An Unearthly Child - ★★★½☆

"Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension?"

The first episode is a character masterpiece. Susan's introduction is eerie and haunting, there is something in her eyes and demeanor that let you know, far beyond her words, that's she is otherworldly. Ian and Barbara are charismatic from the get go, and I think it was a smart decision to tell this story from their perspective. It sets a tone about the role of a companion throughout the series that is true to this day. And of course there is the Doctor, which is truly the antagonist at the beginning. It sets up character development that we will see flourish in The Daleks and The Edge of Destructions; but also brings up some beats that go on long game.

There is a longing in his words as he tells Ian and Barbara that he and Susan are exiles from their home that is not usually associated with the character. He is not yet the adventurer he's bound to become, and it's impossible to negate Ian and Barbara's role in it. And of course, we'd see more direct consequences of running way later in the series. Susan doesn't want to leave London 1963, says that the last six months have been the best of her life. It's a glimpse about the kind of life she longs for herself and the stability she can't have with her grandfather. Susan is almost never, in TV, as opinated as when she tries to tell the Doctor that if he leaves he'll do so without her. Of course, it doesn't work in her favor. Ian at one point claims the TARDIS is alive, which will be relevant soon enough.

This is not an amicable version of our longterm protagonist. Not yet. He is arrogant, dismissive, selfish. He makes choices for his own amusement that put the others in the danger, including the granddaughter he swears he is trying to take care of. He is cold and he can't admit when he is wrong. And that's the side of him that shows itself the most in An Unearthly Child. He is also the first character in-universe (by release date) to say "Doctor Who?". It's not what's implied, but I think I prefer to have Ian and Barbara unintentionally giving him his name than some of the alternatives.

We do see a glimpse of another side of him, though, in parts two and three. He is sincerely sorry for getting them captured by the tribe and putting everyone in danger; and while he is still arrogant and unhelpful at times he does recognize Ian's value and tries to help Barbara calm down. It's not enough to change his demeanor towards them, not yet, and him trying to kill Kal only to be stopped by Ian is a step back. But there are other nice moments for the TARDIS team, as when the Doctor proves that Za killed the old woman or when Ian recognizes the Doctor as the leader of their tribe.

Parts two to four are a letdown from part one though. I have watched An Unearthly Child many times by now; the tribe's politics was not an aspect that grabbed me the first few rounds but that have grown on me as a pretty decent plot. So what's the problem, then? For me it's the acting. It's not bad by any means, but most of the characters that are not our regulars, if not all of them, are highly unlikable and a very cartoonish take on "caveman". All the maneirisms in the dialogue are honestly tiring at times.

There is also some signs of the screamonger Susan will become. It's somewhat justified, but it'll become irritating fast. In contrast, Barbara also have two dispairing moments in this story, but it feels truer to her character because of three reasons; one, it's her first trip in the TARDIS; two, it doesn't become a staple of her character and three, it's followed by her deciding they must help Kal, acting for the first time as a moral compass for the characters.

I don't love the caveman part of An Unearthly Child, but it's a really good pilot for a series I love that already shows many reasons why I love it; one of its strongest traits being a fantastic cast of recurring characters. It's ★★★½☆ for me.

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.

“Fear makes companions of us all.”

C’est très maladroit, ça a vieilli, mais la magie prend quand même, et Hartnell et la réal’ d’Hussein contribuent à une ambiance envoûtante et effrayante avec une humanité terrifiée du feu dans un monde mort. 

En fait, le plus fascinant c’est que c’est moins une histoire de Doctor Who que son Histoire. 

Le Docteur est ici un vieillard terrifié et austère. Mais il va devoir tout apprendre et grandir et chaque moment de l’épisode est donc absolument décisif. 

Il peut être un réfugié, la victime d’abus, un aristocrate d’une planète poussiéreuse, ou les trois à la fois. 

Dans tous les cas, il n'est pas encore le Docteur. Il va le devenir. 

Great first serial, start of a franchise, first episode is the best of the four

"An Unearthly Child"

Here it is, the very first episode. We of course start with the iconic policeman in the junkyard, with the mysteriously humming police box. Now, of course, with hindsight we know it’s a time machine, but I bet back then it was intriguing, police boxes don’t tend to hum. We cut to Coal Hill school, class being let out, and we meet Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, discussing a strange student of theirs. They’re worried about her, because she seems so knowledgeable in some things, like math, science, and history, but struggles with basic things like how money works, that they’re not on a decimal system. You know, it’s nice that they care about their students this much, I don’t think you see that much these days with teachers, maybe some out there can prove me wrong. Right away these two have great on screen chemistry and are interesting characters. They seem to find it odd that her home address is a junkyard, how her grandfather is completely not accepting of strangers. Ian offers her a ride home, but she declines, saying she likes walking in the foggy dark due to it being mysterious. No way that would slide nowadays, driving a student home from school, even with good intentions that’s a liability. Following her home in the car is also definitely questionable by today’s standards, but their intentions are completely honest. They talk about Susan more, the litmus test in chemistry, the issue about the dimensions, time and space. I will point out that with the three dimensions, length, width, and height, you already make space, so saying space is the fifth dimension is silly. I do really like the way they make this kid seem either alien or not of this time. Ford actually nails the strange behavior, making her just that little bit off from what you’d expect of typical teenagers.

