| "Now, come along, come along..." |
*Doc-meter: Starting out as a mostly typical, holier-than-thou Time Lord, the Doctor quickly developed compassion and later genuine friendship. He grew to love his companions and his sharp remarks became teasing. An enthusiastic man and a hero. However, he always retained caution(something that the latest versions sorely lack), both in his head and outside. The Doctor always checked the scanner and he never, ever let the power of space and time get the better of his moral center.
*Favourite Story: The Dalek Invasion Of Earth(dated, but definitely his highlight)
*Favourite Companion: Sir Ian Chesterton, Knight of Jaffa.
*Favourite Enemy: The Meddler.
*Screwdriver: N/A. He does have a special ring that acts as pretty much the same thing though.
*Costume: Elegant, but practical. The slightly historical tinge is matched by his own alien nature. Perfect.
*Worst Story: Galaxy Four.
*Worst Companion: Ben Jackson.
*Worst Enemy: The Voord.
*Note: The First Doctor also appeared in the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors in 1983, but was played by Richard Hurndall. His version of the character was more sarcastic and stable(in terms of behavior) than Hartnell's, but retained the wisdom and edge that made the First Doctor so memorable. I thought it was a rather clever performance. 2018 edit: The First Doctor ALSO appeared in 2017's Twice Upon A Time, played by David Bradley. Bradley's performance was somewhat more doddery than Hartnell's and was infamously used to parody the 1960s attitudes that occasionally permeated Doctor Who in those.
Overall era: Highly experimental at times, the William Hartnell times were rather shifty. However, this variety only served to draw in a bigger audience and prove that Doctor Who can tackle anything it chooses(not succeed, but tackle). I loved it. Season 1 was by far the weakest. The little sets and the chaotic acting made it a rather claustrophobic affair. Season 2 was my favourite. It didn't go as far with the experimentation as Season 3 and maintained constant quality(hey, The Web Planet WAS cool). The Doctor was accompanied by his best companions and it was just the most fun.
Now there is just one more elephant in the room I must take on before I fully give myself to the Patrick Troughton era. Many things have been said about William Hartnell's flaws and vices both on-screen and off-screen, on video and in writing. My opinion of him hasn't been fazed by a single word.
The recently found interview of him allegedly upset a lot of people. Why? It might be that I myself am trying out acting, but his point of view about pantomime doesn't seem that hard to understand. Hartnell was always a prideful person who refused to let himself be seen as weak. Pantomime to him was people dancing around and making kids laugh. Not really something that he as a "character actor of the theatre" would find notable.
Then there's the talk about the racism. Doctor Who fans, have you seen Remembrance Of The Daleks or The Celestial Toymaker? Racism wasn't condemned back in the 60s. Sure, frowned upon, but not condemned. Hartnell grew up in an atmosphere that didn't care about such things. After all, isn't a man a sum of his memories?
For all this talk of what an irritable and hateful and a cheating man he was... well, I've read from an interview with his wife that he once had a pure gold TARDIS necklace made specially for her. I've seen a photograph of him relishing his grandchild. I've heard of him, absolutely needing to be the Doctor for five years because that's how long he said the series had the potential to last and his devastation when faced with cold reality that he couldn't. In a commentary, Carole Ann Ford gave a story of him trying to order her around and stopping her from drinking champagne and later honestly apologizing and bringing her a bottle for free.
And of course, the time when he came out of a car and was surrounded by all his young fans...
My point is that William Hartnell was a deeply flawed man, but he was a good man and that's all that matters now.
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