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nines82 · 1 year

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Reinventing The Wheel (Again) - A Review of Jon Pertwee's Doctor Who Run (1969-1974)

In 1969, a few gaps were left from the premier of Spearhead in Space and The War Games that were pushed politely with supplementary Troughton Who material where The Doctor had further adventures in attempt of escaping his eventual regeneration into his third incarnation, but when Jon Pertwee was announced as the Doctor and even more so that Doctor Who was making its way to color television (despite many having seen the good majority of his first outing in Black & White as color television was still considered a luxury by 1969-1970). A new breath of fresh air was injected into Doctor Who, changing the formula once more from Troughton's Sci-Fi heavy adventures and base under sieges to more adventure/spy-esque dramas in veins similar to James Bond. The almost eccentric Jon Pertwee known for his almost comedic tones was now becoming the action hero of television for many children. So . . . . . What made this era so good? Simple: It felt so refreshing and new. When put onto the stance of Doctor Who at the time, The Doctor wasn't quite the most athletic or involved type and rather was this more brains type who would only occasionally put his hands into stopping conflict rather than holding a saber and combatting the MOTW. Jon Pertwee's Doctor however ran about, pranced, got his hands dirty while also being the studious type of that educated while also being as witty as ever in his remarks of those who were pushing buttons. Paired into his exile came with Bessie, a yellow car that proved just as trustworthy as any old police box could. Transporting the Doctor to one location to another, and of course there was the off-chance the Doctor may use a helicopter or a boat (the boat in particular was an infamously popular stunt, and a personal favorite of mine) and on top of all this we had such diverse sets of stories and monsters that never felt as if they bled into one another like at times many Who MOTWs tend to become at times. From the Autons to the Apatosaurus (yes, literally) there was something so unique to every creature to appear in his era. And while not every serial was up to snuff and didn't have the budgets to truly commit to the bigger ideas, it pulled through in magnificent graces that only Doctor Who could really pull off. I also feel that the Doctor truly has his best in this era, while I do love the previous Doctors and I adore the ones after; I feel as if Pertwee gives this almost touch to the Doctor that no one really captured until maybe Capaldi. A great balance of this action hero with that reserved, well spoken professor of his previous, exactly the kind of thing you want out of The Doctor. Now what would the show be without the cast? Now, without a doubt I'd say Pertwee had the best lineup of companions of Classic Who. From Liz Shaw to Sarah Jane, or Sergeant Benton and Lesbridge Stewart it seemed we had it all for characters that were equally charming as they were almost scene stealers from the titular character themself. And who can forget that of Roger Delgado as The Master? While later eras may feel like the threat of The Master became less so and his stories lesser, here he feels so RIGHT and downright malevolent. Still, he does show that he is not without shreds of recognition of greater evils when he stands alongside The Doctor (even if he finds himself motivated rather pettily so). I'd say the best stories are Spearhead from Space, The Daemons, Colony in Space, Inferno, The Mind of Evil, & The Silurians. All really showcase the strengths of the era rather splendidly to me, while in some ways showcasing its flaws. Packed with that classic Pertwee action, drama, and science fiction that never really feels too out of the ordinary for Doctor Who.

#Doctor Who #Jon Pertwee #Third Doctor

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