Brief Summary
This video serves as a primer on the classic Doctor Who series, designed primarily for fans of the new series. It offers a concise overview of the first seven Doctors, highlighting their key characteristics, notable companions, and significant introductions to the Doctor Who universe. The guide suggests specific episodes for each Doctor to help viewers decide which stories to explore further.
- Overview of the first seven Doctors
- Key characteristics, companions, and introductions for each Doctor
- Episode suggestions for each Doctor
The video introduces a series of almost 30 videos celebrating Doctor Who's 50th anniversary by exploring the classic series. It's designed as a prep for new Doctor Who fans to decide which classic stories to watch, with one short video per season. This video serves as a brief overview of classic Doctor Who. It also addresses the issue of missing episodes, noting that reconstructions with still images are used in place of lost footage.
The First Doctor is characterized as old and crotchety, lacking the moderating influence of humanity. He is portrayed as yelling, kidnapping people, and threatening others. His first companion was Susan, implied to be his granddaughter, though some theories suggest she was the granddaughter of the Other from Gallifrey's past. During his three-year tenure, the Doctor, the TARDIS, the Daleks, the Monk, the Cybermen, and regeneration were introduced. The episodes "An Unearthly Child," "The Aztecs," or "The Time Meddler" are recommended.
The Second Doctor was the first overtly comedic incarnation, acting like a big kid while concealing a sharp mind. He is a favorite of several later Doctors. He was eccentric and funny. Lasting three seasons, his era introduced Jamie, the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor's love of jelly babies, the Macra, the Great Intelligence, the Brigadier, UNIT, the Ice Warriors, and the Time Lords as a group. "The Mind Robber" and the last episode of "The War Games" are recommended.
The Third Doctor spent much of his time trapped on Earth, assisting UNIT with alien invasions. The show was retooled to include a larger recurring cast, a home base, and overarching plots. This Doctor was suave, energetic, and classically heroic, driving fast cars, knowing martial arts, and dressing in a distinctive style. Lasting five seasons, his era introduced the Autons, the Silurians, the Master, Sarah Jane Smith, the Sontarans, the name of Gallifrey, and the term regeneration. The episode "Inferno" is recommended, despite its poorly designed monsters.
The Fourth Doctor is the most famous incarnation. He was weird and the least human, hating authority and defying it whenever possible. His era can be divided into three phases: gothic horror sci-fi, comedy, and straight science fiction. Lasting seven seasons, his era introduced the Zygons and K9. "The Horror of Fang Rock" is recommended.
The Fifth Doctor was the first very human Doctor, young, gentle, and kindly. He was the first since the First Doctor to have a companion die, and his lack of celebration suggests indifference. He was unguarded and open, not pretending to be harmless. He later reappeared in "Time Crash." Lasting three seasons, his era destroyed the sonic screwdriver and featured the last pure historical story. "The Caves of Androzani" is recommended.
The Sixth Doctor was a reaction against the Fifth, attempting to recreate the First Doctor's persona. He was theatrical, melodramatic, blustery, arrogant, and fanatically devoted to doing good. His era was unsettled, with the show put on hiatus and the writing and production suffering. Lasting two seasons, his era introduced the Valeyard. "Revelation of the Daleks" or "Vengeance on Varos" are recommended from his television stories, while his Big Finish audio adventures are highly praised.
The Seventh Doctor started as a crappier rerun of the Second, short and not taken seriously, intended to be light-hearted. Later, with Cartmel, he became manipulative and constantly planning. He played chess with gods and rarely had to upend the board to win. He was the final Doctor of the classic series. Lasting three seasons, his era introduced the idea of a working-class companion from London. "The Curse of Fenric" and "Ghost Light" are recommended.
The Eighth Doctor is not included in the series because his movie is considered an island between classic and new Who. While he is sometimes placed in classic Who, he is not included here. His movie is a good starting point for those familiar with the new series, but it is not very good and often makes little sense.
Summarize any YouTube video in seconds
Get summaries like this one for any video, in your language, with the free Summ app.
