“I’d hate to see what 7-part version of The Edge of Destruction looked like.” Well let’s give it a go, shall we? Part 1: The Edge of Destruction Part 2: The Brink of Disaster Part 3: The Border of Calamity Part 4: The Verge of Annihilation Part 5: The Clutch of Sanity Part 6: The Point of Desperation Part 7: The Beginning’s End
Hartnell's speech when he realises what's happening, where he says 'We are at the very beginning...' is phenomenal. Hartnell delivers it so well I was stunned. He looks both mad and passionate at the same time, his eyes are alight
Moments like these are critical to the 1st Doctor: he just wanted to explore and experience. But circumstances (and Barbara & Ian) forced him to be the hero, too. That journey is a more interesting arc than any other classic Doctors.
Moments such as the first Doctor apologizing to Barbara and saying her is valuable are truly what makes him my favorite. Although he has a rough exterior, he is a good person deep down, and this story is truly the first step on his character arc.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love seeing the first doctor's era because, even though this probably wasn't intentional, it really reads as a time lord child growing up and maturing
They clarify that the TARDIS (and the fault locator) doesn't think the machine is at fault, it thinks the crew are (Barbara explicitly states this). It thinks the Doctor is keeping the switch pressed. Hence the ship's telepathic attempts to warn or divert the crew, showing them clearly their destination if he doesn't let go of the blummin' switch!
It's one of the greatest DW stories ever. In my 1st ever watching of the classic era, this was my favourite classic story up until Timelash. I love this story so much. I think it's electric. It's like a reverse Midnight where the Doctor is the one who is unreasonably suspicious of the companions.
tho i can't stand the Doctor being insistent that he was being purely logical and Barbara was using her illogical womanly intuition... the Doc is such a dick in this episode and his apology at the end feels riddled with misogyny. I kinda hate how Barbara just sits there and accepts the apology as he tells her how irrational she is.
11:48 I'm surprised you didn't give this scene any technical praise as it's such a good looking shot. The camera slowly moving towards Hartnell in centre frame with occasional flickering lights behind look incredibly striking. It's probably one of my favourite shots from the Hartnell era.
Well the Hartnell-Thon 'That's what I'm calling from now on' continues on with the first two part story in the show, And of course it won't be the last one that happens in the classic series.
Literally just finished reading this Target novel. It's a fave of mine is this story, and as i was thinking as i was reading it, possibly the only tardis based story. Also, the sticky spring thing, to me, is totally believable speaking as a casual mechanic. The times i have had massive trouble due to something stupid like a dud contact or stuck switch, i totally get that.
@@ejud2001 Quite! Years ago when I was working on helicopters we had one with a persistent, but intermittent, fault in the main radio. It always worked fine on the ground but dropped out once airborne. We had replaced the transceiver numerous times,, tested the switches, run diagnostics on the aerials but nothing. Finally the Senior Engineering Officer had run out of patience and told me to draw a flight suit and helmet and go up to try and identify the fault in flight. Since I had no desire to do anything of the sort (if only because the chance of actually being able to carry out any fault finding while aloft was minimal at best) I pulled the manuals again and went through the whole wiring harness line by line. . . only to discover a faulty antenna relay accessible only by jacking up the aircraft and removing the belly panel. Worked fine sitting on the ground but at the slightest vibration (say when flying a helicopter!) the contacts started chattering. In the 20 years the aircraft type had been in service I could find no record of this part failing before.
