TV #1: An Unearthly Child

TARDIS crew; 

• First Doctor

• Susan

• Ian

• Barbara 

Notable Characters; 

• Za- Son of the fire maker and leader of the primitive tribe 

• Kal- Claims he has rights to be leader 

• Hur- Mate of Za

Detailed Plot;

An Unearthly Child

Now this part was pretty much the same as The Pilot Episode so the blogging will, for the most part, just be that of my first TV review. However, there will be some alterations where there was a difference between the two episodes intended to be the same. 

The opening credits hit and for 1963 they certainly were impressive. The theme is instantly recognisable and always gives me goosebumps! Unlike The Pilot Episode, there was no loud bang and the theme was the famous '60s version I love. As the credits come to a close, Doctor Who begins with a policeman on patrol. He enters a junkyard and casually strolls along on his patrol. The theme music is still playing as the policeman comes across a police box, but immediately, the box seems something more. It immediately had that feel. 

Taken from the junkyard to inside Coal Hill School, two teachers are talking together about a mysterious fifteen year old girl. Susan Foreman. She's claimed to be a genius. The teachers were Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright. Ian was a science teacher and Barbara a history teacher. I think it was a brilliant move to have these two teachers, soon to be the first companions, as people specialising in two key areas of Doctor Who itself. For the early audience, if an adventure was in the future or on a more advanced planet then Ian could try to explain things, whereas with Barbara, if the venture is in the past she would have great knowledge and explain to the viewer also. A great move and it would certainly help the early audience in the introduction of the show. 

Susan, without seeing her yet, was immediately depicted as a mysterious girl. Upon the suggestion of Barbara in specialising in history, Susan said it would be absolutely impossible to work at home. She claimed her grandfather, supposedly a Doctor, didn't like strangers. But there seemed something more to it than that. Her address was 76 Totters Lane, but recently the girl genius' homework was of bad quality. Barbara was intrigued by Susan and the fact she couldn't work at home, so much so that she tried to pay Susan's grandfather a visit. But the address given was an old junkyard. This mysterious girl became more mysterious. 

Ian and Barbara, extremely uncharacteristically of teachers, planned on spying on their pupil! They were curious. Susan was introduced and she was seen enjoying music being played. She was alone in a classroom and Barbara had given her a book on the French Revolution to borrow. Ian offered Susan a lift home but she again shied away from any reference to where she lived. She would walk. As the teachers left, the mysterious girl opened the French Revolution book she had borrowed from her history teacher and claimed something she'd read was wrong. She knew perfectly of the past. In this episode, there was no hexagonal drawing as seen in the previous. 

Barbara and Ian were in a car, waiting secretively outside the junkyard entrance. They'd made no mistake- 76 Totters Lane. They were again talking of Susan and made reference to her not knowing simple facts of 1963 with her not knowing how many shillings were in a pound, she figured they were on the decimal system. But that was yet to come, she somehow knew of the future! 

More references to past events occurred and Susan was seen mocking chemistry experiments, as if they were child's play to her. She also believed it was impossible to work anything out without using five dimensions; adding space and time to the three we're already familiar with. Susan was brilliantly mysterious. 

Susan now arrived at the gate, she looked around hoping she was unseen, and didn't notice her two school teachers. She went into the junkyard. In hindsight, Barbara being afraid of entering the junkyard claiming she thought she and Ian were about to 'interfere in something best left alone' was fantastic. The teachers had no idea what they were about to do. 

Upon entering the junkyard there was no sight of Susan. Ian noticed the police box, felt it, and excellently claimed it was alive! More intrigue. He walked around its entity and confirmed it wasn't connected to anything. Coughing was heard and Ian and Barbara quietly hid away. The apparent owner of the box was introduced, Susan's grandfather? The teachers interrogated the man, thinking he had Susan trapped inside the police box. The elderly man (who we all know as the Doctor but yet to be named officially) was insulted at the suspicions and accusations thrown against him. Differently (and better off) to The Pilot Episode, the Doctor's dialogue was changed and he was presented as much less stubborn and more humorous.The schoolteachers planned on getting a policeman, but the Doctor wasn't worried. He thought their story of spying on a pupil was pretty humorous himself. 

