If you only know the Doctor as the energetic, Converse-wearing hero or the witty professor with a sonic screwdriver, seeing the First Doctor for the first time is a bit of a shock. Honestly, he’s a jerk. When we first meet him in a foggy London junkyard in 1963, he’s not trying to save the world. He’s a suspicious, abrasive, and frankly terrifying old man who kidnaps two schoolteachers just because they stumbled onto his ship.
He wasn't always the hero. That’s the thing most people miss about the First Doctor, played by William Hartnell. He didn’t start with a moral code. He learned it.
The Mystery of the Unearthly Child
Back in the early days, the show wasn't a space opera. It was kinda supposed to be educational. The BBC wanted to teach kids about history and science, which is why the original companions were a history teacher (Barbara Wright) and a science teacher (Ian Chesterton). They were the audience surrogates. The Doctor? He was just the mysterious "Doctor Who" who owned the box.
William Hartnell brought a strange, brittle energy to the role. He was 55 but looked older, sporting a long white wig and a Victorian-style frock coat. He didn't have a sonic screwdriver. He didn't even have a name. In fact, the Teachers called him "Doctor" because they assumed that was his title, and he just sort of went along with it.
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One of the wildest things about this era is how dangerous he was. In an early story, "The Daleks," he actually sabotages his own ship—the TARDIS—to force his companions to explore a city because he’s curious. He puts everyone’s lives at risk just to see some sights. He even considers bashing a caveman’s head in with a rock in the very first serial because the guy is slowing them down. He was brutal.
How the First Doctor Actually Became "The Doctor"
It’s easy to think the character has always been a cosmic crusader. But if you watch the three-year run of the First Doctor, you see a man being "humanized" by his companions.
Ian and Barbara were the ones who taught him to care. They challenged his selfishness. They forced him to realize that traveling through time isn't just about observation—it's about responsibility. By the time he says goodbye to his granddaughter, Susan, in "The Dalek Invasion of Earth," he’s transformed. That famous speech where he promises to come back? It’s the first time we see the deep, aching compassion that would define the next sixty years of the show.
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Key Traits of the Hartnell Era:
- The "Fluffs": Hartnell famously struggled with his lines due to failing health (later diagnosed as arteriosclerosis). He would stumble over words or call Ian "Chesserman" instead of Chesterton. Instead of being mistakes, these became part of the character’s "absent-minded professor" charm.
- The Chuckle: He had this high-pitched, mischievous giggle. It reminded you that under the grumpy exterior, he was basically a naughty child having the time of his life.
- The Costume: He wore a black frock coat, a wing-collared shirt, and often an Astrakhan fur hat. It was very Edwardian, very "grandfatherly."
- Total Lack of Control: He couldn't steer the TARDIS. At all. They just landed where the "Fast Return" switch felt like going.
The Invention of Regeneration (By Accident)
We take regeneration for granted now. It's the show's superpower. But in 1966, the show was in trouble because William Hartnell was getting too sick to continue. The production was grueling.
The producers—Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis—had a crazy idea. What if he didn't die? What if he just "renewed" himself? They described it in an internal memo as being like a "bad LSD trip"—a terrifying metaphysical change. When the First Doctor collapsed on the floor of the TARDIS at the end of "The Tenth Planet," and his face transformed into Patrick Troughton, television history changed forever. Without Hartnell’s specific health issues, the show likely would have just ended in 1966.
Why You Should Actually Watch the Black and White Era
A lot of modern fans skip the Hartnell years. They think it's too slow or the special effects are too "cardboard." And yeah, the Daleks sometimes look like they’re struggling with a slight incline. But the stories are surprisingly dark.
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Take "The Aztecs," for example. Barbara tries to stop a human sacrifice, and the Doctor gives her a stern lecture about how "you cannot rewrite history! Not one line!" It’s a debate about the ethics of time travel that the show is still having today. Or "The War Machines," which feels like a proto-modern episode with the Doctor fighting computers in 1960s London.
The First Doctor legacy has been kept alive by actors like Richard Hurndall and, more recently, David Bradley. Bradley’s portrayal in "Twice Upon a Time" (the Twelfth Doctor’s finale) leaned a bit heavily into the "old-fashioned sexism" for laughs, which some fans found annoying. In the original 60s run, the Doctor was definitely a man of his time, but he was more focused on being an alien aristocrat than a grumpy grandpa from a sitcom.
Actionable Insights for New Viewers
If you want to understand where the Doctor came from, don't just read a wiki. You've gotta see the performance.
- Start with "An Unearthly Child": Just the first episode. It’s a masterclass in atmosphere. It feels like a horror movie.
- Watch "The Aztecs": It’s only four episodes long and shows the Doctor’s intellectual side. No monsters, just pure drama and historical stakes.
- Check out "The Tenth Planet": It’s the introduction of the Cybermen and the first-ever regeneration. Even though the final episode is missing (it’s animated now), the moment of change is iconic.
- Skip the "Missing Episode" stress: Many 60s episodes were wiped by the BBC. If a story has "reconstructions" (still photos with audio), it might be tough for a first-timer. Stick to the fully intact stories first.
The First Doctor isn't just a historical curiosity. He’s the foundation. He’s the man who ran away from Gallifrey because he was bored and stayed in the universe because he learned to love. He reminds us that the Doctor wasn't born a hero; he chose to become one.
To dive deeper into the early years, look for the "The Beginning" DVD box set or stream the "Whoniverse" collection on BBC iPlayer or Disney+. Seeing the transition from the suspicious exile of the first episode to the heroic figure of the later seasons provides a perspective on the character that you just can't get from the modern era alone.