Story | Watch? | Details |
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Season 1 (1963—1964 )previous season ⬏next season ⬎ |
An Unearthly Child Story Number | 1 | Number of Episodes | 4 |
| Partial watch,only episode 1 | Synopsis | Two schoolteachers, Barbara and Ian, follow one of their students (Susan) home, only to discover a strange policebox in a junkyard... | Review | The last 3 episodes of this story are dry and difficult to watch. They have several repeated scenes, and the plot is not very interesting | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideThe Doctor, his grand-daughter Susan, Barbara, and Ian are all introduced in this story |
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The Daleks Story Number | 2 | Number of Episodes | 7 |
| Don't watch,this story is incredibly slow paced, so I can't recommend it, unless you really want to watch the origin of the daleks. | Synopsis | The Tardis crew land on the alien jungle planet Skaro, and are captured by a mutated race of people known as The Daleks... | Review | The main cast is fleshed out a lot in this story, and there is a lot of tension. But the pace is excruciatingly slow. | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideThe Daleks are introduced |
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The Edge of Destruction Story Number | 3 | Number of Episodes | 2 |
| Maybe | Synopsis | Something is wrong with the Tardis, and it seems like one of the crew has sabotaged the ship... | Review | Very tense and mysterious episodes – however the second episode drags on a bit, and plot contrivances force everyone to act out of character |
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Marco Polo Full Reconstruction Story Number | 4 | Number of Episodes | 7 | Missing Episodes | All |
| Maybe,if you're ok with a reconstruction (Note – this story contains white actors in makeup to make them appear Asian) | Synopsis | The travellers arive in China and meet Marco Polo. He coerces them into joining his caravan, and they end up embroiled in political intrigue in the far east... | Review | One of the first historical stories, and it works really well as a contrast to the stories around it. The villains are more complex and the problems they face are more personal. Not much action – which means the lack of video isn't a problem. |
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The Keys of Marinus Story Number | 5 | Number of Episodes | 6 |
| ✨ Highly Recommended ✨ | Synopsis | The Tardis crew must travel all across the planet of Marinus to find the keys to the AI that runs their society... | Review | This is a big story, divided into several little ones – a format that works very well, and mitigates a lot of the pacing issues the early seasons had. However the script was rushed, and you can tell – as such, this story isn't recommended because of how good it is, but because of how it is emblematic of the first season. |
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The Aztecs Story Number | 6 | Number of Episodes | 4 |
| Watch | Synopsis | Barbara is mistaken as an Aztec God, and attempts to use this mistake to end the human sacrifices of the Aztecs, despite the Doctor's warnings about changing history... | Review | The Aztecs is a "historical" story, but it's such an innacurate view of the situation that it can hardly be called that at all. However, it is a very interesting plot. | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideThis story introduces the concept of fixed points in time |
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The Sensorites Story Number | 7 | Number of Episodes | 6 |
| Maybe,it is very interesting, but also very slow. | Synopsis | The Tardis lands on a ship, trapped in orbit around a planet of psychic aliens known as the Sensorites... | Review | The sensorites is an interesting idea..... but it's very slow. I remember enjoying it as a child, but now? I can't really recommend it to everyone |
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The Reign of Terror Partial Reconstruction Story Number | 8 | Number of Episodes | 6 | Missing Episodes | 4, and 5 |
| Maybe,but note there are missing episodes, which makes it harder to get through | Synopsis | The Doctor decides to take Barbara and Ian home... but accidentally lands them all in the middle of the Reign of Terror, and they instead have to try not to lose their heads... | Review | Surprisingly interesting. The 2 episodes which are missing footage are a slog to get through – without the motion, the pacing is more obviously slow |
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Season 2 (1964—1965 )previous season ⬏next season ⬎ |
The Planet of Giants Story Number | 9 | Number of Episodes | 3 |
| Watch | Synopsis | The travellers find themselves on a planet much like Earth, but many times larger... | Review | Entertaining and fun, and a good start to the second season – although some of the actors give rather stilted performances |
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The Dalek Invasion of Earth Story Number | 10 | Number of Episodes | 6 |
| Watch,just be warned of the usual slowness of the early seasons | Synopsis | The tardis crew land in a mysteriously abandoned london, and discover that the daleks have invaded earth... | Review | This story is very important and very good, but at the same time the pacing is still incredibly slow. Definitely more worth a watch than many of the other early stories | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideSusan leaves the TARDIS to marry David, and help humanity to rebuild. The Doctor says a very heartfelt fairwell, and that scene alone is definitely worth watching. |