To the Doctor's annoyance, Susan opened the police box door and called for her grandfather. The Doctor was worried and demanded the door be shut but Barbara quickly entered and the reaction was astounding! It was bigger on the inside! The camera showed the interior and it was quite impressive. Susan was at the console, it was a ship. Ian was confused at the bigger on the inside, Susan revealed the name of the ship. The TARDIS. Time and relative dimensions in space. Excellent. The TARDIS had different dimensions inside to what it had outside, and it could travel anywhere in time and space. A programme in the 1960s with a limited budget trying to pull off something like this was a brave decision, but one of true brilliance and genius that is the foundation of a fifty year history. Truly spectacular. 

The Doctor and Susan reveal they are not of Earth, not human, but that they are cut off from their own planet and people. A civilisation much more advanced than Earth. Ian and Barbara rejected what they couldn't believe. Susan claimed she was born in a different time but Ian didn't believe her despite that he could see that she was adamant. 

The schoolteachers wanted to leave, but the Doctor wouldn't let them out. He laughed and as Ian attempted to open the doors the Doctor caused an electrical shock off of the console. The Doctor didn't want the idea of the TARDIS being present in the 20th century, it could affect history too much. The Doctor revealed how one day, he and his granddaughter intended on returning home, he was almost inviting the viewer to come on an adventure, asking the schoolteachers have they ever thought of being 'wonderers in the fourth dimension, to be exiles.' The Doctor planned on leaving, but Susan showed her love for the 20th century and claimed she was prepared to leave her grandfather and the TARDIS in order to stay. The Doctor claimed he would open the doors, but instead, caused the first materialisation of the TARDIS to be heard. Take off. The TARDIS was travelling, and they'd arrived somewhere. The teachers were passed out, and the lonesome police box had arrived on a deserted, desert like planet... And a shadow approached the TARDIS. A great cliffhanger! 

The Cave of Skulls

The second part of the first ever Doctor Who story and it was completely different from the first, but it worked magnificently! It begins with the man behind the shadow at the cliffhanger of An Unearthly Child being revealed. He seemed to be a caveman of sorts and took immediate interest in the TARDIS. The focus was shifted and the camera beautifully spanned over a tribe community. The apparent leader, Za, was seen trying to major fire. It seemed the TARDIS had landed on Earth, but at some point in ancient history, during the extremely primitive stages of humanity. 

An elderly women of the tribe knew of Za's father having made fire. Za was struggling though. I loved the referral to ash as 'dead fire' and he tried using that to help ignite. The tribe seemed to have lost hope in Za, and talked of plans for a new leader. The man who brings them meat and prevents their hunger. Kal. This man they wanted to be their leader, or so they thought they did, was the caveman staring at the TARDIS. 

For the first time since landing the viewer is taken inside the TARDIS. Barbara and Ian, affected from the journey, awake. The Doctor and Susan act natural and are analysing where they have landed. The Doctor claimed how the year calculator wasn't working, it was stuck on 0. So either it was the year of Jesus' birth (supposedly, don't get me started on religion!), or the TARDIS didn't comprehend years before 0, in B.C. 

The travellers could see outside on the scanner, a vast landscape. Ian questioned the name of the Doctor, as did Barbara referring to him as Doctor Foreman, but the Doctor himself was confused by this and questioned 'Doctor Who?' Brilliant. Ian was still in disbelief at what the TARDIS could do. He simply couldn't believe they'd gone back in time. He wanted concrete evidence. The Doctor wouldn't allow them to leave the ship, not just yet. He wouldn't open the TARDIS doors until all was checked to be safe. Ian still seemed to ridicule the fact of the possibility of going back in time. 

The Doctor was confident all was safe, and the doors were opened. The Doctor was curious as to where they were and planned on collecting samples to analyse. Barbara now believed everything, there was more than enough evidence. The first adventure was about to embark, and as the crew left the ship Ian was still confused. 

In a fantastic reference, the Doctor seemed annoyed at the TARDIS still being a police box. He expected it to change. With the Doctor having wondered off from Ian, Barbara and Susan to gather some samples, Kal was sneaking up on the Doctor. 

