-the "action" Doctor -diplomacy -worked wonderfully as a contrast to Troughton's clownish Doctor (Three Doctors, Five Doctors)
Cons:
-as one fan of the show described, there's kind of a "KA POW!" resolution to a lot of his conflicts which I find shallow -never really feel the intellectual side of the Doctor is totally believable -too many gadgets
Although a part of the "golden" era of Who production, Petwee is one of my least favorite Doctors for the reasons stated above. I think Jo Grant was his best companion (although in time and development Sarah Jane would best her in the Baker era). It's an era I'm still fond of, but more from production values. Sorry.
Pertwee is my favorite. He was the most dynamic, charismatic and energetic of all the Doctors. Although he didn't show-up until 1970, the Pertwee era was very much a product of the "Swinging London" zeitgeist, with his velvet jackets and frilly shirts, and fast cars and gadgets. Maybe it was a bit derivative of The Avengers, but it was still cool.
The writing was also top-notch during his era, with many of the most imaginative scripts, and the Pertwee era also introduced the Doctor's arch-villain, The Master.
I've only seen ten of the Pertwee adventures, but I love him and that era. Sometimes he's a bit *too* patriarchal and serious, and there are glimpses of an excellent comic actor which makes watching him frustrating for me. Still, he's my second favorite Doctor. Favorite assistant is Liz Shaw, though I like Jo Grant--and her fashion sense. I'm not sure what to make of Sarah's time with him; the chemistry isn't bad, it's just not what Liz Sladen would achieve with Tom Baker, nor is it what Manning had with Pertwee, which was also enjoyable.
-the "action" Doctor -diplomacy -worked wonderfully as a contrast to Troughton's clownish Doctor (Three Doctors, Five Doctors)
Cons:
-as one fan of the show described, there's kind of a "KA POW!" resolution to a lot of his conflicts which I find shallow -never really feel the intellectual side of the Doctor is totally believable -too many gadgets
Although a part of the "golden" era of Who production, Petwee is one of my least favorite Doctors for the reasons stated above. I think Jo Grant was his best companion (although in time and development Sarah Jane would best her in the Baker era). It's an era I'm still fond of, but more from production values. Sorry.
Assessing pros and cons upon each era of DOCTOR WHO by their respective leading actors and production teams is fascinating because there had been so many developments between 1963 and 1989 in television studio technology as well as the program's accumulated continuity.
When evaluating "classic" WHO, there's always differing "camps" of fans who typically consider actor X as the "best" doctor because their first exposure to the program was with that actor X.
While one should be "fair" in one's across-the-decades overview of DOCTOR WHO, most fans won't disagree that the production teams from the 1970s are the most cherished. I'm from the "camp" which holds the Tom Baker era and the Jon Pertwee era as the 2 most satisfying visions of DOCTOR WHO.
The 1970s was the decade in which DOCTOR WHO hit its stride, gathered international fanbases, and offered us its most idiosyncratic and memorable serials.
This was WHO in its prime before John-Nathan Turner took over production and re-vamped its formats its looks and its sounds. The '70s was also an improvement over the 1960s' serials in terms of colour & on-location footage as well as camouflaging its small budget with less clunky results (Hartnell-era actors' lines flubs, interior set-bound productions, and an overall live television approach were, thankfully, rectified and/or improved upon by the 1970s).
Personally, I consider the Jon Pertwee era as my 2nd favorite period of DOCTOR WHO, with Tom Baker being my favorite. These 2 leading men reflected both the show's serious side as well as its humourous side. The most important aspect to me, though, was the scriptwriting and script-editing by a group of "regulars" who imparted onto the program high degrees of anti-authoritarian/anti-establishment sentiments, cynicisms and/or irreverence, & highly quotable barbed insults a la situation comedies. With scripts by the likes of Robert Holmes, Malcolm Hulke, Don Houghton, Robert Sloman, Louis Marks, Robert Banks Stewart, Chris Boucher, Douglas Adams, & David Fisher plus others, I find it difficult to see how one could NOT like the 1970s serials, or its Pertwee era.
Actually, my favorite seasons of WHO are the 14th season and the 7th. The 7th season is Pertwee's first season, full of unique 7-part serials. Both Houghton's "Inferno" and Hulke's "Silurians" are on my top-10 of fave serials. Liz Shaw is my favorite Pertwee companion. I've felt that Katy Manning's Jo Grant (who never much appealed to me) over-stayed her welcome on the series. Sladen's feminist Sarah Jane was a refreshing contrast, but I prefer Carolyn Johns' non-screaming scientist, Louise Jameson's savage Leela, and Mary Tamm's aristocratic Romana most of all.
Regarding the "cons" from the initial poster, the Doctor's Venusian akido was a device by which the Doctor could overcome his opponents in physical combat. Perhaps it was the obligation to have fight scenes as a requirement for entertainment programs at the time which the poster dislikes? As Paul MacLean says above, the action/stunts in the Pertwee era was WHO trying to keep pace with James Bond and The Avengers (although the fight scene mentality could trace itself even back to machismo in Westerns).
