Doctor Who: The Beginning (An Unearthy Child / The Daleks / The Edge of Destruction) |  | Actors: William Hartnell, William Russell, Jacqueline Hill, Carole Ann Ford
Studio: BBC Warner
Category: DVD
List Price: $37.98
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Rating:  65 reviews
Sales Rank: 5,866
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Discs: 3
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Running Time: 311 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.3 x 1.3
MPN: 794051248923
UPC: 794051248923
EAN: 0794051248923
ASIN: B000CNESV2
Theatrical Release Date: 1963
Release Date: March 28, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 03/04/2008
Amazon.com
The "unearthly" strains of Ron Grainer's soon-to-be-famous title music announced the arrival of Doctor Who to British TV screens on Saturday, November 23, 1963. It must have been quite a baffling experience for first-time viewers: the swirling abstract graphics, the weird electronic sound effects courtesy of the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, the very oddity of the show's title. This really was groundbreaking TV. "I think you'll find there's a very simple explanation for all of this", says schoolteacher Ian Chesterton (William Russell) condescendingly, shortly before being taken on board the TARDIS and transported to an alien planet. For audiences, too, this was something entirely unfamiliar, yet obviously appealing: Doctor Who ran for almost 30 years and remains one of the BBC's most popular shows. His later incarnations were all eccentric in their different ways, but William Hartnell's original Doctor is an irascible and distinctively alien character, not at all happy having to put up with ignorant 20th-century humans. The "Unearthly Child" of the title is his granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford), temporarily attending school on Earth. She is conspicuously different from her classmates and attracts the attention of two of her teachers who resolve to find out why. After an encounter with her mysterious grandfather they are whisked away on an adventure to a different time and place where angry cavemen are trying in vain to learn the secret of fire. Thus the show's trademarks are established from the outset: the Doctor and his more or less reluctant human companions, the mechanical unreliability of the TARDIS, the cliffhanger ending of each episode. It was a formula that rarely changed but that allowed apparently limitless variation, the only constraint being the BBC's budget. In later years the show tried vainly to compete with blockbuster special effects movies; but its original low-key incarnation relied more on inventive scenarios and good writing--qualities that are just as important now as then. --Mark Walker The Daleks (sometimes called "The Dead Planet") is the second-ever Doctor Who serial. First broadcast between December 1963 and February 1964, the seven-episode story ensured the program's success by introducing the Doctor's most iconic enemies. Five hundred years after a nuclear war has devastated the planet Skaro, the Doctor (William Hartnell), Barbara, Ian, and Susan materialize in a petrified forest where the pacifist, and decidedly camp, Thals face starvation. Our heroes visit a nearby city, the home of the last remaining Daleks, terrifyingly cold-blooded mutants encased in armed, pepper-pot-like shells, and become involved in a desperate battle for survival. Given a nightmarish atmosphere by Tristram Cary's surreal electronic score, The Daleks proved the template for many a future Doctor Who adventure. Hartnell's Doctor is a surprisingly self-serving hero and the ambitious storytelling, which reflects the Cold War fears of the time, belies a tiny budget. The remastered picture sometimes looks digitized, but this story, remade for the cinema as Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and starring Peter Cushing, is still both an effective, if at times unintentionally hilarious, entertainment and an essential piece of television history. A superior sequel, The Dalek Invasion of Earth, was screened in late 1964. --Gary S Dalkin One of the rarest of the early Doctor Who series, with William Hartnell as the crusty old Doctor, Edge of Destruction is entirely based in the TARDIS, which has stopped somewhere between worlds and times. The Doctor blames Ian and Barbara, the two teachers who came aboard in search for answers about his granddaughter, Susan, assuming they have committed sabotage in an attempt to return to their own time. They, in turn, in spite of recent shared escapes from Cavemen and Daleks, have no particular reason to trust his sanity. Something is causing one after another of them to act with violent irrationality, and the clock is ticking towards their destruction... This is a claustrophobic two-episode plot in which the series examines closely some of its more beloved assumptions. --Roz Kaveney
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 65
 It's about time! December 8, 2005
Dennis Maloney (New York USA)
42 out of 46 found this review helpful
Finally the first 3 William Hartnell stories released in 1 package. This is a great way to be introduced to the series. The 1st story 'An Unearthly Child' starts off great, the first 1 1/2 episodes are excellent then the story becomes a fairly cliched 'be captured, escape, be captured, escape again' type of story. It's worthwhile because it introduces all the concepts still being used in the series today-the TARDIS, the Doctor as an alien on the run from his own race, having human companions to give the series a human perspective.
Story 2-'The Daleks'. What more can be said about this? We wouldn't be watching Christopher Eccleston or David Tennant today if not for this story. While we're on the subject of the Daleks-Hey BBC how about releasing Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker's Dalek stories soon?