Ian and Barbara go in the junkyard at 76 Totter’s Lane, hear Susan and run into an old man by the police box we saw earlier. I really enjoy their interactions, especially between Ian and the Doctor. They’re antagonistic, but I find One so amusing at the same time. I don’t think people talk about how great this original cast was enough, and it’s evident from the very first time we see them. After they argue a bit, Susan opens the door, and the teachers barge into the police box and are blown away by how big it is on the inside. This reveal is great, shot just as abruptly as the characters experience it, perhaps the best TARDIS reveal of all time. I also like how the Doctor is so dismissive of Ian, and treats him like an idiot. It really sums up his initial distrust and condescending lack of respect he has for them. The line about the “Red Indian” is rather outdated, but his explanation of people seeing more advanced technology seeming impossible still stands otherwise. Oddly, the outdatedness fits this early First Doctor, because it makes him sound more dismissive of people generally, even if that’s not the intention of the line when written in 1963.

The Doctor closes and locks the doors, has the console electrocute Ian, and he kidnaps them in the TARDIS (a name Susan made up by the initials, really like how that one line has stood the test of time this long, we still call it the TARDIS, meaning the same six words now). The visual effects are really cool and make a very trippy experience for this first take off, to accentuate how bizarre and alien it is, but I’m glad it’s not how they do it every time, it would get old. We end with a shot of the TARDIS in a desert with the shadow of a caveman looking at it. Such an iconic shot, and a great cliffhanger to keep the viewer invested for the next week. This is a really well done first episode. It’s not too fancy with the plot, but right away makes the characters interesting and likeable, and just weird enough with the suspenseful ending. The rest of the serial might not be quite as good as this, but you’ll see I like it more than most people.

"The Cave of Skulls"

So we start with a caveman named Za, son of their old leader who knew how to make fire. He’s struggling to make fire, an old woman is taunting him, and Hur, his mate is trying to encourage him, if only because he will lose her if he can’t make fire and become leader. It’s highly amusing seeing him try to make fire by rubbing a bone between his hands, and throwing ash on sticks. The caveman acting is kinda stagey and ridiculous, but the exaggeration oddly works when they’re cavemen, even if a little dismissive of early humanity, but we’ll get back to that in a bit. In the TARDIS, Ian and Barbara are waking up, Ian is skeptical of all of this, wanting proof that they’ve traveled anywhere, Barbara is more accepting of the situation. It’s cool how the two of them are being the two likely types of viewers in this situation, the skeptic and the more open one, kind of opposite sides of the same coin. The Doctor notes that the “year-ometer” is not working right, so he doesn’t know when they are, or for that matter, where they are. Not only does this establish how this Doctor doesn’t really know how to pilot the TARDIS, but it also brings into question whether this story is even on Earth or not. To me, I feel like it’s meant to be Earth as written, but the story gives you enough to doubt that, these cavemen might not even be human.

They all exit the TARDIS, Ian for proof, the Doctor wanting samples of rocks to try and find out when and where they are. Outside, the Doctor and Susan question why the TARDIS is still a police box, it should have changed. I really enjoy how it’s the second episode ever, and the whole thing about the chameleon circuit is already established, even if not by name, and has lasted all this time. Ian, Barbara, and Susan look around, the Doctor on his own. The Doctor lights up a pipe, and the caveman watching him attacks, seeing him make fire, kidnapping him. The Doctor smoking, now that's something you don't see anymore. Ian, Barbara, and Susan rush to the scene, only finding his belongings left behind, and we get the first bad Susan scene in Doctor Who. She has this tendency to be written to scream and panic any time something happens to her grandfather, in a completely undignified way. Carole Ann Ford hated this type of thing, and expected more from her character, and is why she eventually left the role. There’s this bit where Ian notes that the sand is cold, and that’s not followed up on as to why that’s important. Odd.

So now we get a really long scene with the Doctor unconscious, and Kal (who found the Doctor) and Za argue about fire, and how he saw the Doctor make it from his hands, and Old Woman going on about how they shouldn’t make fire, because it just brings death, and just a lot of this without any plot progression. However, one thing I didn’t notice before, is that the differing opinions of the new technology of fire and all that sort of echoes Ian and Barbara’s struggle to understand and accept the new technology of time travel and their situation. I feel like this parallel is intentional and it’s a nice thematic touch to the story, even if it is progressing a little slowly. The Doctor is woken up, Kal tries to force him to make fire, but he has no matches. Conveniently, before he can be killed, the others arrive, try to free him, but they all get captured and imprisoned in the titular Cave of Skulls, many of the skulls there are split open. This starts a Hartnell era tradition where the title is something to do with the very last scene of the episode, something they do time and time again. Also the split skulls is a rather graphic and dark bit of imagery for Doctor Who of this era, which is interesting. Not as strong or exciting of an episode as the first one, but there’s still a bit of interesting stuff in there.

