An Unearthly Child (TV story)

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Revision as of 15:39, 23 May 2010 by 86.3.7.30 (talk) (→‎Plot)


An Unearthly Child was the first televised story of Doctor Who. It premiered on Saturday, 23 November, 1963 and first introduced viewers to the Doctor, played by William Hartnell, and his fantastic machine, the TARDIS.

Synopsis

Curious about an unusual pupil from Coal Hill School, Susan Foreman, her two school teachers Ian Chestertan and Bararba Wright follow her home to a junkyard. This leads to an encounter with her grandfather, the mysterious Doctor and his police box which turns out to be a spaceship capable of travel in time and space.


Plot

Ian and Barbara discover the secret of Susan

An Unearthly Child (1)

On a foggy London night, a policeman makes his rounds passing I.M. Foreman's junkyard at 76 Totters Lane. In the junkyard stands an incongruous-looking Police box, from which emanates an eerie hum.

Another day of classes ends at the Coal Hill School. History teacher Barbara Wright and science teacher Ian Chesterton compare notes about an enigmatic student, Susan Foreman. Her knowledge of history and science surpasses the rest of the class, and possibly even the teachers' themselves, but has very curious gaps about present-day culture (she forgets, for example, that England has yet to adapt the decimal system of currency). Barbara had previously asked Susan about in-home tutoring, but Susan adamantly refused, stating her grandfather ("isn't he a Doctor, or something?" Ian asks) with whom she lives doesn't like strangers. Barbara admits to Ian that she got Susan's address from the school secretary, following it to find not a house but a junkyard. Ian offers Susan a ride, but she declines. Ian and Barbara resolve to follow her home.

Entering the junkyard that night, Ian and Barbara search in vain for Susan. Ian is transfixed by the presence of a Police box which appears to hum as if it were alive. Hearing someone coming, they hide. An old man approaches the Police box and unlocks it, and the teachers hear Susan's voice inside greeting him. They confront the old man, who brusquely receives them and refuses to acknowledge that anyone is inside. Hearing her again, Ian and Barbara push past the man into the Police box, and are astounded to find themselves in a much larger space, with futuristic electronic panels and a central hexagonal control console. Susan is shocked to find her teachers there, and the old man, her grandfather, is furious at their intrusion.

Susan and her grandfather, who calls himself simply The Doctor, explain that the Police box is actually a disguise for their space-time ship, the TARDIS, and that they are alien refugees from their own planet and time. Against Susan's protests, the Doctor prepares the TARDIS for takeoff, and must kidnap Ian and Barbara in order to protect their identities. The sudden takeoff renders all four passengers unconscious. The TARDIS materializes on a barren, rocky landscape. An ominous shadow falls across it.


The Cave Of Skulls (2)

The shadow across the TARDIS does belong to a human. But this is no modern man. He is a primitive cave dweller, wild-looking and wearing animal skins for clothing. He watches the TARDIS intently.

In a small encampment not far away, more of the primitive humans are gathered. They are encircling one man, called Za, watching intently as he concentrates over a pile of old ash and new sticks in front of him. He is trying to make fire, but is using nothing more than concentration, grunts, and the remnants of a long-dead fire. Beside him a young woman called Hur encourages him. But another woman, known as Old Mother, mocks his efforts. She does not want to see fire made again, believing it leads only to ruin. Za's own father was killed because he could make fire. But Za is determined to do it, knowing it will cement his position as leader of the tribe. He curses the Old Mother for her mockery.

Za throws himself into his efforts, Hur at his side. However, Hur whispers urgently to him that much is at stake if he should fail. The stranger who has recently joined the tribe, Kal, has been making inroads with the elders by providing them meat every day. Za only sits day after day, failing to make fire. There is talk that Kal should be leader and that Hur should be given to him. Fearing the implications of all this, Za redoubles his efforts, growing increasingly angry when the fire will not ignite.

Inside the TARDIS, Ian and Barbara come to. They are disoriented but otherwise unharmed. They watch for a moment as the Doctor and Susan go through some instrument checks. Above them, a television screen shows a picture of a barren landscape. The Doctor seems concerned that an instrument called a "yearometer" is not calculating properly. He soon notices Ian and Barbara awake. She is the first to speak, seeming to believe that they have indeed travelled through space and time. The image on the scanner seems to convince her, but Ian does not believe that is really the view outside the ship. He wants concrete proof.

Susan again tries to convince Ian that her grandfather is telling the truth, but Ian refuses to do so, ordering "Doctor Foreman" to open the doors and prove what he is saying. It is clear that this is not the Doctor's name and the old man becomes even more disdainful of Ian's close-mindedness. He returns to his instruments, finding the atmosphere suitable and the radiation level normal. He is now prepared to open the doors. He knows they have gone backward in time from 1963, but without fully functional instruments, he will need to take samples of plants and rocks in order to make a proper estimate.

