Day 11: The Rescue

.Much has been made of the first episodes of this show, and how important they were in ensuring that the series started off well, such that it took 26 years to finally be put to bed, and after a 15 year rest, returned triumphantly. And it's all thanks to these two serials that we've covered so far. Yet, the first serial isn't Doctor Who as we know it. There aren't any monsters and the Doctor isn't recognisable, showing up as a cantankerous old man who has been lumped with two school teachers. It's in the second serial, that things begin to pick up. We've seen the Doctor develop, from a man who selfishly sabotages his machine, and risks the lives of his travelling companions, to a man who, at the end of this story, gives the Thals the machinery that they need to rebuild and regrow.

Also, we've met the Daleks, who basically made sure that the series grew up into what it is today. Because monsters are the things that terrify. They get into your imagination, and operate out of the corner of your eye, waiting to destroy you. And with the Daleks, Doctor Who was able to truly terrify people and, combined with a beautiful design by Raymond Cusick, they are still able to strike fear into the hearts of people everywhere, and most importantly, make the show popular. Without the Daleks, Doctor Who would have faded into obscurity, but with the Daleks, the show was able to prove itself, make people be captured by it, and make them tune in next week as they become invested in the characters and see what other delights will enthrall them in the weeks to come.