"The Forest of Fear"

Our four main characters try to figure out how to escape the Cave of Skulls. Nice that the Doctor actually admits that he’s the one who got them into this mess and also admits that there’s something he can’t do when he tells Ian to free himself first, since he’s not strong enough. It’s an unexpected amount of humility from this early first Doctor. He gives Ian a suggestion to use the bones to cut through their bonds because they’re sharper, how he will be the one who has to defend them if needed and he also tells Barbara to try to remember the way back to the ship. I’d say it’s sort of his first Doctory moment, the way he’s giving his companions something to do to keep them calm while aiding their escape, and he even talks about hope and how “fear makes companions of all of us.” Don’t worry, we’ll get plenty more grumpy One in this episode. The tribe is asleep, except for the old woman, who wakes up, steals Za’s knife and goes to the Cave of Skulls to free the prisoners, not knowing she’s observed by Hur. She gets to them, explains her fear of fire, and that she’ll let them go if they don’t teach Za how to make fire.

They leave just as Za and Hur arrive, and follow in pursuit after throwing the old woman to the floor. It’s interesting how Hur is the brains out of those two. He’s really indecisive until she gives him ideas a lot of the time, pretty much trying to shape him into the leader she wants as a mate, probably wanting some of that power by extension. For this story, she’s actually a somewhat interesting character, compared to the other cavemen for those reasons. The four travelers end up lost in the forest, Barbara having some difficulty remembering. This might be Barbara’s worst episode of her run. She starts crying and yelling about how she can’t remember, and full on screams when she sees a dead boar. That’s really not the Barbara I know, she’s generally a lot more level headed and intelligent, but I guess she’s been through a lot these past two episodes. Even worse is that her scream gave away their position. Za and Hur go after them, but he is attacked by an animal. In a surprising turn of events, Ian and Barbara want to help him instead of escaping, as the Doctor thinks they should. To be honest, I agree with the Doctor here, but I get that this is yet another demonstration of the Doctor’s lack of compassion and care for human life compared to his human acquaintances.

It’s a little silly that Hur, and by extension the cavemen, have no concept of friendship or cooperation. They wouldn’t be able to survive like that, but that is a simplification to reflect one of the overall themes of this story, the importance of friendship and cooperation, something that parallels between the main cast and the cavemen’s situations. I meantioned un-Doctor like things earlier, well we get the iconic scene of the Doctor about to bash Za’s head in with a rock to aid their escape, only to be stopped by Ian. It’s a more extreme version of the same contrast between the Doctor and his new human companions from earlier. His lie about asking Za to use it to draw a map is one of the most obvious lies in Doctor Who history, quite amusing. Back in the tribe, Kal finds the old woman, realizes she let the strangers escape, kills her, and blames it all on Za. Old Woman has the distinction of being the first character to die on Doctor Who, congratulations, you’re now a fun Doctor Who trivia question.

Kal gets the whole tribe after the strangers, and catch them right at the TARDIS. I think the scene with Kal needed to be earlier, because it is really fast and abrupt that they get to the TARDIS before our mains do to ambush them. If it was earlier in the episode, then them helping Za would have been what slowed them down, but as shot, that had already happened before they left. Sure, they know the land better, but even so. And that’s how this one ends. I think this is actually a pretty decent episode, what it lacks in plot it makes up for in reinforcing the themes of the story, while building up the team structure of this first main cast, something this whole story doesn’t get enough credit for.

"The Firemaker"

Our traveling friends are taken back to the tribe, and they argue with Kal about what should be done with them. Kal accuses Za of killing the old woman, and we learn how these people have no concept of forensics, which is much more understandable than the friendship thing. I do like the way the Doctor tricks Kal in to revealing that he killed her, with the knife that isn’t bloody vs the one that is. There’s something funny about “it is a bad knife, it doesn’t show what it does,” how Kal thinks that’s a good defense and all that, just always a line that gets a chuckle out of me. The theme of how people need to work together and cooperate to survive is again reinforced when the Doctor gets Za and the others to team up to force Kal out of the tribe. But of course, instead of being grateful and letting the Doctor and the others go, they get stuck back inside the Cave of Skulls, with a guard blocking the back entrance this time. This is where I feel the episode is running out of steam, and gets a little bit slow and right back where “The Cave of Skulls” started.