Jon Pertwee did have difficulty with any techno-talk dialogue in the scripts. This may be why he doesn't come across as intellectual. However, Jon Pertwee's delivery and voice diction make him the most eloquent-sounding leading actor in WHO (in contrast with Sylvester McCoy's breathlessness and mumblings, Pertwee sounds positively theatrical).
I admit I'm not a fan of all the mechanical devices with which Jon Pertwee (the person) showed himself off. The lengthy action scenes in some of Pertwee's later serials like "Invasion Of The Dinosaurs" and "Planet Of The Spiders" do nothing to advance the plot, and seem to be tailored to appease Pertwee's ego. Still, I'll take a 6-parter from the '70s over almost anything JNT offered us!
Jon Pertwee is my first and favourite interpretation of "Doctor Who". Unlike what the first poster used to assert, the Pertwee era was not Swinging London at all but rather Glam Rock era: just watch Jo Grant's vivid outfits. Fashion-wise, Pertwee was the equivalent of Roger Moore in "The Persuaders". The first year with Pertwee is simply the best because of the story levels and the serious tone. Pertwee and Delgado were made for each other. Everybody who like the Pertwee era enjoy the way the Master delivers his catch-phrase: "I am the Master and you will obey me." I was not convinced by Pertwee's last female partner which was odd. My second favourite "Doctor Who" is Patrick Troughton because he is delirious, joyful and panicky at once. I love how he says "oh, my word." I adore the last team with Jamie and Zoe. Troughton and Pertwee were connected by the Brigadier and his UNIT.
Tom Baker was good during the early years when the scripts were utterly gloomy. But Baker was too detached as if he didn't care enough. I hated the stupid dog robot of his era and the companions were not memorable.
I think you like a Doctor Who for his emotional characteristics.
Perhaps it was the obligation to have fight scenes as a requirement for entertainment programs at the time which the poster dislikes?
Fighting out of necessity is fine with me. I find Pertwee's portrayal to be overreliant on action and gadgets. I don't ever really totally believe he's intellectually above his cast members in the way I do of other portrayals. I don't think he's a bad doctor. I just find him in the MOR.
But Baker was too detached as if he didn't care enough.
That was the intention. To get away from Earth (Petwee era) with a character who has his own self-interests.
The BBC has announced a pair of classic DVD releases from the early '70s, starring Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor. One's new-to-DVD, and one's a "rerun" of a title released back in 2003! On April 10th you'll get 1971's Doctor Who - Story #059: The Daemons, and 1973's Doctor Who - Story #066: Carnival Of Monsters: Special Edition. Both of these include Katy Manning as companion Jo Grant, and the Daemons also features Roger Delgado as The Master and Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. As usual, these DVDs are digitally remastered in both picture and sound. Package art for both can be seen at the bottom. A finalized list of bonus material hasn't been provided by the studio yet, but here is all the available information we have for each title at this time:
Doctor Who - Story #059: The Daemons (Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor) 2 discs, 122 minutes, 5 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles, $34.98 SRP
In the peaceful village of Devil's End something very strange is happening. A professor is preparing to open a nearby burial mound, and a local white witch foresees death and disaster. Meanwhile, the new vicar looks suspiciously like the Master, and he is using black magic to conjure up an ancient Daemon. Can the Doctor, Jo and UNIT stop their old enemy before he succeeds? Extras: Audio Commentary Tracks The Devil Rides Out (Making-Of Featurette) Episode 1 Colorization Test Tomorrow's World (TV program extract) The BBC's Doctor Who: On Location - Aldbourne Remembering Barry Letts Featurette Photo Gallery Trailers DVD-ROM Material
Doctor Who - Story #066: Carnival Of Monsters: Special Edition (Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor) 2 discs, 98 minutes, 4 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles, $34.98 SRP
Freed from his exile on Earth, the Doctor takes Jo on a test flight in the TARDIS, landing aboard SS Bernice, a cargo ship crossing the Indian Ocean in 1926. As events take a dangerous and unexpected twist, it seems that their fate lies in the hands of a traveling showman named Vorg and his assistant Shirna, who have just arrived on the distant planet of Inter Minor with an amazing intergalactic peepshow called the Miniscope. Extras: Original Audio Commentary Tracks from Previous DVD New Audio Commentary Tracks Extended/Deleted/Alternate Scenes, including Alternate Endings: Episode 4 Featurettes: Behind-the-Scenes, Model Sequences, Archival Featurette by Barry Letts on CSO (blue screen) Production Notes TARDIS-Cam sequence #2 Trailer: "The Five Faces of Doctor Who" DVD-ROM Material Photo Gallery "Destroy All Monsters!" Featurette "On Target" Ian Marter Featurette "The A to Z of Gadgets & Gizmos" Featurette "Mary Celeste and Other Maritime Mysteries" Featurette
I'm still in the process of becoming a Doctor Who fan, and haven't seen the overwhelming majority of the older material (or the last year or so of the newer - I'm still catching up!), and haven't seen anything of Pertwee yet (beyond those fleeting glimpses whenever a montage of all the Doctor's past incarnations is shown in an episode), but I'm looking forward to it.
