Mission Report by UNIT Agent Bill Filer to Trap One - Subject matter: An Unearthly Child

Okay, I've never actually done a review before - so starting at the very beginning seems like an approach my brain would accept, though I think it will be a bit random which stories I will write reviews for. I will aim at highlighting the positives and the joy that I find in the Whoniverse, hopefully it will help me to appreciate Doctor Who even more - if that is even possible. No writer or production team deliberately sets out to create a bad story, though circumstances during production can limit the end result. There will still be joy to be had in every single story, at least that is my philosophy.

The first episode has been described as a perfect 25-minute introduction-piece of television ad nauseum, and rightly so. It is really atmospheric and just oozes mystery. Susan and The Doctor are just the right shade of eccentric and enigmatic, and Ian and Barbara have got such fantastic chemistry right of the bat as they decide to go sleuthing. The casting is perfect and generally speaking one of Doctor Who's greatest strengths, and a big reason for it's longevity. Just - thank you to everyone involved with making this show from the get go: Verity Lambert, Sydney Newman, Waris Hussein, Delia Derbyshire, Raymond Cusick and a whole ream of other talented people.

The Cavemen episodes that follow are oft ridiculed a bit for being boring, with humans barely able to communicate over the level of a grunt, and that newcomers should just go straight into The Daleks - as was indeed the case with the novelisation of The Daleks. I concede that folks who aren't used to 60's television probably would be better served by this "machete order", but then the linguist in me kicks in! We are at the very beginning of articulated communication - the rules of language as a concept are being formed, the ever-changing nature of lexicography and grammar are being birthed. I find that immensely fascinating. It is a story of political intrigue and societal status - all expressed in a power-struggle about fire. I think that that is really clever, that basic narrative structure can easily also be applied to a contemporary or future setting. And being an easily recognisable narrative allows for greater focus to be placed on character development of our main cast and the incredibly unbelievable nature of breaking down the temporal barriers in a box that is flippin' bigger on the inside.

A deserved shout out to Mark Gatiss for immortalising the genesis of this magnificent show in "An Adventure in Space and Time"

End of report. Logged and filed at The Black Archive.

My New Who rewatch is done; it's time to watch Classic Who for the first time! It was a bit strange going directly from "The Power of the Doctor" to "An Unearthly Child," since both of them are Doctor Who, but are polar opposites in most regards. I was not expecting the theme music to be the exact same, so that was a nice surprise. That and the TARDIS sound effects are the same ones I'm used to, but the rest of the music was aggressively "60s speculative fiction TV show." The slower pace will certainly take some getting used to for me; I was a bit surprised when the credits rolled for the first episode and Ian and Barbara hadn't even really left the TARDIS yet. I had a hard time getting invested in the plot, but I obviously understand why this first serial was so important, hence my rating. This was my first pure historical, and I'm interested in watching more of them. I love Susan already. I wonder if there were autistic people in 1963 who infodumped about a new TV show called Doctor Who to their friends and family. I hope so.

This story absolutely deserves all the praise it gets and then some.

An Unearthly Child
If I could rank this separately it would be an easy 10/10. Ian and Barbara are instantly compelling and likeable, and the mystery of what's going on with Susan does a brilliant job of grabbing the viewer.

The story is also remarkably paced considering other stories of the era, I was especially surprised at the flashes to Susan in class when Ian and Barbara, knowing how stories at the time were filmed I just didn't expect those quicker cutaways but they're there and work brilliantly at adding to the mystery.

The atmosphere from when Ian and Barbara are waiting at the junkyard is spectacular, the black and white colouring and darker lighting adding to the sense of mystery, and generally everything in that scene building and building to that moment when they enter the Tardis is incredibly done. The contrast between the dark and dingy junkyard and the prim and pristine Tardis interior is marvelous.

Then that final shot, the Tardis in a mysterious new place with a humanoid shadow looming into view, it's great.

100,000 BC
While definitely the weaker of the two parts of the story, 100,000 BC is still really good, and holds up impressively well all this time later.

I've seen a lot of people complain about the caveman politics, but honestly I think it's really compelling. Our characters are thrown into the middle of a conflict, taken away from the Tardis, and need to figure out what side to assist in order to get back (setting the groundwork for plenty of stories to come, though it surprised me with its visceral brutality.).

What works especially well for me here is the unique position our core cast find themselves in here, being from the future and having the ability to create fire they have an advantage, but being disconnected from the goings on, distrusted by the tribe, they also have their own unique problems.

