Best single episode to 'hook' someone on Doctor Who?

[Stevil2001]

When I was in high school, I showed Remembrance to a group of my friends who had never seen Doctor Who before. During part 1, when the Dalek first showed up, they laughed... but by episode 4, when the special weapons Dalek showed up, they cheered... and would leave shouting "EXTERMINATE!" The only bit of continuity that's actually off-putting is Davros-- no one really explains who this head is or what he's doing. Everything else (the 1963 setting, the references to Revelation) seemed to slip under the radar.

 

[Whettestone]

The only additional information a viewer needs for Curse of Fenric that they don't need for any other episode is the fact that Ace hates her mother. The single line about "Before Cybermen" and "Ice World" literally is 1 minute before the end credits roll. Haven't seen the expanded video version of it.

Anyone want to second Troughton's Tomb of the Cybermen? It had 1 of the only 5 black people seen in the entire original 26 year run.

I would show anybody Peter Davison's Earthshock, because it takes place in two different settings (ship and caves), shows off the Tardis, has scary Cybermen, and Adric loses his Gold Star. The fact that he talks about leaving and going home points out to viewers that he was picked up along the way, and the fact that he does leaves shows the series evolves. The Cybermen flashback of other Doctors reinforces this further to new viewers.

 

[Whettestone]

The Cartmel Master Plan doesn't exist. I believe most fans don't know it exists and the few that do found it online a decade or two after its 1989 cancellation. It's filed away with Harlan Ellison's "Scotty doing drugs" Star Trek, Ellison's Twilight Zone racist Santa episode (Knackles?), Roddenberry's Spock assassinating Kennedy movie, Quantum Leap's "Sam leaps into a dog", "Sam leaps into a baby", "Sam leaps into the future" episodes, and Tom Baker's wish of a fat girl traveling companion.

 

[Whettestone]

double post

 

[Saga]

haven't tried to hook any of my friends on Doctor Who yet. though while watching 'Genesis of the Daleks' back in January a friend got fairly interested. his reaction went from, 'what the heck are those weird robot things?' to, 'this ain't half bad.'

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Anyone want to second Troughton's Tomb of the Cybermen? It had 1 of the only 5 black people seen in the entire original 26 year run.

If they're willing to sit and watch black-and-white Troughton episodes you probably don't have to work too hard to hook 'em.

 

[Guartho]

Anyone want to second Troughton's Tomb of the Cybermen? It had 1 of the only 5 black people seen in the entire original 26 year run.

I saw that on Netflix. I was a little shocked that the black guy was a big dumb servant. I don't know why I was surprised by this from a 60s show. I guess I'm just prejudiced towards thinking the British were less prejudiced thinking than us.

I also thought "OK, well, this predates the Borg by quite a few years... Guess we can't take credit for that idea."

 

[Starkers]

Anyone want to second Troughton's Tomb of the Cybermen? It had 1 of the only 5 black people seen in the entire original 26 year run.

I saw that on Netflix. I was a little shocked that the black guy was a big dumb servant. I don't know why I was surprised by this from a 60s show. I guess I'm just prejudiced towards thinking the British were less prejudiced thinking than us.

I also thought "OK, well, this predates the Borg by quite a few years... Guess we can't take credit for that idea."

Well Toberman does at least get to be brave at least, and from a racial point of view his portrayal is probably better than Kleig or Kaftan (although not entirely sure what their origin is supposed to be!)

Worth pointing out some major differences between the US and UK at the time. For all the issues of slavery/ segregation/ civil rights etc, blacks and whites were at least used to living side by side in the US whereas in the UK, whilst there had been black people living here, for many people the influx of Black GIs in WW2 was the first time they saw a black face outside of a cinema, and it was only from the 50s that immigration really started to bring an influx of people in from the former colonies. So there was prejudice (and also I'd be intrigued to know just how many black actors were even registered in the UK at the time) but I like to think we've come a long way in a relatively short space of time.

Of course I say that as a white guy so I hold my hands up to any comments of 'what do I know'.