Ian though was admiring the landscape and the belief was now sinking in of what the TARDIS was capable of. Susan followed the Doctor in referring to the TARDIS' unchanged appearance. Barbara admired the quality the TARDIS supposedly had of disguising itself wherever it went. Ian still wanted the capabilities of the TARDIS explained, and suggested that if they knew the name of the Doctor that it might give them a clue as to what was happening. 

The Doctor was attacked by Kal, and his things were left behind. The rest of the TARDIS crew heard the attack and Susan was desperately worried. It seemed to them an abrupt departure and Ian suggested the obvious. He'd been taken. This seemed confirmed to them when Susan found her grandfather's notebook, something he valued very much. Within were notes of all the adventures and places he and Susan had visited and codes for the machines within the TARDIS. With the Doctor gone, the temperature was drastically decreasing. The sand was nearly freezing. An added spice of danger. 

Back at the tribe and it was claimed how Orb, worshipped like a God but in actual fact seemed to mean the Sun, knew the secret of making fire. The tribe gathered as Kal brought before them the Doctor, unconscious. Kal explained how the Doctor could make fire, and as they previously talked of him replacing Za as leader, they believed him. Kal believed that Orb had sent the Doctor to him. He referred to the TARDIS as a 'tree' which was great. They claimed how the 'cold' was coming, referencing winter I gathered. They needed fire not only for warmth, but for survival. Za, unable to make fire, planned on an alternative method of keeping warm. He claimed he would kill bears and use their skin as a coat equivalent. 

The Doctor began to awake, and it seemed the tribe were convinced Kal was right as their leader. But Za wasn't backing down, it seemed there was an ancient power struggle that the TARDIS had stumbled into. But one of the tribesmen stood up to the pair both claiming leadership, and admitted there was truth in them both. 

The Doctor, seemingly in an attempt to protesf himself, said he could give the tribe fire. Za was annoyed at this, he wanted to be the one who brought them fire. He didn't want to be a failure and have some stranger do his work. However, it seemed the Doctor couldn't bring fire, his matches were lost, seemingly when Kal attacked him. He needed to return to the TARDIS to bring them fire. Kal believed that it was true, however the current tribe leader Za did not. He used the Doctor's inability to make fire against Kal and made a mockery of him, claiming him a hypocrite for not bringing the fire. The tribe laughed at the failures of Kal and seemed to want Za to remain as their leader. He was the son of the fire maker after all. 

Kal was angered, specifically at the Doctor, and seemed intent on killing him. But the TARDIS crew sprung into the scene and saved the Doctor. A mini brawl ensued and the Doctor quickly saved Ian from death, using the possibility of fire against the primitive tribe. The Doctor needed to keep those familiar to him alive, a sign of a change. The Doctor was becoming fond of his companions. Kal seemed to briefly admire Barbara, but the TARDIS crew were to be taken to the cave of skulls, where they'd be prisoners. Za seemingly took on the daughter of a tribesmen as his 'mate', to the reluctance of the man himself. 

The elderly women seemed to be making a prophecy, she was soaked with mystery from the get go. It seemed she was revealing not all that she knew. She predicted how fire would kill all, and when they had the chance they should've killed the strangers in strange skins. But Za explained how they would 'wait for Orb to shine again,' and that's when they would kill the four travellers. The TARDIS crew were cuffed up and trapped in the cave, within were many skulls... and they'd been split! A frightening cliffhanger! Was that in store for the TARDIS crew? We'd soon find out. 

The Forest of Fear 

After a frightening insight as to what could happen to the TARDIS crew at the climax of The Cave of Skulls, I thought this part was really good and leads in brilliantly to the final part. With no real resolution needed for the actual cliffhanger, it begins with the primitive tribe asleep, but the old women soon awakes. 

Within the Cave of Skulls, the TARDIS crew are having no luck in trying to uncuff themselves. They did though realise that they may be able to escape as they realised that air was coming from somewhere so there must be an opening. Ian fantastically proclaimed how 'any hope is better than no hope.' 

The old women was now sneakily moving her way around the area, stealing the knife of Za as he slept. The TARDIS crew had decided that their best means of escape was to work together in freeing Ian, as he was the strongest. They may need him for defence. The Doctor was helping Barbara through the tough time, the first act of compassion it seemed, 'Fear makes companions of all of us.' The Doctor now was living on hope, and his luck was soon to change it seemed as the old women entered the Cave of Skulls through a secret passageway. She'd used the knife to break her way in, and now she wanted the TARDIS crew to leave to prevent fire from being present within the tribe. Or did she have another use for the knife? 