@@MrPaulMorris When I was an electronics tech in the Navy, and we'd get a call from the Radio room, first question was always, "Have you checked the O-N-O-F-F switch?" :)
Comment for the algorithm: I was thinking of this story as setting the precedent for when the TARDIS communicated telepathically with Rory in _The Doctor's Wife_
5:55: "You're the cause of this disaster! And your both mmhmmgmhmsdgttmmhmhgmgmhmhmhmgamamdgmahgm unconsious!" I know we like to joke about this, but I find it extremely cute that they had to keep bloopers like this in the final broadcast due to budget.
don't forget, these old Dr Who's were never meant to be seen as whole stories. TV was seen as ephemeral, these episodes were only meant to be viewed once and not as a complete compendium to be viewed as a whole, it would be 20 years before home recording was cheaply available to the public, or the BBC releasing whole stories on home video. The production team were far more concerned with making one coherent 25 minute episode per week rather than crafting a perfect 2 or 4 (or whatever) part story.
Mr. TARDIS I would also argue that Edge of Destruction is not only one of the most influential stories of the Hartnell Era but also of the series in general considering how much the later 'NuWho' (I hate that term) was also influenced by it.
I was really surprised by this episode. I watched it for the first time only a couple weeks ago not expecting much out of it, but I came away feeling that it's one of my favorite stories in Hartnell's first season. Pretty good for a budget filler, and exceptional as a story in general.
You just resurrected that episode for me. Not by explaining the budget problems, but by putting it into the context of character development, and, dare I say, filling in a few of the "lines" that should have been there. Well done.
The concept of a "Ship in a Bottle episode" has been a staple of science fiction, since it lets you film a story using only the primary set while you set up for other episodes.
Parts of this story work very well. Others make no friggin' sense. For example, the very idea that ian and Barbara would sabotage the ship that they hope to return home in to get the Doctor to return them home. And if they had somehow done that, they would start making demands at that point. They weren't making any demands, but the Doctor stuck to the theory anyway.
I first watched this story as part of a box set that also included an Unearthly Child and the Daleks, so I like to consider all three of them an unofficial trilogy with this as the capper.
I love the fast return switch reveal. It really adds a sense of danger to the Tardis itself, if a small mistake can cause all this, what would a big fault cause? An answer we received in The Pandorica Opens
Thank you for this review. I was very confused by and not sure what to think of this two-parter, and now it is my favorite so far (my wife and I are starting at the beginning and hope to go through it all in time). :)
This story did the best it could under the circumstances. I've heard that the cast were sometimes getting the script one page at a time and they were editing it themselves.
I can't help but notice similarities to Midnight, with the bottle episode aspect and making it at the last minute, and the fact that it's in a limited setting with a more psychological threat that is more an avenue for the character's own demons. Still sounds intriguing that such a pivotal yet small story isn't talked about as much though.
Great Review! I will say I do like The Edge of Destruction, and it reminds me of the 10th Doctor story Midnight. I remember Harbo Wholmes said you should never trust the smartest person in the room, and I can say I can see this point with this story. This story does deal with Fear and Paranoia.
Really do not like this story, I find it indecipherable and boring but after seeing this review I am going to go back and give it another chance. Thank you.
@@friendlyotaku9525 Indeed, 'condescending and patronising' is one of the Doctor's basic traits, regardless of gender. The depiction of the First Doctor in Twice Upon A Time rather ruined the episode for me.
I don't see the resolution as anticlimactic--it rings only too realistic to me as a former avionics technician! The handwritten label on the fast return switch to me just illustrates that the Doctor was still exploring the Tardis controls. One could imagine that, in time, the whole console might be covered in scrawled notes and memos.
This adventure truly proves the Tardis is bigger on the inside, and it is a shame he Tardis interior is woefully explored on modern Who. Classic Who even suggests the Time Lord capitol could be a decommissioned Tardis.
That seen with Susan and the scissors definitely wouldn't be in a family TV show today. Just like the scene in ET Elliot's brother and his mates outside with knives when Elliot comes in scared.
My headcanon for this episode is that whatever consciousness the TARDIS has (unbeknownst to the Doctor at that point) was doing all of that crazy stuff, in order to drive Ian and Barbara out, as it felt like they were intruders (much like the Doctor himself felt) Why it wouldn't / couldn't just kick them back to 1963, I do not have an answer for lol
I hate this story, but the actors are doing their damndest to save it. They don’t, but they give good performances, and Hartnell as always is still giving a fantastic performance.