Ian makes a fire in the cave for Za hoping he’d let them go, and Ian talks about how the firemaker is the least important in his “tribe,” how they all know how to make fire. I think it would have been a much better and thematically relevant ending if it had Za truly learn that lesson, having Ian teach him and the whole tribe how fire is made, able to reason with him to be able to leave with Za and our main characters both learning something about cooperation and friendship. There was an earlier scene of Za and Hur talking about how “one man isn’t as strong as the whole tribe,” which was a good scene, but I wish it actually led to some kind of lasting lesson learned for him. Kal kills the back guard and he and Za fight in the cave of skulls, with Za eventually killing him, winning. The fight scene goes on a little long, and while not bad for 1963, it’s very stagey, unintentionally amusing. Za takes the fire, but still keeps our friends from 1963 trapped in the cave.

While the tribe eats cooked meat, Susan, with some help from Ian, makes a plan with fire and some of the skulls in the cave to make a flaming skull distraction as if they had died and those were their spirits, so they can escape. It’s cool to see the two of them come up with something like this, even if it’s not the solution I feel would have worked best for the episode. They also figure out their way back to the TARDIS really quickly and easily compared to last time. They run in, just avoiding a thrown spear, and they dematerialize in the TARDIS. They land on another planet, but don’t notice the radiation meter going up to the maximum. Overall, this serial is pretty good actually, and I think better than it gets credit for, aside from the popular first episode of course. The plot is simplistic and basic for parts 2-4, but I feel like that’s not as important as the message of how this TARDIS team and the tribe both need to learn to work together in order to survive. I think if the resolution to the plot was more in line with the themes it could have been better, but they are still present, and are important in the establishment of this TARDIS team’s dynamics. The parallels between the two groups I think work decently well. I give this story as a whole a 3.5/5 Stars, the first episode pushing into 4-4.5 territory if I had to grade it on its own.

Through a fickle finger of fate—a miracle...

Much of my—and your—appreciation for The Unearthly Child serial won’t be immediately evident. After the admittedly lame resolution of the 4th episode, you might find yourself tapping impatiently to the theme tune as the credits roll, hoping that the following serial will be—by any degree—“better.”

But indulge me—give this story a second consideration.

What do we have on the surface? On one hand, a primitive political conflict for a concept and a setting that might excite a naught but a handful of paleontologists. On the other, an austere and aloof—or downright psychopathic, in some versions—alien being, condescending to humankind. And yet, it is through the juxtaposition of the scenario and the character that believable development is set into motion. Our expectations of this grand and vain entity are subverted in the most brilliant of ways when he is bested by… a rock-bearing savage of the civilization he was slandering not ten minutes earlier. It takes him THREE WHOLE EPISODES to retaliate and retreat, leaving him a mangled mess by the time he gets back to the TARDIS.

If this isn’t poetic justice, I don’t know what is. We witness a Child learning humility and developing compassion for someone other than his blood. Not full-on “love for humankind”—not yet. But it’s an amazing start, and I’d argue it couldn’t have been executed any “better” if we were dealt any other scenario.

The first part here is great! The rest is really dull.

The first episode of this serial is a wonderful start to what will eventually be the Everything that Doctor Who will become. It's a wonderful introduction to the Doctor, a crotchety old man living a police box bigger on the inside who's not above a bit of kidnapping, and of course Susan, the most autistic 15 year old you ever did see.

The rest of it begins another part of Doctor Who history, namely, "yknow... Doctor Who isn't as good now as it was before".

Caveman politicking. Not my thing

I actually quite like An Unearthly Child, the episode, that is. Although I, as someone who started watching in 2005 with Rose, already knew who the Doctor is, and that he lives in a police box that can travel in time and space, but the perspective characters, Ian and Barbara, do not. All they know is that Susan is not a typical human 15-year-old girl. Should they, as teachers, have followed a student home? No. Definitely not. However, as the audience surrogate figures, Ian and Barbara doing so to solve the mystery of the episode (who and what is Susan?) makes sense, and if they hadn't, we wouldn't be here now, would we?

It's episodes 2-4 that bring down my rating for this episode. I think it's nice that the Doctor isn't the character he grows into being, that humanity rubs off on him during his travels, but the story doesn't have enough going for three episodes. A lot of the caveman conversations feel like you're going round in circles, with cavemen repeating what are functionally the same lines, mostly about how either Za cannot make fire or Za will make fire. This isn't surprising when notes for the story state that they originally had less to say, at least in English. Perhaps it would have worked better if they hadn't been speaking in English, as we wouldn't have known that the conversations were so circular.

Another issue I have is with Barbara and Susan. I don't think there's an issue with having a companion who screams a lot, but it becomes a bit of an issue when two of the companions spend a lot of the time screaming or crying. Some of the things that set them off I can understand, Susan panicking when her grandfather is attacked by a caveman, but others seem like Coburn just thought that one of the women needed to scream and then start crying. I guess I can give him some leniency for that, given the time. This is probably also why Barbara collapses into the chair, and Ian to the floor.

Where it all began. What more is there to say? Well... quite a lot, as it happens.

