another ordinary solider. That level of humanity and normality makes the Doctor interesting and makes his relationship with his own people very unique!
And this problem gets even worse with some of Peter Capaldi's episode. The Time Lords are for the most part treated as ordinary guys with an ordinary alien civilization and ordinary laser guns. The prison they devised for the Doctor was absolutely cool but it was definitely overshadowed by all the mediocrity that followed in the next episode. All in all, it's a pretty ordinary disappointment and ordinary is never how you want the Time Lords to be described. I really do think Time Lords and the Doctor both deserved better.
This is a very good point.
Jamie ties it with Donna Noble and Leela for my second favorite companion (most favorite being Sarah). I loved how fiercely loyal and protective he was of the Doctor. His humorous and sardonic chemistry with Troughton was almost magical. It also didn't hurt that he was absolutely adorable to this fan.
The Sonic Screwdriver was introduced in Fury of the Deep. Interestingly Patrick lost the actual prop and they decided to use one of the lifevest whistles instead. Of course, that episode is lost
This is a really fantastic series, I can't thank you enough for putting these videos together.
I have a great respect for Patrick Troughton, as do many Classic Who fans. I still remember the day I heard of his passing in 1987 (at a US fan convention, no less) and felt very sorry for the loss. That loss was compounded by the fact that, at the time, so few of his Dr. Who episodes were available, the lion's share having been destroyed by the BBC. Thankfully, we had the Target paperbacks to read, which is really where my love of the series is rooted, but it's never quite the same thing. Today, we have found a few more episodes, and Tomb of the Cybermen is a miraculous find (I loved the book). The use of recorded audio, still photos and animation to reconstruct these serials is a wonderful innovation, and I hope all fans appreciate the hard work and dedication required to make such things happen.
Of the Troughton serials, I enjoyed the Cybermen adventures, particularly Tomb and Wheel in Space. The Mind Robber had a brilliant inventiveness that almost broke through the fourth wall, making you question the reality of the program itself. And The War Games was a brilliant epic. It doesn't work nearly as well in the "US format" (episodes crammed together into a long movie format, instead of 20-minute episodes), but the paperback edition works very well. I would certainly agree that the mystery surrounding the Time Lords works best here, and their power becomes is dramatically reduced over time as details and histories are revealed. By the end of the classic series run, the Time Lords are just another weak parody of British politics, stripped of their mystical powers and little more than dull snobs.
I do wish Troughton had stayed on a little longer, or that we at least found more lost episodes. His personality just shines and his approach to Dr. Who is as close to iconic as one can get. He's the one that all the other actors used as inspiration, and there's good reason for that. If I were in charge of the program, I would have crammed him into as many cameo episodes as humanly possible.
I remember reading somewhere that Fraser and Troughton slipped as many gay innuendos as they could into their character interactions to troll and spite the BBC. What a duo lmao
Having watched both Tomb of the Cybermen and The War Games for the first time tonight, i can definitely say I was quite impressed, especially by The War Games, whose unwinding mystery is so compelling that you can get through those ten episodes without getting bored. And yeah, you're totally right, the Time Lords have never been as enigmatically engaging as they are in their short, subdued appearance here.
I agree. I've often felt that most of the mystique and legend of the Time Lords comes from the fact that the Doctor, with all of his great accomplishments, is a member of their species, and they can automatically treat him/her as their equal (or even look down upon him/her) and it can make sense despite his achievements. It's hard to feature them in a major capacity without (a) making the Doctor appear mediocre in comparison to the rest of the Time Lords (good luck doing that to the protagonist) or (b) losing a lot of that mystique of the Time Lords.
I think the whole "Trial of a Time Lord" was about as good as it could have been done from that perspective (although it also made them look completely corrupt). By having it be a high-stakes encounter for the Doctor but not for the Time Lords, their power and command over the Doctor came through, while the Doctor was able to emerge victorious without having seriously damaged the Time Lords (keeping their mystique by avoiding a complete loss).
Aged 56 I can just about remember Patrick Troughton as my first doctor , but it wasn’t until Jon Pertwee that I really can remember watching it and understanding what was going on.
The “drop hands” of the The Autons crashing through the shop windows was my forever memory as well as the Ice Warriors.
I think I tailed off watching it mid way through Tom Baker era , never really to return to it being a regular watch , but this series that you’ve put together has been brilliant watch
Thanks so much! I’m glad that I could bring some happy memories!