Here’s a fan theory: We know now that the Tardis is sentient and capable of seeing all of time, so maybe it saw that the doctor was becoming far too vicious and paranoid about Ian and Barbara, foresaw a much darker timeline up ahead if he didn’t learn to embrace humanity and so engineered a situation where the switch would get “stuck” in order to create the ample conditions for these suspicions and antagonisms to be brought to the surface and dealt with; essentially putting itself in danger and risking death in order to ensure that the doctor, who would go on to save whole worlds and inspire countless people across the universe, could be created.
I think it was too early to mess around with established characterization like this. The story should’ve either been placed just before or just after The Sensorites.
The Story! Of 2 episodes.. can we please continue this way of recognition.. I can't help finding it annoying when people call each instalment an episode .. I mean back in the day each story came with several episodes and these days a story is usually just one episode.. so I get it but I still find it irritating 😂😉..and... I'd love a geeky boyfriend like you .. you're so cute 😍
Can we appreciate Jacqueline Hill's acting in that scene where Barbara snaps at The Doctor? Underrated actress of the time
“I’d hate to see what 7-part version of The Edge of Destruction looked like.”
Well let’s give it a go, shall we?
Part 1: The Edge of Destruction
Part 2: The Brink of Disaster
Part 3: The Border of Calamity
Part 4: The Verge of Annihilation
Part 5: The Clutch of Sanity
Part 6: The Point of Desperation
Part 7: The Beginning’s End
Wonderful absolutely wonderful😊
Hartnell's speech when he realises what's happening, where he says 'We are at the very beginning...' is phenomenal. Hartnell delivers it so well I was stunned. He looks both mad and passionate at the same time, his eyes are alight
When Hartnell saw the speech, he said " My God, it bloody Shakespeare" apparently 😳
Moments like these are critical to the 1st Doctor: he just wanted to explore and experience. But circumstances (and Barbara & Ian) forced him to be the hero, too. That journey is a more interesting arc than any other classic Doctors.
Moments such as the first Doctor apologizing to Barbara and saying her is valuable are truly what makes him my favorite. Although he has a rough exterior, he is a good person deep down, and this story is truly the first step on his character arc.
What this story lacks in cohesion it makes up for in atmosphere.
And Hartnells speech is just fantastic. Really intense.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love seeing the first doctor's era because, even though this probably wasn't intentional, it really reads as a time lord child growing up and maturing
I've always read it like that, too.
Honestly a miracle that the production team pulled this off and basically kept the show running
It's a testament to the four cast members that this story with no other characters (and no locations aside from the TARDIS) worked at all.
They clarify that the TARDIS (and the fault locator) doesn't think the machine is at fault, it thinks the crew are (Barbara explicitly states this). It thinks the Doctor is keeping the switch pressed. Hence the ship's telepathic attempts to warn or divert the crew, showing them clearly their destination if he doesn't let go of the blummin' switch!
It's amazing how far back in the show's history it's established the TARDIS is capable of thinking and communicating.
So basically the tardust was in on The this is all blanks Fault game
I really love the original tardis team
It's one of the greatest DW stories ever. In my 1st ever watching of the classic era, this was my favourite classic story up until Timelash. I love this story so much. I think it's electric. It's like a reverse Midnight where the Doctor is the one who is unreasonably suspicious of the companions.
tho i can't stand the Doctor being insistent that he was being purely logical and Barbara was using her illogical womanly intuition... the Doc is such a dick in this episode and his apology at the end feels riddled with misogyny. I kinda hate how Barbara just sits there and accepts the apology as he tells her how irrational she is.
@@LucyliciousDoccyWho More like alien lack of understanding of humans than misogyny, in any case he doesn't think Ian or Susan did any better.
11:48 I'm surprised you didn't give this scene any technical praise as it's such a good looking shot. The camera slowly moving towards Hartnell in centre frame with occasional flickering lights behind look incredibly striking.
It's probably one of my favourite shots from the Hartnell era.
Well the Hartnell-Thon 'That's what I'm calling from now on' continues on with the first two part story in the show, And of course it won't be the last one that happens in the classic series.
Literally just finished reading this Target novel. It's a fave of mine is this story, and as i was thinking as i was reading it, possibly the only tardis based story.
Also, the sticky spring thing, to me, is totally believable speaking as a casual mechanic. The times i have had massive trouble due to something stupid like a dud contact or stuck switch, i totally get that.
LOL! I agree! So many times it is some really stupid insignificant thing that has the whole works appetite over tin cup! :)
@@ejud2001 Quite! Years ago when I was working on helicopters we had one with a persistent, but intermittent, fault in the main radio. It always worked fine on the ground but dropped out once airborne. We had replaced the transceiver numerous times,, tested the switches, run diagnostics on the aerials but nothing. Finally the Senior Engineering Officer had run out of patience and told me to draw a flight suit and helmet and go up to try and identify the fault in flight.
Since I had no desire to do anything of the sort (if only because the chance of actually being able to carry out any fault finding while aloft was minimal at best) I pulled the manuals again and went through the whole wiring harness line by line. . . only to discover a faulty antenna relay accessible only by jacking up the aircraft and removing the belly panel. Worked fine sitting on the ground but at the slightest vibration (say when flying a helicopter!) the contacts started chattering. In the 20 years the aircraft type had been in service I could find no record of this part failing before.
@@MrPaulMorris When I was an electronics tech in the Navy, and we'd get a call from the Radio room, first question was always, "Have you checked the O-N-O-F-F switch?" :)
Comment for the algorithm: I was thinking of this story as setting the precedent for when the TARDIS communicated telepathically with Rory in _The Doctor's Wife_
I've always felt the same.
God, Hartnell STILL feels underrated after all these years. The performance here is, as you say, sublime.
5:55: "You're the cause of this disaster! And your both mmhmmgmhmsdgttmmhmhgmgmhmhmhmgamamdgmahgm unconsious!"
I know we like to joke about this, but I find it extremely cute that they had to keep bloopers like this in the final broadcast due to budget.
"You're both nuts and you're both not in the land I'm unconscious" according to the subtitles here XD
@@frankshailes3205 lmao
The blooper actually works in that context, since the Doctor is acting a bit hysterical due to his paranoia.
I personally Love This two Parter! There’s something about it I just adore! It’s probably the Harnell story I watch the most
I ADORE The Edge of Destruction.
Excellent review! A little gem of a story - flawed, maybe, but priceless! Thanks for devoting time to it here.
The way the Doctor grabs his lapels like a security blanket after Barbara tells him off 😂.
Such an underrated gem, this serial.
don't forget, these old Dr Who's were never meant to be seen as whole stories. TV was seen as ephemeral, these episodes were only meant to be viewed once and not as a complete compendium to be viewed as a whole, it would be 20 years before home recording was cheaply available to the public, or the BBC releasing whole stories on home video. The production team were far more concerned with making one coherent 25 minute episode per week rather than crafting a perfect 2 or 4 (or whatever) part story.
Very true and a lot of people tend to forget this or don't know as they tend to view media from the past with the attitude of today.
Mr. TARDIS I would also argue that Edge of Destruction is not only one of the most influential stories of the Hartnell Era but also of the series in general considering how much the later 'NuWho' (I hate that term) was also influenced by it.
And the idea of TARDISes being intelligent and telepathic and with some free will, also influenced 90s/00s spin-offs like Faction Paradox.
I was really surprised by this episode. I watched it for the first time only a couple weeks ago not expecting much out of it, but I came away feeling that it's one of my favorite stories in Hartnell's first season. Pretty good for a budget filler, and exceptional as a story in general.
Am I the only one who gets reminded a little of Midnight with this story?
I was eleven when I watched this in 1964 and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what on earth was going on!
Oh MrTARDIS, no need to thank me! Just getting to watch these amazing videos is reward enough.
And the soul of your first-born, as per the deal
This is one of my favorite stories
You just resurrected that episode for me. Not by explaining the budget problems, but by putting it into the context of character development, and, dare I say, filling in a few of the "lines" that should have been there. Well done.
Is it just me that gets serious midnight vibes from this episode. A truly an underrated gem.
It was also a prototype for Midnight.
The concept of a "Ship in a Bottle episode" has been a staple of science fiction, since it lets you film a story using only the primary set while you set up for other episodes.
Parts of this story work very well. Others make no friggin' sense. For example, the very idea that ian and Barbara would sabotage the ship that they hope to return home in to get the Doctor to return them home. And if they had somehow done that, they would start making demands at that point. They weren't making any demands, but the Doctor stuck to the theory anyway.
Also Richard Martin’s debut was part 3 of the daleks: the escape
I feel this two parter is what you get when you combine Midnights setup and Listens pay-off.
I'm glad you think of it as a "season finale" type story. I've always felt that.
I first watched this story as part of a box set that also included an Unearthly Child and the Daleks, so I like to consider all three of them an unofficial trilogy with this as the capper.
This story represents the average family get together at Christmas 🎄🤣
I like The Edge of Destruction
I love the fast return switch reveal. It really adds a sense of danger to the Tardis itself, if a small mistake can cause all this, what would a big fault cause? An answer we received in The Pandorica Opens
Thank you for this review. I was very confused by and not sure what to think of this two-parter, and now it is my favorite so far (my wife and I are starting at the beginning and hope to go through it all in time). :)
keep it up sir. While I may sometimes bore of your stream content it is totally worth it to ensure we get reviews like these. One of your best
Happy Hartnell-cember
This story did the best it could under the circumstances. I've heard that the cast were sometimes getting the script one page at a time and they were editing it themselves.
I’ve always loved this 2 parter! Yay for bottle episodes!
I can't help but notice similarities to Midnight, with the bottle episode aspect and making it at the last minute, and the fact that it's in a limited setting with a more psychological threat that is more an avenue for the character's own demons. Still sounds intriguing that such a pivotal yet small story isn't talked about as much though.
Simple, the Fault Locator was faulty. ;P
The Target novelisation of this was always one of my favourites when I was a kid.
1:36 Journey to the center of the TARDIS?
Gotta love stabby Susan lol!
Great Review! I will say I do like The Edge of Destruction, and it reminds me of the 10th Doctor story Midnight. I remember Harbo Wholmes said you should never trust the smartest person in the room, and I can say I can see this point with this story. This story does deal with Fear and Paranoia.
Really do not like this story, I find it indecipherable and boring but after seeing this review I am going to go back and give it another chance. Thank you.
Twice Upon A Time: *portrays the first Doctor as a sexist old man*
The first Doctor actually: 13:59
There are other instances where the first Doctor actually _does_ make condescending, patronising, if not downright sexist, comments to women.
@@ftumschk not just the first. Polly put the kettle on springs to mind... and some third, fourth and fifth Doctor lines..
@@ftumschk examples? I've seen his entire era and I don't remember any and condescending and patronising is not the same as sexism
@@friendlyotaku9525 Indeed, 'condescending and patronising' is one of the Doctor's basic traits, regardless of gender. The depiction of the First Doctor in Twice Upon A Time rather ruined the episode for me.
Would've thought you'd be subbed to BritBox.
I don't see the resolution as anticlimactic--it rings only too realistic to me as a former avionics technician! The handwritten label on the fast return switch to me just illustrates that the Doctor was still exploring the Tardis controls. One could imagine that, in time, the whole console might be covered in scrawled notes and memos.