Doctor Who's survival past its original production block of 13 episodes has generally been attributed to the success of the Daleks, which is fair enough, but it must be said that the other two serials of the block end up somewhat forgotten by comparison. I think this is a crying shame, as they're both good, and the first one (variously An Unearthly Child or 100,000 BC) is absolutely brilliant.

The first episode is a real gem. The setting of a foggy November night in 1963 is well-suited for the mystery (and sci-fi horror) of the episode and gives the whole thing an ominous atmosphere. Barbara and Ian's discovery of the TARDIS and their kidnapping by the Doctor is a really characterful exchange that not only sets up the world and conceit of the series, but introduces us to each of the main characters very smartly, setting the stage for the two seasons to follow.

Much is made of the fact that aside from the first episode, the remainder of the serial is a bit duff by comparison, and just focuses on cavemen grunting and whacking each other with rocks. I think this is a major oversimplification, for my own part; I find the remainder of the story very witty, literary, and in places even a bit Shakespearean, despite the rough clothing and coarse manners of the pseudo-historical side cast. It's important, in my opinion, that this is all played straight and shown as a drama that's no lesser for its small scale on the cosmic scene, showing the human dimension in its roughest and crudest form.

The back three episodes basically compare and contrast the leadership struggle amongst the Tribe of Gum, and the comparable struggle between the Doctor and Ian. It illustrates the things that define modern human civilization and ethics - selflessness and empathy for others - by showing us a society without them. The final scene where the TARDIS crew desperately tear through the jungle and escape in the TARDIS, leaving the slack-jawed cavefolk behind to contemplate what they just saw, is a very memorable way of closing it out.

All told, a great story, to which I hope my rambling review has paid deserving plaudits.

Perhaps the greatest single pilot of all time, followed by three very slow, very frustrating episodes. Doctor Who was born how it has always lived, inconsistently.

An Unearthly Child: 8/10 - Really nice way to start off the franchise. The first episode is very atmospheric and the rest of the episode is surprisingly very compelling. I like the dynamic between Za and Kal and the banter between the Doctor, Ian, and Barbara is very entertaining. Susan however had little to do and was not very important. She was good in the first episode but the last 3 gave her very little to do.

I've always felt that An Unearthly child is a 5 star intro episode into a 2.5 star story - which averages into a good but not outstanding story.

The first episode is as good an intro to Doctor Who as you could get - and sets up the arc on the early shows (and arguably the whole Hartnell era) where the Doctor evolves from being this untrusting, quite crotchety old man to someone that is more accepting of others and generally warm hearted. Ian and Barbara are likely characters who play a big role in establishing key parts of early Doctor Who. The initial scenes in the TARDIS are iconic - and especially interesting to compare to more contemporary 'first time in the TARDIS' scenes.

This contrasts heavily with the caveman story in episodes 2-4. I think that going for a fairly understated intro story makes sense in order to develop the key character traits for the early scenes in a way that a story with a stronger support cast would not do. It does feel at odds with the initial educational aims of Doctor Who - the cavemen aren't exactly historically accurate from the records we have so the historical education merit is questionable.

What I really like is the way that it sets up future elements which shows that they had a longer term arc planned - the Doctor's geiger counter breaking setting up why the crew were unprepared on Skaro down the road; the Doctor being on the brink of committing murder to save his own skin shows that he started out as a much more ruthless character that moderated over time and other elements. The cavemen story has a very simple angle - a leadership battle between Za (son of the former chief) and Kal (an outsider that has great prowess in hunting) over the leadership with the ability to make fire the key point and the TARDIS crew trapped in the middle. It's one of the thinner Doctor Who plots in history and its of no surprise that the series was headed towards cancellation before the Daleks hit; but I think that works somewhat in this context.

Overall: an historical important serial simple for being the first story in the history; but outside that fact and the great first episode there's not a lot to get your teeth into here.

The first ever Serial of Doctor Who, as well as the first ever Doctor Who Story.

What else is there to say? Historically speaking, this is Doctor Who's most important Story and of course it is, it's the first one! But as a Story on its own right can it hold itself much?

I think so, yeah.

While super different from any other starting point in the Show's History... An Unearthly Child has all the Things a good Pilot Episode should do. Good directing, a good enough Set Up, a hook that gets you interested and a wonderful Choice how to introduce those otherworldly Things. The Moment when Barbara steps in the Tardis, and we see this big, strange Room in a Police Box, is magical. And yet this whole Scene is mainly telling than showing, which for a lot of Stories could be a downfall, but not this one. An Unearthly Child knows exactly what it needs to do. It gives us a hook, a Mystery to latch on too, opens the door and gives us even more Mysteries and then ending it with a Shadow Figure walking closer to the Ship.

