Doctor Who: 10 Best First Doctor Stories
1. The Dalek Invasion Of Earth
The Dalek Invasion Of Earth is quintessential early Doctor Who. The return of the Daleks, this time landing on home territory. A memorable and engrossing premise. Infinitely quotable lines. The first companion departure, coupled with an iconic speech to go with it. For a first time viewer, it's all here.
In the far off future, the Daleks have launched a successful invasion of the planet Earth. No longer confined to their metal city, they were able to wipe out the majority of the human population and convert the survivors into Robomen, zombie-like slaves that carry out the Daleks bidding. The Doctor and his companions meet up with a resistance force that aim to repel the Daleks before they are able to complete their final plan: planting a bomb inside the Earth's core, thus rendering the planet unstable. The crew of the TARDIS split up as they aid different members of the resistance in fighting the Daleks, whose control of the entire planet brings with it a natural advantage, leaving the humans in dire straits.
In this story alone, there is a vast amount to discuss. After the praise and popularity that the Daleks earned following their first appearance, their reappearance less than a year later would have a been a massive deal back in 1964. By taking the Daleks from their home planet of Skaro and placing them next to iconic London landmarks, the fear that they manifested was quite literally brought much closer to home. The Dalek Invasion Of Earth also marks the first companion exit, as The Doctor leaves Susan behind with a resistance fighter once the Daleks have been defeated. The final speech that he gives to his granddaughter has gone down as one of the most memorable in the program's history, and has been re-quoted and reworked many times after the fact. Don't just find a clip of it on the internet, watch it in the context of the whole serial in order to get the full emotional impact of the Doctor's goodbyes.
Engaging, enjoyable and a tad tearful, this is Hartnell's era at its best.