This video seems years before its time in so far that it`s very very similar to the extras we now find on DVDs . Unfortunately the idea here came into being down to the simple reason that the BBC decided to erase many of the DOCTOR WHO stories from the 1960s . If the BBC aren`t kicking themselves there`s thousands of DOCTOR WHO fans who want to kick them
The tape doesn`t get off to a good start since we`re treated to an extremely crap " Latin " version of the show`s theme tune and we see Sylvester McCoy without doubt the worst actor to have played the role giving us a brief ( All too brief ) resume of William Hartnell`s acting career . We`re then shown three episode`s from Hartnell`s tenure of the Doctor
The Pilot Episode - Pure television magic as this gave birth to the legend . Written and acted with total and absolute conviction
The Wheel Of Fortune - This is from the historical episode The Crusades and stars Julian Glover ( One of Britain`s most underated actors ) as Richard The Lionheart . I really did love these historical stories and once again everything is written and acted with total conviction . In many ways it`s made like a prestigous BBC production of a Shakespeare play
The Final Test - This is from an episode of The Celestial Toymaker , almost certainly the most bizarre and avant garde story the show had produced at that time . I wasn`t too keen on it but it`s always good to see a prolific and sensible actor like Michael Gough playing the baddy . 20 years later we`d see stand up comics like Ken Dodd play these kind of parts !
So a fairly enjoyable video tape mainly down to the original episodes themselves
The tape doesn`t get off to a good start since we`re treated to an extremely crap " Latin " version of the show`s theme tune and we see Sylvester McCoy without doubt the worst actor to have played the role giving us a brief ( All too brief ) resume of William Hartnell`s acting career . We`re then shown three episode`s from Hartnell`s tenure of the Doctor
The Pilot Episode - Pure television magic as this gave birth to the legend . Written and acted with total and absolute conviction
The Wheel Of Fortune - This is from the historical episode The Crusades and stars Julian Glover ( One of Britain`s most underated actors ) as Richard The Lionheart . I really did love these historical stories and once again everything is written and acted with total conviction . In many ways it`s made like a prestigous BBC production of a Shakespeare play
The Final Test - This is from an episode of The Celestial Toymaker , almost certainly the most bizarre and avant garde story the show had produced at that time . I wasn`t too keen on it but it`s always good to see a prolific and sensible actor like Michael Gough playing the baddy . 20 years later we`d see stand up comics like Ken Dodd play these kind of parts !
So a fairly enjoyable video tape mainly down to the original episodes themselves