I'm still in the process of becoming a Doctor Who fan, and haven't seen the overwhelming majority of the older material (or the last year or so of the newer - I'm still catching up!), and haven't seen anything of Pertwee yet (beyond those fleeting glimpses whenever a montage of all the Doctor's past incarnations is shown in an episode), but I'm looking forward to it.
Start with season 7 episodes on DVD: "Spearhead from Space" "Doctor Who and the Silurians" "Inferno" (the masterpiece)
I'm still in the process of becoming a Doctor Who fan, and haven't seen the overwhelming majority of the older material (or the last year or so of the newer - I'm still catching up!), and haven't seen anything of Pertwee yet (beyond those fleeting glimpses whenever a montage of all the Doctor's past incarnations is shown in an episode), but I'm looking forward to it.
You can't go wrong with The Daemons. Regarded as Pertwee's favourite Doctor Who serial, I think it's the perfect story. You have the Pertwee's Doctor, always a joy to watch, Jo Grant, the second best companion. The fantastic Roger Delgado and of course the UNIT family. The Brigadier, Benton and Yates. Sadly, the UNIT we get today is something else. The Daemons is a classic. And I don't use that lightly.
Just keep in mind that "Silurians" has one of the most awful, inappropriate music scores ever slapped on video/film and you should enjoy it okay.
I disagree all the way. The score is unusual and weird because of the anachronistic Renaissance instrument: the crumhorn. Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumhorn The score has a strong identity. You never forget it. "Silurians" is a must see episode. Do not listen to these "deaf" people.
Just keep in mind that "Silurians" has one of the most awful, inappropriate music scores ever slapped on video/film and you should enjoy it okay.
I disagree all the way. The score is unusual and weird because of the anachronistic Renaissance instrument: the crumhorn. Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumhorn The score has a strong identity. You never forget it. "Silurians" is a must see episode. Do not listen to these "deaf" people.
I would almost put it on par with Deadly Dudley's score to Death To the Daleks. Almost.
Just keep in mind that "Silurians" has one of the most awful, inappropriate music scores ever slapped on video/film and you should enjoy it okay.
I disagree all the way. The score is unusual and weird because of the anachronistic Renaissance instrument: the crumhorn. Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumhorn The score has a strong identity. You never forget it. "Silurians" is a must see episode. Do not listen to these "deaf" people.
Whut?!? I cain't here ya's, sonny!
The Silurians' theme isn't so bad; it's the "Itsy Bitsy Spider"-type stuff that grates. Despite the horific score, I love that first Pertwee season above all others of his era. I still miss Liz Shaw!
I would almost put it on par with Deadly Dudley's score to Death To the Daleks. Almost.
Oh dear. I'll have to wade in here. Deadly Dudley (I assume you mean Dudley Simpson) did not score Death To The Daleks. That music was written by Carey Blyton, the composer of, yes, The Silurians.
I realise the Silurians music is somewhat controversial, but I admire Blyton's boldness. It certainly makes the episodes distinct. The score featured crumhorns, true, but also a cello, a regular horn, and a prepared piano. A very unusual and interesting line-up. Unconventional orchestration was his forte. Take the Saxophone quintet for Death To The Daleks, or the use of trumpet (or cornet), trombone, organ, and tubular bells for Revenge Of The Cybermen.
I think it's great that Doctor Who could encompass such a wide variety of scoring approaches. Geoffrey Burgon, Carey Blyton, Tristram Cary, Dudley Simpson, etc... all very individual styles.
Just keep in mind that "Silurians" has one of the most awful, inappropriate music scores ever slapped on video/film and you should enjoy it okay.
I disagree all the way. The score is unusual and weird because of the anachronistic Renaissance instrument: the crumhorn. Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumhorn The score has a strong identity. You never forget it. "Silurians" is a must see episode. Do not listen to these "deaf" people.
For the record, the crumhorn looks like a reversed walking stick that plays like bagpipes. I repeat season 7 is the best of the best and we are all eager to get "The Ambassadors of Death" which "may" popup in 2012 if the Time Lords want it!
Oh dear. I'll have to wade in here. Deadly Dudley (I assume you mean Dudley Simpson) did not score Death To The Daleks. That music was written by Carey Blyton, the composer of, yes, The Silurians.
Oops, my bad. LOL Yes, you are quite right. I believe it was performed by the London Saxophone Quartet. Enough said. LOL
I hear the story will be released on DVD this year.