There’s something more complex about Patrick Troughton’s performance than other actors who played the role of the Doctor. I can’t really pinpoint what it is, but he knows more than he lets most people around him know.
He's one of the greats, I agree!
The more quiet and philosophical moments of Troughton‘s Doctor are among the best of the whole show. When he breaks the image of the jester and you get to see just a glimpse of the knowledge and wisdom of his character, genius.
These retrospectives actually got me into Doctor Who. And Troughton is my favourite doctor. Thank you!
Troughton was come and gone before my time but he's still the #1 defining Doctor to me when you consider how his portrayal is so different from his predecessor yet so resonant with all the best Doctors after him. Troughton could've followed Tom Baker without it feeling like a downgrade, for example, and all the New Who representations are far closer to Troughton than they are to Pertwee. If Hartnell is the lyrics to the spirit of Doctor Who then Troughton is the music.
Like a lot of fans in UK, I am currently enjoying most of the catalogue on BBC iPlayer. Haven’t seen most of the pre-Tom Baker era. What a treasure trove!
The black-and-white episodes have an epic quality. Really comes out on a 50" screen.
As a Person of Colour myself I don't get wound up/offended when watching old media. It's the past, they were different. You have to watch it with that lens or everything will annoy you in old media :).
*bangs desk* THANK YOU!
I love the way you think :) It's quite logical
@@noahsark4528 Thank you :)
Ye
It's only "offensive" to white guilt infested idiots who think that they can speak for minorities and out of touch celebrities, as well as their cults of personality
Richard, I am watching your series here for the second time. It’s terrific stuff! Thank you so much, again, for all your immense work on this Dr Who Review series. Excellent narration, and well researched and written. Your series here is a sparkling gem and should be archived forever as part of the historical records of this wonderful Sci-Fi series.
I remember watching the transformation episode in October 1966. It was a national sensation. We were prepared for it by the front cover of the Radio Times. To me at the time it seemed both fantastical and contrived.
21:02
Don’t forget on a 60s television that wire would’ve been near invisible. One of the downsides of TVs these days picking up every detail.
I love the look of horrified recognition on Troughton's face when the Doctor realises he's in the presence of a fellow Time Lord. If he's that frightened of just 1 Time Lord, imagine how powerful the species as a whole must be.
I like to think that this Time Lord was the Master, although he's never stated to be so in the story. It would add 1 more regeneration to the Master's far too short list of incarnations. He was supposed to have run out of them in the Classic series, yet even by combining Classic Who and New Who together, we still don't have 13 Masters.
The hjorror is the knowledge that if there is one Time Lord about, then others cannot be far away and the gig is up.
I don't understand why you don't have 10 times the number of views. These films are excellent quality, extremely informative and fascinating. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series - and this is the first comment I've ever left on UA-cam!
Thank you so much! I'm honoured! Part 8 is coming very soon. Hope you enjoy!
Classic Doctor Who isn't a very popular topic. I don't mean that as a pejorative, but as matter of fact. It's simply too obscure to gain any sort of large traction.
For years my brother would complain that people always hold some of the missing episodes as the best stories ever. He said people only thought that because they couldn’t see them. When Tomb of the Cybermen was found he was proved right. It’s still good, but it was hailed as the best Doctor Who story ever before it was found.
The Doctor's speech with Victoria about grief is perhaps my favorite 2nd Doctor moment. It's so tender and such a lovely way to describe living with loss to a young audience. As to the cybermen, while they are generally not my favorite on camera monsters, the concept behind them is one I find particularly horrifying. I find them most effective when they are not an amassing army but rather a small scale, intimate threat. When you watch a body horror flick, you don't need an army of psychos with a sea of victims, you need a football player tied up in the school basement with his eyelids taped open and a bitter janitor with a rusty melon-baller.
Your example of body horror was oddly specific... you're not a janitor by any chance?
60s Who was a mixture of progressive values and patriarchal throwbacks. There were stories back then quite clearly showing a black hero in an important profession (like astronaut), yet quite often the women are left making the tea for the fellas and waiting to be rescued while screaming at monsters.
Saying that, one of my favourite lines from the Troughton era was when a woman is asked the question "What's a nice girl like you doing working here?"
"Well, when I was a little girl, I wanted to become a scientist. So I became a scientist."
Brilliant!
The description "cosmic hobo" is so marvellous. I love it.
Troughton's Doctor was much more the eccentric time traveller that he would continue to be in the show. A classic character who took the role and made it his own. A perfect casting choice. Wish more episodes of his existed though.
