How It All Began (An Unearthly Child - Episode I)

So way back in 1963, a little television show called Doctor Who was first aired on British television, and nearly 50 years later it's still going strong. Hell, it's almost never been stronger. But you'd be surprised how many people haven't seen the very first episode, or the story that unfolded from there on. So let's go all the way back. Back to when television was in black & white, when sci-fi shows were 25 minutes long, when special effects consisted of bits of cardboard and vaseline smeared on the lenses. Back to where it all began.

The show opens with the traditional music playing as a policeman wanders around a junkyard before the camera settles on the now familiar Police Box. It's basic but extremely effective, with the music making everything incredibly unsettling. It sends a shiver down your spine, it really does.

We then cut to a school, where two teachers talk about one of their students. These are Barbara (History) and Ian (Science), and the student they're talking about is Susan, who's been acting awfully strange, showing knowledge she shouldn't have at such a young age and pointing out mistakes in a history book. The flashbacks of Susan do throw the pace off a little bit, but otherwise it's fairly effective and does a good job of establishing the relationship between the two teachers.

The two teachers are concerned about Susan's strange ways and her slipping grades, so they decide to follow her to her home, listed as being the junkyard. This is kind of overstepping the boundaries a little, considering a simple "so where do you REALLY live?" would probably have made SUsan 'fess up, but then again when her Grandfather refuses to have any contact with the school, it's kind of justified. Sort of. Different time, I guess.

So the two wait and watch until Susan finally appears, and they follow her into the junkyard, where she disappears. Again, it's a simple scene as they look around for her, but it's surprising how well a few basic props and a couple of minutes spent on creating an atmosphere can work.

Eventually the two spot the Police Box and are baffled at how it's vibrating. "It's alive!" Ian exclaims, not knowing just how right the show would eventually prove him. Their discovery is interrupted, however, by the arrival of an old man in period clothes who wanders past the two as they hide and unlocks the Police Box. If this were set in the modern day you can bet your bottom dollar this would set off all sorts of alarms - old man potentially has young girl locked in a box? Hmm.

Since this thankfully ISN'T the modern day Ian just saunters up to the old man and aks him what's what, to which he brushes them off. The old man's acting is mesmerising from the off - there's clearly something odd about him, but ther'es also something charming about him as well. It's really quite engaging and helps what could seem a very creepy character come across as quite the opposite.

Ian and Barbara decide to go off and fetch a policeman (isn't that what the Police Box is there for?), but before they leave and allow the old man to do whatever it was he was going to do, Susan opens the door to the Police Box, giving Barbara and Ian a chance to rush inside.

...and BAM. Massive white room. Complete tonal shift from the dark and fairly gloomy junkyard we were just in, and completely and utterly impossible. The room's far too big to fit inside the Police Box, and both the old man and Susan are completely non-chalant about the whole thing. Irritated even, because despite their attempts to explain things neither teacher can understand what's going on.

It's really hard to express just how well this scene works, mostly because these days it's common knowledge what the TARDIS is, but wow. This scene is BRILLIANT. It's just such a random idea, yet because it's played so straight it feels legit. This is really interesting and you want to know more. You want to see what happens to Ian and Barbara, you want to know more about Susan and the old man revealedf to be her Grandfather, and most importantly you want to keep watching to see where this all goes. It's a great way to start the show and draw people in.

Susan argues with her (still un-named) Grandfather as to whether they can let the teachers go, explaining that they're both aliens and time travellers. It's a little much to take in, but given that we're still reeling from the Phone Box's interior, we're in a good state to believe pretty much anything.

Susan declares that she'd rather stay in the 20th Century than leave with her Grandfater, and he agrees to open the doors, but in actuality he sets the Phone Box known as the TARDIS in motion, resulting in a reprise of the opening intro effects along with the iconic groaning sound we've all come to love. Again, it's hard to emphasise just how bizarre all this is since it's common knowledge by this point, but if you don't already know, this is baffling. What's going on? Why is Susan so against it? What's her Grandfather done, and why has it rendered the two teachers unconcious? This is as gripping and engaging as you could possibly ask for.

As it turns out, it appears the TARDIS has moved away from London and appeared in a desolate wasteland, with a strange figure approaching it. More questions! How has the TARDIS moved? Where are they now? Who is the mysterious figure? What's going to happen to the two teachers? All of which to be answered in the next episodes, as the credits role and that iconic music plays once again.

Watching it back now, it's surprising just how well the very first episode of the show holds up. The pacing is fantastic, the characters fully defined and played to perfection, the sets well designed and the story engaging. The length, a mere 24 minutes, means the story blasts along at a rapid pace and the audience is left at the end wanting more. It's a fantastic start to the show and a wonderful beginning to a franchise that's lasted far longer than anyone could have dreamed.

As for the rest of the story? We'll get to that next time.