Published Mar 25, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT
Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History.
Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews.
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While Doctor Who was slow to settle into a consistent format in the 1960s, one of the first adventures from 1970 saw the show transform in numerous ways that instantly captivated audiences and established it as a classic hit. Doctor Who has been recognized as the longest-running sci-fi show on TV, but it took some time before the series found its groove.
Both William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton, who played the First and Second Doctors respectively, added so much to the show and built the foundations that would carry its legacy for more than 60 years. However, it's not easy to watch either of their eras and see the connections to the modern show.
But when Jon Pertwee took the reins as the Doctor in 1970, the show went through some significant changes that made his debut feel distinctly different and much more aligned to what fans recognize as Doctor Who today.
Jon Pertwee's "Spearhead From Space" Was An Instant Classic
"Spearhead From Space" was the first set of episodes where Pertwee starred as the Doctor, and it set the tone for what was going to be a very different era in the show's history. Not only did this serve as the first time that the series was being released in full color, but it also marked the first transition between Doctors where none of his companions remained.
For that reason, this adventure had high stakes and a lot to prove, in a similar way to how Steven Moffat's "Eleventh Hour," the debut adventure of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor, needed to introduce a new Doctor and a new companion. In addition, "Spearhead From Space" also introduced the concept of the Doctor having two hearts, which has been a trademark of the Time Lord race ever since.
Beyond that, this adventure features Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor in the wake of the Time Lord's exiling him to late 20th-century Earth, and taking away his ability to travel through time and space. Fundamentally, that changed what the show was doing, but with UNIT becoming a permanent fixture in the series, and Pertwee's incredible presence, it was easy to get hooked on these new Earth-bound adventures.
In fact, the legacy of this story proved to be fundamental in reviving the show 35 years later, when Russell T Davies would use this story as the template for his premiere episode "Rose." Both episodes feature the Nestene Consciousness as the primary antagonist and see the terrifying living plastic take on the form of autons, which look a lot like shop mannequins.
William Hartnell & Patrick Troughton's First Doctor Who Episodes Weren't As Polished
Jon Pertwee's debut adventure was a stunning outing that sold the audience on a new Doctor, with new companions, and a big change in the format. Pertwee's predecessors faced significantly fewer hurdles with their debut adventures, and thankfully, the show persisted, and both Hartnell and Troughton came into their own after some time on the TARDIS.
For Hartnell, "An Unearthly Child" stands out as one of the most important episodes of the entire series, because it was the first ever Doctor Who adventure. It did a great job at introducing the cast of characters, including the mysterious man in a box and his granddaughter, Susan, alongside Ian and Barbara, who would become fixtures in these early adventures.
However, there was a clash of personalities at times, and the story was very experimental in nature, resulting in a show that had a great deal of charm and ambition, but it certainly wasn't without fault.
Then, when Patrick Troughout took over as the Second Doctor, his debut adventure came on the heels of the first ever regeneration, which must have been incredibly jarring for audiences. After all, this was not an established part of the lore of the show, and it presented a lot of questions about what the series would become.
On top of that, Troughton is one of the most enigmatic and unusual Doctors, who was a significant departure from his predecessor. All this combined to create something unique, but it was also difficult to come to terms with for fans of the series up to that point.
Pertwee's debut came at the perfect time, and it had the benefit of being an established part of the series at that point. Add in the fact that Pertwee brought charm, elegance, and energy to the role in a way that totally reinvigorated it, and it's clear to see how this moment changed the course of Doctor Who forever.
Release Date 1963 - 1989-00-00
Network BBC One, BBC Television
Directors Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Peter Moffatt, Richard Martin, Chris Clough, Lennie Mayne, Pennant Roberts, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Graeme Harper, Gerald Blake, Hugh David, Mervyn Pinfield, Rodney Bennett, Waris Hussein, John Gorrie
Writers Robert Holmes, Bob Baker, Malcolm Hulke, Dave Martin, David Whitaker, Brian Hayles, Robert Sloman, David Fisher, Dennis Spooner, Terrance Dicks, Eric Saward, John Lucarotti, Don Houghton, Chris Boucher, Ian Stuart Black, Louis Marks, Peter Grimwade, Henry Lincoln, Johnny Byrne, Mervyn Haisman, Jane Baker, Pip Baker, Robert Banks Stewart, Anthony Read
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Barry Jackson
Gordon Lowery
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English (US) ·