Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1111 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-01-30
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 346 minutes

Special Features
Disc 1 - An Unearthly Child Pilot Episode - 25 mins Episode 1: Commentary with Verity Lambert, Carole Ann Ford, William Russell, Gary Russell Episode 4: Commentary with Waris Hussein, Ann Ford, William Russell, Gary Russell.

Pilot Episode Studio Recording (dur. 40') - unedited recording of the entire studio session for the Pilot Episode, including retakes. Commentary with Verity Lambert, Waris Hussein and Gary Russell. Theme Music Video (dur. 2' 30") - allows the viewer to hear the original full-length theme music with original 1963 title sequences elements in three different versions. Picture Gallery Programme Subtitles Subtitle Production Notes Disc 2 - The Daleks Episode 2: Commentary with Christopher Barry, Verity Lambert, Gary Russell Episode 4: Commentary with Christopher Barry, William Russell, Carole Ann Ford, Gary Russell Episode 7: Commentary with Richard Martin, William Russell, Carole Ann Ford, Gary Russell Extras Creation of the Daleks (dur. 18') - new featurette looking at the origins of these icon villains. Picture Gallery Programme Subtitles Subtitle Production Notes

Disc 3 - The Edge of Destruction Episodes The Edge of Destruction - 2 x 25 mins. Episode 2 - Arabic Soundtrack Extras Origins (dur. 53') - an in-depth look at the creation of Doctor Who, including rare interviews with the programme's creator, the late Sidney Newman, and new interviews with other members of the cast and production team. Over the Edge (dur. 30') - a new featurette exploring 'The Edge of Destruction', featuring interviews with cast and crew.

Synopsis
Doctor Who - The Beginning features four early episodes. Includes the previously unreleased pilot episode and the very first episode from the long-running sci-fi TV series. Set in London in 1963, "An Unearthly Child" is our very first brush with the Doctor. Teachers Ian and Barbara follow a mysterious pupil, Susan, home one evening and find that she lives in a junkyard. Suddenly her uncle, the Doctor, appears but they suspect Susan is being held in the police box. On entering this box their lives change forever... Also includes "The Daleks" and the two-part episode of "The Edge Of Destruction".

Customer Reviews

BLACK N' WHITE, DODGY SETS, FLUFFED LINES....JUST BRILLIANT!
This is real telly history. The whole Doctor Who/Tardis concept still astounds me with the imagination that went into its creation. The original mass of sound effects that was the opening theme was changed years ago, but not for the better. The light distortions the bass sounds and the asthmatic Tardis sounds, with howling ,fading echo were all there and gave the show a totally original look and feel .
The'unearthly child, both versions are good to watch. Introducing a great cast headed by the wonderful William Hartnell. The stone age story was alright, although the arrival in the middle of nowhere by the Tardis at the beginning was visually stunning. As was the arrival in the petrified forest in the Dalek story, that was genuinley scary. There was a tension and genuine spookiness that ran through the show. When the drama was high it was great, only lost when they became adventures and the chases replaced the drama, but that couldn't/can't be helped. The odd story 'The edge of destruction ',was i believe a money saver, but a good character story set in the Tardis. Which looked like a battered old wooden police box, rather than the huge bright blue thing they have now. David Tennant are doing well, but you must watch this, esspecially the first two Dalek episodes.

Story 1,2,3 of the brilliant Doctor Who
As a now 24 year old, who as a child watched the odd couple of episodes of Sylvester Mccoy's doctor who, and was never really what you call a fan of the show, even when the new series came out i did not rush to watch them. But upon watching the 2nd series of the new who(which at times was quite brilliant, apart from love and monsters of course - dont know why some people like that episode, beyond me) i decided to indulge in some of the old who from the beginning. To which i purchased this dvd and was quite astonished how good it actually is. To my shock of thinking the new series was something special and then watching this it then gave me a totally different perception on the new series to an extent where at times the new series is very much like a soap opera with cheesy scenes and a non scary enemies. Not to give the new series to much critisism because it is at times very very good. But sadly it is nothing compared to some of the old series(and this from a person who has never been a who fan, until now, and can judge without ever seeing the old ones)

