50 years of Doctor Who in 50 screengrabs
As its fiftieth anniversary year draws to a close, Andrew serves up a visual guide to Doctor Who, told in 50 screengrabs...
Here we are: a largely visual guide to Doctor Who, all achieved via the medium of MS Paint and the ‘Alt + PrtSc’ buttons.
1. The Sound of Drums
Where it all began.
2. An Unearthly Child
The first cliffhanger. Not only has the TARDIS transported us from present day into the unknown, but there’s something else. There will always be something else.
3. The Daleks
Look, the definitive “Something else”.
4. The Sensorites
After the initial distrust, the TARDIS crew have put aside their differences, and the show is nearing its essence: the Doctor, his friends, “A great spirit of adventure.”
5. The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The first companion departure, and it’s the Doctor’s grand-daughter Susan. Hartnell plays the scene beautifully, informed by his real life emotions at Carole Ann Ford’s departure.
6. The Romans
Another string on Hartnell’s lute: The Romans plays to his comic strengths, the Doctor merrily plays his way through Emperor Nero’s court.
7. The Underwater Menace
The Second Doctor cavorts his way through the early episodes of Season Four.
8. The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Doctor and Jamie holding hands. Shippers, to your keyboards!
9. The Web of Fear
Jamie and the Brigadier. Yes, your mancrush is acceptable.
10. The Invasion
The iconic image of the show’s second most popular monsters.
11. The Mind Robber
The TARDIS explodes. The Doctor spins away into nowhere. Jamie and Zoe cling to the console. Jamie is somewhat less expressive regarding his feelings on the subject.
12. Spearhead from Space
He’s from another era of the show, but Andrew Cartmel’s comments are pertinent here: “We went to see John and said, What about tentacles? They could come out through the ventilation grilles. And he said ‘Tentacles are difficult’, spoken with the knowing manner of a man who’s tried tentacles before.”
13. Inferno
The sight of the planet screaming out its rage.
14. The Daemons
If you show this image to anyone who hasn’t seen The Daemons and they don’t immediately want to watch it, then there’s something wrong.
15. The Sea Devils
The Doctor and the Master have a fight in a high security prison that somehow has conveniently located swords at the ready.
16. Carnival of Monsters
A monster.
17. The Green Death
The Doctor drives off into the sunset. The end of the Pertwee era is nigh.
18. Genesis of the Daleks
“Back on Skaro, where it all began.”
19. The Seeds of Doom
A slightly bigger monster.
20. The Deadly Assassin
If you to show this image to anyone who you’ve just shown The Daemons to and they don’t immediately want to watch The Deadly Assassin, there’s something wrong.
21. The Talons of Weng Chieng
Henry Gordon Jago, Professor Litefoot and the TARDIS.
22. City of Death
The most important punch in history.
23. Creature from the Pit
If you think this one looks odd, you should know we’ve gone for the PG-rated version.
24. The Horns of Nimon
It is he, Soldeed.
25. Shada
The Fourth Doctor, lying on a patch of concrete, enjoying himself enormously.
This article is continued on the next page. We don’t like splitting our lists like this, but with the longer, picture-heavy ones, it does seem to make sense…
26. Four to Doomsday
The Fifth Doctor, interfering with monopticons, before he went hands free.
27. Earthshock
Adric is dead.
28. Warriors of the Deep
Almost the entire guest cast is dead.
29. The Caves of Androzani
Almost the entire guest cast is dead. Again. This time, however, the Doctor’s friend is not going to die.
30. The Trial of a Timelord – Mindwarp
Colin Baker’s Cliffhanger Masterclass (one from the twenty-one available).
31. The Trial of a Timelord – Terror of the Vervoids
How can you say ‘no’ that face?
32. Delta and the Bannermen
The Two Sides to the Seventh Doctor #1 – brooding melancholy.
33. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Two Sides to the Seventh Doctor #2 – Genocide? What genocide? I couldn’t hear any genocide over the sound of the massive explosion I just caused.
34. Survival
‘Where to now Ace?’
‘Home.’
‘Home?’
‘The TARDIS.’
‘Yes. The TARDIS.’
35. The TV Movie/Doctor Who
Everything in this image is utterly joyous.
36. The End of Time Part Two
Either some godlike beings have been careless with their frisbees, or something’s gone really terribly wrong.
37. Rose
The Three Stages of Eccles #1 – morbid aloofness.
38. Dalek
The Three Stages of Eccles #2 – pure radge.
39. The Parting of the Ways
The Three Stages of Eccles #3 – recovery and acceptance.
40. School Reunion
Just in case this fails to move you, in a minute K9 turns up, and he’s wagging his tail.
41. Army of Ghosts
The Shipping Forecast: Earth to Void; variable, occasional weeping.
42. Utopia
If you show this image to anyone who you’ve just shown The Daemons and The Deadly Assassin to and they don’t immediately want to watch Utopia, there is also something wrong.
43. Journey’s End
David Tennant without any clothes on, pulling a funny face (70% atypical). It’s so sexy the TARDIS has caught fire.
44. Journey’s End
One of the bits everyone remembers from Journey’s End, as the TARDIS crew of the past four series celebrate saving the day together. Ten minutes later the Doctor ends the episode in his ship, totally alone.
45. The End of Time Part Two
Bernard Cribbins Sadness Porn: You will cry because Bernard Cribbins is crying, and Bernard Cribbins is lovely.
46. The End of Time Part Two
And a new man walks away (like a drunken giraffe)…
47. The Big Bang
The Doctor tells Amelia Pond a bedtime story, as under Steven Moffat Doctor Who becomes a contemporary fairy tale.
48. Day of the Moon
The Pond family and Canton Everett Delaware III look out over Lake Silencio, as the huge great spoiler goes on its final journey.
49. The Crimson Horror
The Paternoster Gang, Clara, and the Doctor look on at the final moments of Mr Sweet.
50. The Name of the Doctor
Steven Moffat couldn’t have set the internet more aflame if he’d recast Paul McGann as the Rani.
Originally, this was fifty screengrabs, but that’s the thing about Doctor Who, it keeps happening. Because it wouldn’t be Doctor Who if things didn’t change, here are some surprise additions to our line-up:
The Day of the Doctor
“All thirteen.”
The Day of the Doctor
“I’m only a humble curator.”
The Time Of The Doctor airs on Christmas Day at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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Written by
Andrew Blair is a writer and performer from Scotland. He also writes poetry, including a pamphlet of poems about a fictional version of Robert Pattinson. He…