In hindsight, Troughton is probably the most influential of all the Doctors.
I really miss the pure historicals. They were great fun and I´m sad they got rid off them. I find that they do work very well on their own even without sci-fi.
Patrick Troughton probably had the hardest job of all the actors to portray the Doctor - what with dealing with the regeneration and establishing some connection with the audience after Hartnell's time. It's very sad that most of his stories have been lost. A lot of people(including Peter Davison and Colin Baker) think highly of his portrayal, as the clownlike cosmic hobo with a recorder. It says a lot that he came back later on for three separate appearances(The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors and The Two Doctors). I tend to like the more surreal style episodes of his era. I also thinking the pairing of his Doctor and Jamie is one of the series' best. My favourites are Tomb of the Cybermen and The Mind Robber.
I couldn't believe how good Patrick Troughton is, his run during the marathon ended a few weeks ago but I still miss him. Truly one of the very best. Great video this!
Indeed, he was an awesome Doctor!
The second doctor's final episode is seriously one of the most touching scenes inn all of Dr. who. Like, it gives "I don't want to go" a run for its money.
Capaldi being a fan of the Mondasian cybermen is cool in retrospect
It *is,* and the fact that Steven Moffat respects it and even bring them up in Season 10 finale makes it all the better!
Without William hartnell the show wouldn't have been a success but without Patrick Troughton the show might not have continued
William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton aren't necessarily the best Doctors (I'd put them high on the list but not at the very top of it) but they're definitely the most important. Without Hartnell, Doctor Who wouldn't even have gotten off the ground and without Troughton, it would have ended when Hartnell left.
@@tomnorton4277 Yeah that's what I meant, William Hartnell Patrick Troughton and Christopher Eccleston had a lot more pressure put on them to prove that the show could still be a success. Without them it might have failed
Yeah
They merchandised Dr. Who into 4 Magic: The Gathering decks, but I've pathetically only ever seen one episode and I thought I should at least watch some highlights to help me understand the card jokes/references better. I am so glad ~your~ reviews popped up, because they are absolutely terrific!! My 10-yr-old even eschewed her Switch to watch with me. I love your thoughtful commentary, the scenes you chose to highlight, and the production insights. I am loving every second actually, whilst amassing a list of episodes I plan to watch after I finish your lovely reviews. Sad about Marco Polo, and dearly hoping at some point they return to historical fiction. I believe you may have turned me into a Dr. Who fan. Thank you for your excellent work!!!!!
7:39 Jamie laughing at The Doctor frolicking in the shallows is my favourite Jamie moment. 🥰
Patrick Troughton was MY Doctor! It is such a shame so many episodes are missing.
The trick was - to have watched them when broadcast.
@@suzyqualcast6269 I did. But i was so young I can only recall fragments.
I'm only young still and Troughton was my favourite era.
Such a fantastic time for the show!
As an American watching Doctor Who since the 70's and 80's on PBS, I would like to say that I really enjoy this series. Great job!
Thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying them!
Pat Troughton was the first doctor I remember, from ages 6 to 9, and he will always be the doctor for me. For that reason I'm biased, but it was a bloody good era anyway. There were several cybermen stories, surely the scariest of all Dr Who monsters. There was the one where they came up through manhole covers and walked about the streets - utterly terrifying and gave me nightmares. And I loved it! Just what a young boy needs.
William hartnell will always be creditited as the first doctor. But if I'm honest I think Patrick Troughton was the most important incarnation due to what could very well of happened if he didn't knock it out of the park. None of what we have today would be here.
Totally agree. I've always said that. William Hartnell was obviously excellent or the series would never have been a success but Patrick Troughton had the hardest job because he was the first change in actor and had to convince the audience that regeneration worked at a time when we had never heard of it.
That's such a cliche.
The early, Mondas Cybermen are still some of the most terrifying monsters the show has put out. They remind me of Klansmen, with their cloth masks and dark, soulless eyes.
I just watched The War Games for the first time last night, and I have to agree with you. It was incredible.
Watching Patrick Troughton he was a wonderful Doctor, giving the impression of being both very kind and intelligent..Tomb Of The Cybermen is an excellent pastiche of The Hammer Mummy films with the Cybermen at their most iconic. A well researched documentary that explains elequently this fundamental era of Doctor when so much of the mythology of the programme was created
Man, those early Cybermen were truly scary. Those machine-like voices with the bizarre cadence. *Shudder.*
As a 16 year old who is watching Classic Who in its entirety after seeing new Who, this is very nice. I don’t really have anyone to share my obsession with this show with and the way you give your opinion with such positivity and details. Keep up the good work I’m loving it. Especially this one as Troughton is my favourite Doctor with an era that’s missing a lot and is surrounded by a lot of mystery.
