Radio Times' First Doctor Story Ratings - Do you agree?

Television Doctor Who (1963-1996)
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As we’ve recently been discussing the Radio Times’ list of the 20 best Revival episodes , I thought it would be interesting to see if you agree or disagree with their ratings of every Doctor Who story.

We’ll start with the First Doctor. (Their thoughts in more detail can be found [here.])(Doctor Who episode guide - the first Doctor William Hartnell | Radio Times))

  • An Unearthly Child: 5/5
  • The Daleks: 5/5
  • The Edge of Destruction: 4/5
  • Marco Polo: 5/5
  • The Keys of Marinus: 2/5
  • The Aztecs: 5/5
  • The Sensorites: 3/5
  • The Reign of Terror: 3/5
  • Planet of Giants: 2/5
  • The Dalek Invasion of Earth: 5/5
  • The Rescue: 4/5
  • The Romans: 3/5
  • The Web Planet: 3/5
  • The Crusade: 5/5
  • The Space Museum: 2/5
  • The Chase: 2/5
  • The Time Meddler: 5/5
  • Galaxy 4: 3/5
  • Mission to the Unknown: 4/5
  • The Myth Makers: 4/5
  • The Dalek’s Master Plan: 5/5
  • The Massacre of St Bartholomew’s Eve: 4/5
  • The Ark: 3/5
  • The Celestial Toymaker: 4/5
  • The Gunfighters: 1/5
  • The Savages: 3/5
  • The War Machines: 3/5
  • The Smugglers: 4/5
    *The Tenth Planet: 5/5

So, what do you think of these ratings?

5 Likes
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Chase 2 and Gunfighters 1, they hate fun

7 Likes
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Give me a break.

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An Unearthly Child is not a 5/5 - first episode yes, the rest no.
The Edge of Destruction too high.
Keys is better than 2/5
The Romans is better than 3/5
The Web Planet should be 1/5, 2/5 at a stretch.
The Space Museum is not worse than The Web Planet!
Galaxy 4 is too high.
Celestial Toymaker is too high.
The Gunfighters at 1/5 is just tapping into the received wisdom that it’s shit - it’s not!
I’d rate The Savages and War Machines higher as well.
And The Tenth Planet is a 5/5 just because of the Cybermen and the regeneration.

6 Likes
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I can’t even be bothered to look at the list because I know I’ll disagree. This was probably constructed by one person who maybe looked at ‘general fan consensus’ and took a punt.

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TG averages for the same stories:

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5 Likes
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There are some real questionable ones that stood out to me.

  • An Unearthly Child: 5/5: The first episode is deserving of that rating, but the rest bring it down.
  • The Keys of Marinus: 2/5: Should be 3 at minimum.
  • Planet of Giants: 2/5: Idk I just really like this episode, 2 is too low.
  • The Web Planet: 3/5: No.

I like these ratings as it’s nice to see someone’s opinion on stuff that doesn’t always align with fan consensus, but whatever they’re on, I want it.

10 Likes
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I will also reiterate, Love and Monsters is a 5 star story to them

8 Likes
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The Space Museum, the Romans, and the Massacre being less than 5/5 is criminal.

5 Likes
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Well, they’re right there at least.

4 Likes
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These ratings are genuinely making me angry

7 Likes
12

Those ratings can’t be that ba- oh…

5 Likes
13

Oh those are ■■■■■■■ ridiculous.

7 Likes
14

I know this is my favourite era so of course I’ll take bad ratings poorly, but these are just so mean…

5 Likes
15

I had thought Patrick Mulkern was a reasonable commentator from what I’d seen of his DWM work but those ratings and reviews smack of someone pandering to what ‘fan consensus’ was supposed to be during Whitaker’s time.

7 Likes
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I can handle The Chase only being 2/5, I can handle Arachnids being 4/5, I can even handle Tsuranga being 1/5, but It Takes You Away only being 1/5 is going TOO FAR :rage: :rage: :rage: :rage: :rage:.

(I’m not actually mad, but I am baffled.)

6 Likes
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These ones I don’t disagree with tooooooo too much but you’re telling me they put Sensorites and Remembrance both at 3??? I am a Sensorites defender but they are nowhere neaaar the same level. Also Planet of Giants is fun and better than 2. It’s almost like these are lists designed to piss people off

7 Likes
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DOTP rated lower than kerblam? ITYA at just 1 star? Are they insane?

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Well they’re doing a good job at it :rage:, tbh rage bait to drive engagement isn’t a wild concept, and I mean it’s working given we’re all going to the website and discussing it, but I would like to believe the author is being completely genuine, even if their opinions are eccentric.

7 Likes
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I’m sorry, they gave Remembrance a 3?? That’s got to be the biggest shock so far. I thought most people agreed that story is Doctor Who at its best!!

7 Likes