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The Rescue Story Number | 11 | Number of Episodes | 2 |
| ✨ Highly Recommended ✨ | Synopsis | The two survivors of a spaceship crash are held in captivity by a mysterious alien... | Review | Very short, and quite interesting. It introduces a new regular cast member, and does so quite well! | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideVicki, a young crewmember of a crashed spaceship, joins the TARDIS crew. |
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The Romans Story Number | 12 | Number of Episodes | 4 |
| ✨ Highly Recommended ✨ | Synopsis | The TARDIS crashes in Ancient Rome. After spending some time relaxing, The Doctor and Vicki impersonate a Lyre player and his assisstant, and Barbara and Ian are kidnapped to be sold as slaves... | Review | Very, very good! And notable for using quite a lot of humour, which makes it stand out from the episodes around it |
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The Web Planet Story Number | 13 | Number of Episodes | 6 |
| Don't watch | Synopsis | The TARDIS is pulled down to the insect planet of Vortis, where they struggle to help it's former inhabitants reclaim the planet from the malignant Animus... | Review | This story is incredibly dull, and full of obnoxious and annoying sounds. It's a shame – the concept is good, and they clearly put a lot of effort into making an alien planet with the sets and costumes. |
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The Crusade Partial Reconstruction Story Number | 14 | Number of Episodes | 4 | Missing Episodes | 2, and 4 |
| Maybe,despite the reconstructions. (Note – this story contains white actors in makeup to make them look Middle-Eastern) | Synopsis | The Tardis Crew find themselves embroiled in a conflict between Richard the Third and Saladin... | Review | Exceptional quality, with some incredibly good acting. The two reconstructed episodes are, of course, harder to watch, but the other episodes in this story make up for it in spades. |
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The Space Museum Story Number | 15 | Number of Episodes | 4 |
| Watch | Synopsis | The TARDIS is knocked slightly out of sync with time, and the crew have to fight against the clock to avoid a horrible fate – being stuffed and displayed in a museum... | Review | An all-round decent story. It was clearly intended to be a somewhat self-aware parody of the format of the show, but is played completely straight, which is weird. |
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The Chase Story Number | 16 | Number of Episodes | 6 |
| Watch | Synopsis | The TARDIS crew are chased through time and space by the daleks.. | Review | An important story, that is told well | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideBarbara and Ian are sick of travelling with the Doctor, and want to go home. They take the dalek time machine and return back to Earth, to continue their lives. Steven, a human who had been imprisoned on the planet, manages to get into the TARDIS just before it dematerialises. |
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The Time Meddler Story Number | 17 | Number of Episodes | 4 |
| Watch | Synopsis | The TARDIS lands in 1066, but Steven doesn't believe it – several anachronistic artifacts abound, and there's something strange about the local monk... | Review | I like this story, even if it is a bit slow. | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideThe Time Meddling Monk is introduced, as well as the idea that there are other people with TARDISes. |
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Season 3 (1965—1966 )previous season ⬏next season ⬎ |
Galaxy 4 Partial Reconstruction Story Number | 18 | Number of Episodes | 4 | Missing Episodes | 1, 2, and 4 |
| Maybe,this story is missing a lot of footage. The reconstruction is well done, but it can be hard to sit through. (Note – this story contains more sexism than is usual) | Synopsis | The TARDIS crew land on a planet on the brink of destruction, with two marooned species trying to escape it... | Review | It's passable, nothing to really write home about. The Loose Cannons reconstruction works well, especially considering how little surviving footage they had to work with. |
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Mission to the Impossible Full Reconstruction Story Number | 19 | Number of Episodes | 1 | Missing Episodes | All |
| Watch,if you're willing to watch a reconstruction | Synopsis | A Space Security Agent attempts to warn Earth of the dalek's latest plan... (This episode is also known as "Dalek Cutaway", as it sets up things for the upcoming story "The Dalek's Master Plan") | Review | This episode is very unique, because it does not feature the doctor or any companions at all. It's worth a watch, just for the sheer uniqueness of it. |
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The Myth Makers Full Reconstruction Story Number | 20 | Number of Episodes | 4 | Missing Episodes | All |
| Don't watch | Synopsis | The Doctor and companions find themselves in the battle for ancient troy... and accidentally make the myth of the trojan horse come true... | Review | A silly concept, with poor execution – the trojans are portrayed as unbelievably dense, and then Vicki falls for one and runs off with him. I had trouble suspending my disbelief for this one. | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideVicki stays with a warrior from Troy, to help him rebuild. (As I mentioned above, I did not find this a particularly realistic or interesting way for the character to be written out). As she leaves, she sends Katarina, a handmaiden, into the TARDIS to help the Doctor. |