Thanks so much! I was very much like yourself when I was 16. Of course, that was when the show was off the air and anathema to anyone 'cool'. Glad you're enjoying the series and hope the rest bring you as much enjoyment!
Also 16 mate I share in the struggle
also 16 funnily enough and finished this era yesterday. Sad to see the second doctors era end - I can't wait to start the 70s but I still want more Second Doctor Jamie and Zoe lol
That's it. I'm gonna go find and catch up on all this classic Who I've been missing out on.
It drives me insane that the BBC lost almost every episode of the second Doctor.
Well, 'lost' would be a nice way of putting it! I'm sure they lament it as much now as you though.
Wonderful they recovered The Enemy of the World and all but one episode of The Web of Fear though. Personally I don't care for the DVD releases of other in complete stories from the same era. Nice for some but feel like it's ripping fans off.
C 82 And the last missing episode of the Web of Fear was found, but was apparently stolen, so is probably still out there somewhere.
The second doctor was the doctor that made me realize the concept of a “favorite doctor” wasn’t for me. Nine is my first doctor, Twelve is the one I hold dearest, but Two might be the one I enjoy the most as a person. Troughton is certainly one of my favorite actor players, especially of the classic era. I feel like more than most his Doctor is very similar to himself.
12's the one I hold dearest too. I love cranky characters who are more kind than they first appear.
Nice way of looking at it. I wonder then, if my response is: 5 = first, 7 = dearest, 4 = enjoy the most. Although I absolutely adore Tom Baker and think he’s perfect, love the diversity of the program (before they felt the need to get heavy handed with it) and wear my huge scarf with pride!
@@mikerandall3819 I feel like it’s when parents say they don’t have a favorite kid. Like yeah, they probably do have a “favorite” they do more with, but it’s more about loving different aspects of them. I’m definitely past the “my doctor” or “favorite doctor” phase of my life because they’re all so good
I just finished watching the Troughton era and I really enjoyed it, I love it and the amount of lost episodes really saddens me, but that didn’t stop me
The Tenth Planet Cybermen are far more sinister, especially the voices, than anything that followed over the years. Will now have to get this on DVD>
Interesting that Peter Capaldi was vocal about being a fan of the original design and then they turn Bill into an original cyberman
My Mum was Scottish and a massive Dr Who fan from the beginning. She named me after Jamie and my younger sister was called Sarah after Sarah-Jane in the Tom Baker era.
Troughton is arguably the most influential Doctor; the genius playing the fool.
I love how Patrick Troughton could just casually admit that he was absolutely terrified of having his performances analysed by millions of people. Reportedly, he was "scared stiff" about taking over for William Hartnell and given how openly he confessed the terror of acting onscreen, I suspect that report was genuine. Who wouldn't be terrified out of their wits in his situation? Hartnell had cemented himself as the Doctor in 3 years and this was the very first test of regeneration. If Troughton screwed up, Doctor Who was finished.
There were only two other Doctors who were under anywhere near as much pressure as Patrick Troughton. The first was Matt Smith, who was not only the youngest and therefore least experienced actor to play the role but came directly after David Tennant, the only Doctor who rivalled Tom Baker in popularity, AND had no established characters to help ease people through the transition. The second was John Hurt, who was brought in at the last moment during the 50th Anniversary and had only 1 full episode to get the Doctor right whilst all 3 of the most popular Doctors of all time were sharing it with him.
I'd argue Christopher Eccleston, being the first of NuWho
@@redfish3858 Ecclestone was brilliant but he wasn't under as much pressure because Doctor Who's reputation wasn't particularly good at the time. People weren't going into it with high expectations due to the failure of Paul McGann's TV movie. A high bar is much more intimidating and David Tennant and Matt Smith took Doctor Who to heights that haven't been seen since Tom Baker.
@@tomnorton4277 I always say there's a different between "starting importance" and "Long lasting importance", technically the first of any long lasting series will be the most important for getting popular for it, In Doctor who's case this happened twice with William Hartnell and Christopher Eccelston, with Paul McGann possibly also fitting into this category, but sadly that attempt failed.
