Brief Summary
The video discusses the six Doctor Who stories that most significantly shaped the speaker's love for the series, science fiction, and horror. These stories aren't necessarily the speaker's top favorites, but they had the most profound positive impact.
- "The Horror of Fang Rock" ignited a passion for horror.
- "Dalek" solidified love for the new series.
- "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel" sparked an appreciation for the Cybermen.
- "Inferno" reignited interest in Doctor Who.
- "The War Games" is considered the favorite Doctor Who story.
- "The Elite" changed the speaker's perspective on the Fifth Doctor.
Intro
The speaker is covering the six Doctor Who stories that had the most positive effect and shaped the love for Doctor Who, science fiction, and even the horror genre. Two of these stories are obvious, while one will be surprising.
The Horror of Fang Rock
"The Horror of Fang Rock" started the journey into Doctor Who and sci-fi television, as well as the horror genre. It is synonymous with nostalgia and meaning for the speaker. The story had the biggest effect and made the speaker infatuated with horror, mainly because of the monster. The setup, apprehension, and atmosphere, along with the military tactics of the Rutan, make it a love story. The speaker rates it 11 out of 10, as it had the biggest positive effect. It remains the story closest to the speaker's heart.
Dalek
"Dalek" is the speaker's favorite new series episode. It was a tough pick between "Dalek" and "Bad Wolf" and "Parting of the Ways". Robert Sherman's storytelling delivers a terrifying depiction of the Daleks, no longer seen as a joke. The Dalek is an embodiment of a death machine and has the speaker's favorite quote in Doctor Who, deceptively complimenting the Doctor.
Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel
The Cybermen are the speaker's favorite villain in Doctor Who. Their delivery in the 60s was perfection. The love for the Cybermen originated from the new series, "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel". This story captures some of the themes of why they were so great in the 60s: emotionless. The Cybermen enforce the belief of technology that has come too far, where the essence of humanity is gone.
Inferno
Before 2013, the speaker phased out of Doctor Who, but that changed when the love for the show reignited. "Inferno" was the story that made the speaker wonder why they stopped watching the show. It is a masterpiece and the best Pertwee story of all time. It features brilliant depictions of fascism, where the Doctor faces alternative parallel versions of individuals and witnesses the destruction of a whole world.
The War Games
"The War Games" is the speaker's favorite Doctor Who story of all time. Despite its flaws, it had tremendous pressure due to the season 6 controversy. The entirety of season 6 was changed because the scripts were subpar. The speaker loves the setup of the story and the villains slowly revealing the chain of command. It is the greatest piece of black and white television.
The Elite
"The Elite" is a Big Finish story. It changed the speaker's tune on the Fifth Doctor, who they previously found boring and onedimensional. The speaker now loves the Fifth Doctor. The story stands as the speaker's favorite Big Finish story of all time. "The Elite" is a unique Dalek story, influencing an entire society into a fascistic totalitarian system.