Ian, however, still refuses to believe his story of time travel. His tone grows even more incredulous as he tries to make the others realize that time doesn't go round in circles, allowing people to get on and off. The Doctor laughs off Ian's naivete and turns to Barbara. She cannot explain why, but she just believes the Doctor and Susan. She seems excited by the prospect of time travel. With that, the Doctor touches a control and the doors glide open - he will now give Ian the proof that he wants. Through the doors, the same bare landscape is visible as on the scanner screen. Ian cannot even believe his own eyes. The Doctor, tired of dealing with the young man's disbelief, picks up some equipment and leaves the ship to begin his investigations. Barbara and Susan lead a disbelieving Ian out after him.

The Doctor emerges into the weak sunshine and looks around. To him, this new place is a mystery waiting to be explored. He seems concerned that the TARDIS still looks like a police box on the outside, but gives it little thought before moving off from the others. None of them notice the primitive man watching them.

Barbara has wasted no time in exploring her new surroundings. She has found an animal skull half-buried in the sand. She tries to engage Ian's attention, but he is still reeling from the reality of time travel, proven before his eyes. The skull could be anything - any kind of creature in all of time and space. Susan notices the police box shell of the TARDIS for the first time, and she too is concerned. She explains that it can change its appearance to disguise itself wherever it goes. It has been an Ionic column and a sedan chair among other things. But this time, it hasn't happened. It appears to be stuck as it is. But Susan too is more interested in this new place and is soon off to find her grandfather, thinking the skull might be useful to him in his investigation.

Noticing her colleague's lost expression, Barbara tries to draw him out. Ian is facing the shock of knowing that he was wrong, about time travel and probably a great many other things. He is very much at sea. Barbara believes they should just accept what they can clearly see to be true, but Ian still has one or two questions for the Doctor. He realises suddenly that they don't even know anything about this Doctor, not even his name. Susan returns momentarily, slightly panicked that she cannot locate her grandfather. She also feels as if they are being watched.

The Doctor has wandered off, and now sits on the ground in an area nearly surrounded by high rocks. He is hidden from the others. His equipment is all round him. He stops his investigations for a moment, igniting a match to light a pipe. Suddenly, the primitive emerges from his hiding place and leaps on the Doctor, who cries out in surprise.

Ian, Barbara, and Susan hear the cry and run toward it. When they reach the rocky enclosure, there is no one there. However, the Doctor's equipment is still scattered about, including his Geiger counter, which is smashed. Susan starts to get hysterical, fearing for his life. Barbara thinks he may have just wandered off a little way to investigate something else, but Ian knows it is also likely he may have been taken by someone or something. Susan has gone to look over the little hill of rocks, but has seen no sign of her grandfather. When she finds his precious notebook abandoned on the ground, she is certain that something terrible has happened. Ian calms her down, assuring her they will find him. Susan tells him of a tree line she saw in the distance, with a gap in the middle that might be a path. He thinks that the best place to begin looking. Before leaving, Ian puts the broken Geiger counter back down on the ground, his hand coming in contact with the sand for the first time. He notices with some concern that despite the unbroken sunshine, the sand is freezing cold.

In the tribal camp, Za has been unsuccessful in making fire as he has promised. He confers with an ally - Hur's father Horg - in the tribe's cave. But even Horg now speaks favourably of the stranger Kal. Kal has been hinting that he may know how to make fire, but Za discounts this. In the last cold, all of Kal's tribe died - Kal did not save them by making fire. He only survived because he found this tribe, who took him in. Za is certain that Orb, the great sun god, will show him how to make fire, as it was with his father. But Za might just have to spill some blood to maintain his leadership until that time.

Za's reverie is interrupted by the sounds of a commotion outside the cave. It is Kal, the stranger, returning to the camp with a prize: the unconscious Doctor! Kal dumps the Doctor onto a stone and taunts Za, who has clearly failed again to make fire. He then announces that he has brought this "strange creature" - the Doctor - to make fire for them. He explains that he saw a "new tree" appear and that this creature came from inside it. He saw the creature make fire come from his fingers and smoke come from his mouth, describing the TARDIS, the match, and the pipe as best his primitive mind can do. Za denounces this as a series of lies, going so far as to grab Kal threateningly, but Kal's bravado cannot be matched at this moment. He speaks out against Za's continual inability to make fire - his broken promises - and the gathered tribespeople listen to him closely. Za's anger grows.