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The Daleks Master Plan Partial Reconstruction Story Number | 21 | Number of Episodes | 12 | Missing Episodes | 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12 |
| Partial watch,don't watch episode 7 ("The Feast of Steven"). (Note – this story contains a white actor in makeup to make them appear Asian) | Synopsis | Mavic Chen, the guardian of the solar system, is hatching a plan with the daleks that will allow them to take over the universe with a device known as The Time Destructor... | Review | One of the darkest and most violent stories in the early show, and it is incredibly engaging... with the exception of the 7th episode, which was scheduled to be broadcast on Christmas Day. It doesn't tie in to the actual plot, and is basically just a farcical interlude | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideKatarina is killed while saving the Doctor from an assailant (the first death of a companion in the series). Sara Kingdom, a former guard of Mavic Chen, joins the Doctor for a while, but she too meets her end. The story concludes with the Doctor and Steven lamenting their deaths. |
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The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve Full Reconstruction Story Number | 22 | Number of Episodes | 4 | Missing Episodes | All |
| Don't watch | Synopsis | The Tardis lands in Paris, just as tensions between the Protestants and the Catholics have reached their peak... | Review | Not an awful story, and would be a 'Maybe' if it weren't for the fact that it's a reconstruction, and very difficult to watch. | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideDodo Chaplet, the descendent of one of the characters in Paris, joins the TARDIS while it makes a pit-stop in 1960s london. |
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The Ark Story Number | 23 | Number of Episodes | 4 |
| Watch | Synopsis | The Doctor, Steven, and Dodo land on a ship carrying humanity to a new home... but accidentally bring the common cold with them, which turns out to be fatal to the inhabitants... | Review | A very good story from the classic era |
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The Celestial Toymaker Partial Reconstruction Story Number | 24 | Number of Episodes | 4 | Missing Episodes | 1, 2, and 3 |
| Don't watch | Synopsis | The TARDIS crew land in te Celestial Toymaker's domain, and have to play his games to earn their freedom... | Review | Really just garbage. |
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The Gunfighters Story Number | 25 | Number of Episodes | 4 |
| Maybe | Synopsis | The Doctor is mistaken for Doc Holiday, a famous outlaw in the wild west... | Review | Not much to say – a solid story, and fairly fun to watch. |
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The Savages Full Reconstruction Story Number | 26 | Number of Episodes | 4 | Missing Episodes | All |
| Maybe | Synopsis | The far future. Humanity has reached new levels of peace and prosperity... but a sinister secret lies behind their success... | Review | A very good story, that feels very well paced – one of the few reconstructions that I didn't have difficulty watching. | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideSteven stays behind to help humanity rebuild and repay the savages for what they had done. |
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The War Machines Story Number | 27 | Number of Episodes | 4 |
| ✨ Highly Recommended ✨ | Synopsis | The computer WOTAN is a wonderful invention, and is set to improve humanity... until it decides that humanity is no longer needed... | Review | One of the most engaging doctor who stories, and very well worth the watch | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideDodo is hypnotised so the doctor sends her to the country to recover. She decides to stay there. Polly and Ben, who are both major characters in this story, enter the TARDIS just before it dematerialises. |
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Season 4 (1966—1967 )previous season ⬏next season ⬎ |
The Smugglers Full Reconstruction Story Number | 28 | Number of Episodes | 4 | Missing Episodes | All |
| Don't watch | Synopsis | Polly and Ben do not believe that they can be travelling through time... and yet, they find themselves in Cornwall in the 17th century, right at the height of the smuggling era... | Review | Boring and bland and racist, and even I had trouble watching through this one |
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The Tenth Planet Partial Reconstruction Story Number | 29 | Number of Episodes | 4 | Missing Episodes | Only episode 4 |
| Watch | Synopsis | Mondas, the Tenth Planet of the solar system, appears in the sky, bringing with it the cybermen, who are planning to drain the Earth's Energy... | Review | This is a good story, however the doctor is absent for half of it, and thus we don't really get to see much of what made William Hartnell great. | Major Plot Changes | Show/hideThe Doctor collapses, and only just makes it back into the tardis in time before he regenerates into the second doctor... |
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