50 years of Doctor Who in 50 screengrabs

As its fiftieth anniversary year draws to a close, Andrew serves up a visual guide to Doctor Who, told in 50 screengrabs...

Here we are: a largely visual guide to Doctor Who, all achieved via the medium of MS Paint and the ‘Alt + PrtSc’ buttons.

1. The Sound of Drums

Where it all began.

 

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2. An Unearthly Child

The first cliffhanger. Not only has the TARDIS transported us from present day into the unknown, but there’s something else. There will always be something else.

 

3. The Daleks

Look, the definitive “Something else”.

 

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4. The Sensorites

After the initial distrust, the TARDIS crew have put aside their differences, and the show is nearing its essence: the Doctor, his friends, “A great spirit of adventure.”

 

5. The Dalek Invasion of Earth

The first companion departure, and it’s the Doctor’s grand-daughter Susan. Hartnell plays the scene beautifully, informed by his real life emotions at Carole Ann Ford’s departure.

 

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6. The Romans

Another string on Hartnell’s lute: The Romans plays to his comic strengths, the Doctor merrily plays his way through Emperor Nero’s court.

 

7. The Underwater Menace

The Second Doctor cavorts his way through the early episodes of Season Four.

 

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8. The Tomb of the Cybermen

The Doctor and Jamie holding hands. Shippers, to your keyboards!

 

9. The Web of Fear

Jamie and the Brigadier. Yes, your mancrush is acceptable.

 

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10. The Invasion

The iconic image of the show’s second most popular monsters.

 

11. The Mind Robber

The TARDIS explodes. The Doctor spins away into nowhere. Jamie and Zoe cling to the console. Jamie is somewhat less expressive regarding his feelings on the subject.

 

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12. Spearhead from Space

He’s from another era of the show, but Andrew Cartmel’s comments are pertinent here: “We went to see John and said, What about tentacles? They could come out through the ventilation grilles. And he said ‘Tentacles are difficult’, spoken with the knowing manner of a man who’s tried tentacles before.”

 

13. Inferno

The sight of the planet screaming out its rage.

 

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14. The Daemons

If you show this image to anyone who hasn’t seen The Daemons and they don’t immediately want to watch it, then there’s something wrong.

 

15. The Sea Devils

The Doctor and the Master have a fight in a high security prison that somehow has conveniently located swords at the ready.

 

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16. Carnival of Monsters

A monster.

 

17. The Green Death

The Doctor drives off into the sunset. The end of the Pertwee era is nigh.

 

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18. Genesis of the Daleks

“Back on Skaro, where it all began.”

 

19. The Seeds of Doom

A slightly bigger monster.

 

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20. The Deadly Assassin

If you to show this image to anyone who you’ve just shown The Daemons to and they don’t immediately want to watch The Deadly Assassin, there’s something wrong.

 

21. The Talons of Weng Chieng

Henry Gordon Jago, Professor Litefoot and the TARDIS.

 

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22. City of Death

The most important punch in history.

 

23. Creature from the Pit

If you think this one looks odd, you should know we’ve gone for the PG-rated version.

 

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24. The Horns of Nimon

It is he, Soldeed.

 

25. Shada

The Fourth Doctor, lying on a patch of concrete, enjoying himself enormously.

This article is continued on the next page. We don’t like splitting our lists like this, but with the longer, picture-heavy ones, it does seem to make sense…

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26. Four to Doomsday

The Fifth Doctor, interfering with monopticons, before he went hands free.

 

27. Earthshock

Adric is dead.

 

28. Warriors of the Deep

Almost the entire guest cast is dead.

 

29. The Caves of Androzani

Almost the entire guest cast is dead. Again. This time, however, the Doctor’s friend is not going to die.

 

30. The Trial of a Timelord – Mindwarp

Colin Baker’s Cliffhanger Masterclass (one from the twenty-one available).

 

31. The Trial of a Timelord – Terror of the Vervoids

How can you say ‘no’ that face?

 

32. Delta and the Bannermen

The Two Sides to the Seventh Doctor #1 – brooding melancholy.

 

33. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

The Two Sides to the Seventh Doctor #2 – Genocide? What genocide? I couldn’t hear any genocide over the sound of the massive explosion I just caused.

 

34. Survival

‘Where to now Ace?’

‘Home.’

‘Home?’

‘The TARDIS.’

‘Yes. The TARDIS.’

 

35. The TV Movie/Doctor Who

Everything in this image is utterly joyous.

 

36. The End of Time Part Two

Either some godlike beings have been careless with their frisbees, or something’s gone really terribly wrong.

 

37. Rose

The Three Stages of Eccles #1 – morbid aloofness.

 

38. Dalek

The Three Stages of Eccles #2 – pure radge.

 

39. The Parting of the Ways

The Three Stages of Eccles #3 – recovery and acceptance.

 

40. School Reunion

Just in case this fails to move you, in a minute K9 turns up, and he’s wagging his tail.

 

41. Army of Ghosts

The Shipping Forecast: Earth to Void; variable, occasional weeping.

 

42. Utopia

If you show this image to anyone who you’ve just shown The Daemons and The Deadly Assassin to and they don’t immediately want to watch Utopia, there is also something wrong.

 

43. Journey’s End

David Tennant without any clothes on, pulling a funny face (70% atypical). It’s so sexy the TARDIS has caught fire.

 

44. Journey’s End

One of the bits everyone remembers from Journey’s End, as the TARDIS crew of the past four series celebrate saving the day together. Ten minutes later the Doctor ends the episode in his ship, totally alone.

 

45. The End of Time Part Two

Bernard Cribbins Sadness Porn: You will cry because Bernard Cribbins is crying, and Bernard Cribbins is lovely.

 

46. The End of Time Part Two

And a new man walks away (like a drunken giraffe)…

 

47. The Big Bang

The Doctor tells Amelia Pond a bedtime story, as under Steven Moffat Doctor Who becomes a contemporary fairy tale.

 

48. Day of the Moon

The Pond family and Canton Everett Delaware III look out over Lake Silencio, as the huge great spoiler goes on its final journey.

 

49. The Crimson Horror

The Paternoster Gang, Clara, and the Doctor look on at the final moments of Mr Sweet.

 

50. The Name of the Doctor

Steven Moffat couldn’t have set the internet more aflame if he’d recast Paul McGann as the Rani.

 

Originally, this was fifty screengrabs, but that’s the thing about Doctor Who, it keeps happening. Because it wouldn’t be Doctor Who if things didn’t change, here are some surprise additions to our line-up:

 

The Day of the Doctor

“All thirteen.”

 

The Day of the Doctor

“I’m only a humble curator.”

The Time Of The Doctor airs on Christmas Day at 7.30pm on BBC One.

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