'An Unaired Pilot'- Doctor Who - 1963

The aired version of “An Unearthly Child” was not the one originally shot. While it follows the same story line, there are some massive changes to script, set and costumes – and mythos.

Sydney Newman was the Head of BBC Drama – and the one who came up with the idea of Doctor Who. In his own words:

“[the BBC] required a new programme that would bridge the state of mind of sports fans, and the teenage pop music audience, while attracting and holding the children's audience accustomed to their Saturday afternoon serial. It had to be a children's programme and still attract both teenagers and adults. Also, as a children's programme, I was intent upon it containing basic factual information that could be described as educational, or, at least, mind opening for them. So my first thought was of a time-space machine with contemporary characters who would be able to travel forward and backward in time, and inward and outward in space. All the stories were to be based on scientific or historical facts as we knew them at the time.”

He disliked the pilot episode and required that Verity Lambert (the Producer) and Warris Hussien (the Director) re-work and re-shoot the episode. As a work of art, I think we can be thankful that it was: the filming and the editing are better.

Many people claim that the acting is stilted and wooden, but I don’t feel qualified to comment; my family will tell you I’m proverbially immune to bad acting! I will however agree that the acting is different, especially in respects to the Doctor and Susan’s characters.

There have been some claims that this re-shooting was highly unusual and a risky venture on Newman’s behalf – in actuality, there was a specific BBC budget to finance new projects.

What is legitimately unusual about the ‘pilot’ episode is that it exists at all; so many finished televised programs were destroyed that the existence of a single non-transmission film is borderline miraculous.

So let us begin.

The first change is to the opening credits – the music includes what The Classic Episode Guide refers to as a ‘thunderclap’ but, to me, sounds more like a sonic boom – perhaps I’m biased to the rocket idea, but the credits’ roche blots and music remain the same.

We still open on a policeman doing his rounds, but the street is clear of fog, and the policeman is far more visible – we see his face. Also more obvious is the wording on the great gates: I.M. Foreman. The policeman fails to check the gates are so thoroughly locked and we enter a junkyard that is rather devoid of junk (though plenty of creepy mannequin heads).

The shot of the Tardis is taken from a different angle, which in my opinion, is rather more artistic and increases its incongruity. It’s light is flashing on top.

The school is filmed in a different place (the pilot has glass doors in the background),

does not open on the name of the school (we won’t find out its name until much later) and bulletin board. The same mumsie girls exit the classroom though and the boys are less annoying!

Barbara and Ian’s discussion is much the same, some few character tweeks.

Can I just say at this point how much I like Barbara’s outfit (she wears the same in the aired episode)? It’s got the slim boxy fit of the early 60’s with a wiff of Balenciaga. It’s elegant, neat, professional: in short, everything you’d want from a school teacher’s wardrobe. I think it sums up Barbara’s character so well, neat, classical, sensible and practical – perfectly of her time and yet, timeless. Very different from your sci-fi-babe look! (think of a babe, any babe…). In the transmitted version she (and Susan) wears the

very fashion forward flat shoes – again practical for long days teaching. It’s difficult to think how the design of Doctor Who would have been different had it

not been designed to be ‘educational’ – certainly there would have been no school teachers (at least, not practical ones). Would the core character’s costumes have been more ‘Science Fiction’? Would we have spent so long with two people discussing another? Would the show even have existed?

Once again when we meet Susan, she is listening to the radio – still John Smith and the Common Men. Here we are told by Ian that not only is John Smith the stage name of the Hon. Aubrey Waites, he started his career as Chris Waites and the Carollers. Ian is clearly a man in touch with the world of his students – the present and future. Barbara, the history teacher, has no idea.

And now we reach our first major diversion from the televised episode: Susan declares she “likes walking in the English fog”, to which we and Barbara note is an odd thing to say – a subtle point at Susan’s non-Terrestrial origins. Ian, however cuts Barbara off and agrees to leave Susan to her “romantic pleasure”.

The teachers leave and Susan places the loaned book in her bag (it’s a different prop, for those who are counting). Then, with studied nonchalance she crosses to a desk and begins to drop ink on a piece of paper, she then folds it (and has a little trouble) and draws a hexagon on the resulting roche blot. Suddenly, she stops, looks guilty and horrified, and screws the paper into a ball.

Firstly, I think we can all agree finding a mistake in a history book is funnier and more pointed toward traveling in time and space.

