The Velvet Web (The Keys of Marinus Episode 2)

The one where everything is much grimmer than it seems...

It transpires that the blood Ian found on Barbara's discarded travel dial was just a scratch on her wrist, and she's actually perfectly safe and lording it up in what appears to be an intergalactic version of Ancient Rome (echoes of the future here...!). The Doctor, Ian and Susan find Babs reclining leisurely on a chaise longue, quaffing orange juice and popping grapes as if she's been there for days. From the others' perspective, it's been a matter of mere moments, but perhaps Barbara's travel dial took her back in time somehow? Or maybe writer Terry Nation just didn't think it through very well.

John Gorrie's direction in The Velvet Web is a real step up from last week's shambles, and the effect when the Doctor, Ian and Susan break through the doors into the city of Morphoton is well-handled, with flashing white lights and disorientating sound effects. The way he handles the problem of swapping perspectives once the truth of Morphoton is revealed is excellent, so subtle at first, flipping between Barbara's view of a society in ruins, and the others seeing pomp and finery. The viewer notices the differences gradually, making it an experience for us as much as those on the screen.

The Sea of Death (The Keys of Marinus Episode 1)

The one where Susan is terrified by the loss of a shoe...

After 20 weeks of the viewers getting to know Doctor Who and his band of intrepid space and time adventurers - and those characters getting to know one another too - it's almost like the production team has hit the reset button, as The Sea of Death opens afresh with no connection to previous adventures apart from Ian's Marco Polo shirt.

But hold on, not everything feels fresh. The Sea of Death is written by Terry Nation, in one of only two instances when he wrote a non-Dalek Doctor Who story (the other being 1975's The Android Invasion). And there's a lot in this episode which echoes his work on The Daleks just a few months earlier...

Assassin at Peking (Marco Polo Episode 7)

The one where Tegana's treachery is revealed at last...

Last Christmas I finally learnt how to play backgammon. It only took me four decades to get round to it, but I instantly fell in love with the game, and so it's doubly amusing to see it play a pivotal role in proceedings in Assassin at Peking. And the Doctor's obviously a good player, having already won from the Khan 35 elephants, 4,000 white stallions, 25 tigers, a year's worth of trade from Burma, and one of Buddha's teeth!

But it is the TARDIS that the Doctor really wants to wager for, even though the Khan has yet to see his gift from Marco. Instead, the Doctor is offered the entire island of Sumatra, but eventually manages to persuade Kublai Khan to play for his TARDIS.

Mighty Kublai Khan (Marco Polo Episode 6)

The one where the Doctor's backache earns him an ally...

The telesnap showing Tegana holding Susan at knifepoint is pretty graphic stuff for 5.30pm on a Saturday teatime (I can't imagine they'd contemplate it nowadays!), but it's indicative of just how much Tegana has grown to hate the TARDIS travellers, as he also lunges at the Doctor at one point. What's most intriguing to me though, is something that might only be solved if this episode is ever recovered: when Ian leaves the TARDIS to try and rescue Susan, the familiar hum of the Ship's interior can be heard outside in the courtyard. I guess this means the TARDIS door remains open (the hum stops when the Doctor and Barbara leave the Ship), but it's odd that the production team never use the audible hum whenever the Ship's door is open in other stories.

Although the characters cross a lot of land in Mighty Kublai Khan, it feels a little like writer John Lucarotti is treading water again. The fact Ping-Cho runs away to Cheng-Ting neatly coincides with Ian's quest to recover the stolen TARDIS, while Marco's caravan forges on to Shang-Tu to rendezvous with the Khan.

Rider from Shang-Tu (Marco Polo Episode 5)

The one where Ian reveals his surprising knowledge of burning bamboo...

After struggling with the patchy audio recording at the start of this episode (don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining!), I soon realised that Rider from Shang-Tu is a rollicking good 25 minutes which really gets the serial back on track after something of a lull. We have both action and intrigue, the perfect mix to excite and engage. John Lucarotti's got his mojo back!

It must be said that William Hartnell is really good in this episode. Watching (and listening!) to these early episodes in order has reinforced my opinion that Hartnell is criminally underrated as both a Doctor and an actor. He's searingly good in 100,000 BC, and demonstrates immense gravitas and screen presence in The Brink of Disaster. You can tell he knew what he was doing. However admittedly, sometimes he stumbled over his lines, missed or pre-empted his cues, and some weeks seemed to lack that fire altogether.

The Wall of Lies (Marco Polo Episode 4)

The one where Tegana's scheming turns Marco against our heroes...