Anyway enough dribble about how the old and new series compare. This dvd is a must buy. Not just because its the very first doctor who, also because it really is a fantastic set of 3 stories. Having serials with more episodes and are longer make the stories so much better, plot wise and makes the stories more whole. Also what was suprising was how good it was in being black and white (i was very sceptical at first) it adds to the tension and makes the first few seasons very dark and mysterious which really does make it more special and what doctor who should always be like. The stories themselves are all top class:
Story 1
AN UNEARTHLY CHILD.
Basically opens with us being introduced to a mysterious person who is the doctor, and sets up the main characters and companions of the show, to then leading to the main story of the doctor and companions land in a tribe full of cannibals and have to escape. A very good story that is intended to get the audience to know the characters. (9 out of 10)

Story 2
THE DALEKS
This trully is the story that made Doctor who what it is today, i can understand why people went dalek crazy and they are the iconic enemy of Doctor who, and are used so much today. The story focuses on the doctor and companions landing on the planet skaro. Which has 2 civilizations one being the Thals and the other being the Daleks. The doctor and co come across a metal city and investigate. Which is where the daleks live, and live on causing terror. As the doctor finds out. The story is well paced and truly dark and tense. The daleks are also very menacing, compared to what they are nowadays. Which all creates a fantastic story (10 out of 10)

Story 3
THE EDGE OF DESTRUCTION
This story is short and is obviously a filler story which cost little to make. But never the less it is still a very good story. In which the crew of the tardis wake up from an explosion in the tardis and have loss of memory and strange things are going on with the tardis itself. As stated a short story while not as good as the first 2 stories, but still a very enjobable one (8 out of 10)

To conclude this is a must have to start your doctor who collection. Buy it now, because trust me from a previously NON - DOCTOR WHO fan, to one, who has now started his collection, this is television at its best.

How it all began.
This is how a television instiution began back in 1963. William Hartnell was an inspired choice for the part that he would play for the first three years of the show.
We begin with a good opening story. The opening episode is a real classic with two school teachers wandering why one of their pupils knows far more about science and history than she should. Their investigations, take them to an old junk yard, where, inside they discover a mysterious police box and an irascible old man. Eventually they force their way inside the box ... This episode paved the way for all that was to come.
The remaining episodes are set back in the stone age, and tell of the Doctor and his companions struggling to survive and ultimately, escape. These episodes may not match up to the first, but are still very tense and exciting. They also contain a darker element than many of the stories to come over the years.
The second story in the set sees the beginning of another television legend that continues to this day. The Tardis lands on planet Skaro, home to the beautiful pacifist Thals ..... and the Daleks! The series most popular monsters made their debut in a seven part morality tale. There were better Dalek stories to follow in subsequent years, but no one could doubt the impact of this story, which saw Doctor Who's ratings soar over the weeks. It may be a little bit long and sag in the middle, but it contains some of the shows most memorable scenes. The most notable of these being the cliffhanger to Episode 1.
The final story, `The Edge of Destruction' is a bit of a disappointment. The first episode is a good one, which builds up tension, as the Tardis crew appear to be facing real danger. Too bad that this is all spoiled with a disappointing resolution in the second episode! However, significantly, this is the first episode to hint that the Tardis is more than just a time-travel machine.
The set contains the usual array of DVD feaures icluding commentaries, interviews withcast and crew and documentaries charting the making of the programmes. The first disc contains the original pilot episode. It is very similar to the opening episode of an unearthly child, but has a few subtle differences. You may note, in particular, as the Tardis takes off, there is a much more different, electronic sound, compared to the one that we have become used to. Then on the third disc, we have an abridged soundtrack of the lost story `Marco Polo.' This is accompanied by a series of still shots and gives us an insight into what this adventure would have been like.
There were better stories to follow over the years, but nevertheless, these are still worth watching. As someone said many years later: "After all, that's how it all started!"