DVD: Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion of Earth (D1)

We got back too late from the space center on Saturday. Everybody was sleepy. Amy was already asleep. And this story was six 25 minute episodes. So, we skipped it for the night.

The next night, there was still some debate. We knew it was a 2 disk set, and would it be fair to watch the first part while my mom was visiting, but the second the next week, after she was gone, thus leaving her in suspense? But thankfully, it turns out all six episodes are on Disk 1. Disk 2 is all special features it seems. (So I put it way in the back of the Netflix Q.)

But when we got back Sunday, it was late again. So we decided to split things up a bit. Rather than attempt to watch all six episodes in a row we ended up watching one, then the next day three, then on a third day the last two episodes.

I feel a bit guilty for subjecting my mom to three days of this stuff. I mean, it can be fun, but that is a lot. This was a very famous story, and for the era (originally aired in November and December of 1964) it was considered to be pretty good. But the pacing is slow, the effects laughable, etc. But that was to be expected.

The quick summary of the story is here.

We did get to see some fun scenes with Daleks all around London. And the historic moment of Susan leaving. She was the first companion to ever leave. And she was the Doctor’s Granddaughter and all!

And basically, he just marooned her on Earth, with no way to get back to him or to their home planet or anything. It was because she had fallen in love with some guy and was “now a woman” and all that, and needed to start a life seperate from her grandfather. OK, fine, but… basically, he abandoned her on a planet that was not her own with some guy she had known for less than a week.

Oops.

It was fun. I liked laughing at some of it. But like I’ve said before, I’ve always had a bit of trouble getting into the first Doctor.

Anyway, that is it for the First Doctor episodes available from Netflix. Next up, the Second Doctor, and Cybermen!