The Wall of Lies is the first of 34 episodes of Doctor Who for which there is no episode to watch and no John Cura telesnaps to look at (most of them are Hartnells from Season 3). John Crockett, the director of this episode, did not ask for telesnaps to be taken (they had to be paid for), and so all we have is the audio recorded by David Holman from that magical Saturday teatime back in 1964...

The main feature of this episode is Tegana's scheming, and the effect it has on the dynamic of Marco's travelling caravan. Until now Marco had been a cautious ally, or at least open-minded, but as a result of Tegana's duplicitous lies, by the end of the episode, his "wall of lies" has succeeded in turning Marco against our heroes.

Five Hundred Eyes (Marco Polo Episode 3)

The one with an episode of Jackanory in the middle...

If nothing else, Five Hundred Eyes is educational! The original remit for Doctor Who was for it to be a source of knowledge as well as to entertain, so that younger viewers could learn something as well as be thrilled by the fantasy elements. The historical stories educated the children about history and culture, and the sci-fi serials tended to have more about technology and ideas.

Marco Polo is perhaps one of the richest historicals Doctor Who ever did. John Lucarotti's research is obvious, but the educational element in Five Hundred Eyes isn't exactly delicate. We learn about the Hashashins, Ala-eddin and Hulagu, and also how condensation forms. It's all very interesting, but woven into the script with little subtlety.

The Singing Sands (Marco Polo Episode 2)

The one where the water runs out...

Considering the foul mood the Doctor was in during The Roof of the World, it's amusing to discover that he's been giving Marco an ear-bashing for the last three days. He has had "to endure his insults", he writes in his journal, but to be honest, why is Marco surprised? He plots to steal the Doctor's property for his own personal gain. I don't blame the Doctor for being annoyed.

The Doctor – not seen on screen – also refuses to eat with the others, and declines food when Susan takes it to him. The threat of the loss of his Ship has obviously affected him deeply. The TARDIS is the source of the Doctor's authority, power and freedom, so its loss would utterly destroy him.

The Roof of the World (Marco Polo Episode 1)

The one where the TARDIS's lighting and heating goes on the blink in one of the coldest places on Earth...

The first thing that strikes me about the start of The Roof of the World is just how grumpy the Doctor is! My goodness, he's in a mood! This seems odd seeing as he was in pretty high spirits at the end of The Brink of Disaster after making up with Barbara. But then, maybe this sudden mood swing is understandable: he's having trouble breathing in the thin atmosphere, he's freezing cold and has just discovered that his Ship's broken down (again!). The news that the TARDIS is on the blink would actually be pretty disturbing after what they've just been through, although only the Doctor seems very bothered.

"We're always in trouble, it follows us everywhere!" he blusters, reporting that the lights in the TARDIS have gone out, and the heating's broken too (it's a shame we don't get to see a shadowy TARDIS interior). "Everything's gone to pot!" William Hartnell is a little neurotic in this scene, overplaying the Doctor's anger and frustration a little. "We'll all freeze to death!" he exclaims. Blimey, calm down Doctor!

The Brink of Disaster (Inside the Spaceship Episode 2)

The one where a faulty spring almost wipes out Doctor Who before it's barely begun...

It's Ian! The mysterious hands reaching for the Doctor's neck at the end of the last episode were those of a disorientated (and drugged) Ian Chesterton, who is apparently trying to warn the Doctor not to go near the console because it's electrified. However, I don't blame the Doctor for thinking the worst of Ian, because when I'm warning people about such catastrophes, I don't go around wrapping my hands around their necks.

Ian collapses to the floor dressed in only a dressing gown (and if you've ever had any inclination to see Ian's undergarments, here's your chance), but despite Barbara's defence that he's fainted, the Doctor insists: "He's only play acting!" You're not wrong there, Doctor - William Russell continues to play this like he's been smoking marijuana all week.

The Edge of Destruction (Inside the Spaceship Episode 1)

The one where the TARDIS crew turns against each other...

The Edge of Destruction is weird right from the outset. As soon as we hear that strange, electronic music, we know things aren't as they should be. It's stock music by Eric Siday, but sounds for all the world like Dr Phibes on his organ! In fact, some of the stock music used in this episode will become much more prolific and familiar during the Troughton era, particularly when it's used in Cybermen stories.

And it's not just the music that's different here. The way the four regular characters act and interact is totally off-kilter too. David Whitaker wrote a surreal two-parter in which something is affecting the TARDIS and its occupants to the extent that they suffer amnesia, paranoia and severe headaches. It's essentially a mini psychological thriller featuring just the regular cast, but the way each actor approaches this experimental piece differs considerably.

The Rescue (The Daleks Episode 7)

The one where the Daleks are defeated once and for all...