However For long lasting importance though, which is arguably more important than the first, that'd go to Patrick Troughton and Matt Smith for different reasons, Patrick Troughton had the hardest job of being literally the first time The Doctor had ever changed his appearance and personality, had Troughton failed, this series would not be alive. And Matt Smith well, there was A LOT going against him, and somehow he managed it spectacularly.
It wasn't just that he was inheriting someone elses role in a successful series, he was inheriting a role in a show whose ratings were going down the pan. Regeneration was a desperate all-or-nothing gamble that could easily have blown up in everyone's face.
The second doctor and Jamie will forever be my favourite duo
It would be perfect if they had been lovers. The perfect couple!
This series of reviews you have put together for the classic Doctors is excellent.
The regeneration of a Doctor Who fan:
*Part 1* I hate this new guy.
*Part 2* I think he's growing on me.
*Part 3* YEAH! This is my fave!
*Part 4* Wait? Are you regenerating!
*Part 5* WAIT! DON'T GO!
*Part 6* Repeat.
@@MatthewsStopMotions well she's not a guy.
Lol! I'm liking all 3 of these comments; I don't care what people think! :)
I've always felt that the original Cybermen looked that much scarier than the later ones. They were so obviously people in suits which was the whole point, a genius idea considering the budget. They were so creepy. The ones in The Tomb Of The Cybermen do look a little more like The Tin Man from Wizard Of Oz and subsequent appearances have varied. On the subject of Tomb, it was the first 2nd Doctor story that I saw, and I didn't initially take to him. I remember thinking that I wasn't going to enjoy this version of the show as much. By the end of part 1 though, I had started to come around and by the end of the story, any doubts I had were completely gone.
I have the same opinion about the cybermen, the early b&w ones are more chilling. Up until The Invasion (which is still one of the best cyberman stories), when the heads were expanded, they creeped me out (yes, the wider heads made for a less creepy cyberman)
I think the creepiest Cybermen (and most true to their best qualities) are the Tenth Planet ones, but the ‘80s ones are great villains.
These are such awesome videos! I used to watch Dr Who as a kid, randomly, on PBS, but just now as a 45 year old adult, am just getting into the show, seriously. Your reviews played a major role in my decision to follow my interest into this story.
Also, that intro with the narrated excerpt before the opening theme:
Just EPIC.
When you finished the reading, and the theme song started in, I got goosebumps.
It's just so weird how different Patrick looks when he's not in costume
A personal favourite of this era is the Eight Part Invasion from Season 6. It's strange because when you step back, you notice things about the story like how Tobias Vauhgn is really the main villain, the Cybermrn don't appear until half way through and it's really long, like, they have to split it across two discs length. But when you actually watch it you find you don't even mind. The acting is perfect, it's perfectly paced, the titular invasion doesn't even begin until around Part Six but because the story is so engaging, you don't care. 9/10. Don't worry, it's impossible to achieve a perfect grade.
Loving your documentaries. So we'll thought out and executed. Thanks do much for sharing your hard work with the world. I'm more of a casual fan but love and appreciate all incarnations of the series.
You’re most welcome!
Don't mind admitting I was absolutely gripped when I finally saw The War Games on VHS. Sure, we'd already met The Monk, who turned out to have a TARDIS of his own - and that was interesting enough, because we learned that there were others out there like The Doctor. But whereas The Monk was very like The Doctor in a lot of ways - a renegade and a meddler - what happened in the War Games moved things up several gears, with The Doctor's own people catching up with him and "arresting" him.
Even though I'd grown up with the Tom Baker era, in which there wasn't very much mystery surrounding the Time Lords anymore, I still got a heck of a thrill off The War Games. There was a palpable threat to the Time Lords in that story - and real fear from The Doctor, because here was an "enemy" that was his equal technologically and intellectually, because they were his own people, from whom he could not run anymore.
If it managed to excite me, despite already knowing full well who the Time Lords were, I can only imagine how exciting that story must've been for audiences in 1969, finding out more about The Doctor in the closing couple of episodes of The War Games than they had learned in the entire 6 years prior to that.
22:21 Aww, don't say that about Victoria. She was so adorable and precious.
Regardless though, love these videos! They're where I get a lot of my Doctor Who knowledge from, and I recommend them to a lot of people I know who have only watched Smith and Tennant.
You omitted Two's biggest contribution to Whovianism:
RUN!!!
These reviews are very well written and presented. A lot of childhood memories are being recalled and now I want to watch every episode that's available
Thanks! Glad to know my videos are bringing back fond memories!
