(Review of the first three "Doctor Who" stories, broadcast 1963-4, which I posted in a different form on Amazon. I find that the new series has only made me far more defensive of its classic predecessor ...)
Doctor Who - The Beginning (An Unearthly Child [1963] / The Daleks [1963] / The Edge of Destruction [1964]) [DVD]The detailed production commentaries and special features on these discs offer an insightful perspective on both the advances and the challenges of making this series, in an age not so far from the time when drama and even science fiction (such as the "Quatermass" serials) was basically filmed theatre. The old series of "Doctor Who", so often cited in later years as a byword for poor quality special effects (largely due to the sudden advent of "Star Wars" and Hollywood's sudden rediscovery of science fiction), is here shown by the producers, directors, designers, and actors involved in its earliest serials to have been a pioneering show, fighting studio-bound limitations and achieving techniques of camerawork, modelwork, electronic effects and set design that moved far beyond the stagy confines of most 1950s TV drama.
That being said, a theme that runs through the commentaries is the expectations that the producers had in those days, that the audience would allow their imaginations to participate in the creation of the fantasy world, without being spoon-fed big-budget special effects and huge, flawlessly convincing sets. In lieu of these, the need for intelligent and thought-provoking scripts (as in the "Quatermass" serials) is strongly emphasised.
Watching the serials afresh, with an open mind, both the thoughtfulness of the writing and the ambition of the technical production shines through. In spite of the sparse, small-scale productions, the occasional filmed insert, dramatic lighting effect, split-screen effect, or innovative edit (especially the scenes of entering and leaving the TARDIS - much more dramatically realised than they would be later in the show) still has the capacity to impress. The second story in particular - "The Daleks" - is much more visually ambitious and effective than the later Peter Cushing film version, not to mention more interestingly written.
It becomes apparent, especially through the production commentaries, that "Doctor Who" never really got the credit it deserved for its production values, with only the unsuccessful special effects being remembered, while the successful ones could, even in these early years, be so seamless as to escape notice altogether. An especially notable one is in episode 4 of "The Daleks", in which the characters and the Daleks make extensive use of a lift. On the face of it, not a visually overwhelming scene, until you realise that the BBC could not possibly have installed a functioning futuristic life in the (tiny, cramped, and obsolete) Lime Grove studio. Instead, the lift shots are achieved by tilting the camera upon the characters in the "lift" to simulate upward motion, and superimposing them into a black-screened "lift shaft" (an empty space). The same effect is used throughout the serial to combine miniatures and actors, creating the impression of epic-scale exteriors, alien cities, giant whirlpools, tunnels, and a melting wall. Contrary to its cheap and cheerful reputation, one gets the impression that there were few science fiction concepts that the first "Doctor Who" production crew did not feel up to tackling (although they did, apparently, balk at Terry Nation's ambition to include an incongruous Tolkien-esque attack by giant spiders. If ever a screenwriter needed an editor ...).
The characterisation throughout these serials is strong and unsentimental, with conflicts between the main characters that would become a rarity in later seasons of the show, and with even the Daleks coming across as well-realised characters (That aspect would phase out more or less entirely). The grittiness and violence of these early stories is also surprising, and seemingly a testimony that children in the early sixties were considered to have both strong minds and strong stomachs. That being said, appropriateness was obviously a concern, as an anecdote on the DVD commentary about a certain head-squashing scene in "An Unearthly Child" demonstrates ...
Though obviously of most interest to "Doctor Who" fans, these stories are also recommended for anyone with an interest in television history, as it bridges a gap between the live drama style of the 1950s and the more cinematic, polished TV productions of later years. Old "Doctor Who" still retains some of the immediacy of live theatre (as there was little scope for retakes, even though it was not broadcast live), yet demonstrates the ambition to push the still-recent medium of television in new directions, making it a very unique and involving viewing experience.
It also offers interesting, and somewhat disheartening insights into the media's changing attitude to audience intelligence. Conceived as a children's programme, the creators of the show reflect on their approach to this genre. Like C S Lewis, they aimed instead to create imaginative stories that would appeal to children, yet not talk down to them or sentimentalise. I have often wished the new series of "Doctor Who" would follow that example more often ...
