FIRST TIME WATCHING DOCTOR WHO! | 1x4 “Aliens of London" | Reaction

[@drwfigureadventures]

I love this story. The aliens are one thing - but the important bits are the grounding aspects. The characterisation. The exploration of the consequences of running off with the doctor in a way that hadn’t been explored before but that modern audiences would likely ask. That and the commentary on the “war on terror”.

[@matth1589]

Just for context. The person baking the "spaceship" cake was a "Blue Peter" presenter, a BBC children's television show that has run since 1958 and (at least used to) always had a section where the presenter would make something, that young children could make at home for a low cost. The blue ship on the apron is the show's logo and almost certainly recogisable to everyone who is grew up or had children from 1960 - 2000s, when cable and satellite and the internet diluted the viewing audience. If you ever hear a British person or show make a reference like , "and here's one I made earlier, "they are quite possibly referring to Blue Peter.

[@AlmightyCRJ]

It used to share a studio with the Classic Who guest sets.

[@namco003]

One of my favorite things about the newer Doctor Who, is the random unexpected cliff hangers. The 70s ones told you whether it was multiple parts in the opening.

[@drwfigureadventures]

The sound for the TARDIS landing and take off was originally made by scraping a piano string, I believe. Then edited somehow.

[@cis22]

To add, I believe it was a key that was scraping the piano string.

[@trayolphia5756]

16:57 “noooooo, it’s a double episode” Oh my sweet summer child - in the classic who series, the overwhelming majority, if not the rule, was every “story” was a 3-6 episode arc, with several such arcs taking place over a series/season Effectively imagine a longer length novel split into anywhere from 3 to 8 episodes, and there being a handful of such story arcs per series The perfect amount for home video releases where the full lot of episodes could be released on a single tape.

[@peterbrogan670]

The emotional stuff starts building after this.

[@ajivins1]

Penelope Wilton was great in the eighties sitcom 'Ever Decreasing Circles' plus, of course, 'Shaun of the Dead'.

[@Thessair]

Tosh! ❤ I love the story behind Dr. Sato. (See the first modern spin-off, _Torchwood_ . It's very hit or miss until the third series, but there's some good stuff hidden in there.)

[@DarqJestor]

Didn't she also play Saffy's best friend on Absolutely Fabulous?

[@Harry_SS]

Is it supposed to be the same character?

[@Thessair]

@@Harry_SS Yup. It gets explained in an episode of Torchwood.

[@Harry_SS]

@@Thessair Cool. I’ve only watched torchwood once so must’ve missed it.

[@TheLetterU]

@@DarqJestor She's also in Spice World.

[@DarqJestor]

I love the Slitheen, even the absurd human costumes and their juvenile reaction to the flatulence caused by the gas exchanger, and their ludicrous appearance. This style of humor is often a small part of Dr Who.

[@bobbuethe1477]

The earliest movie example of invasion-by-possession that I'm familiar with is the classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956). A suspenseful science fiction story that also serves as a metaphor for Cold War paranoia.

[@QuayNemSorr]

You have such a wonderful journey ahead of you in the TARDIS

[@enchantedwooddesigns3462]

I watched a lot of Doctor Who in 70's and 80s. I started at John Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor. Middle of no where so turn the antenna and try and get PBS channel clear picture. The show was usually five episodes to a episode title.

[@-gohu-]

i'm so glad you're enjoying the show already. the david tennant era, and then the matt smith era is where it's at for me. it took me until the end of the season to get into the show properly, so it's a good sign that you're already there, haha.

[@Dan_Brandybuck]

I think I remember hearing that the Tardis sound effect was a recording of a key scratching on piano strings being played backwards.

[@AStupidID]

This two-parter is underrated - I really like it.

[@Llanchlo]

It has a good strong storyline. Unforunately they didn't quite get the tone right IMO but that was a mistake which was rarely repeated

[@najhoant]

Yes, it's really good at establishing the Doctor's relationship with Earth's authorities in the revival series

[@noortjevolkers6204]

Bedankt

[@erictaylor5462]

12:15 A guy returns home from a business trip. His wife greets him with, "Did you miss me?" He says, "Of course, you would never stand still."

[@auntvesuvi3872]

Thank you, Mary! ⏳ I also quickly got involved with the characters and felt like I'd been in the world for years by this point. Just wait 'til you get thirteen seasons hence! 🤯

[@3DJapan]

Fun thing I just read. Some old police boxes are still standing and have been converted into coffee shops.

[@dolorousvin7731]

How? Are they bigger on the inside?

[@karl-70]

This 2 parter slitheen episode is one of the extremely rare episodes that falls under par. From here on in though, each episode, episode on episode, gets better and each series better than the last, both in writing and production values. Your about the climb the Doctor entertainment ladder. Strap in for the ride.

[@ThePharaz]

In the Classic Doctor Who the stories typically went 3 to 7 episodes. There were some few that went beyond that range but not many. Believe The Doctor it's Ricky.