The Doctor begins to stir and Kal presses his advantage. He promises to make this creature make fire for the tribe, to fend off both the cold and the marauding tiger. And if he does so, Kal insists on being made leader. The tribe is torn over this; most of them want fire, but Za points out that this miraculous "creature" is just an old man in strange skins. It seems unlikely that fire could live inside him as Kal says. Hur proposes the eminently sensible solution of forcing the creature to make the fire as Kal claims. But this suggestion only sets Kal and Za at each others' throats again. The Doctor is now fully alert and aware of the situation. He leaps to his feet. He is somewhat frightened by the unstable situation and his part in it, but he tries to take control, telling them all that he will make all the fire they want if they'll just let him go.

Again Kal and Za spar over who can claim the right to this creature and the fire that he makes. They are slow to realize that something is wrong. The Doctor searches his pockets for his matches, then realizes with mounting horror that he dropped them in his struggle with Kal. He tries to tell the cave dwellers that he will make fire for them if they take him back to his ship, but the communication takes a moment to sink in. Soon enough Za realizes what is happening - Kal has lied. The creature cannot make fire as he said. The crowd's anger rises to fever pitch, not just against Kal but against the Doctor as well. Za stirs them up further with a speech denouncing Kal's own broken promises and soon the tribe is united against the two strangers.

Kal becomes increasingly desperate and grabs the Doctor violently, trying to force him to make fire. The Doctor is helpless. Za continues to exhort the crowd and to taunt Kal. Suddenly, Kal grabs the knife-sharp stone implement from his belt and brandishes it at the Doctor, demanding he make fire now! When he does not, Kal raises the knife, intending to kill him.

All at once, pandemonium breaks out as Susan, Ian, and Barbara burst into the encampment. There is a mighty struggle and much shouting. Ian grapples with Kal and Za produces a stone axe with which to attack Ian. The Doctor sees this and stays him by denying them fire if Ian is killed. This seems to register and the fight is soon over. Calm returns, but Kal and the suspicious Old Mother urge the tribe to kill all of the strangers. But Za has the most power at the moment and his word is law. In the morning, when Orb the sun god returns, the four strangers will be sacrificed. Then, he is sure that Orb will relent and give him the secret of fire. The strangers are taken away to the Cave of Skulls.

Horg tries to keep his daughter away from Za as the tribe begins to disperse for the night - he is disturbed by all that has happened here and questions Za's ability to lead. However, Za reminds Horg that his days as a mighty leader are well past. Hur adds to this, saying that if he relents and gives her to Za, when he is fully in control, he will show favouritism to the ageing Horg. Horg does relent, but this argument does not sway the Old Mother. She still fears fire, saying it will kill them all in the end. Za does wrong by pursuing the secret of fire by keeping the 4 strangers alive. But Za has spoken and they will be kept alive until their sacrifice at dawn.

Inside the cave, the four travellers are bound hand and foot with tough strips of animal hide. All 4 struggle against their bonds as soon as they are left alone. Barbara is frightened and Ian tries to comfort her. The Doctor blames himself for their predicament and appeals to Ian to free them.

Taking in their surroundings, the Doctor notices a foul stench in the cave, and then something even more gruesome. They all turn to see the large pile of human skulls - all split wide open...

The Forest of Fear (3)

File:Anunearthlychild4.jpg
From left to right: Barbara, Ian, the Doctor and Susan in the forest

Later that night, the tribe sleeps communally in the main part of their cave. However, there is one member of the tribe who does not rest - the Old Mother. Checking to make sure that everyone else is asleep, she gets up and approaches Za quietly. She takes his knife from where it lies beside him, her look one of undisguised malice.

Meanwhile, Ian, Barbara, Susan, and the Doctor are all very much awake and trying desperately to saw through their bonds with broken shards of rock. But it is not going well - the rocks are too soft and crumble with use. The Doctor seems to be on the edge of despair, nothing that even if they can get free, they'll never be able to move the giant stone which now blocks the entrance to the cave. But Ian insists there's air coming in from somewhere. He knows it's a thin hope, but still bristles when the Doctor tries to shoot it down. The situation is wearing on them and trust among them all is clearly at a minimum. Ian angrily tosses away another stone when it disintegrates in his hand. Barbara begs him not to give up. The Doctor suggests using some of the bones piled nearby as they may be sharper and firmer. It is his attempt at conciliation. He also suggests that Ian's bonds should be cut first. Ian is the strongest, the Doctor reasons pragmatically, and he may be called upon to defend the whole group.

In the main cave, the Old Mother clutches the stolen knife and heads out, unaware that Hur is now awake and watching her. The Old Mother leaves the main cave and walks straight past the sealed entrance to the Cave of Skulls. She goes instead to the scrubby bushes beside the cave and pushes through them, another destination in mind.