And so we reach the end of Terry Nation's inaugural Dalek serial, and it's called The Rescue - not to be confused with the two-part story of the same collective name the following year, of course! The episode kicks off with the death of Antodus, who selflessly cuts his rope and plummets into the watery ravine below. A noble self-sacrifice, or just his way of avoiding the dangers that lie ahead in the Dalek city? Either way, he's better off gone.

I've been a little critical of director Richard Martin when reviewing his episodes of The Daleks, and the second scene shows why. It starts abruptly with neither William Hartnell or the Dalek quite knowing who should speak first (I'm guessing Hartnell jumps the gun a bit), resulting in a confusing mess. It's indicative of the direction of this episode as a whole. As I've said before, Martin is a capable director, but not all that technically adept (like Christopher Barry or Waris Hussein have been), and the blocking, camera positioning and choreography of this episode is pretty ropey, which tells most in the final battle scene.

The Ordeal (The Daleks Episode 6)

The one where Antodus gets a fit of the collywobbles...

Definition - Ordeal (noun): a very unpleasant and prolonged experience; a trying test or trial.

Terry Nation has stretched The Daleks out to its sixth and penultimate episode, the finale is just around the corner. But The Ordeal is most definitely an ordeal to watch too, because very little happens, and what does happen is unutterably boring to watch. Coupled with Richard Martin's capable but uninspired direction, it makes for the dullest episode of Doctor Who yet.

We start with the reprised death of Elyon in the whirlpool of doom, and to be honest, there is a palpable sense of loss as the others stare remorsefully into the water. Elyon wasn't exactly a major loss as a character, but to the peaceful Thals, such a violent and sudden death would be even more disturbing. Plus, it allows Antodus to hover over the hysterical switch again. He really is the Thal version of Susan.

The Expedition (The Daleks Episode 5)

The one where Ian tricks the pacifist Thals into fighting for their cause...

For saying the Daleks are supposed to be sophisticated beings, intelligent and scientifically advanced, their technology is pretty antiquated. When they want to look at photos taken by their laserscopes, the clunk-whurr of the projector is like something out of a Heath Robinson laboratory! The image reproduction (on Frequency 6) is pretty low-res too, although they're still able to make out the "elderly prisoner", "the girl" and the "young woman", and show great interest in whether the "young man" is dead or injured. The fact their third photo answers their question, showing he is still alive and well, seems to pass them by.

Despite this clunky tech, the Daleks are adept at operating it. Just look at the ticker-tape read-out they examine. The Dalek operators manage to pass the paper string to each other expertly, but I am left wondering how they manage to replace the paper roll when it runs out.

The Ambush (The Daleks Episode 4)

The one where the Daleks make their first killing...

We sadly don't see any more of what was found inside that Dalek machine last week, and so the horrors our imagination has been dreaming up must stay in our minds. It's this kind of psychological torture that children must have been affected by, and loved! It's one way in which the weekly cliffhanger serial format works so well, planting ideas and images into the brain and letting the imagination run riot for a whole seven days.

Ian gets to ride around inside a Dalek, and many viewers were probably quite envious. Proceedings are tense as the quartet try to affect their escape by stealth, attempting to bluff a sentry Dalek guarding the lift. We learn that there is such a thing as a Dalek Council (I wonder how often they empty the bins?), and that Daleks have a rather flashy line in control panels and buttons. Following on from her strong show in The Escape, Susan is the one who takes the initiative to prevent them being rumbled by feigning an hysterical fit. It comes to her so easily too...

The Escape (The Daleks Episode 3)

The one where we (sort of, almost) get to see what's inside a Dalek...

Blimey, what a dull episode title! I mean, there must be an escape of some kind almost every week in Doctor Who!

Susan ventures out of the Ship into the storm-lashed forest outside and straightaway spots an imperious Aryan figure looming over her. And what's the first thing Susan does? She sinks to her knees, almost in supplication and awe. It's one way of placating potential aggressors during your interplanetary travels, I suppose...

And so we meet the Thals, the other race which inhabits this desolate irradiated world. But they must be the good guys because they are white, blond, beautiful and don't have scary, monotone voices. But these are supposed to be the "dis-gusssstingly mutated" creatures the Daleks spoke of. In a wonderfully ominous line, Alydon says: "If they call us mutations, what must they be like?"

The Survivors (The Daleks Episode 2)

The one where the Daleks appear for the very first time...

Considering Terry Nation's episode titles would later become so ostentatious, the individual titles for The Daleks are magnificently dull! Proceedings in The Survivors, however, are far from dull, as this is where Doctor Who went from being a run-of-the-mill Saturday teatime adventure serial to a runaway phenomenon - and all because of the Daleks!

