Reasons to love the Hartnell era.
26. ACTION TIME.
Contrary to popular belief that somehow being the oldest era somehow makes it the slowest and the most dull, this era is full of classic action adventure. Slower paced television doesn’t mean brain dead boring with nothing happening.
Ian is probably the staple action man (Steven as well comes a close second) but Ian fights in a Roman arena, as an Aztec warrior, has a sword fight in the Crusade and not to mention he fights off an entire bunch of Morok guards. The Doctor himself isn’t afraid of as he puts it ‘giving the enemy, the old one two.’ The Doctor had a sword fight and fought with the Roman assassin (he even was disappointed when Vicki interrupted).
And as well as fights there are the moments such as Barbara running down Daleks in the lorry and the cave trek in the Daleks in which we witness every terrifying moment as each member jumps the chasm. Because its ‘as live’ as well, this makes it even more fun because when you see them climbing a mountain there and then, they really are (albeit a polystyrene tiny version) and the actors get to be like children in a play area as they go on an exciting adventure.
The Keys of Marinus is your typical adventure serial where the team have to go on a quest. We have ice demons and trekking through ice caves and we have triffid like plants and booby traps and not once does it ever lose the action.
Classic television is slower paced but slower paced is not a bad thing or lack of action. Moving at all is action and this era is full of sword fights and duels and overcoming obstacles it just doesn’t have the jump cuts and CGI and explosions but instead it has the action teamed with beautiful longer scenes, a great plot, suspense and most importantly…imagination.
Yeah. If Barbara Wright running over Daleks in a truck like the flawless bamf she is and Ian Chesterton whooping the asses of revered warrior types throughout time and space isn’t reason enough to be loving this era then I don’t know what is.
