(TV Review) Doctor Who (1964 -1978)

I have talked about Doctor Who on here in the past, so I wont take too much time explaining who he is. Basically, he is the last of his race (Time Lord) and bounces around in time and space looking for adventures. He frequently picks up passengers along the way in an attempt to show a select few the wonders of space and time. These lucky few are known as companions.

I have seen classic episodes before, but never really paid much attention to them. My love for Doctor Who came in 2005 when they restarted the franchise. So, in an effort to see the roots of one of my favorite fictional characters I decided to go back and watch some of the earliest work that  I could find.

The Aztecs(1964) , Spearhead from Space (1970), The Three Doctors (1973), The Ark in Space (1975), Pyramids of Mars (1975) and  The Pirate Planet (1978). While there are things that I absolutely hated about all of these movies (they are all multiple episodes compiled into one single movie), there are also traits that I have seen show up in the most recent incarnations of The Doctor.

There are two things that I felt were lacking the most. one thing was the overall finished products was so "cheap". I know, this show was always done on a thin budget, but that doesn't excuse them using green bubble wrap as the infection in The Ark in Space. Seriously. Green bubble wrap.

That is really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my #1. Props move around, fighting scenes are boring and poorly executed, and, I kid you not, The Doctor spends the entire time he is on screen in The Ark in Space with a mouth covered in fever blisters. That is disgusting.

The second thing that is lacking is the charisma that is so easily found in the actors that play the characters in "New Who". David Tennant (the 10th Doctor) being the most charismatic out of the most recent doctors is the type of energy and acting that I have come to expect from The Doctor. The actors from Classic Who were mostly old men. Even more discouraging, they were all jerks. Talking down all the time to their companions. Just not as likable or dynamic as the actors playing the part since 2005. Jon Pertwee (the 3rd Doctor) is my favorite of the Classic Doctors so far.

For the good....it's still Doctor Who. For all the complaints and all of the things that I didn't like about the older episodes, it is still better than most classic TV. The character is still recognizable and heroic...just different. I will keep watching them as I find them because it is interesting to see where one of my favorite characters came from, but I will take the New Who episodes over Classic Who any day of the week.