It's that time again, time to look back on our time with the most magnificent dandy of them all.
Seventh Season
This was a season that changed everything. It took what had become routine and shook it all up. From the start, we got a new format with something akin to what the X Files would be, and a new Doctor that initially had shades of Hartnel and Troughton in him, but soon forged his way into a no-nonsense man of action. I don't mean action in the way that we would come to see later, but in this season, I think he's more renown for cutting straight through the red tape and getting straight to the point.
The other thing to note in this season is that he's far less tolerant of authority figures, namely the Time Lords and the Brigadier than he would later become. He even takes the opportunity to ditch them all as soon as he has the chance, but luckily this backfires.
Liz shaw makes a brief appearance, but the producers get rid of the character, believing that it doesn't work having someone equally as smart as the Doctor. I beg to differ and would have liked to see more of her, but alas, it was not to be.
Eighth Season
Having got rid of the last remnants of the lined up stories of the old guard, Letts and Dicks can finally get their teeth into what it means to be an earth bound Time Lord. They determine that the Doctor will be like Sherlock Holmes and therefore needs a Moriarity. In comes the Master in a brilliant re-imagining of Spearhead from Space. That would have been fine, but then they proceed to saturate the entire thing with stories focused around that same villain. Despite this, Roger Delgado played the Master wonderfully and people grew to love him.
For me, this season felt a little bit formulaic, with what we've just described coupled with the Doctor's anger being transferred to a hatred of civil servants that seem to pop up around every corner. Still, this season managed to give us some real gems and memorable moments.
Ninth Season
Things are getting a bit stale by this stage. I can only surmise that Barry Letts and Terrence Dicks realised they'd made a terrible mistake stranding the Doctor on earth and began taking steps to modify the rules to spice things up a bit. Although this season hasn't got a full stable of hits, the ones that work are absolute powerhouses and are the very epitome of Jon Pertwee's run. Chases, Venusian Karate, and miniskirts are all in excess here and I'm glad of it.
Tenth Season
As with season seven, the tenth season was designed to be a game changer. Being an anniversary season, they broke new ground by having the Doctor meet himself and going in for another epic Dalek story. Whilst the interplay between Doctor's is phenomenal, the story became a little bit panto, and as with the rest of the tales this season, never quite managed to come up to the mark of greatness.
This season is especially marred by the untimely death of Roger Delgado and Katy Manning's leaving. It's a sad time but that sadness makes the key scenes all the more poignant. By the end of this season, it's clear that the death knell is tolling.
Eleventh Season
The arrival of Sarah Jane Smith should bring a new lease of life to the show but something's missing. The spark of camaraderie that was so clear in seasons Eight and Nine was a distant memory. Pertwee clearly wanders through the scenes with just a bit less passion and gravitas than we might expect until finally, he shocks us with perhaps a performance in a final scene better than all before it.
The Doctor
So, as I've covered above, the Third Doctor was something of an amalgamation at first, deftly swapping between a shoe grabbing, eyebrow twitching comedian and a lord of time, angry at his forced exile and at anyone exerting authority over him.
It's a shame that only a limited amount of change could be influenced on those first four scripts as his later persona could have greatly enhanced them. Despite that, he did good enough, climbing ladders, running along catwalks and spraying everyone with fire extinguishers!
It's undeniable to me that Jon Pertwee carried an air of gravitas in the role. He was someone who looked like he knew what he was doing, and was prepared to do it. But that wasn't the only thing he had. The appeal of early 70's Doctor Who was a team effort. Jo Grant's arrival turned the Doctor into some kind of favourite uncle or father figure, the Brigadier, Benton and Yates were friends with rank being just a formality, and the Master. Well he didn't mean any real harm in the end, did he? These seasons were when the Third Doctor's run was cemented in the public's consciousness.
All good things must come to an end however, and with the showing of the Green Death and the departure of Jo Grant, the loveable UNIT family came to an end. From that point on, things were ticking over and the Doctor had definitely lost a spark. He was cynical in the Time Warrior, and by the time it gets to Monster of Peladon, it seems as if he's looking for ways to get killed. Even facing his greatest fear, he's just lackluster, sauntering about like nothing's really too much trouble until the very end. He even buggers off for three weeks before dying!
That end scene though is truly devastating. For a generation of kids watching the show (alright, or grown ups having watched episodes sequentially), there's a real true sense of loss about it. It brings all the feelings of the UNIT family back to the forefront and you know you're not just losing a Doctor, you're losing a friend who you've been through a lot with.
I'm too young to have seen Jon Pertwee as the Doctor the first time around, but I can tell you this, even I miss him.
Favourite Moment
There's quite a few to go at. After careful consideration, I'd have to say that the most dramatic and emotionally charged scene is the end of the Green Death. Not my favourite story as you'll see, but the way the sentiment is underplayed by Jon Pertwee is just perfect. Clearly a case of less is more. I dare any Doctor Who fan to watch that story, even if you've never seen Jo Grant before, and not get choked up a little.
Worst Moment
There's not as many of these as you might think. My award for worst moment goes to.....the pterodactyl attack in Invasion of the Dinosaurs! I don't think I need to justify why.
Favourite Story
The Sea Devils
This one gets trickier for me as a lot of the ones I've rated as 9's or 10's aren't necessarily my favourites. There's something just....Pertwee-ish about some story's that I just adore, warts and all. That's possibly because they were the first Pertwee stories I ever watched. I'm not denying that Spearhead from Space was ground breaking, or that the Time Warrior was a clever story done with decent props; but to me, Planet of the Daleks is so 70's that I just get transported right into the era as soon as I press play. I'm going to say my all time favourite Third Doctor story is...The Sea Devils! Chases, fights, the Master, Silurian-esque monsters that look cool and have good voices. Plus they emerge from the sea! Very good inspite of the bonkers plot holes.
Worst Story
The Time Monster
Believe me, the Mutants and the Monster of Peladon came pretty close runners up, but the Time Monster is a small concept spread very thinly over six episodes. Where some stories have filler scenes, this has more than you can shake a stick at and is ultimately quite dull.
Favourite Companion
Sarah Jane Smith
Now, this is where I get strategic. In truth, I liked all the Third Doctor's companions very much. They all had different qualities that were just right for the time.
Given that Sarah Jane Smith also traveled with the Fourth Doctor, I could sidestep that landmine by placing her in that contest. I do think however that she's unlike anything we've had before or since. Elizabeth Sladen brought believability to the role of Sarah, and a loveable feisty core that you can't help but root for. Sarah Jane Smith is not just my favourite Third Doctor companion. She is my favourite of ALL the companions.
Worst Companion
Elizabeth Shaw
As I mentioned above, there's nothing wrong with Liz Shaw. I would have liked to see more of her and thought the character had some development opportunities, but alas, four episodes was all we got, so therefore, I choose her.
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