Hur, Za's mate (not the kind we'd associate the word with nowadays), had seen the old women awake and take the knife. She woke Za, and the pair could hear the old women talking to the TARDIS crew within the cave through the great stone which kept the entrance blocked. She was offering the travellers a bargain- no fire and they'd be freed to leave. The crew obviously obliged and escaped through the secret entrance. 

Za however had moved the great stone and entered the cage just as the old women was about to leave. He caught her and seemed to attack her. She was injured, and close to death it seemed. The TARDIS crew meanwhile, were scampering their way through a forest making their way back to the TARDIS. However, the Doctor needed to rest for a few moments so they came to a hault. Ian seemed pretty confident that they were on the right track, but Barbara was petrified. As the episode title suggests, the forest was certainly fearful! There was something in the bushes. Ian comforted the frightened Barbara. 

The Doctor refused to be frightened by what he couldn't see and this caused a brief argument between he and Ian. They were bickering about being safe before Ian came up with the plan for their route to escape. But they needed to be quick as Za and Hur were on their trail. Barbara fell as the four travellers were leaving and she screamed. She was petrified once more as she saw a dead creature in front of her landing. Za heard the screams and knew they were close by to the people they thought could give them fire. The TARDIS needed to leave before the tribe members, close behind, would catch them. The crew were aware of their presence and hid in the midsts of the forest. 

While they were in hiding, Za was brutally attacked by a creature, presumably a bear. Barbara was horrified at the sight and showed her human compassion in coming out of hiding and trying to tend to the wounded primitive human. Susan, albeit not human, followed, showing her compassion. Ian as well now helped but the Doctor was reluctant and was eager to leave. I think his three companions here certainly had an influence on what he was to become in the future. Za was hurting, and his wounds were visible. They seemed bad! The Doctor, when asked to help, described how he wasn't a doctor of medicine and further showed his desire to leave. He claimed they were too exposed, which made sense to Ian, and more tribe members could follow for them. The tribe were primitive and their mind's changed awfully quickly. 

Kal entered the Cave of Skulls and was talking to the old women, on the brink of death. She told him of the TARDIS crew's escape and Za's chasing. Kal believed Za wanted from them the secret of fire. He heartlessly killed the old women in the belief that she had helped Za. 

Back in the forest and the crew continued to tend to Za, Hur didn't understand why though which was a wonderful portrayal of primitive humans and the time of which the story was set. She didn't have a concept of kindness or friendship. Za believed his tenderers. They hadn't killed him so he seemed to trust the travellers. A stretcher was made by Ian, Barbara and Susan as the Doctor still continued to observe. Susan claimed he didn't like it when he didn't get his way. 

Kal was now spewing propaganda to the ftribe, now awake. He united them in a plan to bring back Za and the TARDIS crew. He wanted them to follow him in the search for fire. The old women had now died, and Kal used this against Za claiming how it was Za and Hur who were freeing the time travellers, but the old women saw them and he killed her. A clever cover up and perfectly used for his advantage. He'd now got the support of the tribe, he took the lead. 

The TARDIS crew had now completed their stretcher and were carrying Za towards the TARDIS for the antiseptic. They found the end of the forest and the TARDIS was in sight. But the tribe were one step ahead, and came from out of hiding to block the path. There was no way through and they'd been caught. A fantastic cliffhanger! 

The Firemaker

A fantastic concluding part to the first ever Doctor Who story! After the magnificent cliffhanger of The Forest of Fear, I was really looking forward to this and it didn't really disappoint. It begins as the last part ended and the tribe came out of hiding and blocked the TARDIS crew's path to their ship. They placed down the stretcher with Za on and he was seemingly recovering. Hur talked of the old women, before she found out that she had been killed. Kal, the actual murderer, blamed the murder on Za. But the Doctor cleverly pointed out that there was no blood on the knife of Za, and he also brilliantly tricked Kal into showing the tribe his knife. It was covered in blood. Kal admitted the killing, he couldn't really deny it could he? 

