Disco Who - A 70s Retrospective
Episode Title: "Disco Who" - A 70s Retrospective
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THE DECADE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING: From Jon Pertwee's January 3, 1970 debut to Tom Baker's dominance through 1979, John and Jim reflect on ten years of color, UNIT, Masters, companions, and the evolution of the Doctor.
THE BIG QUESTION: WAS PERTWEE'S TIME PROPER DOCTOR WHO?
John's Challenge: "When you consider what we had in the 60s, what is proper Doctor Who?"
The Batman Comparison: Like Batman needing parents killed, what are the essential Doctor Who elements?
The Core Elements They Identify:
- Rebel/Iconoclast: Always up against authority
- Itinerant: No fixed location (even when exiled, Pertwee chafed at it)
- Time and Space: Non-negotiable
- Companion: Someone to talk to, bounce ideas off
- Scientific Curiosity: Every Doctor has this
- Eccentric/Off-Kilter: From Hartnell to modern Doctors
- British: "Has to be British. I know that sounds weird - he's an alien - but yeah, has to be British."
PERTWEE AS THE SUPERHERO DOCTOR:
Breaking From Troughton: Far more action-oriented. Troughton actively distanced himself from violence. Pertwee waded right in - Venusian Aikido and all!
The James Bond Comparison: Show runners wanted "James Bond," but Jim saw more superhero than spy.
Ushering In The 70s: "Nobody could have ushered in the 70s but Jon Pertwee. Troughton just could not have done it. Hartnell, absolutely not... New decade, new everything."
Adam Adamant Connection: John's been watching Verity Lambert's follow-up series with Sydney Newman - Victorian man in suspended animation recovers in 1960s. "Pertwee's Doctor was Adam Adamant - man out of time, fish out of water."
THE UNIT ERA - ADDITION OR SUBTRACTION?
Jim's Take: "It added to it. It's a whole new layer that very much appeals to me. A paramilitary organization led by dynamic characters you want to root for."
The Brigadier Factor: "You look forward to every interaction he'd have with the Doctor because you knew it was going to come close to a throat. His frustration with the Doctor and the Doctor with him."
Continuity Innovation: First time Doctor Who had ongoing character plots! Mike Yates' betrayal and redemption across seasons.
Bessie > Romance: "We were more impressed with Bessie back then."
TOM BAKER - THE YOUNG DOCTOR:
The Big Change: First time the Doctor wasn't an older gentleman - "this young man. But still not handsome!"
The Beatles Analogy:
- Hartnell = John Lennon (fits like a glove!)
- Pertwee = Paul McCartney (leader of the pack, the charming one, ladies' man)
- Troughton = George Harrison (the spiritual one)
- Tom Baker = Ringo (John: "Tom Baker and Ringo, pretty much cut from the same cloth")
Product of His Time: Baker represents late 70s - the hair, floppy clothing, the scarf as his version of ladies' knitted shawls, the big coat.
The 80s Problem: "More and more as we're getting into the 80s, he's not really working as an 80s Doctor... Peter Davison seems like the 80s Doctor that should be there."
Following Trends: The show followed trends more than ever - Star Wars influence obvious, but also Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers. Saturday night scheduling against Buck Rogers killed ratings (lost half the audience).
BAKER FATIGUE:
The Unique Problem: "You never hear Hartnell, Troughton, or Pertwee fatigue, but you hear Baker fatigue."
Jim's Confession: "I had a little Troughton fatigue."
The Blame Game: "I blame the producers of Doctor Who. They should have moved Baker along sooner instead of leaving it to him. There was precedent - they fired Hartnell!"
Jim's Prediction: "I can't imagine Davison, Baker, or McCoy topping Jon Pertwee."
John's Counter: "Davison will topple Pertwee. Pertwee will stay number two for me. He's a formative Doctor."
Jim's Concession: "I'm going to give Davison the benefit of the doubt that he may push Tom Baker down."
THE BAKER RECKONING:
Jim's Frustration: "All this time I've heard almost nothing but Tom Baker, Tom Baker, Tom Baker - as if there's nothing else, no one else in this show since 1963. It's really interesting now to have gotten almost to the end and seeing that, for me, he ain't all that."
The Diagnosis: "He's not bad. It's just not my cup of tea. He's been more annoying to me than anything. That's just that kind of character I don't care for."
Only Three Stories Left: Moving into the 80s in full!
THE TOM BAKER CHALLENGE:
Jim's Dare: "Come on, bring on the hate emails. I'm waiting for it. Bring it on. I know how special he is to a lot of people."
NEXT TIME:
- Patreon Exclusive #126: Music, Big Finish's "Doctor Who and the Pirates," Memory TARDIS spin, catching up on email
- Main Feed: Warrior's Gate - The end of the E-Space Trilogy! Jim handles narration for the four-parter. "The beginning of the end... preparing for the moment."
From the swinging 70s to the itchy 80s!
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