Transcript
Full transcript of “A Quick Guide to Classic Who (Introduction)”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:16 traders of his do hi I decided to take a break from hating new whoo and instead concentrate on classic whoo I'm not gonna trash it well I will a bit instead I'm going to celebrate Doctor Who's 50th anniversary by doing almost 30 videos taking you through the classic series maybe I'm wrong about this but I get the feeling that most people who watch this will be new who fans so you could consider this
1:03 a prep on the subject of classic Doctor Who that you can use to decide which stories if any you'd like to watch I'll be doing one short video a season between 5 and 10 minutes long giving some info and the stories in that season what noteworthy things happened and it's basically anything I feel like this video will be an even more brief prep on the subject of classic Doctor Who so if you only watch one of these videos make it this one good work for watching and if you watch the others please remember that almost 100 episodes of the first six seasons of the show were missing so if instead of footage you see a series of still images don't worry you're not going mad and your Nets probably not broken that's just a reconstruction the first doctor was old and is usually characterized as crotchety he wasn't particularly warm he's basically the
1:48 doctor without the moderating influence of humanity yelling kidnapping people trying to bludgeoned cavemen to death threatened to strand people and short he's much better than the 10th doctor his first companion was Susan who appears to be his granddaughter though I subscribe to the theory that she was from Gallifrey past and was the granddaughter of the other a mythological Time Lord figure who the doctor is a reincarnation of I'll try not to go into any more detail about that he lasted for three years and his IRRI introduced the doctor obviously the TARDIS the Daleks the first antagonistic renegade Time Lord the monk the Cyberman and regeneration that they didn't call it that for about another 10 years if you want to see one or two of his stories I'd suggest the first episode of unearthly child and either the Aztecs or the time meddler they're
2:35 my personal favorites the second doctor was the first to be overtly comedic he was a funny little man totally unthreatening and acting more like a big kid but at the same time using all that to hide in mind like a steel trap he's mine Peter Davison Colin Baker and Matt Smith's favorite doctor and honestly characterization wise most of the doctors that followed to the second doctor than they do to the first he was the first truly eccentric and funny doctor he lasted for three seasons antisera introduced my favorite companion Jamie the sonic screwdriver the doctors love of jelly babies the Macra the great intelligence the brigadier unit the Ice Warriors and the Time Lords themselves as a group if you only want to see one or two of his I'd suggest the mind robber and the last
3:21 episode of the wargames the third doctor spent much of his life trapped on earth and assisting unit with the alien invasion of the week well the alien invasion of the story the show was retooled from the usual doctor plus companion or to drop into a place and have fun to having a larger recurring cast a home base and even the occasional overarching plot the third doctor was suave energetic and the closest thing to classically heroic he's ever been he drove fast cars and a fast flying car and knew martial arts and because it was the seventies he did so while dressing like a white upper-class English Jimmy Hendricks he lasted for five seasons and Azir introduced the Autons the Silurians the master the most famous companion in the show's history Sarah Jane Smith the Sontarans the name of Gallifrey and the term regeneration if you want to see one
4:09 of his stories that I suggest Inferno but be warned it has the worst looking monsters ever seen in a great Doctor Who story at least until the caves of Androzani z' magma monster happened the Fourth Doctor is bar none the most famous incarnation of the doctor sure nowadays people might think of a spiky hairdo in a brown pinstripe suit when they think the doctor but when Tenon's been the most famous for 40 straight years then element my opinion 10 might rule the pop-culture most right now but he's a lot of catching up to do to rival four four was weird that's the best way to describe him weird he was also easily the least human incarnation he hated Authority would do almost anything that's power to defy it he's the favorite doctor of Nash David Tennant NSF debris his was less one single era and more like three of them
4:55 early on the emphasis was on gothic horror sci-fi which later mutated into almost comedy and finally to straight science fiction he lasted for seven seasons in a zerah introduced to the Zygons which are coming back on the fiftieth anniversary special and Kane if you want to see one of his stories I suggest the horrifying rock in which a lighthouse is menaced by a Rutten the sworn enemies of the Sontarans the fifth doctor was the first very human doctor he was young gentle kindly and if I was inclined to suggest the doctor to sexuality I'd say he was one of the gay ones not to be insulting about gay doctors I mean I would also put the second doctor as gay too and he's my favorite he was the first doctor since one to have a companion died and his lack of celebration when Adric did die makes me think he was
5:40 [ __ ] him he was also Steven Moffat favorite doctor five was unguarded and open he didn't pretend to be harmless to low adversaries into a false sense of security he was just mostly harmless he later reappeared in time crash which makes sense as ten is basically a hyperactive awful remake of five he lasted for three seasons Hazira destroyed the sonic screwdriver and featured the last pure historical a story said in the past with no science fiction elements barring the doctor the companions and the TARDIS if you only want to see one of his toys then check out the caves of Androzani apart from being one of the best stories in the show's history it killed the fifth doctor off which just makes it even better the sixth doctor was a reaction against the v where v was quiet kindly in the meekest the character had
6:26 ever been 6 was an attempt to recreate the sort of man that one was he was theatrical melodramatic blustery arrogant and had an almost fanatical devotion to doing good a bit like ace Rimmer but smarter and a little less competent and crossed with Brian Blessed he's the favorite doctor of the Omega and Teddy the minion and my second favorite his was the most unsettled era of the show it was put in hiatus the entire staff of the BBC at some time or another wanted to end the show the writing wasn't very good and baffling production decisions are bounded he lasted for two seasons and his era introduced the valley yard an antagonistic alternate incarnation of the doctor that laid the groundwork for the dream Lord and John Hurt's incarnation in the 50th anniversary if you want to see the best from his television stuff then check out revelation of the Daleks or vengeance
7:11 and virus now they're not classics 6 was very badly served by stories if you want the absolute best from him then check out almost anything he did on the Big Finish audio adventures seven started off as a crapper rerun at two he was short people didn't take him seriously he was there to be light-hearted to make you laugh unfortunately he didn't use all that to manipulate his enemies he was just kinda silly then I drew cart will arrived and he started with the manipulation and he kind of never stopped later nazir he was constantly planning several times we discovered late on that he'd already arranged the victory before the episode had even begun he played chess with gods and rarely had to upend the board to win he's the favorite incarnation of Linkara he was the final doctor of the classic
7:57 series he lasted for three seasons and Azir introduced the idea of having an ordinary working-class team from London as companion an idea later on reused with Rose so now you know who to blame if you want to see some of his good ones then check out the curse of Fenric for some classic World War two set sea vampires from the future and if you want something good but nearly incomprehensible check out ghost light now I'm not going to include eight in my series his movie is an island between classic and new who and while if I'm forced to put him somewhere I normally stick him in classic who I'm not being forced so I'm not going to include him his movie would be a good place for anyone familiar with the new series to start with older who has in many ways that set the template for the new series just be warned that the gorgeous production values aside is not very good
8:42 and semi frequently makes no [ __ ] sense so that's that join me soon for the first season of classic Doctor Who on an earthly child to the reign of terror
