Hartnell's final days as the Doctor

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Ok, So I'm looking forward to meeting the second Doctor for the first time.

What episodes do you recommend are essential and actually worthwhile to watch from the last season of Hartnell? Including the regeneration story of course.

The last story I saw, was the meddling Monk's introduction.

Was pretty cool to see another timelord for the first time, even though he wasn't referenced as such, same as the Doctor himself.

 

[The]

The War Machines isn't bad, really.

Also, whatever you can find of The Celestial Toymaker...

 

[Piper]

Technically, Hartnell's last season lasts just two stories - The Smugglers and The Tenth Planet - before he regenerates into Troughton. Hartnell did three full seasons and those two stories of season four. Sadly all four episodes of The Smugglers is lost but all but the first three eps of TTP are still around, though not the episode, obviously, in which the Doctor regenerates (although there is a clip of the historic moment.)

Presuming you mean Hartnell's last full season, there's lots of good stuff to choose from. The Mythmakers (a comic visit to the Trojan war which suddenly turns very uncomic), The Massacre (another historical, in which Hartnell plays two roles), The Gunfighters (comic Western), and The War Machines (the First Doctor hits Swinging Sixties London.) There's also the behemoth The Daleks' Masterplan (and its one episode prologue Mission To The Unknown) which is epic but a long slog if you're not into listening to the show on audio, as only three of its episodes survive.

 

[Captain Pike]

The Savages is one of my faves. The sci fi backdrop is used to great effect to present an intelligent and well written story about racism.

Also The Massacre and if your up for it, DMP. Make sure you watch (the Loose Cannon reco is good), or at least listen to, the prologue Mission to the Unknown first, and you can basically skip the nonsensical Feast of Steven if you like.

 

[AJBryant]

Every time I read threads like this I want to kick certain un-named BBC bean-counters square in the goolies.

 

[captcalhoun]

it was more Equity's fault... the actor's union thought that if TV could just constantly re-run old shows, actors'd be out of a job and they basically forced the Beeb into wiping stuff...

course, back in them days, no ever imagined a future where Britain has 300-odd satellite channels and at least a dozen of them spend a large chunk of air-time incessantly re-running shows ad nauseum.

 

[Candlelight]

Hartnell's health was starting to get really bad towards the end. After filming The Smugglers in Season Three (but was held back to open the fourth season) he decided to quit. Unfortunately, he fell ill again while filming his final story, and is missing from episode three.

It's a pity so much is missing from season's 3, 4 & 5. I would very much like to have seen The Dalek' Master Plan in full, or Troughton's first story in it's entirety.

Never know. Might be able to one day.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The Savages is one of my faves. The sci fi backdrop is used to great effect to present an intelligent and well written story about racism.

Good to see someone who enjoys The Savages as much as I do. That serial doesn't get enough love.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Thanks so far... I seek out the episodes suggested and post some of my thoughts later..

 

[23skidoo]

Hartnell's health was starting to get really bad towards the end. After filming The Smugglers in Season Three (but was held back to open the fourth season) he decided to quit. Unfortunately, he fell ill again while filming his final story, and is missing from episode three.

Not all of that is correct. For one thing the decision for him to leave was made a lot earlier than The Smugglers. And while health was a factor my understanding is money was also an issue. Hartnell was originally going to leave during The Celestial Toymaker. In the story (sorry, spoiler alert) he spends part of it invisible. When the Doctor returned to visibility he was going to be played by a new actor. This idea was dropped and instead someone else -- credit has been given to Sidney Newman -- suggested the regeneration idea. Hartnell agreed to come back for the first part of Season 4 so they could introduce a new Doctor (such a recast had never been attempted before, remember) without having to start cold with a new season.

Another slight myth is the claim Hartnell quit acting right afterwards. In fact the IMDb lists a couple of TV credits for Hartnell afterwards, not counting his later return in the Three Doctors when his health most definitely was a factor in his limited involvement in that story.

Alex

 

[Candlelight]

Not all of that is correct. For one thing the decision for him to leave was made a lot earlier than The Smugglers.

I was merely quoting (from memory, mind) from The Sixties handbook where Hartnell came back from Cornwall & a fishing trip so told his wife he wanted out.

Or words to that effect.

 

[Orcus]

The Savages is one of my faves. The sci fi backdrop is used to great effect to present an intelligent and well written story about racism.

Good to see someone who enjoys The Savages as much as I do. That serial doesn't get enough love.

It does from me! Possibly Ian Stuart Black's best script for the series...