And even the infamous disliked Cavemen Episodes are great to building this Foundation. While this Story as a whole is by no means a Masterpiece, it perfectly tells you what you need to know and more importantly shows you how our Leads interact with their environment. There is this saying that any good Characters, if they work, can be thrown in any Setting and Doctor Who is a perfect Example for it. This Story alone shows the strength and weakness each of our Leads have. Sadly, while of course it never reaches the Highs of the very first Episode and while the Story is still very solid, I do find myself having some Issues with some Choices they made. Especially Susan gets sadly as with many other Stories in her televised Tenure the short stick, what she brought in the first Episode was wonderful. A strange teenager girl played wonderfully by her. The Rest of the Stories kinda sidelines her and doesn't give her much to do. Instead, we focus mainly on those two Cavemen wanting to achieve the simple Goal of making fire. The Focus here is very much the Doctor, still Ian and Barbara still get some decent stuff to do, and I wish I could have said the same with Susan's Role in it, but sadly I cannot.

Still, this Story reaches big High points and shows the strength that this Show already has in its very early days. Highlights include Hartnell's stunning rough and cruel Performances at times, which while showing him at his grumpiest, still never reaches the Point of feeling like this strange alien doesn't have some sort of Sparkle in his eyes. Which is something Hartnell very much has in almost all of his Performances as the Doctor.

Overall, the Good Parts overshadow the bad ones. I enjoyed the Story greatly, while I wish some Stuff was handled a bit differently, **I still think you should give the whole Serial a Go and not skip right after Episode 1**. It does feature some wonderful Moments and basically does the heavy lifting slowly introducing the Characters to us and their Relationship to one another, which would greatly change over the course of the next Stories! But that's a Review for another Time.

Well here i am, the first TV story of Doctor Who. An Unearthly Child timeline code S1.1.This story was broadcast on 23rd & 30th of November and 7th & 14th of December 1963. the general consensus around this story is the first part is amazing the last 3 parts are fine i wonder if my thoughts will match

Episode one starts the atmosphere is on point from how we follow a policeman to the Tardis. We then cut to Ian and Barbara last scene in an unearthly woman who are now taking an interest in Susan, they offer her a lift home but Susan declines. Carol Ann Ford really plays up Susan’s weirdness. Ian and Barbara decide to follow her home, they are played wonderfully in this from their curiosity to their fish out of waterness of the pair. They talk about Susan in the car and you really see why they have an interest in her, Susan tripping up and giving away her knowledge in class. The two see Susan and follow her into the junkyard meeting the Doctor, William Hartnell plays the Doctor so well honestly one of the best parts of the story you never know if he’s the hero. The three have amazing chemistry, as Ian and Barbara are about to leave they hear Susan in the Tardis. They barge their way in and the Tardis set is perfect and Ian and Barbara’s reactions to it are amazing. They learn the Tardis can move anywhere in time and space obviously not believing them. Susan tries to convince the Doctor to let the pair go but she’s unsuccessful the Doctor pilots the Tardis kidnapping the two teachers. The Tardis takes the group of four to an unknown location as a shadow approaches the Tardis.

Overall part 1 of An Unearthly Child is perfect in my opinion, you really understand why the show took off anyway onto part two the cave of skulls

Cave of skulls reveals the Tardis team have landed in the Stone Age, the shadow being a caveman called Kal, we cut to the tribe as Za is trying to make fire to become leader. The two teachers wake up after a bumpy landing Ian still not convinced until the doors open. I love how well the 4 of them interact then they exit the Tardis and extremely well acted part. We also notice for the first time the chameleon circuit has not changed the Tardises appearance. Soon after the Doctor is kidnapped my Kal taken back to the tribe to make fire. We get a bit of caveman politics the Doctor saying he can make fire, as Susan Ian and Barbara arrive to save the Doctor, they are overpowered though and sent to the cave of skulls. The part ending with Ian noticing the skulls all have a split in the top of them.

Over all this part really strengthens the team, I really am enjoying the story so far but definitely comparing part 1 too part 2 there’s definitely a shift like there two different stories

Part 3 forest of fear is definitely the weakest of the 4 parts, it mainly focuses on the caveman politics and escaping the cave of skulls. Barbara and the Doctor have an amazing moment though, about how fear makes companions of all of them the best moment so far. An old woman helps the team escape but the old woman is killed by Kal for doing this. The 4 escape into the forest trying to remember their way back to the Tardis. Za and Hur following them but they are attacked by a Tiger. Barbara goes to help them the Doctor trying to stop the 3 of them from helping, even thinking of bashing Za’s head in Ian stopping him some humanity rubbing off on him. The 4 help heal Za and make there way back to the Tardis, but they are caught by Kal and brung back to the cave.

Overall forest of fear is alright, it’s the weakest part but it has the best scenes if that makes sense And a really good cliffhanger.

