Doctor Who Help?

[AnaKhouri]

I think my 4-year-old son is ready for Doctor Who. Any suggestions on the best episode to start him on?

Caveat: I am not interested in showing him any of the new stuff. Original series only.

I am thinking Tom Baker will probably be more appealing to a small kid, what with K-9 and all, but which episode wll keep him interested (i.e. LOTS of action and monsters/robots).

Thanks guys, I haven't seen any of the show in a while and am hitting a wall in my head.

[Aethian]

The only problem is Baker HATED K9. He tried to destroy the robotic pooch every time he could.

[AnaKhouri]

I don't recall ever feeling that he hated K-9 while watching the episodes, I mean, he is an actor and all. He acted like he liked the dog OK. So I'm not sure how that's a problem?

My husband's favorite is Jon Pertwee so I think maybe he would be OK too. I love Peter Davison but he's rather subdued and not appealing to a 4-year-old.

[XCashier]

I think my 4-year-old son is ready for Doctor Who. Any suggestions on the best episode to start him on?

I started my son on "Robot" the first T. Baker episode. He loved it. He still refers to the show as "Doctor Whooey"!

Any of the Pertwee ones would be good, too.

[AnaKhouri]

The Husband definitely wants him to see Pertwee first, which I have no problems with. Maybe "Carnival of Monsters"? Hmmm.

[cinema guy]

Carnival of Monsters is a goody. For K9 - maybe his debut - The Invisible Enemy.

[DaDairyDruid]

frankly, I would start with The Unearthly Child/The Tribe of Gum. start from the very begining. but thats just me.

[AnaKhouri]

Unfortunately it's in black and white, and I haven't found a 21st century child yet who can sit and pay attention to black and white. Maybe color-blind ones can. And Hartnell might be kind of intimidating for a kid. He wasn't loud and blustery but that's also why his petty snark seemed more sinister than say, Pertwee or Baker.

[Aethian]

Baker himself said he hated K9 and tried to kill the dig almost every episode. If the kiddling gets to liking K9 he may have a problem with it.

[MoonCat]

Baker himself said he hated K9 and tried to kill the dig almost every episode. If the kiddling gets to liking K9 he may have a problem with it.

How would he be able to tell? Baker was my fave doctor and I was never aware of any personal feelings on the actor's part about K-9. I'm not doubting that Baker hated it, I just don't think you can tell from watching those episodes.

And yeah, Pertwee should be fine. Nothing too horrible that I can recall that would give a 4 year old nightmares or anything.

[Aethian]

I could tell that there was something up but after him admitting it, it clicked. It's up to you I'm just throwing that out there I don't know how perceptive your kiddling is.

[AnaKhouri]

He actually doesn't particularly like animals, so I think he'd be OK. He likes robots but understands they are not really alive.

[smileyeagle1021]

Not quite sure the adament refusal to consider the modern series, a lot of it is quite good.
As far as classic series and robots, Caves of Androssi (not sure if I got the spelling right) is a good one.

[cinema guy]

Not quite sure the adament refusal to consider the modern series, a lot of it is quite good.
As far as classic series and robots, Caves of Androssi (not sure if I got the spelling right) is a good one.

It is a great one. But probably not for 4 year olds.

[AnaKhouri]

The new series seems darker to me than the old one. I know the old series had some dark storylines, but the way they were presented were less...in-your-face, I guess. In addition it is also more colorful and the violence less realistic. CGI is nice and all, but there's a charm to Daleks made of trash cans and aliens made of red-painted bubble wrap that the new stuff has (IMO) failed to capture.

For some reason live-action has to work pretty hard to keep his attention, and I feel like the original series would do better at that.

I have only seen the Eccleston episodes and a couple of the Tenant ones, and while I didn't dislike them, they didn't really grab me the way the old series did. I would like him to understand the roots of the show if he ever is interested in watching the new stuff (the same reason we show him the old Star Wars trilogy first, before the prequels, and why he's seen the old 1980's fantasy movies and Harryhausen stuff- Labyrinth is his favorite film- I hope he'll see the charm in animatronics and puppets and not view them as hokey once he sees CGI things. I love the old ingenious methods of craftsmanship and want him to appreciate them too).

Also, as I said, his daddy is adamant that Jon Pertwee be his first Doctor, because really, you never forget your first!