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

I know. The *FATSUIT FARTING ALIENS* double episode is arguably the worst moment in Doctor Who. It's definitely on the podium. But I swear to you: if you stick with it, you will be handsomely rewarded. 😅

[@SuspenduAuGaffa]

Every time I read this episode title I can't resist singing, "Aoooo, Aliens of London!" Showing my age, I guess. Great to see the reactor with the best accent branching out into Who! As you said in one of your earlier reactions, this show can take you anywhere. From silly, like most of this ep, to scary, then emotional, to just downright wow - often in the space of a single episode. So be kind to this series' failures, Mary, because its successes more than outweigh them. Enjoy the adventure (in time and space)!

[@TheDanEdwards]

As others have noted, another guest star who reappears as a main character in _Torchwood,_ an ok series that is aimed at a more adult audience.

[@adrianmcgrath1984]

This was a shocking episode. Fans and critics were not impressed and it worried a lot of people about the general direction of the show. Christopher Ecclestone is a great actor, but this first series does have a few wobbles. It also has some very good episodes, but it season two when it really finds it feet. I'm not sure what your source for the show is Mary, but I know some sites aren't very well organized and Christmas specials are not always recognized as part of the series and catalogued in their correct position in the series. In the UK Christmas episodes have strict rules about what they can and can't do.* I think Dr Who is pretty unique in using Christmas episodes to re-set between series * In the UK, unlike some other countries, Christmas TV is taken very seriously. Typically shows that are the most popular will be given a Christmas show - Christmas Day and Boxing Day being reserved for the most loved. Broadcasters in the UK recognize the importance of these shows and the circumstances under which they will be watched. The main rule comes from the recognition that families will be spending Christmas together, meaning people who may never have seen a show before, maybe obliged to sit down with other family members who have never seen an episode. To make this more tolerable, a series will be required to be a completely self contained show. It shouldn't depend on show cannon or law to be understood. Often this leads to dull episodes where story arcs and characters are written a bit thinly. Some superb shows that depend heavily on characters quirks or backstories are terrible. But on more than one occasion, Dr Who decided to use the normally dis-jointed Christmas episode to introduce new characters and change the direction of the show. This means watching the Christmas episodes in their correct slots can be pretty important.

[@drwfigureadventures]

Not just pretty important, but necessary. Just as much a part of the story as any other episode.

[@erictaylor5462]

8:00 It's a good thing fireflies are harmless then... well, mostly harmless.

[@peterh8553]

I am a Tom Baker Doctor fan also, Peter Davidson, and the later Jon Pertwee were good

[@Wannabe_Baby]

I always see this two-parter as a barrier to Doctor Who. I really, really, REALLY want to recommend people watch Doctor Who but they have to get through the Slitheen before getting to the best parts.

[@over50gamer]

Thankfully there's a lot, A LOT, more episodes that have other better aliens than the Slitheen.

[@Melono0000]

The slitheen design is pretty bad but i still think this two parter is great.

[@drwfigureadventures]

I love this story. The aliens are one thing - but the important bits are the grounding aspects. The characterisation. The exploration of the consequences of running off with the doctor in a way that hadn’t been explored before but that modern audiences would likely ask. That and the commentary on the “war on terror”.

[@chazo1367]

Just assure them after the Slitheen 2 parter is one the best episodes of the show that still holds up so well even after 20 years.

[@mikeymike1843]

The Slitheen were to my grandchildren ( who were 5 & 6 ) what the D...ks where to me as a 9 year old in 1968. Terrifying. I loved this episode because it reinforced the premise to me, that Dr Who was originally a children's show.

[@flerbus]

harriet jones!

[@TheMKCrab]

yes, we know who you are

[@MiguelVicoR]

Toshiko Sato! forgot she was in this!

[@adrianmcgrath1984]

The concept of bodies being "taken over" is probably one of the oldest there is, in the past it was spirits or demons, pretty much all cultures all such tales. It was usually a bad thing - sometimes good. For instance in christianity there was the concept of demons taking control (the Exorcist being a recent example) but there are also stories of people being "inhabited by the Holy Spirit" - it's clearly a story that grabs the imagination, and one that could be used to explain metal illness. - it's also been used as a coping mechanism - even today courtrooms and juries will reassure themselves that they couldn't do the the things that some criminals have done, because the criminals have something evil in them. - they may not conceptualize it as an entity, but it still a separate thing - "he had evil in him" or he as the devil in him" - it was as used to beatify others characters in history, people like Joan of Arc who was siadto have "the Holy Spirit" in her. It's only since the world has become a bit more secular, that things once claimed to be the work of supernatural beings has switched to being the work of alien beings. The movie "invasion of the body snatchers" in 1956 might have been one of the first that represented it in depth. It has also been been explored in popular culture with viruses or or parasites being the cause of a bodily "take over"

[@lemonfreshrob]

I really like this two parter, I get the dislike of the farting, although it is explained away, but I think the concept is really strong. And the emotional beats are spot on.

[@ComedicRick]

I love this 2 parter. Yeah the fart humour isn't great but it's barely any of the screen time really.