The Doctor has worked at sawing Ian's bonds but has only made a little progress. He hands the jagged bone to Susan to have a go while he rests his hands. He exhorts them all to think positively, advising the nervous Barbara to concentrate on remembering the route back to the TARDIS. She is touched that he is trying to help her occupy her mind and fight her fear. Fear, he says, makes companions of them all. He admits that fear is with them all, but tells her that hope is stronger than fear.

Hur has now awakened Za and manages to keep him quiet. She points out the Old Mother's absence as well as the absence of his knife. A look of anger creases Za's face as he grabs a stone axe nearby and leaves the cave silently, Hur on his heels.

It is now Barbara's turn to saw at Ian's bonds. Susan, relaxing her wrists, hears a noise above and behind her. Turning, she sees a screen of branches pushed away to reveal an opening to the outside. But she screams when she sees the Old Mother climbing in, knife in hand. She enters the cave, brandishing the sharp stone, and tells them in no uncertain terms that they will not make fire.

Now outside the main cave, Hur tells Za what happened. He believes Hur should have tried to stop the Old Mother, but Hur has another plan. She is certain the old woman has gone to kill the strangers, to stop fire being made. If Za stops her - proving an alert leader, even while others sleep - he will gain favour in the tribe and perhaps gain the gratitude of the fire-making strangers. This makes sense to Za, but when he sees the great stone is still in place over the cave entrance, he accuses Hur of lying to him. He shoves her down in disgust, but she gets right back up and goes to the cave entrance, listening at the gap in the opening. She hears the old woman talking.

The Old Mother does not wish to kill the strangers, only to set them free so that they cannot make the fire that she is certain will bring trouble and death to the tribe. The travellers agree not to make fire. The Old Mother seems pleased, but she is startled when she hears the scraping of stone on stone. Someone is trying to move the boulder.

Outside, Za and Hur put all their weight against the stone. Hur thinks it impossible to move, but Za is grimly determined to open the cave and stop the Old Mother. He must.

She has quickly untied the strangers and now directs them out of the cave via the entrance she used. They must flee into the forest. Susan, Barbara, the Doctor, and finally Ian all climb through the opening to freedom. The Old Mother tries to climb after them, but is too late. The boulder rolls free and Za and Hur enter the cave. Za grabs the Old Mother, realising quickly what she has done. He shoves her away and heads for the secret exit, but the old woman is surprisingly spry for her age. She jumps on him and wraps both arms around him to hold him back. But she is no match for Za and he tosses her violently to the ground, knocking her out. The delay has been enough to give Za pause. The strangers have gone off into the night, where the wild beasts rule. He fears for his life if he follows. But Hur will not have her man give up leadership and fire so easily. She retrieves the axe and puts it into his hands. She tells him he is as strong as the wild beasts and will be stronger still with the secret of fire. Stronger than Kal. This apparently is all he needs to hear and he climbs to the exit and goes after the strangers. Hur follows.

Susan and Barbara lead the way through the moonlit forest, keeping a brisk pace. Ian follows them, but must keep one eye out for the Doctor behind him. Breathing heavily, the Doctor is finally forced to stop, leaning against a tree for support. He wants to rest a moment and catch his breath, but Ian returns to him, urging him to go on. He is worried that they're not far enough away from the encampment yet. He even goes so far as to suggest carrying the Doctor, but the Doctor insists he just needs to catch his breath. He's old, not helpless. Susan and Barbara join them, also worried. Susan takes her grandfather's hand and they set out again at a walk. Ian asks Barbara if she is sure this is the right way. She thinks it is, but isn't certain and this frightens her. Ian comforts her, reminding her that at least they are free and that's a start. They hurry off after the others. Somewhere in the forest, an animal roars.

A little further on, Susan and the Doctor enter a clearing. Susan is excited because she recognizes it. Barbara and Ian join them and confirm this. They are not far from the TARDIS now. Ian inquires after the Doctor and receives a snappish reply. They are not truly companions yet. Before they can move off, Barbara is startled by movement in the bushes around the clearing; but when the Doctor dismisses it as nonsense, her nerve seems to break and she despairs that they'll never get out of this terrible place alive.

Ian must again comfort and reassure her and he is not helped by the Doctor's condescending, contrary tone. Ian decides they will rest here for a moment until they're all ready to go. He draws the Doctor aside and tells him that when they resume they should change their order Susan and the Doctor in the lead, himself and Barbara bringing up the rear. The Doctor bristles again at Ian's assumption of leadership, saying bluntly that he will not blindly follow orders. When Ian reiterates his plan, explaining that he believes Barbara did see something in the bushes, the Doctor dismisses it as imagination and the entire group descends into a chilly silence.

