I'm back with part 2 of the essentials of Doctor Who. With over 250 stories in the history of the show, I'm going to do you all the favor showing you the must see stories from each doctor. So let's get on with it!
THE SECOND DOCTOR:
Where the first doctor was more of a grandfatherly figure, the second doctor was more like a crazy uncle. Injecting the role with much more quirk, the Second Doctor also tended to panic in the face of danger before ultimately stumbling his way into a solution. He continued the first doctor’s journey through space and time as a rouge time traveler. Unfortunately the majority of his stories are missing due to the BBC junking of old episodes. Only five completely remain but a few others are completed with the help of simplistic flash animation.
As a result out of all the doctors, he has the least amount of material remaining (with exception only to the Eighth Doctor who had nothing to begin with). Yet what has survived is surprisingly good. His success proved a new actor could regularly inherit the role, and has allowed the show to survive and thrive.
However out of all my lists, this one is likely to have the most changes over the years as more episodes are rediscovered and more stories completed through animation. But let's take a look at what we have now.
The Tomb of the Cybermen:
The first full episode to survive the BBC junking, the story is easily the best of the second doctor’s. With his first episode still missing, this marks the earliest full appearance of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor. It showcases the return of the Cybermen with a creative tomb raider spin.
The Ice Warriors:
Due to the BBC junking, many stories were lost and Patrick Troughton’s era was hit the hardest. Recently the BBC has started to animate the lost episodes to complete stories. One example of this is The Ice Warriors. It’s the first episode to feature the popular reoccurring villains, The Ice Warriors. It’s also a pretty good story that showcases human dependency on technology to think for them, something that has only become more relevant in our current age.
Enemy of the World:
Perhaps one of Troughton’s slower episodes, it still showcases the acting by the lead and provides an interesting narrative, even if it runs far too long. All the same it’s one of the better full surviving stories from the second doctor’s library. It’s also amusing to see the lead play two distinctly different characters.
The Mind Robber:
This is just a really good episode. Mad and completely psychedelic, this episode presents a lot of tension and keeps the mysteries coming. It features the Doctor and his companions trapped in a world filled with fictional characters that shouldn't exist. One of my personal favorite episodes from the early years of the show.
The Invasion:
Notable as being the first of the lost episode to be reconstructed using animation- and effectively I might add. Again we see the Cybermen who became very popular during the second doctor’s run. It’s also notable for being the first (remaining) story to feature Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart as a major character.
War Games:
Easily one of my favorite episodes in Doctor Who. This was the regeneration story for the second doctor. It is also notable for being the first episode to extensively show Gallifrey and Timelord society. It would signal the end of the Doctor’s time as a rogue time traveler and the beginning of his earth exile.
So there are my picks for the Second Doctor. Sound off with your thoughts below. Check out some previous essentials below.
THE FIRST DOCTOR