Part 4 Firemaker is the final part of this story. Kal tries to accuse Za of killing the old woman, the Doctor helps rial the people up and expose Kal for being the true killer and Ian helps by getting the crowd to throw stones. I love how slowly the Doctor is being given these small moments with Ian and Barbara, it’s not huge but it’s little drops of development. The team are put back into the cave and Za asks Hur what the Tardis team did to help. I do like how Za is trying to understand the group, but as a primitive person not really understanding. We go back to the cave Susan Ian and Barbara all trying to make fire together as Za enters, they say the firemaker is the least important job in their tribe. Managing to set a spark of fire as Kal comes back, Za and Kal have a fight to the death as the fire lights the cave an amazingly shot scene some really creative moments. Za killing Kal in the fight and taking the fire making it clear to the tribe he was leader. To get away the Tardis team make spikes of fire with skulls on top to scare The cavemen as they escape. The cavemen run after them but it’s too late. The team make it back to the Tardis and escape. The Doctor trying to get the two teachers back to 1963, landing on a new planet Susan checks the radiation meter and it appears normal but as she walks away the dial goes to danger.

That’s the end of an unearthly child and honestly, I understand why people don’t like the last 3 parts of the story. However I enjoyed them a lot I feel even though it feels like 2 different stories.

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.

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.

And so it begins! An interesting introduction. The cavemen aren’t all that threatening, but we get a clear view of the way these characters act. The doctor is merciless and headstrong, Ian is a moral compass. Susan is curious and wants to learn. Barbara…. I can’t pin down yet. Let’s see where it goes. We know these values will rub off on the doctor eventually. Wondering what will come next.

Doctor Who: The Hartnell Years Serial 01/The Schiavone Brothers' Classic Doctor Who Showcase

Ah, the one that started it all. While many people find the other 3 episodes mediocre, this serial was overall very good. Funny enough, the pacing here was that much messy compared to future stories, just a lovely serial about cavemen.

📝7/10

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

"An Unearthly Child: A Brilliant Start, Stuck in the Stone Age"

An Unearthly Child, the very first Doctor Who serial, holds an iconic status as one of the most significant pieces of science fiction ever produced. While its opening episode delivers an unforgettable introduction, the rest of the story struggles to maintain the same level of intrigue.

The debut episode masterfully builds an atmosphere of mystery and awe, drawing viewers into the strange, otherworldly premise. The sense of the unknown is palpable, and the script supports this tone beautifully during the early parts of the serial. However, the latter half of Episode 2 and most of the remaining episodes falter. The plot becomes bogged down by repetitive arguments over leadership and fire-making, with the characters alternating between imprisonment and escape in a way that feels monotonous.

The prehistoric setting and the cavemen characters lack the depth needed to sustain a compelling four-part story. This serial's potential as a "pure historical" adventure isn't fully realized and pales in comparison to later efforts, such as the missing classic Marco Polo (1964).

Despite its flaws, the serial delivers a few noteworthy moments, such as the first-ever action scene in Doctor Who: a fight to the death in Episode 4. Though clunky and awkwardly shot, it retains a sense of tension and atmosphere, thanks to clever use of lighting and music.

The central cast, however, shines. Ian and Barbara are instantly likeable as inquisitive schoolteachers, while Susan is portrayed as both alien and innocent. William Hartnell’s Doctor is introduced as a grumpy, enigmatic figure—a far cry from the active hero he later becomes. Ian emerges as the de facto protagonist, while the Doctor remains a cautious and morally ambiguous character, even coming close to killing a caveman before stepping up to outwit their captors in the finale.

Hartnell and William Russell deliver some memorable lines, and there's an unexpected charm in the dialogue about fire-making. Unfortunately, the strong characterization of Susan and Barbara fades as the serial progresses, reducing them to screaming, passive roles by Episode 3.

The guest cast’s portrayal of the cavemen often veers into overacting, which detracts from the story's seriousness. Nonetheless, the serial is buoyed by its innovative use of music. The iconic theme by Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire and Bernard Kay’s atmospheric incidental score elevate the production, helping to sell its ambitious premise.

While An Unearthly Child is rough around the edges—especially compared to contemporary sci-fi projects like Star Trek—its charm lies in its inventiveness and heart. The introduction of aliens, time travel, and the TARDIS feels instantly iconic and believable, laying the foundation for what would become a beloved and enduring franchise.

The first episode is a must-watch classic, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of Doctor Who. The remaining three episodes, however, can be skipped if endless escape attempts and caveman politics aren't your cup of tea. Despite its imperfections, An Unearthly Child is a fascinating beginning to a sci-fi legend.

Honestly better than I remember on a rewatch. Yes, the pacing is a bit iffy at places, the writing can be a bit samey at points, certain performances are very hammy and they still haven't nailed the character of The Doctor, but the first episode is fantastic and there are quite a few bits of neat writing throughout the cavemen story like The Doctor talking about hope and fear with Barbara. So, some good, some bad, some great, so at the end, it evens out to a solidly written story for the time, and still quite enjoyable today, not the most sci-fi way to start a sci-fi show, but it's well done all the same.
7/10

this story drags in the middle, but is kind of fun in a slightly shit way
i love how they tried to make susan ~*alien*~ and ~*mysterious*~ but just made her really autistic
the first episode is pretty good, although i do think there are some good moments of tension in the rest
hartnell is clearly having a lot of fun in the scene where the tribe drives kal out
and watching it after animating marco polo, the fight scene at the end of this story is quite similar to that one (shot on film, two characters fighting with cutaways to closeups of them and the other characters watching)
and it's the same director, so that's probably not a coincidence
this story has some interesting things to say about democracy and teamwork, but it does sometimes get lost in the cavemen arguing

NB: This is a review that is designed to champion the three 'caveman' episodes.  The first episode is amazing but it isn't reviewed here.