Za and Hur, following the strangers' trail, have made good progress. They stop near the tree where the Doctor paused to rest, noting the profusion of footprints there, as well as a broken branch. Za is perplexed over the "skins" they wear over their feet, but the tracks are clear and easy to follow. As they start to head off again, they are stopped by an animal growl nearby. Za is again fearful, certain they were wrong to venture out into the night. Hur tells him they cannot turn back now, but when they go forward, it is with much more caution and with their axe at the ready.

Ian, too, is ready to go again and he asks the Doctor to lead. However, Barbara trips as she stands and falls to the ground. She is near to the bushes and comes face to face with the bloody carcass of a freshly killed animal. She screams in terror, a sound which carries throughout the forest. Barbara rushes to Ian for protection whilst the Doctor examines the carcass. The animal has been killed in a fight with another animal larger and more fierce. But a more pressing problem is the crashing sounds coming from behind them. It is not an animal, but a human - the tribespeople have followed them! Ian urges the group into hiding on the other side of the clearing.

Za & Hur enter the clearing expecting to see the strangers, but it is empty. Hur scans the bushes carefully and notices movement on one side. Za holds her back and goes to investigate himself. He reaches the bushes, again certain he will find the strangers there, but he is stopped in his tracks by the sound of an animal growl right in front of him. There is a split second of horrified realisation before a mighty roar fills the forest and the animal leaps from the undergrowth directly onto Za. He raises his axe as he goes down. Hur's screams of horror mix with the sounds of the struggle.

From their hiding place, the travellers have seen all of this. Ian knows this is their chance to escape and urges everyone to run for it. However, Barbara holds them all back, insisting that they must help the man. No matter who he is, they cannot leave him to die if they can help. She listens to Hur's anguished cries and knows these two pose no immediate danger. She runs out from hiding, followed by Susan who must break free from the Doctor's grasp to do so. The Doctor knows their only chance to escape has been lost.

Ian also goes into the clearing, approaching Hur with Barbara and Susan. Hur is crying and trying to figure out what to do to help her mate. She regains herself as Ian addresses her, wary of the strangers. Ian tries to explain that he is a friend, but Hur is slow to understand. He asks for water and Hur points off in one direction. She does not want to leave Za, but Barbara intervenes and offers to go with her. She takes Ian's handkerchief and the two women go off. Susan watches them go, her eyes catching the Doctor's in passing. He lowers his eyes, an unreadable expression on his face.

Susan returns her attention to Za. Ian's quick examination shows that he is still alive and likely in better shape than first thought. He must have managed to get his axe into the animal's skull and drive it off fairly quickly. Barbara and Hur return and Ian uses the water to clean the blood off Za - it appears to be more the animal's blood than his. His only obvious would is a gash on the side of his head. As Ian and Barbara work to clean the man up, Ian laments the loss of their chance to escape and jokes grimly that Barbara must be a magnet for stray animals. She does not appreciate the joke, noting that this is a human being, not an animal. Ian is properly chastised.

The Doctor joins them finally, anger in his voice as he inquires what they think they are doing. But he knows he has lost this battle. Even Susan sides with Barbara, believing that by making friends with these "primitives", they will be safe. Ian asks the Doctor to help them, but he grumpily announces he's not a doctor of medicine.

Barbara lashes out against the Doctor's superiority and seeming callowness, but he retorts that he is thinking of their safety over the lives of these primitives, for which he will not be faulted. He asks if she's realised that the whole tribe could be descending upon them at any moment, ending all hope of survival. Hur jumps in, announcing that the tribe is asleep, but the Doctor explains angrily that the Old Mother could easily have woken all the others while they have been gone. There is a moment of silence as this sinks in for all of them. Ian is quickly in action, setting Barbara and Susan the task of fashioning a crude stretcher from their coats and some long branches. The Doctor realises what he is thinking and refuses to allow Ian to bring the primitive into his ship, but Ian ignores the protests. Barbara suggests that the old woman won't give them away because she wanted them to escape in the first place. But the Doctor rounds on her, noting that these are primitive people with primitive minds which change as rapidly as night and day. They are not guided by logic but by expediency; he believes the old woman is telling the whole tribe at this very moment.

In fact, the Old Mother has already been discovered, by Kal. He is standing over her as she regains her senses from Za's blow, his eyes ablaze with anger at the absence of the strangers. The Old Mother confirms that the strangers have gone, with Za and Hur in pursuit. Kal is further angered by this revelation, believing that Za will gain the secret of fire by finding the strangers first. It is also clear to him that the Old Mother was responsible for their escape and he decides to take care of her before anything else. He raises his knife as she cowers helplessly on the ground.