Story 3-'Inside the Spaceship'-an interesting little 'bottle' show using only the 4 main characters and the TARDIS set. This story gets into the psychology of the characters and resolves the issue of distrust among the TARDIS crew, leaving them as a strong and friendly group.
I've also heard there will be a telesnap reconstruction of the 4th story 'Marco Polo' in this set as well. I listened to the audio version of this story and it's great. It's a real shame that this story no longer exists.
Thank you BBC for putting out such a great package!
Worth The Price for the Extras Alone April 1, 2006
ROBERT W. SAINTJOHN (San Francisco, CA)
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
Most who buy this set will do so because they are, after all, the first three stories of this series, and classics for that fact alone more than the actual content. Others have said a great deal about the stories themselves better than I might, so all I'll add is that the one of the great triumphs of this set is the brilliant work done by the BBC Restoration Team (VidFIRE is just amazing). I've never seen these stories look and sound so clean before; in fact, I don't think I've ever seen a video production (vs film) from this time period look so good.
But the real hidden treasures on these discs are the EXTRAS. There are hours of specials and interviews in this set that dig into the origins of the series and these stories in a way that has only been done before in books by the likes of Jeremy Bentham, Howe-Stammers-Walker and so on. Of particular note is the absolutely fantastic and engrossing special, "Doctor Who Origins". Steve Roberts is to be commended for this unprecedented look behind the the scenes at the year leading up to the production of the first serials. The absolute wealth of photos, footage, BBC memoes and interviews that exist in this special alone are worth the price of the entire set. I've loved and followed this show since the 70s, but this was the first time I felt that I'd really been taken back to 1962-63 and given a glimpse of the wonderful people and unsung heroes that brought this show to our screens. This special was almost immersive, and had me at times giggling like a child, feeling a chill up my spine, and at one or two points almost tearing up. It's not just a DVD extra, it's a historical archive, and I feel so fortunate to have it as a permanent addition to my library. Attentive viewers will also see a remarkable amount of similarity to the choices made in the original series, and the new series now about to begin its second season.
Another extra is a wonderful 5.1 remix "music video" of the original Doctor Who theme by Ron Granier as realised by Delia Derbyshire and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. The theme has never sounded so good, and kudos to Mark Ayres for breathing new life into this immortal theme tune once again. There's also a wonderful special -- "Masters of Sound" -- on the Radiophonic Workshop itself, which did so much in terms of sound effects and music for DW over the years. Again, a real historical document, and brilliantly written and directed.
Scattered throughout the extras are interviews with and great insights from those who were there: Verity Lambert (who steals my heart when I see her at the age of 27!), Sydney Newman, directors Waris Hussein (who is a delight to listen to) and Richard Martin, and of course actors Carole Ann Ford (Susan) and William Russell (Ian). I'm sure all of these people must have tired over the years of talking about the show, but you'd never know it watching this. I'm amazed everyones' memories are so sharp 43 years later!
One disc has a set of very funny comedy sketches, including a few with actor/writer (DW and "League of Gentlemen") Mark Gatiss. Do not miss the hilarious "The Pitch of Fear" and "The Kidnappers"!
There's even a audio/still photo recreation of the story "Marco Polo", one of the sadly "lost" episodes of DW. So you're not just getting 3 stories plus extras; more like 4 stories plus history! This release, possibly more than anything else in my collection, is what the DVD format is all about. It will be a hard one for BBC Video and the Restoration Team to ever top.
Back to where it all began. April 8, 2006
JKO (New York, NY USA)
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
With Doctor Who back on our screens after a long rest, it's highly appropriate that BBC Video have taken the opportunity to remind everyone where it all started with this DVD package. However, if you've fallen under the spell of Christopher Eccleston & David Tennant's portrayals of the mysterious Time Lord in the new adventures, you may find the roots of the long running show a little bit on the dull side! It certainly serves as a reminder as to how TV production has changed in forty plus years!
The Beginning Collection takes us all the way back to November 1963 when Doctor Who first aired on Britain's BBC TV in its traditional Saturday evening slot. This set of three discs (in two cases) brings the first four stories from the show's forty-two year history back to life and explains the origins of the format that led to the world's longest running sci-fi TV show.
