Television - Doctor Who – Episode Guide Season 1 (1963 – 1964)
Television - Doctor Who – Episode Guide Season 1 (1963 – 1964)
Doctor Who is one of the longest running British Television Shows and in this article I am going to explore the episodes from Season 1.
Title: Doctor Who Season 1
Dates: 1963 – 1964
Number of Serials: 8
Total Number of Episodes: 42
Doctor Regeneration: The First Doctor
Doctor Actor: William Hartnell.
001: An Unearthly Child (4 Episodes)
The very first doctor who serial starts by introducing the Doctor and his Granddaughter Susan. Two School teachers concerned with Susan’s development go to visit her grandfather and discover the fact that they are aliens. They end up in the Tardis, and they travel back to 100,000BC. They get taken prisoner by a Stone Age Tribe and eventually escape. Before returning to the Tardis they are recaptured but with Ian’s fire making knowledge they command respect. They eventually escape again and return to the Tardis safely to journey on through Time and Space.
002: The Daleks (7 Episodes)
This is the second ever serial of Doctor Who and introduces the Doctor's arch enemy: The Daleks. The Tardis lands in a jungle by accident and the Tardis's crew start to explore a local city. The crew gets separated and Barbara is threatened by a Dalek. The Dalek forces her to go to the Tardis to collect drugs the Daleks need but meets a rival species, the Thals on the way. She attempts to broker peace, but the Daleks betray their word against the Thals. The doctor and his companions escape with the Thals and learn the history of their planet, Skaro. The doctor teaches the Thals about warfare and aggression and leads the Thals into a victorious war over the Daleks. The Daleks are believed to be destroyed at the end of the serial.
003: The Edge of Destruction (2 Episodes)
A problem with the Tardis's circuits cause a small explosion which renders all the Time travellers unconscious. Ian and Susan awake with amnesia and everyone acts strangely and start to accuse each other of sabotage. The Doctor returns to 1963 and attempts to drug Barbara and Ian so he can fix the problem undisturbed. It becomes clear the Tardis is causing the events to warn them something is wrong. The Doctor identifies the problem is a broken spring in the Fast Return Switch. After fixing everything returns to normal and the Doctor apologizes for accusing Barbara and Ian for sabotage.
004: Marco Polo (7 Episodes)
The Tardis lands in the Himalayas in 1289 and is heavily damaged. They are picked up by Marco Polo and his caravan who are heading to see the Emperor Kublai Khan. The Machinations of Tegana attempt to sabotage the caravan as it travels across the Gobi Desert so they can kill the Emperor. The Doctor stops them and then attempts to negotiate the release of his Tardis which is being held by Marco Polo. The doctor manages to have a successful day and the travellers leave in the Tardis.
005: The Keys of Marinus (6 Episodes)
On the planet of Marinus stands a tower which holds inside a supercomputer that acts as a justice machine. Yartek, the leader of the alien Voord figured out how to resist the Justice computer and the Doctor is asked to help stop him as Marinus is in danger. The machine has been upgraded but five keys are needed to regulate it. The doctor and his companions travel around the island using transport devises to search for the keys. Yartek has taken control of the tower whilst they were searching and the Doctor has to explode the computer so they can escape. Yartek is killed in the process.
006: The Aztecs (4 Episodes)
The Tardis lands in 15th century Mexico and materializes in a tomb. Barbara is mistaken for a reincarnation of a high priest and attempts to change the course of history by banning human sacrifice. Tiotoxi believes she is not who she says she is and attempts to kill her and the other travellers. The Doctor accidentally gets engaged to an Aztec woman and Ian ends up killing a local to ensure their safe escape. They leave without changing history but help them find a better belief system.
007: The Sensorites (6 Episodes)
The Tardis lands on a spaceship where most of the crew are dead. The two that are alive explain they are from earth and on a mission orbiting the Sense-Sphere. The planet's inhabitants won't let the ship leave orbit and attempt to kill all occupants. They work out the Sensorites are acting hostile as they think the humans are there to steal a mineral. The Doctor ends up bargaining with them and attempts to help the Sensorites with a disease problem they have in exchange for their escape. It turns out the monsters poisoning the Sensorites were from a previous earth mission and the Doctor manages to plead their escape after resolving the situation.
008: The Reign of Terror (6 Episodes)
The Tardis lands in 18th century France and they stumble across a farmhouse that is being used as a post for counter revolutionaries. They are taken hostage and are sent to Paris to suffer the guillotine. The Doctor is kept in the farmhouse and eventually escapes and makes his way to Paris and attempts to release the others through negotiation. They manage to escape to the Tardis to travel on through time and space.