While Ian tries to complete the stretcher, Barbara and Susan try to stabilise Za. But Hur is confused by their actions. Why, she asks, do they help gently instead of killing? Barbara tries to explain compassion and friendship, but must resort to utilitarian terms to make her understand: they will make Za well and show him the secret of fire in exchange for safe passage to their own "cave". Za has regained consciousness and has overheard their conversation. Grateful for their help, he tells his mate to listen to them. It is just the breakthrough Barbara was hoping for.

Susan helps Ian refashion the stretcher while Hur goes for more water. Ian tries to get the Doctor to help as well, but he turns his back petulantly. Susan says it is his typical behaviour when he doesn't get his own way. Barbara joins them and completes the work. However, when Za is unattended, the Doctor sneaks over to him, picking up a large pointed rock on the way. Ian sees this and grabs the Doctor's wrist, thinking he meant to do Za harm. The Doctor says he was only going to get Za to draw their path back to the TARDIS. It is unclear whether Ian believes him or not, but he is now ready to go. They have been out in the open too long. He asks the Doctor to carry one end of the stretcher, which he at first refuses to do. But when Ian proposes that the women do his part, the Doctor relents. They all set about putting Za on the stretcher.

Meanwhile, Kal has brought Horg and others to the Cave of Skulls. He says that the Old Mother will explain what has happened, but they find her dead on the floor. Kal doesn't even bother to feign surprise. Instead, he repeats a story he's concocted about Za and Hur freeing the strangers to get fire. Za then killed the Old Mother when she discovered them. Lacking Kal's imagination, Horg agrees with this, speaking for the whole tribe. The devious Kal presses his advantage. Za has gone away with the strangers, taking the secret of fire with him. Who knows if he will ever return. Now Kal is the leader, and he will take care of everything.

The travellers were right about their path and have found the TARDIS as they emerge from the forest. They have only a short patch of open ground between them and the police box. But the group does not get two steps before a group of primitives rise from hiding between them and the ship. They are armed with clubs, spears, and axes.

Ian tries to turn the others around to retreat, but find Kal and some other tribesmen waiting behind. Kal knew the strangers would try to reach their "strange blue tree" and he got there ahead of them. The travellers are surrounded. Susan screams...

The Firemaker (4)

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Susan devises an escape plan.

The four travellers are returned to the encampment, but the Doctor is able to convince the tribe that Kal killed Old Mother and leads them in an attack which drives Kal into the forest. The recovered Za is once more declared leader, but instead of expressing his gratitude by freeing the travellers as the Doctor expected, he orders them returned to the Cave of Skulls, this time with Old Mother’s body for company. Ian is eventually able to make fire for Za using friction for a spark, hoping that this gift will convince the cave dwellers to set them all free. As Za watches intently, and the travellers try to explain to him how "in our tribe, the fire maker is the least important person," they are attacked by Kal, who has killed Za's guard and slipped into the cave, seeking revenge. Za fights with and kills Kal, further confirming his leadership of the tribe. With fire at his disposal, he is now undisputed leader. In this security he decrees that the travellers will merge with his tribe rather than leave and orders them confined to the Cave indefinitely.

Susan eventually devises a plan to scare and distract the tribes’ people enough to allow them to flee. Four skulls are placed on top of burning torches, and this ghoulish vision is enough to distract the tribe and allow the travellers to escape back into the forest. This time the four travellers make it back inside the TARDIS before the tribe can capture them and, once they are ensconced, the ship dematerialises once more.

The Doctor explains that he has no idea where or when they will end up next. In time the viewscreen shows their new destination, a mysterious jungle whose trees appear petrified. The travellers venture outside the TARDIS doors while, behind them on the console, the radiation detector's needle passes into the "Danger" zone...


Cast

Crew

References

Astronomical objects

  • The cavemen worship the Sun God, which they call Orb
  • Both Space and Time are mentioned by Susan as being related (with regard to dimensions).

Cultural references

  • Susan refers to decimalisation as something which she then realises has not happened yet in England. In 1963, the United Kingdom was working to a system of 240 pence to a pound. Decimalisation actually took place on 15th February 1971.
  • Reference is made to the Doctor and Susan having visited the French Revolution (1789 - 1799). It is also suggested that they have visited The UK after 1971 as Susan is aware of the introduction of the decimal system.
  • Susan is listening to John Smith and the Common Men when Ian and Barbara walk in, John Smith being the stage name of 'the honourable Aubrey Waites, also known as Chris Waites according to Ian. (This piece of music was also used in the documentary "Verity Lambert: Drama Queen", a tribute to the late Verity Lambert which was first broadcast on 5th April 2008 on BBC4.) The name John Smith would later become known as one of the Doctor's many aliases.

