Synopsis
A solid start by Avon
There are several Whovian traditions established, with possibly the most notable being the chameleon circuit; and the fact that it doesn't work. At the same time, there are also several points that would become much talked about discontinuities, such as Susan inventing the word "TARDIS". In fact, you could go on for quite some considerable time about them, bringing up things like the Doctor lighting up a pipe, or starting a stoning. While we fans are very quick to jump on these types of errors, in this case I believe we should be a bit lenient. We have to remember, there was no way that anyone involved in that first story could possibly imagine in their wildest dreams what it would become. Maybe if they had some inkling that this low budget children's programme, which nearly didn't get off the ground at all, would become a world wide phenomenon, they may have done things slightly differently. As it happens, I thought they did a pretty good job. Once the first episode is over, the story itself isn't all that exciting, but the emphasis from the second episode onwards seemed to be more on character development. The Doctor was probably never more alien than in that first episode, and Hartnell gives what I thought was one of his best performances. Ian, Barbara and Susan also manage to establish their characters to my satisfaction. The tribe as a whole weren't particularly awe inspiring, but I found that to be good, since it allowed more focus on the characters that would continue with the show, rather than having to decipher complex plots with characters you weren't used to yet.
The one problem I find hard to overlook in this story is Susan. In the first episode, Susan is presented as being just as mysterious as her grandfather, and Carole Ann Ford does a great job. Unfortunately, early in the second episode she degenerates into a blubbering mess and never really recovers right up until the time she leaves the show. Susan as a character had great potential, and apart from that first episode, that potential goes largely untapped, which is a shame. Luckily, Ian and Barbara are very well portrayed by William Russell and Jacqueline Hill, and I think set a good standard for all future companions to aim for.
While it is easy to be critical of a lot of things in this story, I choose to pick out the good points for the most part. I mean, without "An Unearthly Child", we may never have had a show to watch, and re-watch over again, with that hypnotic theme waking up the neighbours and annoying your family and friends. A solid start, and a story that would spawn so much more than just a simple television series.
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Cast |  |
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| The Doctor | William Hartnell | ||
| Susan Foreman | Carole Ann Ford | ||
| Ian Chesterton | William Russell | ||
| Barbara Wright | Jacqueline Hill | ||
| Za | Derek Newark | ||
| Hur | Alethea Charlton | ||
| Kal | Jeremy Young | ||
| Horg | Howard Lang | ||
| Old Mother | Eileen Way | ||
| Crew | |||
| Written by | Anthony Coburn | ||
| C. E. Webber (episode 1) | |||
| Music | Norman Kay | ||
| Make-up | Elizabeth Blattner | ||
| Costumes | Maureen Heneghan | ||
| Designer | Barry Newbery | ||
| Peter Brachacki (episode 1) | |||
| Script Editor | David Whitaker | ||
| Associate Producer | Mervyn Pinfield | ||
| Producer | Verity Lambert | ||
| Director | Waris Hussein | ||
| Transmission Details | |||
| Episode | Episode Name | Original UK Transmission Date | Duration |
| 1 | An Unearthly Child | 23 November 1963 | 23:10 |
| 2 | The Cave of Skulls | 30 November 1963 | 24:35 |
| 3 | The Forest of Fear | 7 December 1963 | 23:38 |
| 4 | The Firemaker | 14 December 1963 | 24:23 |