Troughtons my favourite doc, he was so childish and greatly inspired the 10th and 11th doc
I may collect every Doctor Who episode from the First Doctor’s An Unearthly Child to the Seventh Doctor’s Survival (1963 to 1989) when I’m older in my mid-adulthood life…
The most underrated Doctor in my opinion
Feel like that’s more of a 6th/7th/9th/1st and 5th Doctors
One thing I love about this era, is the High Concept style, with space age technology and romping adventures on other planets and space ships.
Thank you. These are very professional - I could be watching a BBC production. I appreciate the enormous time and effort you’ve put into creating these videos.
You're most welcome! Thank you for your kind words!
Again, wow! By far the best episode I've seen (and I've watched all your reviews). Love the section on the Cybermen and the detailed information concerning Jamie and the Doctor. Amazing, and thanks again.
Patrick Troughton maybe my favourite doctor. He is what the doctor who format is shaped after IMO. I love these videos as well, these videos are certainly a must watch for any doctor who fan.
Give me a Cyberman, a base, and Troughton and Jamie, put a cup of tea on and boom my day is sorted.
i honestly wonder what they called "The Second Doctor" at the time. "The New Doctor"?
I just finished the second doctor era, The War Games is definitely my favourite story from the sixties
How did you watch it?
@@wahmaster2788 the dvds are only about 3-5 quid each if you buy them second hand
Well I assume they are easy to find in the UK. In canada it's another story. Well thanks for trying to help
@@wahmaster2788 amazon
@@wahmaster2788 I watched around on Ebay until I found the war games for region 1 (U.S. and Canada) for $99.95. This was the cheapest copy I ever found.
I started watching classic who on amazon prime about a month ago, and even tho a large amount of his stories are missing, Troughton is my favorite doctor so far. Going into season 4 I had no prior knowledge of him other than just being the doctor with a recorder. But the first story established his personality very well and it quickly grew on me. "The Enemy Of The World" solidified him for me and the story overall won me over and hes been my favorite since.
I can’t believe I missed this episode of your wonderful series. I don’t remember much of Patrick Troughtons doctor but I definitely want to see more if possible. I agree about the older cybermen - extremely scary. Very interesting about the plague of diazepam too. I’m a nurse and there are still many elderly ladies who’ve been on it for over 50 years. It would be impossible for them to stop and really not their fault. Still a popular drug of choice for the masses.
i love the way you show the bio of the actors - so interesting. Troughton was - umm - quite handsome. can i go back then and work with him? :}
Tomb of the Cyberman scared the absolute shit out of me when I was a kid, first saw a clip during Dr Who night on BBC 2, must’ve been late 90s early 00s. The voice terrified me 😂
The BBC should be giving you money to put this on television this shit is so amazing. Great work.
Evil Steve Jobs is great :)
Jamie is definetively one of the best classic companions
Troughton is great, a kind of fun dotty uncle , I find him so mesmerising when hes on screen and he made Dr Who fun
He's certainly one of my favourites!
As a fan of classic Dr. Who, Patrick Troughton is my second most loved doctor. With Jamie (from the past) and Zoe (from the future) as companions you never knew what was going to happen next. In one scene the doctor is running for his life and in the next scene, the doctor is saving the day by using his understanding of science.
transitengineer I think series 11 just fails at what the 60’s succeeded at.
Are you talking about the current season with the first female doctor who?
I'd love it, if you would read some of these novelization as an audio video. You have a great voice for reading. I'd be a regular watcher.
Thanks so much! I have done a bit of this already - check out my Matrix audiobook. Hope you enjoy!
What I find scariest about the Mondasian, and why I think they are the creepiest iteration of the Metal Monsters from Mondas, is, in some scenes, you can quite clearly see their eyes behind the dark felts on the mask, something I find incredibly creepy, as it is a constant reminder of their origins.
Another reminder of that is that you can see their bare hands
I had the Tomb of the Cybermen on audio tape, with Jon Pertwee narrating the bits of it. Have to admit it was way creepier then the visuals. Still a great story though
7:51
"There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things, things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought"
Thank you. I avoid some eras of classic (often out of some stubborn sensibilities). But the inclusion of that moving line of heroic conviction and its electric delivery was the kick up the backside I needed.
Using the sonic screwdriver to unscrew something? How utterly bizzare!
the Cybermen ... the original Borg ... just shows how innovative this show was in its day, Kirby wires, low budget and all. Wonderful.