I live how Ian takes the lead, One trying to do so but not quite being trusted by Ian and Barbara yet. I like how when asked who their leader is though towards the end, Ian then points to One. I also really like the bit about how in their 'tribe' everyone can make fire.

Overall, An Unearthly Child is a brilliant story that perfectly brings people into the world of Doctor Who, shows what the rest of the show will be like and about, and perfectly utilises the show's time travel aspect, showing just how far we have (and haven't) come as people today.

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time! 

"AN UNEARTHLY CHILD: A BRILLIANT BEGINNING WITH A CAVEMAN STUMBLE"

An Unearthly Child holds a place of honour in television history as the very first Doctor Who serial, launching a sci-fi phenomenon that would endure for decades. While its opening episode remains an all-time classic, the remaining three parts struggle to maintain the same intrigue, bogged down by repetitive caveman politics and primitive squabbles.

The first episode is a near-perfect introduction, dripping with mystery and atmosphere. It masterfully sets up the show’s premise, drawing viewers into the eerie world of the Doctor, his granddaughter Susan, and their unsuspecting schoolteachers, Ian and Barbara. The unearthly aura surrounding the TARDIS, the Doctor’s enigmatic persona, and the reveal of the ship’s inner dimensions are all executed brilliantly. It’s an episode that still holds up today, capturing the sense of the unknown that defines Doctor Who.

CAVEMAN POLITICS AND REPETITIVE PLOTTING

Unfortunately, after this stellar beginning, the serial shifts gears dramatically, and not for the better. The prehistoric setting feels uninspired, and the drama among the cavemen quickly becomes repetitive. The story devolves into a cycle of capture, escape, and recapture, padded out with endless debates about leadership and fire-making. While the idea of a "pure historical" adventure had potential, it isn’t realised here—the setting lacks depth, and the guest characters are one-note. Later historicals, like the missing classic Marco Polo, would handle the concept far more effectively.

That said, there are still highlights in the latter episodes. The first-ever action scene in Doctor Who—a fight to the death in Episode 4—is clunky but carries a raw energy, enhanced by strong lighting and music choices. The escape sequences, while repetitive, occasionally build tension, and the Doctor’s growing ability to manipulate events in his favour is a glimpse of what’s to come.

A STRONG LEADING CAST

Where An Unearthly Child excels is in its central cast. Ian and Barbara are immediately likeable as the grounded, inquisitive schoolteachers thrown into an impossible situation. Ian, in particular, takes on the role of the de facto protagonist, while Barbara’s initial horror at their predicament provides an emotional anchor.

Susan, initially intriguing as the Doctor’s alien yet childlike granddaughter, unfortunately loses much of her depth as the serial progresses, reduced to screaming and being frightened by cavemen.

William Hartnell’s Doctor is a far cry from the hero he would later become. Here, he is grumpy, mysterious, and even morally dubious—at one point nearly resorting to killing a caveman to escape. However, his intelligence and trickery ultimately shine through, and by the finale, he has firmly established himself as the leader of the group, setting the stage for his character’s evolution.

ATMOSPHERE OVER BUDGET

The low budget is evident in the cavemen’s simplistic costumes and the occasionally overacted performances, but the serial is buoyed by its innovative use of sound. The eerie electronic theme by Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire remains one of the most iconic in television history, while the incidental music helps sell the prehistoric setting despite its limitations.

Compared to contemporary sci-fi efforts like Star Trek, Doctor Who was operating on a shoestring budget, but it compensated with creativity and strong storytelling—at least in its first episode.

📝VERDICT: 7/10

An Unearthly Child is a tale of two halves. The first episode is essential viewing—a textbook example of how to introduce a sci-fi universe, brimming with mystery, tension, and unforgettable moments. The remaining three episodes, however, are a slog, filled with repetitive caveman squabbles and a lack of narrative momentum. A must-watch beginning… but you might want to stop after the first episode unless endless fire-making debates spark your interest.

It's the very first Doctor Who story, and a lot of what the nearly 60 year old franchise is, owes itself to An Unearthly Child. A lot of it was developed right here, right out of the gate. A lot of the potential of the series was ready to go, here. The Doctor's character is mysterious and I feel he is well introduced through the eyes of Ian and Barbara. Them piecing together the strangeness of Susan, them discovering the Doctor and the TARDIS for the first time, William Hartnell's borderline sinister acting early on giving a sense of mysteriousness and intrigue, all of it serves to create a fine series I am glad to be a fan of. A lot of this holds up even if yes, most of it is thanks to all the steam and energy put forth by the first episode. The rest leaves a bit to be desired, but it is still absolutely a must-watch for any big fan of Doctor Who.