London locations

Timeline

Technology

  • At the start of Episode 2, caveman Za is attempting to create fire. He references his father, who made fire, but was killed for it. Later on, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan are forced to give the cavemen fire in a struggle to be leader of the tribe.
  • Police box
  • The Doctor refers to television to help describe how the TARDIS is bigger on the inside.
  • Time travel
  • This is the first time the TARDIS has had a problem with the chameleon circuit

Story Notes

  • This is the first story broadcast on television.
  • This is the first broadcast story featuring the First Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
  • This story is also known as 100,000 BC, The Tribe of Gum, The Firemakers and Cavemen. See disputed story titles for more information.
  • The episodes of this story went by different titles during the production stage. Episode 2 was originally known as The Fire-Maker, Episode 3 was originally known as The Cave of Skulls and Episode 4 was originally known as The Dawn of Knowledge.
  • All episodes exist in 16mm telerecordings.
  • All episodes are held in the BBC's Film and Videotape Library.
  • The first episode was repeated just before the second episode because of a power outage. This repeat was not however shown in Northern Ireland.
  • The original story line for this story was entitled Nothing at the End of the Lane. A short story by the same name written by Daniel O'Mahony can be found in Short Trips and Side Steps. It suggests the entire first season of the show may just be a psychotic fantasy in the mind of Barbara Wright.
  • Originally the names for the Doctor's companions were to be Bridget ("Biddy") instead of Susan, Lola McGovern (instead of Barbara Wright), and Clif instead of Ian.
  • The makers of the show originally considered the idea of having a functioning chameleon circuit but ruled it out on cost grounds.
  • The bones used in the cave of skulls were real bones taken from an abattoir and were very unpleasant to smell under hot studio lights.
  • Although assumed there is no evidence to suggest that episodes 2,3 and 4 are even set on Earth.
  • Other proposals considered for the first story included The Giants by C. E. Webber which was partially rewritten for the season 2 episode Planet of Giants and The Living World written by Alan Wakeman.
  • A pilot version of the first episode was made and exists in various versions. For more info on the pilot see the Pilot Episode.
  • The First Episode, An Unearthly Child has come to be seen as a classic of Science Fiction, which is in contrast to the less positive reaction of critics when it was first broadcast.
  • Bernard Lodge was the uncredited designer of the original title sequence.
  • We see the Doctor smoking a pipe in the Second episode but he is never seen smoking again.
  • According to the DVD text commentary, the striped top Susan wears in this and later stories belonged to Carole Ann Ford and was part of an alternate costume she suggested for the character after it was decided to abandon the more adult, futuristic look of the unaired pilot. According to the commentary Ford's suggested outfit also included black leggings and boots, which were rejected as too sexy, so jeans were worn instead. Ford would wear the same striped top in her later movie The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery.

Broadcast

  • The first broadcast of An Unearthly Child received only 4.4 million viewers. This was likely due to the assassination of John F. Kennedy the previous day, coupled with a power outage in some parts of Britain that prevented some viewers from tuning in.
  • For this reason, on Wednesday 27 November, the Programme Review board decided to repeat the first episode immediately before the second episode. This repeat gained a significant more amount of viewers – 6.0 million. Although such replays are common today (particularly on American networks), such a rerun was almost unheard of back in 1963.
  • An Unearthly Child was the first Doctor Who story to be broadcast internationally, appearing on Canada's CBC network on January 25, 1965.

Ratings

  • An Unearthly Child First Broadcast - 4.4 million viewers
  • An Unearthly Child Second Broadcast - 6.0 million viewers
  • The Cave of Skulls - 5.9 million viewers
  • The Forest of Fear - 6.9 million viewers
  • The Firemaker - 6.4 million viewers

Myths

  • An Unearthly Child was broadcast 10 minutes late due to an extended news report into the assassination of President Kennedy the previous day. (It was transmitted only 1 minute and 20 seconds later than the scheduled 5.15 p.m.) [1]
  • C. E. Webber co-wrote the story with Anthony Coburn. (Webber had actually been working on a proposed episode known as The Giants which was originally intended to be the first story but was later rejected).[2]
  • This story was broadcast live. (No episode was ever broadcast live. This rumour likely originated due to the fact episodes of the day were often videotaped in one continuous take with only occasional recording breaks).[2]
  • Jackie Lane was offered the role of Susan. (Although she auditioned for the part she withdrew before the role was cast).[2]
  • Waris Hussein spotted Carole Ann Ford in BBC play called The Man on a Bicycle when he was looking for someone for the role of Susan.[2] (This play was actually broadcast months before Hussein became involved with Doctor Who. However according to a documentary included in the DVD box set "The Beginning" Hussein spotted her in an episode of "Z-Cars".).
  • Jacqueline Hill worked as a model in Paris. (She didn't.)[2]
  • The original police box was a prop left over from Dixon of Dock Green. (It was specially made for Doctor Who.)[2]

