The scruffy old hobo himself. Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor is really the birth of the Doctor as we know him today. Full of charisma, comedy and charm, Patrick Troughton really changed who the Doctor was. No longer an old man in authority, the Doctor would now be involved in action, running and getting himself into a lot of trouble! But somehow, it was obvious that this was still the same man. The Doctor.
The Troughton era, largely affected by missing serials, is magnificent! It begins with the third serial of season four, The Power of the Daleks. Arguably the most sought after missing serial there is, or at least the first episode. What a major shock this story must have been to the viewer back in 1966. The man they know as the Doctor, who's been on their TV screens for 3 years battling Daleks, Zarbi and super computers, has now completely changed. New appearance, new clothes, new personality. But still the Doctor, still the owner of the TARDIS travelling with Ben and Polly. This serial I've never listened to the surviving audio of, but man I cannot wait to get there in my blogging of TV stories! The viewer may have been expecting a triumphant return from William Hartnell in the last part of this serial but when it didn't come, Patrick Troughton's journey as the Time Lord had begun.
Troughton's second serial sees the introduction of a new companion in Jamie, whom would remain with Trougton until his regeneration. The Highlanders is again sadly missing and one story I'd love to see! Jamie is a marvellous companion so I'd love to witness his introduction.
The Underwater Menace is a story I've only seen the third part of but I loved it! I'm awaiting the release of the recently discovered second part and someday I hope the serial is found in its entity!
The season continues to be tragically disrupted by missing episodes and The Moonbase (of what remains) is an excellent return for the Cybermen and their motionless, blank new look is terrifying. I'm so glad this serial is getting the animation treatment and I look very much forward to its release. The season continues and the Doctor meets a villain he'd meet another 8 bodies later in The Macra Terror, a serial sadly completing missing.
The penultimate serial of the fourth season sees the departure of one of my all time favourite companions in Polly, who leaves the TARDIS on the very same day she joined it in The War Machines. The Doctor is saddened to see her leave along with Ben and the early parts that remain of The Faceless Ones are very good and I'd love it to be found!
The fourth season of Doctor Who ends in style but sadly we only get to see one seventh of the epic that is The Evil of the Daleks. Widely regarded as one of the best Doctor Who has to offer, the story sees the introduction of the Dalek Emperor, new companion Victoria (who I loved) and an infamous final ending of the Daleks themselves. They weren't seen again for another 5 years. After Troughton's introductory serial, this is the story I want found the most!
Victoria's first venture in the TARDIS kicks off season 5 and after encountering the Daleks in the last story, this time the TARDIS crew have a battle with the Cybermen! Not a bad beginning for Victoria. The Tomb of the Cybermen is an infamous story and the cliffhanger (you know the one) is regarded as the best in Doctor Who. It is an iconic scene and the serial itself is just wonderful.
Three iconic villains are created in the next two serials as the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria battle the Great Intelligence and the Yeti in the mostly missing but brilliant The Abominable Snowmen, before encountering the exceptional Ice Warriors in the serial named after the Martians themselves. The Ice Warriors were at their very best during the Troughton era and have yet to be matched, but I'm looking forward to see how they do in audios.
The next two serials have made the news recently and as an amazing present for the 50th anniversary, both The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear have recently been found in their entity (excluding episode 3 of the latter) and I really can't wait to see two new Troughton stories!
Fury from the Deep is a serial I don't know too much about sadly due it being entirely missing, but it's one I really want to see recovered! It sees the departure of Victoria who I really liked and rather significantly sees the first appearance of the Sonic Screwdriver.
The Wheel in Space excellently concludes the fifth season with the introduction of genius companion Zoe and the return of the Cybermen! What remains is magnificent and I love how the Cybermen became to Troughton what the Daleks were to Hartnell.
Season six is where we as the viewer now get to see Troughton at his very best continuously as only one serial is affected by missing episodes. The Dominators is a very good serial to give Zoe her first adventure in time and space. The five part format was unique and it continued absolutely spectacular in The Mind Robber. A wonderfully fun, comedic and purely excellent serial!
The Cybermen soon reappear in The Invasion and it's a good serial despite the possibility of it dragging over 8 parts, the scenes of the Cybermen marching down the steps in London were wonderful. The fact that the two missing parts of this serial have been animated I consider to be marvellous as a serial is completed by it! It did though baffle me how after this iconic serial, the Cybermen didn't feature in the next season with the new Doctor, especially after seeing a cameo from them in The Mind of Evil.
Zoe is seen at her best in my opinion in The Krotons where her genius intelligence is excellently shown and she mocks the Doctor brilliantly.
The Seeds of Death is next up and sees the Ice Warriors return in tremendous fashion! I adored this serial and was wonderful, but now Troughton's time as the Doctor was nearing an end.
The Space Pirates wasn't the greatest of serials and what remained just didn't seem good at all, the serial bottom on my list of missing stories I want back! However, what came next was exceptional.
The War Games is my all time favourite serial of Doctor Who. It beats everything before and after it in all mediums. The plot was outstanding and perfectly paced over 10 amazing episodes. It sees the beginning of huge change in Doctor Who. The whole TARDIS crew depart and the Time Lords make their first appearance! The departures of Jamie and Zoe are saddening but excellent and it's so sad that the only memory of the Doctor they'll have is their first meeting. The Time Lords' trial of the Doctor is excellent and the forced regeneration is certainly a huge punishment for the Doctor rebelling the rules of the Time Lords in leaving Gallifrey in his last incarnation. The Troughton era came to an end with the best ever serial. You can't ask for more than that!
But The War Games wasn't the last time we saw Troughton play his Doctor. He returned brilliantly and humorously in The Three Doctors and bantered marvellously with the incarnation that followed him. The banter resumed in The Five Doctors also.
The Second Doctor's last adventure on our screens was some 17 years after his final episode in the excellent The Two Doctors where he met his sixth incarnation and the Sontarans!
I'm yet to read any novelised adventures with Patrick Troughton but the one audio I have listened to with the Second Doctor, Helicon Prime, was very good! Overall, Troughton was magnificent!
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