What’s everyone’s favorite Series 1 episode or episodes? I’m breaking the New Series down by episode rather than by story because sometimes one part of a two-parter is much better than the other and with three-parters it’s usually a bit more ambiguous as to whether one counts as two stories, one story or something else. Remember, you can vote for more than one.
I was always rather underwhelmed by The Unquiet Dead but when I rewatched it for my marathon, I finally warmed to it more and found lots I really liked. In fact, I’m going to adjust my votes above.
Admittedly, I’m not sure if I liked it as much on my first watch, but season 1 is my most rewatched season of New Who, and it definitely seems to benefit from a rewatch.
I do overall think this was a great season, too. Really wish we’d gotten more of 9…
I find it interesting if predictable that the Slitheen two-parter and The Long Game are nobody’s favorites. Maybe that will change after the TV Club hits those stories.
Great Series of the Revival! Even its worst one (that being the long game) is still pretty decent! Highlights for me are easily: Dalek, Empty Child/Doctor Dances, Parting of the Ways and Farther’s Day. I even must confess that even in hindsight and after aging quite a bit, I still enjoy Bad Wolf a lot. Maybe it’s just the charm but i don’t know, I still enjoy it, even if not as good as its second half!
Like New Earth, this is one which I have probably only seen once or twice - however, what I do remember of it is good. I think the Slitheen are great villains, and I recall enjoying the overarching plot and tone of the story. Also, it gave us Harriet Jones, who is one of my favourite side characters in the history of the show. So pretty positive on the whole, but not positive enough to ever specifically go back and rewatch…
There are Aspects I like and Aspects I don’t like, tone-wise the Episode feels a bit messy I am afraid. It’s somewhat between fine and slightly disappointing for me, what is good, it’s solid, what it’s not good, it’s not for me.
In terms of series 1 as a whole - it is definitely my favourite series of RTD1 overall! I voted for Dalek in the poll, with The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances in close second place - both stories are up there with the all-time best, and really showed the possibilities of televised Doctor Who in a post-X-Files and -Buffy world, keeping the spirit of the original show whilst updating it for a 21st century audience. Dalek in particular took a villain which had become a bit of a joke and made them both scary and sympathetic, whilst also brilliantly defining the character of the Ninth Doctor, touching on themes and ideas that Classic Who didn’t.
Besides the above two, there really isn’t a weak link to be found in this series - Rose through World War Three are all highly entertaining romps which do a great job of establishing the revival, the Doctor, and Rose, and Father’s Day, Boom Town and Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways are exciting and poignant dramas which really leverage the characters and place them in interesting, thought-provoking stories. One thing I really appreciate about series 1 is that the tone is pretty mature throughout, touching on serious concepts and ideas - it’s my favourite sort of Who, and one I hope we return to before too long.
Today marks 20 years since an episode ‘‘Dalek’’ aired on BBC One and it also featured the return of Daleks since ‘‘Remembrance of the Daleks’’ what are your thoughts on this story and do you think it holds up well?
I mean it’s Shearman Doctor Who, do I need to say more? Despite preferring Jubilee more, Dalek is still excellent in its own right and gives us a great Return for the Pepperpotts. Nick Briggs gives us one of his best Performances as a singular Dalek. Eccelston gives it his all. Piper is great, everything is just great.
You said the word Remembrance and I blacked out for real though Dalek just is That Good isn’t it. No question, one of the best Dalek episodes ever written
for real though Dalek just is That Good isn’t it. No question, one of the best Dalek episodes ever written