What was the point of making a roche blot in the first place? Why a hexagon? Why look so guilty? Would we have learned more about this or was it simply a throwaway moment of oddity? Hexagons are commonly found in nature from the molecular structures of crystals, snowflakes, beehives and rocks (e.g. the basalt that makes up Giant’s Causeway) [also, bizarrely a giant hexagonal storm above Saturn’s North Pole] because they are a strong stable shape – the Tardis’ rondels are arranged in a hexagonal pattern. Is there some relation between that and the roche blots of the opening? Who knows. The music is extremely sinister, however.

Again we find Barbara and Ian waiting for Susan, watching from a car, again their dialogue changes little – except for an editing goof where the call for the pre-filmed insert of Susan in the classroom covers over Ian’s line.

Susan, in all of this is played a lot ‘older’, a little sharper.

Finally, Susan arrives, and her furtive movements outside the gate are noted and commented upon by Ian – and now he makes the comment of meeting a boy – which given his use of the word ‘romantic’ earlier, gives us a real possibility that that simply is what Susan is doing.

They enter the junkyard, they discover more creepy dolls (The Classic Episode Guide suggests they reference the smashed skulls of Cave of Skulls – though it could, if this were a different story refer to a loss of innocence and childhood as well as predation by one who should be safe).

Ian says “Do you feel it” - referring to the Tardis vibration - so often that it becomes annoying.

The Doctor enters (and Barbara mistakes his cough for Susan’s – how!?) and begins to unlock the Tardis door – removing the lock.

The sound of John Smith and the Common Men is clearly heard (I think it’s a pity they didn’t keep that). The Doctor, upon discovering the Teachers is instantly more gruff and brutal – he doesn’t laugh or change the subject – he is, from the opening a threat. He is a man with a secret to hide and hang the consequences – more like Captain Nemo than the BFG. And then he makes his only mistake: he claims that Barbara and Ian mentioned Susan’s voice calling out to him – which they did – but also that they claimed to have heard music – which they did not!

And now, Susan, curious about her Grandfather’s absence, opens the doors to the Tardis – Barbara nips in – and for the first and only time in the original series – we see the police box doors and the Tardis doors and interior together.

Barbara’s reaction is somewhat weaker, taking place as a longshot. The Tardis interior is considerably more shoddy – it is made of not very well hung pieces of painted wall paper.

The set has considerably more historical bric-a-brac furniture. Upon entering the Doctor immediately begins berating his Granddaughter about the intruders who he assumes she has invited. Susan is far more adult and her whole demeanour changes to one far more

powerful and mysterious (her costume also changes and, its not great, and her hair is better in the aired version), despite this, the Doctor insults her, calling her stupid. He makes no mention of the ‘faulty filament’ which presumably has kept them in one place for so long – in the

pilot, it’s a mistake that they have stayed so long. The Doctor gives no explanation a la the ‘televison’ example he will later use (it would be quite out of character)

The two versions now run parallel but with subtle differences beyond character. I now give a transcript of the scene.

Pilot:

I: It’s a trick!

D: It’s no trick young man; you both forced your way into the ship - I did not invite you - I see no reason why I should explain anything.

I: Ship!

D: Ship. I use your own outdated terminology for any craft that does not roll along on wheels.

Aired:

D: …They’ll tell everybody about the ship now.

I: Ship?

D: yes, yes, ship. This doesn’t roll along on wheels you know.

B: You mean it –moves!?

D; you have heard the truth! We are not of this race. We are not of this earth. We are wanderers in the fourth dimensions of space and time, cut off from our on planet and our own people by aeons and universes that are far beyond the reach of your most advanced science.

D: now, now, don’t get exasperated Susan. Remember the Red Indian? When he saw the first steam train his savage mind thought it was an illusion too.

I: You’re treating us like children.

D: Am I? The Children of my Civilisation would be insulted.

I: Your civilisation?

D: yes, my civilisation. I tolerate this century, but I don’t enjoy it. Have you ever thought what it’s like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension? Have you? To be exiles? Susan and I are cut off from our own planet, without friends or protection, but one day, we shall get back… yes, one day. One day.

B: Susan! Why do you insist upon lying to us?

B: Susan, listen to me. Cant you see all this is an illusion? A game, if you like that you and your Grandfather are playing, if you like but you can’t expect us to believe it.

S: It’s not a game!

B: But Susan it-

S: I’m not lying! I loved your school! I loved England in the 20th century: the last five months have been the happiest of my life

S: It’s not! Look! I love your school – I love England in the 20th century. The last five months have been the happiest of my life.

B: but you are one of us you look like one of us, you sound like one of us.

B: you are one of us, you look like us, you sound like us.

S: I was born in the 49th century

S: I was born in another time, on another world.