100,000 BC, An Unearthly Child, Doctor Who and the Tribe of Gum, the Palaeolithic Age, the untitled first Doctor Who serial…all apparently ‘titles’ of the first ever Doctor Who story. I’ve always been an exponent of 100,000 BC as the ‘correct’ title, but even more so in this marathon of mine as I have chosen to view the three ‘stone age’ episodes separately from the initial ‘An Unearthly Child’, 1963 set episode. There is such a clear division between the two sections of the serial that they are effectively separate stories entirely. An Unearthly Child deals with a mysterious police box in the junkyard and it’s even more mysterious inhabitants, the Doctor and Susan – all seen through the eyes of 1960s Ian and Barbara. Therefore, there will be more on that one episode much (much) later in this marathon.
The Cave of Skulls, The Forest of Fear and The Firemaker are more concerned with the power play of a Stone Age tribe and the survival of four disparate time travellers in this most alien of times.

100,000 BC has a reputation of being a bit dull and stagey after the brilliance of that first, ground-breaking, episode. Taken in isolation a slightly fairer evaluation can be made. They are still a little dull, with The Forest of Fear being the worst offender, but on the whole provide excellent performances of some wonderful dialogue; both from the regulars and the guest cast of cave people, some impressive sets and genuine tension surrounding the survival of the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara.

Much is made in the production notes for the DVD issue of this serial that the script began with much less dialogue written for the cave people. It seems clear that, initially at least, the Stone Age characters for this story were seen as the stereotypical Ug and Og brigade often seen in cartoons and comedy films. Anthony Coburn, however, in redrafts gave the guest characters more and more to say with increasingly eloquent dialogue which, although probably historically inaccurate, provides a life to the tribe that would have been sorely lacking otherwise. The almost poetic or Shakespearean words paint a picture of a tribe on the brink of collapse, of a leader who is lost and a usurper who sees his chance to take control. This is slightly off-set by furry animal skins, a couple of dodgy hairdos/wigs and by the vaguely comical names of Za, Kal, Hur and Horg, but really, what else could they be called?

Finally in my marathon we finally get some human characters native to prehistoric Earth. As people they are incredibly well-defined and superbly acted by Derek Newark, Jeremy Young, Alethea Charlton, Howard Lang and Eileen Way. Each of these actors, with the exception (I think) of Howard Lang, would return to Doctor Who in the future of the series, but I wonder if any topped their performance here. They carry entire scenes with the machinations of the tribe and as a viewer you are drawn into the power struggle regardless of its effect on the regulars.

My love for the original TARDIS crew begins with this story – although I don’t think I’d have been too upset if Susan had been clonked on the head by a stone age axe so that, after her strong start here, we were spared the development into scream-teen we get later on in the first series’ run. Jacqueline Hill and William Russell are completely engaging as the ordinary teachers thrown into a world completely removed from their own. William Hartnell gives a tour de force performance as the strange alien who is mocking, irascible and potentially murderous; willing as he is to kill Za rather than risk his and Susan’s lives for the sake of a wounded caveman.

Also, for the first time in my marathon, we get a good range of prehistoric locations. Previously we’ve had an open plain (Time-Flight) and a jungle (The Boy that Time Forgot). Here we have the open plain, the jungle and a cave. All are convincing and, knowing the limitations of the production itself, quite frankly amazing. The production notes of the DVD state that the designer, Barry Newbery based his forest plants on real fossilised leaves he had researched. The cave is convincingly claustrophobic – particularly the ‘Cave of Skulls’ area (even more so on film for the Ealing-filmed fight scene between Za and Kal – a surprisingly violent set piece).

In terms of the history of the universe we see a Stone Age tribe who have lost the secret of fire (which Ian returns to them). The forest is home to a variety of wildlife; something like a warthog and a predator of some kind. I have the feeling the novelisation has it as a tiger (maybe sabre-toothed; it’s been simply ages since I read it!) but the production notes say that in the initial script it was described as a panther.I have no idea where in the world this story is set – I have read something which suggests Africa but my knowledge of Palaeolithic man is limited and I wouldn’t have a clue where science/history actually sets this part of our civilisation’s development.

The ‘stone age’ episodes of Doctor Who’s first serial are often dismissed as poor companions to the iconic first episode but, overall, they are a solid adventure with the seeds of a true legend being sown throughout them.