10. The Dalek Invasion of Earth

And so ends the first major chapter in Doctor Who history. Despite her protests, the Doctor leaves Susan behind for her to start a life with her love David Campbell. Over the course of the 6 episodes, you see them growing closer and closer, as they fight against the Daleks. It is a heart wrenching turn after the defeat of the Daleks.

This story also contains the very first scene of William Hartnell that I saw. The 20th anniversary special "The Five Doctors" begins with a clip of the 1st Doctor from the end of this story. "Go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine." For years, that was the only thing of William Hartnell I knew, until my PBS station started to air his episodes. And when I finally saw the clip in context, it was even more powerful.

Our TARDIS crew finally return to London, full size, but in a future under Dalek occupation. For Barbara and Ian, it must have been heart breaking to be so close to him yet so far away. This also marked the first returning monster to the series. With the popularity of the Daleks in the season 1 story, it was a no-brainer that they would make a quick return to the series. This time, having them invade London and appear in very familiar surroundings, truly strikes terror in our hearts.

It is a treat to see so many familiar London sights from 50 years ago. Of course we assume that in this future, the London Eye and the Millennium Bridge were destroyed in the Invasion. :)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dalek_Invasion_of_Earth

Next episode: The Rescue!