The Doctor seemed to have a plan. He told Ian to follow his lead and the tribe soon joined as they turned against Kal. Stones were thrown and he flung to the forest depths. It was a success, Kal had been driven out. However, Za showed no gratitude or thanks towards the TARDIS crew for helping him heal, and rewarded them with a return to imprisonment in the Cave of Skulls. Za was back to himself, and back as the leader. He didn't care about the TARDIS crew, he just wanted the secret of fire out of them. 

Hur described the events in the forest from the last part to Za and she fantastically thought Ian's name was 'friend.' I liked that. Za thought the travellers were simply another tribe, but he was demanding the secret of fire from them. If he didn't get it, he threatened death. Inside the cave, Ian started an attempt to make fire along with the help of the other three travellers. 

While in the middle of creating the fire, Za planned on talking to the TARDIS crew inside the cave. He saw their attempts and was interested. He didn't seem to understand how the fire maker wasn't the leader of their 'tribe,' and that the Doctor was. The other tribe members thought that the travellers, or 'tribe' as they were referred to, were from Orb. And they believed that if the travellers were killed on the death stone for Orb, that fire would welcome their death. 

Ian had succeeded in making fire. The tribe outside the cave seemed to have made plans to turn against Za and submit the travellers to Orb. Hur luckily took up some time defending her mate, and managed to distract the tribe. Kal returned and took advantage of the situation and entered the Cave of Skulls. He saw the fire, but was more interested in attacking Za. A brawl ensued as the TARDIS crew reluctantly watched on. It wasn't pleasant, and Za came out on top after crushing the head of Kal with a large rock. It was horrifying for the travellers to witness. 

Hur couldn't defend any longer and the tribe had had enough. They were about to enter the cave for the death of the travellers in return for fire, something of course they wouldn't get. But Za brought them fire! They were astounded. He took his place as leader. An ancient uprising had occurred, it was almost like a revolution. 

Za though intended on keeping the TARDIS crew captive and he planned on going to get them meet. He wasn't grateful for their fire now as well as them tending to his wounds. The time travellers were given food and water, but they ignored Za and just wanted to leave. They were exhausted and were sick of this time period. Za planned on the two 'tribes' uniting as one. 

The Doctor now devised a plan. He wanted to somehow scare the fire out of them. Susan excellent placed a skull on an ignored large stick. It looked evil, it looked dead. The travellers planned on faking their own death! Brilliant! Hur entered the cave and she saw four burning skulls, she was petrified. The crew were hiding near the secret passageway, and managed to escape as the rest of the tribe were frightened by the burning skulls. 

The TARDIS crew were desperate to get to safety and were running through the fearful forest. Za worked out the plan the time travellers had devised and order the tribe be after them! A chase was on and the tribe were quickly close behind the four travellers. The crew just about entered the safety of the TARDIS and the Doctor quickly set off and the materialisation occurred. The tribe watched as the mysterious 'tree' disappeared before their eyes. They were shocked. 

Inside the TARDIS and Ian and Barbara wanted to be taken back home, to 1963. But the Doctor revealed that wasn't possible. He didn't know how to really determine the navigation to arrive at an intended destination it seemed. Something to do with Clara? 

The TARDIS had landed elsewhere, and the scanner showed what seemed like an alien forest. The Doctor intended on exploring, but the four travellers needed a clean up first. Susan read that the radiation read normal, but as she looked away, the meter soon entered the danger zone. They were going to expose themselves to radiation as soon as they left the TARDIS! A good cliffhanger to lead into the next serial. 

My analysis; 

For the first ever Doctor Who story, this really is brilliant. The first part is much different from the three that follow, and that's completely understandable with it introducing the main characters of the programme. But then you have a three part adventure in the B.C time period, with humans at their primitive stage with no sense of technology, civilisation or even kindness. They just want survival. With the TARDIS crew interrupting this period I love it! The Doctor soon blossoms as a loving character and when trapped in the cave his compassion and safety for those who he's kind of stowed away prevails. The setting and plot were both excellent and portrayed the primitive period brilliantly. For the first ever story, this is a gem. It's the foundation of all episodes that would follow, it was great! 

My rating; 9/10- a fantastic opening story and although I really liked the plot, it wasn't quite worth full marks and Za seemed to recover a little too quickly after his brutal attack. But nonetheless, this was special.