[Gothmogxx]

I'm ill right now but Jon Pertwee has saved it from being a depressing experience.

Yep I'm FINALLY at the first Golden Age of Doctor Who. I've had a couple weeks break but I felt the time was right to start it again yesterday: I'm already at The Ambassadors of Death Episode 2! It feels consistently good now. The 60's was good but (ignoring the fact that some don't exsit) I do feel there are times where I had to sit through a few weaker stories in a row to get to either or good one, great one or outright masterpiece (yeah the first three Hartnell's aren't very good bar both episode 1's from An Unearthly Child and The Daleks. As for The Edge of Destruction. Ugh 2 episodes in two sittings and it honestly felt easier binge watching all 10 episodes from The War Games from much later on. Marco Polo is completely missing and its still light years ahead of all three of its predecessors).

But on Pertwee.

Spearhead From Space. I'll get it out the way: its a straight 10/10 already. (as is The Silurians. Again I binge watched all 7 of them today. Its easy with this team under creative control of the program) I considered a 9 but... There's no problems with it.

I mean what's to improve? The Autons are amazing here, very creepy but also an actual threat. No lumbering around here, all sprinting or just strolling. That high street attack is easily one of the most startling in the series. Bystanders getting struck down is very unsettling (and, although I haven't seen Rose in years, I did watch it a lot back in the day and I don't remember the similar scene being anywhere near as good). Channing is fantastic and you really don't know what to make of him. Great introduction to a new Doctor: It's amazing to think that Pertwee is pretty much his Doctor by the end, he nails it very quickly, making it his own. Hartnell and Troughton, great as they are, took more time.

Spearhead is the proof that change is the shows greatest asset. After all, this could have been a complete disaster -- where The Power of the Daleks keeps things more safe with Ben and Polly and the Daleks, established companions and the top villain, Spearhead throws the viewer off the deep end and jumps after it. Its a mystery.

It's also a break with the norm. For six years the formula was as follows: the TARDIS crew turn up some exposition is laid out, and the story begins. The Web of Fear out of all of them was the only exception, which mainly side lines the TARDIS crew for Episode 1 -- drawing instead on other familiar characters and villains we have already seen, such as Professor Travers and the Yeti. That idea is replicated here but done better, with the Brigadier in the role of Travers. It's an important tool to build a show that is more than just the Doctor. The Doctor is merely the observer, going from planet to planet or defending the Earth. The show needs other advantages and cards to play to make it work. This is a role UNIT will continue to fulfill until Terror of the Zygons in 1975 as proper UNIT and not until 1989 again (yeah it needs the Brig, at least in the classic series. Seeds of Doom didn't really need him or UNIT so it isn't an issue but Android Invasion did. I admit I could be misjudging it having not seen in in 6 years but it didn't leave a good impression. Its the only Season 13 story I haven't re-watched. But i'll get there in the months ahead).

So... Yeah its a perfect start. It had to be. Cancellation was still an issue at the time but it proved it had a lot of power left and then some. An easy 10/10.