William Hartnell Movies

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Myth Makers," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions find themselves in the unenviable position of determining the outcome of the Trojan War. For the moment, only the life of the Doctor is safe, inasmuch as he has been mistaken for the Greek god Zeus. Meanwhile, Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) assumes the identity of a Trojan woman in hopes of finding a way out of this current dilemma. Written by Donald Cotton, "Small Prophet, Quick Return" first aired on October 23, 1965; unfortunately, this episode is no longer in existence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the seventh episode of the 12-part story "The Dalek Masterplan," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions are still locked in deadly combat with the dreaded Daleks. Though the fate of the universe hangs in the balance, the Doctor still manages to materialize in his favorite London police call-box, just in time to celebrate Christmas. Meanwhile, Steven (Peter Purves) misses an opportunity to bring the present Dalek campaign of terror to a sudden conclusion. Written by Terry Nation, "The Feast of Steven" originally (and appropriately) aired on December 25, 1965; this episode apparently no longer exists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the fifth episode of the 12-part story "The Dalek Masterplan," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions discover that their plan to thwart the Dalek's rampage of destruction is being undermined by a hidden enemy. But there's more -- the enemy in question is utterly invisible. It is up to the Doctor and Steven (Peter Purves) to battle what they cannot see to save the lives of their companions. Written by Terry Nation and originally telecast on December 11, 1965, "Counter Plot" is one of only two episodes from this story arc that are known to exist; the other one is episode ten, "Escape Switch." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The third season of Doctor Who began on September 11, 1965, with "Four Hundred Dawns," episode one of the four-part adventure "Galaxy 4." The TARDIS' arrival on the planet Galaxy coincides with the crash landings of spaceships carrying members of two alien races, the Rills and the Dravins. Knowing that the planet will explode within a matter of days, the two races battle over who will seize control of the TARDIS and escape -- which would spell the doom of the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions. This and the remaining three chapters of "Galaxy 4" were written by William Emms; unfortunately, except for a brief fragment, none of these episodes is presently known to exist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though much of the acting was good, it can hardly be said that the enormously popular British sci-fi television series Doctor Who suffered from a budget surfeit. For all the handicaps under which the show labored in its early years (threatened constantly by cancellation, strangled by budget overruns, almost toppled in the stylistic left turn involved when it went immediately from being an educational program to being an adventure series) it turned out remarkably well overall.
Doctor Who: The Hartnell Years is a fascinating tape because it manages, over its course, to provide insights into the beginnings of the show -- aside from Sylvester McCoy's sometimes blunt narration, there is the original recording of the pilot show, "An Unearthly Child." Rejected for being too harsh, with the Doctor portrayed almost as a villain, the original pilot is an intriguing curiosity for its differences. Originally, the producers were quite specific about the time and place from which the Doctor and his granddaughter hailed -- this was finally abandoned in favor of making the characters as mysterious as possible to the humans who stumbled into their lives, and the viewers who watched the show. The tape also includes a snippet from a show dubbed into Arabic -- while from a highly dramatic show, the mix of Hartnell's overdone acting and the frenetic Arabic dubbing is nothing short of hilarious. Also available for the curious are a couple of orphaned episodes, including the lone survivor from "The Crusades." Overall, an entertaining and fascinating release. ~ Steven E. McDonald, All Movie Guide

The TARDIS materializes in pre-Columbian Mexico, within the walls of an ancient tomb. Escaping, the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions -- Ian (William Russell), Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), and Susan (Carole Ann Ford) -- discover that the tomb was that of Aztec hight priestess Yetaxa, whose followers practice human sacrifice to honor their deity. The plot thickens when Barbara is mistaken for the reincarnation of Yetaxa. Written by John Lucarotti, the four-part adventure "The Aztecs" began on May 23, 1964, with this episode, titled "The Temple of Evil." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the four-part story arc "The Aztecs," the followers of high priestess Yetaxa are still convinced that Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) is the reincarnation of their deity. Accordingly, Barbara is forced to mete out punishment when her travelling companion Susan (Carole Ann Ford) -- now a mere handmaiden -- commits a grievous error. Meanwhile, Ian (William Russell) is appointed chief of the Aztec warriors (and is forced to defend his new title to the death), while the Doctor (William Hartnell) unexpectedly finds a romantic soulmate. Written by John Lucarotti, "The Bride of Sacrifice" first aired on June 6, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the seven-part story arc "The Daleks," the Doctor (William Hartnell), Ian (William Russell), and Susan (Carole Ann Ford) join forces to rescue Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) from the mutant Daleks. In his efforts to find out why the Daleks want to resume their nuclear war with the humanoid Thals, the Doctor discovers that the mutants need radiation to survive. Unfortunately, this will require the utter descruction of Skaro by a neutron bomb. Written by Terry Nation, "The Survivors" first aired on January 4, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the fifth episode of the seven-part story arc "The Daleks," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions are still faced with the twin dilemmas of escaping back to the 20th century and preventing the mutant Daleks from detonating a neutron bomb that will destroy the planet Skaro. With all but Susan (Carole Ann Ford) having fallen ill from radiation poisoning, it is left to Susan to return to the time-jumping TARDIS. Her journey is fraught with peril, but she receives unexpected assistance from a band of humanoids called the Thals. Written by Terry Nation, "The Expedition" first aired on January 18, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the seven-part story arc "The Daleks," the Doctor (William Hartnell), Ian (William Russell), and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) escape their Dalek captors with the help of Susan (Carole Ann Ford). Aligning himself with the humanoid Thals, the Doctor makes a last-ditch effort to prevent the Daleks from detonating a neutron bomb that will provide them with life-restoring radiation, but will also blast the planet Arko into bits. Written by Terry Nation, "The Rescue" originally aired on February 1, 1964. Since that time, "The Daleks" (aka "The Dead Planet" and "The Survivors") has been released on video in both episodic form and as a two-hour TV movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the two-part story arc "The Edge of Destruction" (aka "Inside the Spaceship"), the TARDIS has been thrown off course and its occupants are hurtled to the beginning of time, or, as the Doctor (William Hartnell) refers to it, Event One. In a surprising display of ill will, the Doctor, Ian (William Russell), Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), and Susan (Carole Ann Ford) take turns blaming one another for the present crisis. But as it turns out, the TARDIS itself is responsible -- and the "danger" at hand may actually be a blessing in disguise. Written by David Whitaker, "The Brink of Disaster" first aired on February 15, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the six-part story arc "The Keys of Marinus," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his friends are forced to locate four of the five keys needed to keep the dictatorial Conscience of Marinus in working condition. First stop for the time travellers is the mysterious city of Morphoton, where wishes -- and nightmares -- come true. The difficulties and dangers encountered herein are but a mild prologue of what is to come. Written by Terry Nation, "The Velvet Web" originally aired on April 18, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide