Why you Forgot About it: It's the 2-episode stopgap with a quick companion pickup in the 60's Why You Should See It (Again): Need some quick-fix Hartnell? This is the place. OK. So to get this out of the way: If you've never seen William Hartnell as the Doctor, then this isn't the place to start. That's episode 1 of "An Unearthly Child", and it's justly legendary. It's the perfect introduction to the Doctor, his TARDIS, and perfectly sets up the companions too (Ian, Barbara, and his granddaughter Susan). It's 25 minutes, so it doesn't force too much on New Series fans who wonder how anyone could suffer through 5 episodes of "The Keys of Marinus", much less 6 episodes of "The Reign of Terror" - There aren't even any aliens! It's just a bunch of French people being rude! Want to see some more Hartnell? But afraid you can't take more than an hour and a half of Aztec history and names like Tlotoxl? This is the place - "The Rescue" is about 45 minutes long, New Series fans - That's shorter than "The Bells Of St John", and it's better paced and introduces a companion without shortchanging anything important - like the plot. Hartnell is firing on all cylinders here, and for good reason - The show was at an all-time popularity high, and the scripts were either solid character pieces ("The Crusade", "The Time Meddler") or outright blockbusters ("The Dalek Invasion of Earth"). His granddaughter had been left behind for her own good and love last story, and Hartnell starts out strong by missing her and trying to hide his sadness from mainstays Ian and Barbara - Anyone who thinks Tennant and Smith introduced separation pathos that lasts more than an episode to the show can think again - This Doctor is gutted, but is trying to bluff these two as best he can. Cue Vicki! A more successful "young girl" companion than Susan (She was more consistently written, it's not Carol Ann Ford's fault), Vicki is stranded aboard a shipwreck on the planet Dido with a crippled crewmember, Bennett. They're holding out for a rescue ship, but a menacing native alien, Koquillion, may finish them - and the TARDIS crew - off first. Look, this is the best "second story" of Hartnell for anyone who looks at SEVEN episodes of "The Daleks" and just says, "Uh, no". The Doctor is totally on his game the minute they land, even charmingly musing that maybe he can fool Ian and Barbara into thinking he MEANT to go to Dido - before he tuts himself into remembering that he slept through the landing. Obviously, Vicki joins the crew - So it doesn't spoil anything to say that the Doctor's upsell of travelling with him is totally charming, and more natural than anything Martha, Rose, Amy, or Clara got. Hartnell may not ooze sex appeal, but he doesn't need it - He's the original madman with a box, and he charms on that alone. He doesn't NEED to seduce his fellow travellers, the wonders of this charismatic man and travels through time and space are more than enough. Alan Moore (of Watchmen and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) once dismissed the Doctors after Hartnell as "paedophiles". Considering Hartnell brought Vicki on board and avoided this charge is a tribute to how great he was in the role. He just doesn't succeed at charm though, he solves the mystery of Koquillion and does more than Smith's done lately in 45 minutes - at almost twice his age. That's not to disparage Matt Smith - his episodes are more easily digestible than his predecessor, and he does a fine job in the role. But Hartnell had this down, and if sitting down for more than two hours is all that's stopping you from finding out why, then start at "The Rescue". It's fast-fix Hartnell, and better than it's given credit for.
In a parallel universe where game shows' final jackpots and consequent fortunes depend on knowledge of obscure music trivia and Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker Doctor Who episodes, I've probably gone rich, insane, and am now a powermad despot. But happily we're not there, so I'm actually rather pleasant. Really.
