End of Two Eras

Alien planets. Monochrome sets. Childlike companions. Daleks - and Cybermen, perhaps more so. I've come to the end of two eras: Patrick Troughton's time in the role of Doctor Who, and the wider time-frame of the 1960s. For the last couple of years I've been watching these shows in order, and now I'm embarking on a whole new series in a whole new style. It's a lot to let go of.

I've never been a very great fan of the Third Doctor, and I've always been hugely fond of the 1960s in general. These statements are linked very clearly, because everything about the Third Doctor's years is basically antithetical to the years of Voords and Quarks, the days of flight through eternity, of grand follies like the Web Planet of Vortis or the burning of Rome all in Studio 2D for less than the price of a bag of mint imperials.

The Third Doctor is a fighter, not a thinker - dapper, not a scruff. He works with the military, hangs out with the establishment, and has all the mystery of Superman (and twice of the cape, you might say). Is he (dramatic chord) Doctorish at all?

And is this going to be the worst summer's telly viewing ever?

Watching the first two Doctors in order was both a pleasure and a revelation. Before I began, I would probably have pinpointed Patrick Troughton as my absolute favourite, and more than that - as the absolute typical Doctor, with the series crystallising into something that is familiar across twenty-six years, plus fifteen years of books, and then nine years of TV again.

I absolutely fell in love with Hartnell's era, though. It's the only point in the whole series when the Tardis does what it should - goes to the future, the past, the present day, and sideways too. It's a time when we really care about the companions, when the actors are always slightly revelling into being the most mundane sci-fi heroes ever. A time of rampant invention.

Things settle down with Troughton, I've realised. We get patterns, types, and an increasing reliance on formula. Some of it's brilliant, but little of it would come alive without Troughton himself, and occasionally you catch him looking bored. It's still an incredible mass of scary, charming, sometimes surreal and totally unique stories.

What will I discover about Jon Pertwee, now that we're moving into a new world (almost literally) and a bold new style? The funny thing is, while I've never been a fan of his Doctor, I'm fascinated by his oddness - fascinated by the way he does, of course, remain Doctorish. He is quintessentially Doctorish, somehow. When I was a child in the early 90s, Pertwee was the only actor who seemed to take pride in his association with the role. His stories were repeated and somehow 'in the air'. He was, is, and always will be Doctor Who.

Some of his stories are favourites of mine, too. Spearhead from Space. Terror of the Autons. The Curse of Peladon. He's also the Doctor I've seen least of. The Daemons. The Time Monster. All still to see.

I've never been a fan of the Third Doctor, but I'm a Doctor Who fan - I have no choice. I love it all, and I'm fascinated by what I don't love. And I'm really - really - excited about this new era of Doctor Who.

Grown-up companions. Sergeant Benton. Car chases. The Master. Silurians. Pointing. I hope you'll join me in this new era, and my adventures with the Dandy...