Filming Locations

  • Ppganuneartlychild 031.JPG

    Lime Grove Studios during filming of episode 1 'An Unearthly Child'

  • Ppganuneartlychild 038.JPG

    Lime Grove Studios during filming

  • Ppganuneartlychild 037.JPG

    Lime Grove Studios during filming

  • Ppganuneartlychild 039.JPG

    Lime Grove Studios during filming

Production errors

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
  • Just before Ian is electrocuted by the console someone in the studio can be heard shouting a cue.
  • At the end of episode one the caveman shadow is seen to extend much further than it really should.

Continuity

  • In Remembrance of the Daleks it appears to have been just weeks or even the day after the conclusion of episode 1 of "An Unearthly Child".
  • It is revealed in Remembrance of the Daleks that the Doctor was hiding the Hand of Omega in London when the teachers discovered his presence.
  • Susan states that she and her grandfather have been in London for five months at this point.
  • The fact the first episode occurs in the year 1963 (and not some later or earlier year) is confirmed in episode 2 when Ian asks to go back to 1963.
  • EDA's Interference - Book One and Interference - Book Two explain the importance of Foreman's Yard to the Doctor's timeline and introduces the character of I.M. Foreman.
  • During this adventure the Doctor encounters his Eighth Incarnation who has travelled back along his own timeline (EDA: The Eight Doctors).
  • The events of this story can be seen to follow on from those in TN: Time and Relative.
  • DWM: Operation Proteus takes place a short time prior to this story.
  • Susan claims that she made up the term TARDIS from the initials of Time and Relative Dimension in Space. But it is later revealed that Gallifreyan society is several million years old. An explanation for this apparent inconsistency is proposed in NA: Lungbarrow.
  • When the TARDIS dematerializes for the first time, both Ian and Barbara faint. This effect is unique to this story as Ian and Barbara show no further ill effects in subsequent dematerializations (at least not of this nature and not caused directly by the TARDIS activating), nor do any future new TARDIS passengers. (It's possible the rather chaotic way the TARDIS entered flight somehow messed with the humans' equilibrium, as opposed to later, more-orderly dematerializations.)
  • This story leads straight into DW: The Daleks, beginning a pattern that would continue through much of the 60s, with one story leading straight into the next.

Timeline

DVD, Video and Other Releases

DVD Release

Region 2 Box art

This story was released (as Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child) as part of the DVD box set The Beginning, together with The Daleks and The Edge of Destruction.

Released:

PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1882
PAL - Roadshow ????
NTSC - Warner Video E2489

Video Release

Cover for the original 1990 VHS release
  • First Release: Released as Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child

Released:

PAL - BBC Video BBCV4311
NTSC - CBS/FOX Video 3401
NTSC - Warner Video E1906

Notes: The 'Next Episode' caption has been removed from Episode 4.

Cover for the Remastered 2000 VHS release
  • Second Release: An unedited, remastered edition that the BBC originally intended to release in a box set with The Daleks and The Edge of Destruction. They changed their plans and decided to release each story individually.

Released:

PAL - BBC Video BBCV6959

Notes: A version of the Pilot has been released on The Hartnell Years video. The complete take has been released on The Edge of Destruction video.

Novelisations

Original Target cover
File:001c.jpg
1990 Re-issued cover
Main article: Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child

Titled Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child and written by Terrance Dicks, the book was published on 15th October 1981 by Target Books and priced at £1.25. With a cover by Andrew Skilleter, the book was issued in a 30,000 copy print run (ISBN 0-426-201442).

It was the first book published after a six month gap caused by a Writer's Guild strike and was later numbered as number 68 in the Target Books Doctor Who Library.

Reprints

  • 1982 (£1.25)
  • 1983 (£1.25)
  • 1984 (£1.35)
  • 1985 (£1.50)

The book was re-issued as Doctor Who - An Unearthly Child on 15th February 1990 (priced £2.50) with a print run of 5,000 copies. It featured new cover art using Alister Pearson's painting for the BBC Video release.

Script book

In January 1988, Titan Books published the original teleplays for the serial in one volume as part of Doctor Who: The Scripts, using the serial's working title The Tribe of Gum.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Howe, David J., Stammers, Mark, Walker, Stephen James, 1992, Doctor Who: The Sixties, Doctor Who Books, an imprint of Virgin Publishing Ltd, London, pg.12
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Howe, David J., Walker, Stephan James, The Television Companion, BBC Worldwide Ltd, 1998. pg.9

Template:Season 1

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