[@rumham7466]

The thing in the thumbnail looks like a Glo•Worm

[@bjgandalf69]

Mary, the TARDIS sound effect from the BBC show Doctor Who was created by Brian Hodgson using a piano and a front door key. Hodgson was a sound engineer at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. How it was made Hodgson recorded the sound of his mother's front door key scraping up and down the strings of an old piano. He added feedback, oscillator blips, and white noise to the recording. He added a rising note after the Doctor Who team suggested it. He played the recording backwards to create the sound of the TARDIS landing. The evolution of the sound The sound changed many times throughout the series. The sound became firmly associated with the Doctor's identity by the show's tenth anniversary. Other sounds Hodgson created Hodgson also created the voices of the Daleks. He used ring modulation, another recognizable effect from the Radiophonic Workshop. From Google A.I...

[@ftumschk]

I'm not so sure that the sound changed many times throughout the series. With a few tweaks around the edges, the basic TARDIS sound is the same - indeed, it's the same recording - as it was in November 1963.

[@ArtisticMysticSoul]

If you get past these episodes, it gets a lot better.

[@paulalexandredumasseauvan2357]

oh NO! not farting aliens AGAIN! 😣 stephen king did the same thing in DREAMCATCHER and it was GROSS then, too! 😫 wait... 🤔 maybe they were paying him homage! 🤪 REALLY ENJOYED your reaction 👍😁

[@MrGadfly772]

Welcome to being obsessed with the whoniverse! I am SO happy you are watching Doctor Who. Until now the reactors who have watched this series aren't among my favorites and so it's so nice to see a reactor such as yourself who I really like. :)

[@RedCaio]

pReview'd reacted to Doctor Who season 1 (disney plus) and it's a pretty good reaction.

[@peterlewis2178]

Wild, there are so many people who have reacted to it, and I'm surprised you haven't found ones you really liked.

[@theeditor8376]

SO, funny story, go back in 1963. You are in the sound department and need to make a sound for the tardis dematerializing, and what do you do? You must be using hi tech materials, has to be done with incredibly complex and modern instruments... or you just run a key down an old piano string. That's right, the "Groan" of the tardis is a key ran down a piano string and recorded with the 60s sound quality. and funny story Pt.2 (finally at your first two-parter. whovians, they grow so quickly.), that sound has always, ALWAYS been the same. even in the current series, so for over 60 years, that sound is still that same, exact, iconic one.

[@RedCaio]

this episode with the passing gas is a pretty cringe but don't worry the show gets better lol

[@erictaylor5462]

"How long" looses it's meaning when you put time travel in. 12 hours, 12 months, what's the difference?

[@charliechar__]

its always funny guessing if the reactor will or wont cut the "you're so gay" part

[@milesisediting]

The episode that almost made me quit the show bc I haaaaaaate fart humor. Glad I stuck with it though bc now it is my fav show of all time!

[@jdueck-w9y]

@@milesisediting They almost lost me here, too.

[@frenchynoob]

That just sounds like you have flatuphobia mate

[@MarkMonforti]

You haven't seen anything yet. If you like those first 3 your going to be very happy

[@nickpasch1019]

There are a lot of audio changes in going from you to the video. The video can become nearly inaudable.

[@davida.j.berner776]

Such a goofy alien design for such a dark story-line. I kind of like this episode, but never enough to want to rewatch it. It feels like the producers/writers couldn't quite decide which direction they wanted to take with it: serious SciFi or absurd comedy. Not bad overall, but there are definitely better episodes ahead.

[@Cheepchipsable]

I did watch this at the time, and my first though was probably - Why not jump in the Tardis and go back in time 12 months..? Glad you are enjoying it, it is a fun ride...unfortunately the wheels fall off...

[@aarondowd7346]

I'm shaking my booty

[@jdueck-w9y]

Please continue with Star Track.

[@ariadnepyanfar1048]

Why are we laughing? I think the Doctor is quite Manic a lot of the time. THIS episode - where the Doctor messes up and drops Rose back a year after leaving - is what sucked me in completely as a watcher of original Dr Who since the 4th Dr in the 1970s. It’s the first time I really noticed screenwriting, and wanted to know who the scriptwriters were. Spoilers for the original 1960s to 1980s show only below. The original Dr Who was a totally a children’s show intended to get children interested in history and science by writing exciting adventures around the topics. (Not necessarily accurate ones). Logical adult relationships, especially between the alien Dr and their human companions, were blithely disregarded. From an adult perspective, the way the Dr treated companions was downright emotionally abusive. Plucking adults out of their lives, screwing their timelines then abandoning them at random without even saying goodbye after having had many life and death bonding moments with them.

[@cjbalata]

time miss up and can't go back do to crossing there time line ??

[@DaveF.]

Terrible story - great setup, but then it just turns in a run-around with farting aliens. Not great. The show gets so much better than this...

[@shawnlowery6246]

Keep in mind that your views on each video will be linked to how much people like the episode. I am not a fan of this two parter, so I will see you again soon..

[@jbwade5676]

😢😢😢

[@echobucket]

This is my least favorite season 1 Doctor Who episode... I just couldn't get past "farting aliens"