We're sadly not treated to a reprise of Jacqueline Hill's glass-shattering scream, but instead follow the Doctor, Ian and Susan as they explore the city in search of Barbara. They try various doors (some of which slide open seamlessly, others only half-open; some of them with the relevant opening mechanism sound effect, others not!) until they find a starkly lit laboratory where they learn they've been exposed to radiation poisoning on the planet's surface. They also learn that the people who inhabited the city must have been intelligent, and Ian wonders what form their intelligence took. "What does it matter?" snaps the Doctor, obviously not thinking about the safety of the group, merely the excitement of scientific discovery. Again, the Doctor shows a critical lack of judgement.

The Dead Planet (The Daleks Episode 1)

The one where Ian and Barbara have J62-L6 for supper...

Right from the outset, The Dead Planet is disconcerting and strange. After the fairly run-of-the-mill explore-capture-escape shenanigans in prehistoric times with the first serial, the first episode of the second story seems intentionally strange and alien. The negative effect on the picture makes the jungle look, well... dead. Toxic, even. And the spooky score by Tristram Cary adds to the unsettling atmosphere.

And like Waris Hussein before him, director Christopher Barry slaps his youthful ambition right up there on screen. The negative effect lasts well into the first scene when the TARDIS lands and the travellers venture outside, slowly mixing back to positive almost like it's the viewer's perspective adjusting to this weird new planet.

The Firemaker (100,000 BC Episode 4)

The one where Susan actually has a good idea for an escape...

The Firemaker is probably the least of the three prehistoric episodes of this serial, with Waris Hussein's so far wonderful, imaginative direction faltering somewhat at the final hurdle. But we still have the ingenious characterisation of Anthony Coburn's script, and here we see the Doctor using his cunning to turn the tables on their captor Kal.

The Doctor tricks Kal into showing the tribe his knife, with Old Mother's blood on it ("This knife shows what it has done", he asserts), and the tribespeople realise their new leader killed an elder to steal his power. This is the first time we see the Doctor topple somebody from their lofty tower, the first in a very long line of overthrown governments and fascist leaders.

The Forest of Fear (100,000 BC Episode 3)

The one where the Doctor is caught planning to murder an injured man...

At the top of this episode the Doctor apologises for getting them all into this mess, claiming it's all his fault. But when you think about it, it's not his fault at all. All he did was go exploring and he was violently abducted and imprisoned. This isn't like his recklessness in the next serial, when they visit Skaro and he purposefully sabotages the TARDIS so that they're forced to explore the alien city. This time he is purely a victim of circumstance and has had little active part to play in getting them into trouble.

Eileen Way, who plays Old Mother, was only 52 when she recorded this serial, but make-up supervisor Elizabeth Blattner does a great job of ageing her up and making her look much older than she is. As she grabs Za's stone and stares impassively into camera we're treated to another example of how director Waris Hussein likes to focus closely on faces to sell the story and dialogue.

The Cave of Skulls (100,000 BC Episode 2)

The one where the Doctor lights a pipe and gets abducted by cavemen...

After waiting an entire week (or in the case of those watching back in 1963, just a few moments since the repeat of episode 1), the story resumes by reminding us where the police box has landed, and that a hirsute stranger is watching. But then our curiosity is deprived of more as we cut to a bunch of well-spoken cave dwellers trying to light a fire.

Director Waris Hussein populates the cave set with an awful lot of extras (18 uncredited supporting artistes, in fact) to create the idea that this is quite a large tribe of pretty desperate people (ten men, nine women and four children). Za is trying to conjure fire, as his late father did before him, but when the tribe turned against his father and killed him, the secret of firemaking was lost. Za is hoping to become undisputed leader of the tribe by sparking up again, but his methods range from the amusing (shouting at a stack of twigs) to the desperate (rolling a bone between his palms and sprinkling dust over it).

An Unearthly Child (100,000 BC Episode 1)

The one where two curious school teachers interfere in something best left alone...

It's been said before, and it'll be said every time somebody new sees An Unearthly Child for the first time - this has to be one of the finest first episodes of any television programme, ever. We all know that the first attempt at filming it wasn't up to scratch (but isn't it lovely we can see that too?), but for saying it was produced by an inexperienced 27-year-old and directed by a 24-year-old, the achievement stands the test of time considerably. A lot of the success has to go to writer Anthony Coburn too. He was 35, but not exactly an old hand either.

Right from the very first second, An Unearthly Child is astonishing. Those opening visuals and that theme music would have knocked the socks off the audience back in 1963 - the looping, undulating, ever-so-slightly-threatening score by Delia Derbyshire and Ron Grainer perfectly matches Bernard Lodge's ethereal, mesmeric, hypnotic "howlaround" graphics. In 1963, it was like nothing ever seen before, and even today, it remains almost unique, its bewitching power undiminished.