Title: An Unearthly Child
Writer: Anthony Coburn
Original Broadcast Date: 23 November 1963 - 14 December 1963
An Unearthly Child, the very first story of Doctor Who is a classic and is absolutely perfect in every way. That is until you progress beyond the first episode. This serial is separated in terms of plot and quality between the first episode, a masterpiece, and the last three, a mediocre slightly tedious caveman adventure.
The first episode of Doctor Who ever , An Unearthly Child, introduces Ian and Barbara, two teachers from Coal Hill school concerned about a strange pupil Susan whose intelligence lies beyond earth standards. They investigate her address to find a junkyard full of - well, - junk! Venturing into the junkyard they find an old man, hiding a secret, claiming he doesn't know who Susan is. And then they hear her voice coming from inside a police telephone box. And then the adventure in space and time begins. This episode is a intriguing, ahead of its time beauty, that manages to deal with dark underlying tones with great success.
The next three episodes on the other hand are not too great. The Cave of Skulls, the second episode, starts well but with The Forest of Fear and The Firemaker grinding and repetitious, making this story hard to adore. The expanded cast (supporting characters and extras) aren't great at their job either, which to be fair does make Carole Ann Ford's acting seem decent, so I guess they did perform some miracles. (I'm only kidding, Carole's great)
Overall this story is a perfect sample of Doctor Who, with some really fantastic episodes and some (only some not great). I may be a little harsh here. The final three episodes aren't too bad but they certainly pale in comparison, which is a shame as this certainly could have received a 10/10 for the beginning alone.
7.5/10
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