Okay!
First Doctor:
The original pilot episode, “An Unearthly Child”. The first season was written with the Doctor as an intially sinister and devious figure who becomes more avuncular. In this episode, he is creepy.
“The Daleks”. The Doctor’s second story. Although he causes a lot of trouble, we see him begin to feel guilt over how he has treated his companions. And, although he is far more an antihero than anything else, his moral code (which is always in him somewhere) triumphs. Some of his interaction with the Daleks is great. The start of a beautiful relationship.
Second Doctor:
“The Power of the Daleks”. Before the amazed eyes of his companions, the old man who collapsed with exhaustion after his first encounter with Cybermen has transformed into a younger man who mutters, “Extermination.”. It is in this story that the Daleks begin to reach some of their potential and become real characters. Sadly, this only survives in audio form
“The Evil of the Daleks” Considered by many to be the finest Dalek story and an early skirmish in the Time War. The primitive time travel technology used by the Daleks in the First Doctor story “The Chase” now allows them to interfere with history. We now meet the Dalek Emperor and discover that they are great genetic scientists, controlling their own mutation. They seek the “human factor”, that which has allowed humans to defeat the Daleks in the past. Or so it seems. Only some sections exist in audio, but one complete television episode has been found.
“The Tomb of the Cybermen.” The Doctor arrives on Telos and meets a team of acheologists searching for the Tomb of the Cybermen. The Cybermen themselves are believed to be extinct. Need I mention more? Flawed, but with real atmosphere. Besides, I love the Second Doctor. ;D This was thought to be lost, but was rediscovered in the 1990s.
“The Invasion”. The Doctor foils a Cyberman invasion of London. The second story to feature Alistair Lethbridge-Stuart (now Brigadier Lethbridge-Stuart of UNIT), who would become the Doctor’s oldest friend. This only exists in audio.
“The Mind Robber”. The TARDIS is blown apart and out of reality itself, and the Doctor and his companions have to deal with a land of fiction. Psychedelic!
Third Doctor:
“The Green Death”. Ominous goings-on in Wales, including giant maggots! For almost all of the Third Doctor’s tenure, he is stranded on Earth, punished by the Time Lords, and acts as UNIT’s scientific advisor. This is considered a good story of the era.
“Inferno”. Some real atmosphere in this ep, and the Doctor visits a parallel future with evil versions of the Brigadier and other UNIT staff. Recently restored and released on region 2 DVD this month!
“The Three Doctors”. Omega, the Gallifreyan who created the Eye of Harmony by detonating his ship in a black hole (thus giving the Time Lords such vast powers), turns out to be alive, insane, and megalomaniacal in a universe of antimatter. Along with Rassillon and a mysterious personage known as The Other, Omega is responsible for creating an elite of Gallifreyans known as Time Lords. He is therefore extremely dangerous. The Time Lords themselves swallow their pride and go to the Doctor for help, drawing his previous two incarnations from their time lines so that the three can work together. They don’t hit it off.
Fourth Doctor:
“Genesis of the Daleks” is a must. The Time Lords foresee a time when the Daleks will have exterminated all other life. They send the Doctor to Skaro’s past so that he can stop them ever existing in the first place, which almost certainly makes this the first real move in the Time War. I think Sarah’s part of the plot slows down the important stuff, but it’s more than made up for by other things. Davros is wonderful, played with absolute seriousness and commitment. Exterminate and zieg heil!
“The Pyramids of Mars”. The Doctor faces a terrible being that has been trapped by his own godlike people, but is seeking escape (Lovecraftian overtones). Very much a horror story, with mummies and death. Tom Baker is almost frighteningly alien at points.
“The Horror of Fang Rock”. One of the many out-and-out horror stories that make up much of the Fourth Doctor’s reign. Nasty goings on in a lonely lighthouse.
“The Talons of Weng Chang”. Lots of gothic
homage as the Doctor plays at Sherlock Holmes in Victorian London. Slightly spoiled by having the main villain (a Chinese man) played by a Caucasian man in makeup. Otherwise, great atmosphere!
“The Robots of Death”. A Sandminer in which the humans are supported by a staff of humanoid robots sees a series of murders. Quiet effective, with an interesting art deco design (including the robots).
“The Deadly Assassin”. Very much a gothic horror story. The Time Lords summon the Doctor back to Gallifrey so that he can prevent an assassination attempt on the President of the High Council. It turns out that an old enemy is waiting for him.
Fifth Doctor:
“The Five Doctors”. Someone on Gallifrey kidnaps the first five Doctors and several of their companions from their time lines. Basically a trip down memory lane, there is some good stuff in this story.
“The Caves of Androzani”. This is the Fifth Doctor’s swan song, and has a genuine feel of gloom hanging over it. There was always something uncertain, vulnerable, and tragic about the Fifth Doctor, and here we see some of that played out.
Sixth Doctor:
“Revelation of the Daleks”. Ah, the Sixth Doctor – pompous, argumentative, even murderous. Colin Baker is a fine actor, and when the audio plays began to be produced a decision was made immediately that the Sixth Doctor’s character had to be reinvented. On the strength of his audio plays (and Baker does get almost all the best scripts), many now consider him to be the best Doctor of all. On television, however, he is the worst, a victim of very bad scripts and direction. There is one exception: this story. Davros is up to terrible things in a cryogenic storage facility…
Seventh Doctor:
“Remembrance of the Daleks”. Like all of the Seventh Doctor’s stories, this is a mixed bag. The plot is quite interesting, going all the way back to the First Doctor, and reveals that the Doctor is “more than a Time Lord” (prompting much fan speculation that he is in some way the mysterious Other of Time Lord history). Many people will have fond memories of the Doctor’s companion Ace taking out Daleks with a rocket launcher. Time Lord and Dalek mythology are both explored. However, there is some bad acting and editing.
“Ghost Light”. A bizarre story, in which script, acting, and direction are highly experimental and eccentric. It doesn’t even explain what is going on. It’s really a question of personal taste whether one will love or hate this. The story marks an important shift for the Seventh Doctor. He begins to wear much darker clothes and becomes a little sinister and highly manipulative. This is the prototype for what he became in later novels and audios: Time’s Champion and The Great Manipulator.
“The Curse of Fenric”. Poor Ace. As in “Ghost Light”, she becomes subject to the Doctor’s manipulations. Once again, this has an odd and experimental feel, with the Doctor suddenly appearing to have been in control of the situation for centuries.
Eighth Doctor:
“The Enemy Within”. This, the 1996 television movie, is the only Eighth Doctor story. It has many good elements, but is ultimately let down by being forced into a movie-of-the-week format, incorporating the traditional and bland fundamentals of such movies. However, Paul McGann’s Doctor is wonderful. Fortunately, he has been able to return to the role in many audio plays which have explored the character.