I: I know that the free movement in the fourth dimension of space and time is a scientific dream I didn’t expect to find solved in a junk yard!

I: I know that free movement in time and space is a scientific dream I don’t expect to find solved in a junkyard.

D: for your science schoolmaster, not for ours. I tell you, before your ancestors had turned the first wheel, the people of my world had reduced movement through the farthest reaches of space to a game for children.

D: your arrogance is nearly as great as your ignorance.

I: look, unless you open that door and let me take Susan and Miss Wright out of here – I’ll…

D: don’t threaten me young man

I: will you open the door? Open the door! Susan, will you help us?

S: I musn’t.

S: oh, grandfather, let them go now, please!

S: Grandfather, let them go now.

D: by tomorrow we shall be a public spectacle the subject of news and idle gossip.

S: they won’t say anything.

D: my dear child, of course they will, put yourself in their place: they’re bound to make some sort of complaint to the authorities, or at the very least, talk to their friends. If I do let them go, you realise of course that we must go too.

S: No Grandfather, we’ve had all this out before.

D: there’s no alternative child

S: Grandfather let them go, we’ll go somewhere else, some other time, I won’t object I promise, wont object

S: I want to stay! They’re both kind people, why won’t you trust them? All you’ve got to do is get them to promise to keep our secret…

D: it is out of the question.

S: I wont go Grandfather, I wont leave the 20th century! I’d rather leave the Tardis and you!

D: now you’re being sentimental and childish.

S: no! I mean it!

D: my dear child you know very well that we cannot let them possess even one idea that such a ship as the Tardis might be possible

S: grandfather don’t you see if we let them go now they can’t…

D: look, see how they watch and listen as we talk. If they leave the ship now they might come to believe at last that all this is possible. Think what would have happened to the ancient romans if they’d possessed the power of gunpowder, if napoleon had been given the secret of the aeroplane. No my child we cannot let our secret loose into the world of the 20th century.

S: but you can’t keep them prisoners here!

I: you can’t keep us prisoners anywhere!

D: I cannot let you go schoolteacher. Whether you believe what you have been told is of no importance. You and your companion would be footprints in a time you are not supposed to have walked.

I: if I have to use force to get out of here I will you know.

The Tardis takes off with a truly, horrible, horrendous noise of beeps and squeeks, drowning out the (now familiar) dematerialisation.

(that’s the short version, by the way)

The major differences are explicitly making the Doctor and Susan alien (as opposed to humans from the future), using words like aeon (universes, while still a somewhat archaic usage, probably refers to galaxies, as in the term coined by Immanuel Kant: ‘island universes’, which was not debunked until the 1920’s and it is possible that the writer Anthony Coburn had this from his school days), and belittling contemporary science. Their home life however drastically improves in the aired version: the Doctor seems to care little for her.

The exile motif, which will play into the Doctor Who mythos, is however, much stronger in the aired version.

Susan is explicitly stated to be from the 49th century, and is far more

grown up – she knows she cannot sway her tyrannous Grandfather with threats (leaving the Tardis) and so begs for mercy instead. Although, why, exactly she loves the 20th century is never, in either version, explained: she hardly seems to be popular or have any friends; Ian and Barbara seem to be the only ones to even like her.

Ian, taken far, far beyond his comfort zone, beyond his ken, becomes violent and irrational – so far from the suave scientist who ‘takes things as they come’ – he devolves onto base instincts: Susan and Barbara are in danger and violence becomes the answer (a theme to be explored next episode).

Barbara, on the other had is stronger, though she has less lines.

The Doctor is different and more – dare we say it – Time Lord-ish. We get a brief history of the Time Lords – a race who developed time travel (The Tardis therefore is explicitly not one-of-a-kind) long, long ago but have inflexible laws regarding ‘lowers’ – contamination of the timeline must be avoided at all cost, they must leave it perfectly sterile from their outside influence – which will play into The Time Medler, later on. He seems to be far more intelligent, or rather far more open to demonstrating his intelligence, rather than hiding it behind doddering old Grandfather. His costume is also changed becoming less severe, more eccentric – appropriate for a wanderer in the fourth dimension.

Some of the lines are better, for instance the Doctor’s response to Ian’s speech about free movement in time and space is watered down to ‘arrogant and stupid’. The aired version has been toned down: made a bit more kid friendly, Susan made more relatable to the target audience, the Doctor less alienating, the Tardis constructed as a proper set – though the layout does not change.

We won some and we lost some.

Bibliography

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0628285/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/pilotepisode/detail.shtml