Doctor Who - Series 1 (2005)
Hey guys and welcome back to the lab!
Long time no post (See what i did there), hope everyone is keeping safe and well and following all the guidelines - Wear a mask!.
Today’s post is the first in a new series for the lab titled ‘Looking Through The Vortex’, as per my last post, i am a very big Doctor Who fan, so this regular series will be going back through each new series of Doctor Who since 2005, looking at what worked, what didn’t, speaking about the story and its actors and much more, starting today with Series 1 (2005).
So Let’s look through the vortex (Again, see what I did there).
Safe to say Spoilers are to follow!
Back in 2005, Doctor Who blasted back onto our screens with new writers, new doctor, a new companion; a new TARDIS and a whole lot of new adventures to go on. Unlike classic who there was one big difference upon the series' return. The Doctor was now the last of his kind due to the Time War that took place offscreen, this was to explain the series absence during its 16 year hiatus (Except for one film in 1997).
The Ninth Doctor (Played by Christopher Eccleston) burst onto our screens in the episode titled ‘Rose’ (Written by new showrunner Russel T Davies) where The Doctor encounters his new companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). The Doctor we meet is charming, friendly, yet also with a dark side, a side that can almost be linked to one of grief. The Doctor has seen and done a variety of things he greatly regrets since we last saw him. We learn he was the one who ended the Time War by destroying his home planet and everybody on it. To learn this is a shock, yet it clearly shows why The Doctor is the way he is in this series, he carries this fresh guilt with him throughout his run.
Casting Christopher Eccleston as The Ninth Doctor, for me, is a stellar casting, he carries the role with such gravitas and charisma whilst also showing the more haunting and darker side of The Doctor on his adventures, a man burdened by guilt yet still doing his best to save the day, however, the breakout star in this series is Billie Piper as Rose. We watch Series 1 through her eyes, a 19 year old girl, living on a council estate just wanting to see the universe. We see her fall in love with this new lifestyle and we grow to love the relationship she has with The Doctor. Billie can go from conveying joy and excitement to desperation and despair in a single scene and it really is amazing to see on screen.
Thanks to the show's new showrunner (Russell T Davies), the show came back with strong episodes that will still haunt people to this day, but what really stands out from Series 1 is the story arc. A story arc is important for all shows and how it is executed is critical. In Series 1, the words ‘Bad Wolf’ keep appearing, but only subtly, whether it be a mention in episode 3, sprayed onto the side of the TARDIS in episode 5 or even mentioned as a throwaway line of dialogue in episode 6. It sticks in the audience's mind, so when the finale rolls around and we find out just how vital the words are, and learn how it has been a major story arc tying Rose and The Doctor together all this time, it blows audiences away, learning all of these subtle hints have been building up to a climactic ending that leaves each viewer on the edge of their seats. It's an unforgettable moment and It’s all thanks to the writing of the series. It's a testament to how strong series 1 is for the show.
Series 1 also comes with some truly standout episodes and two-parters. One that stands out however is the two parter of “The Empty Child & The Doctor Dances”. If you’re unsure as to which episodes these are, just think about the antagonists, the gas mask zombies. Seeing those when you’re only seven years old is truly frightening and yet absolutely remarkable. Such a simple kind of antagonist whose single line of dialogue (“Are you my mummy?”) haunted viewers for years to come, it’s what the show does best. However, for me, the standout episodes of the entire season is the finale ‘Bad Wolf & The Parting of the Ways’.
When these episodes came around, I simply remember the buzz that surrounded it, everybody was talking about it. The show had come back onto screens 11 weeks prior and had done far better than anyone had thought it would, it was funny, it was adventurous and yet it was also dark. The finale packed everything we loved about the series into two 45 minute episodes. For Context, The Doctor and Co are transported to Satellite five and have to take part in deadly game shows set up by The Doctors foes, The Daleks. The finale was also the last we would see of Christopher Eccleston's incarnation of the character. We see The Doctor relive the trauma of the time war in his final battle culminating in him sacrificing himself to save Rose which results in his regeneration.
It is a lot too pack into a finale, and yet it does it with grace, it keeps audiences on the edge of their seats throughout both episodes. When Part 1 finished and there was a week's wait, everyone was talking about it, it was in the papers and on the news. For me, these two episodes are the strongest of the season due to a variety of reasons, the writing; the music; the spectacle, but most importantly, the performances. The performances of the shows leads in both episodes is astounding, from Billie Piper’s Rose braving herself against the Daleks; John Barrowman's bravado as Captain Jack Harkness to Christopher Eccleston's Doctor facing his regeneration with bravery rather than fearing it, the performances and finale stands out as one of the strongest in the show's history.
You may not watch the series, but if there is any standout moment you should watch I would highly recommend a moment in episode 1 ‘Rose’. She ask The Doctor who he is, his response:
‘Do you know like we were saying? About the Earth revolving?, It's like when you're a kid. The first time they tell you that the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it 'cos everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at 1,000 miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at 67,000 miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go... That's who I am.’
That moment is when I fell in love with this series and this show. It’s such a simple scene, yet when paired with the music and performance, it's a scene that sticks in your mind for years to come. If you don't watch the entire show, then watch this scene, you wont regret it.
For the shows big comeback, Series 1 had it all, it had love and warmth and yet also heartbreak and despair. It’s leads were great and the stories were strong and it had packed it all into 13 episodes. Series 1 put the show on a path to greatness. I cannot recommend it highly enough and I look forward to talking about further series in the coming months!
There you have it, our first look back, this series will be semi-regular, with its next post being about Series 2 in a few weeks time. Normal posts will also resume next week so look out for that too!
Comment below your thoughts, do you agree or disagree? Why?
Is there anything you want to see being spoken about next?
Until then, Keep safe and well, look out for each other.
Thanks for the Support.
Harry