Im here to say that this is simply wrong.
Heisa cantankerous old gitandthe energetic hero.
Okay, so he doesnt do much running around, but he still commands the screen.
And Hartnell is full of good acting.
Hartnells Doctor felt like he could genuinely do something magical at any given moment.
Hartnell defined it first.
Everything a Doctor has ever done is somewhere in a Hartnell performance.
His range is staggeringly good.
Sheer unadulterated wonder at the universe?
Well, the stunt double will do that.
The pace of the Hartnell era is slower, yes, but no slower than some Pertwee stories.
The issue of Hartnell forgetting his lines has been covered with varying sensitivity.
Consequently, its hardly surprising that people forgot lines, especially a lead actor with a punishing schedule.
to Ian and Barbara.
The single most important question in the shows history.
Ah,An Unearthly Child.Its almost unfairly good.
And its the first episode ever.
Or, to put it another way, the original start to the show was pretty much spot on.
You have a mysterious traveller, his home planet is inaccessible, and hes aggressively weird.
The Ninth Doctor goes on a very similar journey to the First in his transition from outsider to hero.
What differentiates the Hartnell era is that its inconsistent.
It moves beyond its remit to educate and entertain children very quickly.
Here an epic story is par for the course, with the events unfolding over long periods of time.
But thats just Dalek stories.
Ian escapes with a friend, only to get captured and get enrolled as a gladiator.
The story takes place over the time period of a month.
Right, of course it does.The RomansisDoctor Whos first ever comedy, by the way.
The series was bound to get round to doing an out-and-out comedy eventually.
This era is also home to purely historical stories, includingThe Aztecs.
Its up there with the series best work, and Hartnell is integral to this.
Get hold of the DVD and watch it.
His performance is varied, note perfect, and exceptional.
If you want a sign of the ineffable qualities he brought to the role, watchThe Three Doctors.
Hartnell is sitting down in a minimal set, evidently reading his lines from cue cards.
He never appears with any other actors except via the TARDIS screen.
WhenThe Three Doctorswas recorded.
William Hartnell was dying.
Sheer poetry, in fact…