Not that it was all sci-fi based. The first story - An Unearthly Child aka The Tribe of Gum otherwise aka 100,000 BC - features the original crew of the TARDIS going back into ancient Earth history to deal with a tribe of cavemen desperate to rediscover the secret of fire. But that was always the intention of the show; to educate as well as to entertain and for the first four years of it's life, the stories regularly took the time travelers back in time as well as way into the future and into other worlds. The second story - The Daleks aka The Mutants - was the first story to be set in outer space on an alien world and was the kick start to the ratings phenomena that lasted for twenty six years; introducing the evil Dalek race who in many ways became as popular in their own right as the Doctor himself. The third installment is the two part adventure featuring only the original four-handed cast and set entirely within the Doctor's space and time machine - The TARDIS - variously known as Inside the Spaceship, The Edge of Destruction and Beyond the Sun. Alas, the fourth installment in the show's history, an adventure featuring Marco Polo's trek across Cathay, has long been wiped from the video archives. Thankfully, the soundtrack still exists, as do many still photographs, and the disc producers have put together a montage of the two to recreate a thirty minute version of the story on these discs. In view of the systematic wiping of tapes carried out by the BBC in the 1970's, this recreation is probably the closest we'll ever come to the real thing.
Indeed, as almost always with the Doctor Who releases, it's the extras and the restoration work that makes these discs so worthwhile. The two surviving members of the original cast, Carole Ann Ford and William Russell Enoch (who played the Doctor's grand-daughter Susan and her science teacher Ian Chesterton) both have come together once more to provide fascinating commentary on several of the episodes, along with the show's original producer Verity Lambert and directors' Waris Hussein, Christopher Barry and Richard Martin. Despite how long ago it all took place, their memories are quite sharp and very clear, although they only commentate on selected episodes, thus avoiding any embarrassing silence as the thoughts dry up! There are several documentaries regarding the creation of the show, the original design elements, music, special sound and effects and some comedy sketches from the Little Britain team to enjoy amongst many other special inclusions. Also added is an Arabic soundtrack of episode two of the third story!
Possibly the most interesting `extra' is the inclusion not just of the pilot episode of the show, but also the alternative takes that all miraculously still exist. More than anything, this exceptional look at what `might have been' gives real insight into the creation of Doctor Who and how it developed before being broadcast to the unsuspecting UK audience. The pilot is actually included twice on the disc. Immediately preceding episode one in its `final' format and again separately in its first take with all the alternative filming, narrated by Verity Lambert and Waris Hussein. Overkill perhaps, but worth it for the fans. It's true that all the episodes (including the pilots) have been released on VHS tape in the last decade or so, but here they been meticulously restored, remastered and "VidFired" to bring them back to almost original broadcast quality. Some of the footage in The Daleks isn't quite up to the standard of the other episodes, but that's understandable based on the quality of the remaining tapes.
Just as Christopher Eccleston brings the ninth Doctor to life on US TV and David Tennant begins his reign as the tenth in the UK, it's great to see William Hartnell's original Doctor making its first tentative steps into the TV world. As noted in the commentaries, Hartnell was almost alone in having enormous faith in the show, believing it would run for five years. How wrong can you be?
The birth of a legend December 15, 2005
Andrew J. Walko III (Clementon, NJ)
21 out of 24 found this review helpful
After years of delays (these three stories were originally supposed to be a VHS box set in 1999), we're getting what hordes of Doctor Who fans have been waiting for--a meticulously restored, extras-laden DVD release of the first three serials from 1963-64. These three stories encompass the 13 episodes that the series was originally commissioned for, before being quickly renewed due to the sensation caused by the first appearance of the Daleks in the second story (the series went on to run for 26 years).
This set, however, might not be the best starting place for neophytes unless they're fans of things like 1930s movie serials like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. Yes, early Doctor Who is in black and white, features early-60s TV production values, and, while Doctor Who DVDs are among the most painstakingly restored archive television product available, the ravages of time and poor storage on the source material may put off viewers who are unused to watching vintage TV. For anyone who's already a fan, however, what we have here is the answer to a lot of people's prayers, emails, and letters to the BBC.
The Real Doctor Who March 5, 2006
G. Kanes (England)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have the UK Region 2 version of this boxset and I see no difference in content in the Region 1 version. The contents of the set are as advertised and they are a must for every Doctor Who fan. I would start watching the DVDs with the uncut version of the Pilot Episode. Apart from being a look at how British television production worked in the early 1960s it gives an insight to the problems and tribulations involved in the making of a new, different type of program for children.
There is a 25 minute cut version of the origional pilot episode which is interesting when compared with the refilmed version which was origionally aired in 1963. The following episodes of An Unearthly Child are about their first adventure with the cave dwellers. A little hard to watch these days when we are spoilt with visual effects and superbs sound. They are however historically interesting as they show how the Doctor and his companions are developed. There has been a lot of critisism of the character of Susan Foreman as the Doctor's niece, but I think she was essential to the programs success.
The second disc is a must! The first look at the Daleks. Yes its true we did hide behind the chairs when the daleks came on, and I had numerous dreams about saving the earth from the Daleks. We even ran around the playground being Daleks.
The third disc The Edge of Destruction is one for the adults. It gives an insight into the importance of the TARDIS and its secret hidden powers. You 'MUST' watch this before you see the new Doctor Who series.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 65
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