With the hype starting to build for this year's 50th anniversary multi-Doctor mega-special, how fitting that we just watched the very first multi-Doctor mega-special from 40 years ago.
This is one of the few classic Who stories that I can watch in one sitting without even shifting on the sofa. What a jolly, breezy romp "The Three Doctors" is.
Sarah -
I absolutely love this story. It will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first glimpse of the First and Second Doctors. I remember seeing it for the first time in the 1980s and being so intrigued by these two new (to me) Doctors.
It's an utter delight!
Harry -
And so utterly light!
Some may argue, but I think "The Three Doctors" is the first time that the show takes a big step over the line into panto territory.
Sarah -
It does get rather broad at times, doesn't it?
Harry -
It's a celebration more than an adventure, almost like a "greatest hits" pageant. The actual plot of the thing is there just so everyone can hang their favourite lines and expressions on it, while hamming it up for the cameras. The bouncy glob monsters are funny, and Omega is so over-the-top even Brian Blessed might have urged him to tone it down.
Sarah -
Stephen Thorne is so wonderful as Omega. I love every moment he's on screen.
Harry -
Do you remember what your first impressions of these other Doctors were?
By the time I got around to watching this, I was already familiar with Hartnell and Troughton from old photos, and I recall accepting the notion that there was always more than one Doctor with childlike ease.
Sarah -
I'd certainly seen photos of the first two Doctors before this, but it was the first time I'd seen them in the series. I'd already been through my first regeneration -- Baker to Davison -- so the idea of many Doctors wasn't new to me.
Because of the vagaries of the broadcast schedule on my local PBS station, Tom Baker was my first Doctor, followed by Davison, and then back to Pertwee. I guess that makes the first and second Doctors my fourth and fifth Doctors!
I remember being so charmed by Troughton and wishing I could see more of him. Hartnell's appearances were so limited, due to his ill health, that I didn't know what to make of him. He seems so stern in the story and it was a delight to eventually discover the lighter sides of his character.
Harry -
Gosh, isn't Troughton's first appearance magical?
Sarah -
It was like being reunited with a long-lost family member! Watching Pertwee and Troughton together highlights how different their Doctors are. The moment when Omega asks the Third Doctor if he's sure that he and the Second Doctor are of the same intelligence is one of the best moments of the story. We know all the Doctors are the same Doctor -- but these two are just so different!
Harry -
It was great to be reminded why we love Patrick Troughton so much. He was diminutive in size, but his Doctor was a big ball of energy. Still excited about going to the beach for some fun, and I forgot he was the first Doctor to offer around some jelly babies.
Sarah -
His way of going about things indirectly and lulling the baddies into a false sense of superiority is one of my favorite things about the Second Doctor.
Harry -
His performance in this story really stole the show. I wish Troughton had broken his own First Rule of Playing the Doctor, and stayed on for another season.
Sarah -
That would have been wonderful, but there's always Season 6B to contemplate!
Harry -
Having Troughton bouncing around like a rubber ball also underscored Pertwee as the tall, serious Doctor with his own physical take on the role. Pertwee was known for doing all his own stunts, and while there wasn't much in the way of dangerous stunt acting here, he did get in a tussle with that pig creature that Omega foisted on him.
Sarah -
That was a trippy scene, wasn't it? As much as I love Troughton, I found that having him there made me appreciate Pertwee all the more. They're both such marvelous actors.
Harry -
The Troughton-Pertwee contrast is why I never side with fans who want a new Doctor to be just like the one before. It's the contrasts from one regeneration to the next that make the character fascinating.
Sarah -
Absolutely. How boring would that be?
Harry -
We haven't really mentioned Hartnell. His limited action in this story was more bittersweet than anything. It was great to hear his voice again, but sad that he wasn't able to appear in the TARDIS in person.
Sarah -
He definitely brought the First Doctor zing, didn't he?
Harry -
He went out with the "dandy and a clown" zinger, one of the show's most lasting quotes.
Sarah -
And one of the series most lasting quotes, too!
Harry -
While we weren't able to see much of the First Doctor, I liked how much action Sergeant Benton saw. This is the second story in a row where he rivals the Brig as the leading UNIT character.
Sarah -
I have such a soft spot for Benton. I love the moment when he enters the TARDIS for the first time and is rendered speechless. And then, we get to see the Brig on his first TARDIS trip -- if he only knew what he was getting into.
Speaking of the Brig, I adored his reaction to meeting up with the Second Doctor again -- "Oh no!"
Harry -
Another great comic turn in this story.
It was probably unintentional, but the Gallifreyan set reminded me of a kind of galactic tech support office. You had these technicians sitting at their consoles trying to resolve the nagging problems of black holes and energy depletion, while their managers bickered over what approach to take. It was all a bit comical, but totally in keeping with the atmosphere of the story.
Sarah -
We’ve seen so little of the actual Time Lords up to this point. Turning them into techies at ground control is a bit disappointing.
Harry -
And it was perfect that Troughton's recorder was the item that overcame Omega and sent him into oblivion, whilst returning everyone back to the universe of matter. Everybody lives! (not including Omega, but was he really alive anymore?)
Sarah -
The Second Doctor always knows what he’s doing – even if he doesn’t know he’s doing it…
Harry -
This story is probably the best of the multi-Doctor adventures in the classic series. It bounces along, keeps things light, and gives everyone a turn to shine. It has certainly stoked my interest to see what a Moffat-era multi-Doctor adventure will be like. Come on November 22!
Sarah -
It will be hard to top this. No pressure, Steven.
Harry -
For now, the Doctors have saved the day, and the Time Lords are grateful enough to give Pertwee a new dematerialization circuit. The Earthbound-era of Doctor Who has come to an end.
Sarah -
Hazzah!
Harry -
Shall we see where the Doctor and Jo will go first?
Sarah -
I can hardly wait!
Harry -
Best Line:
"Well, Sergeant, aren't you going to say it that it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside? Everybody else does."
"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"
Favourite Moment: Patrick Troughton first appears and reminds us why we love his Doctor.
Lasting Image: the look on the Brigadier's face when he sees the Second Doctor.
9/10
Sarah -
Best Line: I have to go with the classic, "So you're my replacements - a dandy and a clown!"
Favorite Moment: The Two Doctors confronting Omega together.
Lasting Image: The Second and Third Doctors reaction to being chided by the First Doctor.
9/10
Our marathon continues with Story #66: Carnival of Monsters...
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