I taped this on my VCR and watched it a few times, but could never figure out what was going on. Thanks for the explanation.
i'm a little confused - are the rate of these reviews going to increase as we get closer to christmas?
This year, it's going to be one review a week.
I love edge of destruction i love every story David Whittier wrote for classic Dr who he is such a good writer and script editor for classic Dr who
I think the first episde is great, very atmospheric and mysterious. The second episode, not so much.
This adventure truly proves the Tardis is bigger on the inside, and it is a shame he Tardis interior is woefully explored on modern Who. Classic Who even suggests the Time Lord capitol could be a decommissioned Tardis.
Can anyone on youtube make a video without bad background music?
That's the soundtrack for the episode.
@@MrTARDIS OK - I accept it. Thanks for letting me know.
It's hard to hear what people say when they have music in the background.
That seen with Susan and the scissors definitely wouldn't be in a family TV show today. Just like the scene in ET Elliot's brother and his mates outside with knives when Elliot comes in scared.
Yes , but if it was just because of a switch not working , what on earth was Susan doing with that pair of scissors by stabbing that chair ?
My headcanon for this episode is that whatever consciousness the TARDIS has (unbeknownst to the Doctor at that point) was doing all of that crazy stuff, in order to drive Ian and Barbara out, as it felt like they were intruders (much like the Doctor himself felt)
Why it wouldn't / couldn't just kick them back to 1963, I do not have an answer for lol
Did you not do a review for The Daleks?
I reviewed 'The Daleks' in 2019 as part of another review marathon. For this series, I'll be skipping the TV Dalek stories and 'The Tenth Planet'.
I remember watching when I was two.
I really like these stories where a lot of it is figuring out what's going on. Sapphire and Steel did this so well, but Doctor Who, not so much.
I kinda thought the episode would have Zagreus vibe, like a ghost possessing the crew and destroying time sort of story
So this is the first 'base under siege' story?
Richard Martin actually directed episodes 3, 6 and 7 of ‘The Daleks’ so this wasn’t his directorial debut
I hate this story, but the actors are doing their damndest to save it.
They don’t, but they give good performances, and Hartnell as always is still giving a fantastic performance.
Here’s a fan theory:
We know now that the Tardis is sentient and capable of seeing all of time, so maybe it saw that the doctor was becoming far too vicious and paranoid about Ian and Barbara, foresaw a much darker timeline up ahead if he didn’t learn to embrace humanity and so engineered a situation where the switch would get “stuck” in order to create the ample conditions for these suspicions and antagonisms to be brought to the surface and dealt with; essentially putting itself in danger and risking death in order to ensure that the doctor, who would go on to save whole worlds and inspire countless people across the universe, could be created.
I think it was too early to mess around with established characterization like this. The story should’ve either been placed just before or just after The Sensorites.
The Story! Of 2 episodes.. can we please continue this way of recognition.. I can't help finding it annoying when people call each instalment an episode .. I mean back in the day each story came with several episodes and these days a story is usually just one episode.. so I get it but I still find it irritating 😂😉..and... I'd love a geeky boyfriend like you .. you're so cute 😍
The story where it took two episodes to figure a switch was stuck 🥱
This whole story feels like a theatre of the absurd kind of setup
part 1 was just horror tho
Ahhh, we're skipping "The daleks" and dalek episodes aren't we?
Yeah, he's covered them before so isn't double dipping. I think we're meant to watch the dalekcember vids to fill in
@@michaeldallaway1988 imagine the fan base making him review them again that would be soooo evil, all that editing hehe 😈
I've seen bigger YT channels simply re-upload the past reviews in these cases.
@@theentity5201WE don't want another Dalek review where there's literally a bugger ton of review for a espisode that's not even a muti parter.
Just Enjoy William bill hartnell live is short from old jock .