An Unearthly Child (3.0)

There is some debate as to whether the first story in the Doctor Who series should be called 'An Unearthly Child' or '100,000BC'. This probably reflects the fact that there are two stories in one.

The first involves history teacher Barbara Wright and science teacher Ian Chesterton following their mysterious pupil Susan home to a junkyard and to a strange police box in which she lives with her grandfather, the Doctor. Finding them snooping around, the Doctor immediately abducts them, plunging them into an adventure in time and space.

The second story brings us to caveman times where a bunch of dull savages sit around in a cave arguing about who should be leader.

The Majesty
I loved the first story: the Doctor as antihero is lots of fun; the whole set up-with Ian and Barbara ensures that the series is grounded in normal human reality, and their journey from that normality into the alien landscape of the cavemen is brilliantly done.

The Misery
Sadly things really fall apart as soon as we met the cavemen. They are all equally underdeveloped, uninteresting and unpleasant. They all speak in stilted English ("Me Leader. Make Fire.") that no doubt left the scriptwriter feeling very pleased with himself but is actually sheer twaddle.


Magical Moments

• The opening shot: a long swoop through a junkyard to finally discover the TARDIS for the first time ever. 
• The first conversation between Ian and Barbara in her classroom, not knowing all that's still lying before them. 
• The first appearance of Susan, eccentrically dancing to some light rock. She's more 'alien teenager' here than she ever will be again. 
• The Doctor appears for the first time, slinking into the junkyard wearing a most wonderful hat. 
• When Ian challenges the Doctor to open the TARDIS and prove Susan is not inside, the Doctor instead pretends to get distracted by a picture frame. "I've never noticed this before". Does he really think this will work as a decoy? 
• Some of the Doctor's dialogue in the TARDIS is delightfully epic: "Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension? Susan and I are exiles, but one day we shall get back. One day..." 
• Again, arguing with Ian, "If you could touch the alien sand and hear the cry of strange birds and watch them wheel in another sky, would that convince you?" 
• Ian and Barbara take their first steps out of the TARDIS doors into an alien world. They don't take it in their stride, as future companions might do - their shocked behaviour is much more believable. 
• The giant boar's head in episode three is actually a very impressive prop. (Sadly it's upstaged by the general hysteria and moaning of the cast). 
• The moment where the Dr is about to murder Za - bashing out his brains with a rock - and Ian stops him. (The Doctor is probably at his most psychopathical moment here, and it's wonderful!) 
• The fight between Cal and Za is full-blooded dynamic violence and surprisingly entertaining! It's very Game of Thrones: I fully expected a spray of blood to hit Barbara in the face when Za crushes Cal's head with the rock. 

In Summary
The first episode alone would get a solid 4.8 out of 5. Not only is it the basis for the whole series, but it's excellent drama and hooks me right in. The remaining episodes sadly are, for me, very lame. The scenes with the main four work reasonably well, though they don't really accomplish anything. But I really couldn't care less about any of the cavemen. These episodes get perhaps a 2.4.


Overall: 3.0