There are two versions of the pilot episode of Doctor Who available. The first was never aired, but unusually a recording was kept by the BBC. The other, obviously, was used.
The episode opens with a policeman doing the rounds, checking the security of a scrapyard gate by the light of his lamp. As he moves away, the gate, which had been very securely fastened, creaks open to allow the camera to wander in and in the deep shadows stands an ordinary police phone box.
Cut to Coal Hill School, where two teachers have a problem. The problem is a fifteen year old girl, Susan, who makes them feel very uncomfortable. Susan is incredibly intelligent, knows more history and science than either of them, yet at the same time incredibly stupid- not knowing there are 240 pence to the pound, or how to solve simple 3D trig without dimensions d and e (time and space).
The teachers decide to have it out with Susan's guardian, her Grandfather. Doing so brings them to the same scrapyard we saw at the start. They watch Susan enter, follow and during the course of searching the yard come across an old man, but no Susan.
The old chap is decidedly rude and obstructive, refusing to allow them to look in the policebox where the teachers think he may have locked Susan, until Susan herself opens the door to find out why Grandfather was taking so long. Teachers bundle in to the box to find that things may not be quite what they seem. More arguments ensue at the end of which the Doctor virtually uses kidnap with menace to prevent the two teachers leaving again.
In terms of pure drama, both versions of the first episode are corkers.
Though for my money the unaired version has the edge and would have had children and parents, already on edge from the opening, scuttling for the safety of the sofa, not at the weeks alien nasty, but from the Doctor himself!
Hartnell managed to make himself totally alien as he poured on the scorn and disdain, to make the teachers (and twentieth century man) feel like the most base of primitive apes.
The actual aired version the Doctor was made much softer, though it has to be said much of the disdain was still there.
The episode opens with a policeman doing the rounds, checking the security of a scrapyard gate by the light of his lamp. As he moves away, the gate, which had been very securely fastened, creaks open to allow the camera to wander in and in the deep shadows stands an ordinary police phone box.
Cut to Coal Hill School, where two teachers have a problem. The problem is a fifteen year old girl, Susan, who makes them feel very uncomfortable. Susan is incredibly intelligent, knows more history and science than either of them, yet at the same time incredibly stupid- not knowing there are 240 pence to the pound, or how to solve simple 3D trig without dimensions d and e (time and space).
The teachers decide to have it out with Susan's guardian, her Grandfather. Doing so brings them to the same scrapyard we saw at the start. They watch Susan enter, follow and during the course of searching the yard come across an old man, but no Susan.
The old chap is decidedly rude and obstructive, refusing to allow them to look in the policebox where the teachers think he may have locked Susan, until Susan herself opens the door to find out why Grandfather was taking so long. Teachers bundle in to the box to find that things may not be quite what they seem. More arguments ensue at the end of which the Doctor virtually uses kidnap with menace to prevent the two teachers leaving again.
In terms of pure drama, both versions of the first episode are corkers.
Though for my money the unaired version has the edge and would have had children and parents, already on edge from the opening, scuttling for the safety of the sofa, not at the weeks alien nasty, but from the Doctor himself!
Hartnell managed to make himself totally alien as he poured on the scorn and disdain, to make the teachers (and twentieth century man) feel like the most base of primitive apes.
The actual aired version the Doctor was made much softer, though it has to be said much of the disdain was still there.
