Harry -
I remember once reading a fan's memories of classic Doctor Who, and the fan explained that to him Jon Pertwee was "the Doctor with the frilly shirts."
This was definitely a Doctor who loved his seemingly bottomless wardrobe. A veritable clothes horse, he was. I'm pretty sure he wore something different in every story.
Sarah -
Pertwee's clothes-horse Doctor is a refreshing change from the uniforms the rest of the Doctors have. How can you not love his style?
Harry -
But Jon Pertwee was more than just the frilly shirts, velvet jackets and capes. He cemented the concept that each new Doctor would be markedly different in appearance, demeanour and style to the Doctors who came before him. The non-pattern pattern continued.
Sarah -
He couldn't have possibly been more different than the first two Doctors -- and he even got to meet them to prove it!
I just love Jon Pertwee's Doctor. After two fatherly Doctors, he's a whole new breed - a debonaire action hero for a new decade.
Of course, much of the success of the Pertwee era rests on the shoulders of Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks. Their revamping of the series is certainly part of why we're all still watching.
Harry -
If Hartnell's Dalekmania was the first golden age of Doctor Who, then the full colour, earthbound action hero era of Jon Pertwee must qualify as a second one. (Although one might argue that there have been 11 golden eras with a 12th on the horizon (or is that 12 with a 13th?), and one would not be incorrect.)
Sarah -
I'm pretty sure the Doctor and Jamie era was fairly golden as well, so I'll stick with three so far. We'll see how the rest of the count goes.
Harry -
We'll probably tally 12. Or 13.
This was also the time of The Master. Roger Delgado appeared in one third of all stories in this era, and he created a character with staying power who has lived on in multiple future regenerations. I hope the Capaldi era might see the return of a more Delgado-like Master. Gloved fingers crossed.
Sarah -
The Roger Delgado portrayal of the Master is still the Doctor's greatest nemesis. Try as they might, no other actor has a chance of topping him. The chemistry between Pertwee and Delgado made every Master story a delight to watch.
Harry -
Autons and Silurians, Aggedor and the Drashigs...
Sarah -
Drashigs are COOL!
Harry -
...and of course Linx the Sontaran - we met many new and interesting monsters. The Daleks came back, perhaps once too often, and we never did get a Pertwee Cyberman story. That's a prominent hole in the show's history - for me anyway, because I love Cyberman stories. And will there ever be a more psychedelic story than "The Claws of Axos?"
Liz, Jo and Sarah Jane. I liked that there were three very distinct companions in this era: the scientist, the idealist and the journalist. I appreciate each one more, now that we've watched their companion arcs in order. Jo rose in my rankings more than any companion before.
Sarah -
They were all excellent companions and each played off the Doctor in a different way.
Brilliant Liz was the companion who has come the closest to being the Doctor's equal -- which, of course, meant she wouldn't stick around for long, even with the ever-shrinking miniskirt.
Jo is the companion who has most changed in my estimation during this marathon.
Harry -
Agreed!
Sarah -
Watching all her stories in order made me positively adore her -- and I still want almost every piece of clothing she wore on the series.
Fortunately, we don't have to say goodbye to Sarah Jane for a while. She was an excellent contrast to the Third Doctor, but her best stories are definitely ahead of her!
Harry -
Oh yes! And we're about to meet a certain splendid fellow too!
Sarah -
A dashing doctor, to boot!
Harry -
I love the Pertwee era for its explosion of colour, music, clothing, aliens, gadgetry and all manner of transport. In a nutshell, this era made Doctor Who into something bigger and bolder than anything before it.
Sarah -
So many wonderful moments. I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy about the Third Doctor Era and not quite ready to leave it behind. Still, change is the only constant in Doctor Who, so let's get on our way!
Harry -
Let's do it!
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