Here’s Why The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances is Your Favourite Series 1 Serial

Katie Gribble is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

So some of you may have noticed that over this past year, we here at Kasterborous have been celebrating the 10th anniversary of NuWho by listing some of our favourite and most underrated episodes of each series. We asked you to vote for your favourites and the time has come to reveal the winners.

Before we spoil the results for the favourite Series One episode, head over and read some of our reasons for our best episodes. Do you agree with our choices?

Have you looked yet? Go on. It’s jolly good especially the bit about the parrot… Seen it? Marvellous! We’re safe to proceed…

The winner for favourite episode of the first series starring our wonderful Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, starts us off on a great footing. The favourite story of 2005 series is The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances two-parter. The story won with 44.1% of the votes so thank you to all of you who voted. These episodes were chosen in the article by Barry Rice, Philip Bates and Joe Siegler. They must all have excellent taste or have bribed you. So why has this story garnered so much favour?

We cannot get away without mentioning the larger than live every-sexual character that this story introduced to the Doctor Who universe. The one only Captain Jack Harkness! He comes charging in with his charm and wit, scanning for alien tech and sweeping the Whoniverse off its feet. He doesn’t get off to the best start conning Rose and the Doctor into buying what he describes as space junk. Thankfully through meeting the Doctor, he realises the errors of his ways and stops the bomb from falling on the site of the Chula warship killing everyone in range. However, there are still many questions left unanswered about the ex-Time Agent. That and so much more just keeps us coming back to Jack and it is this story that he makes his debut. We are eternally grateful.

But this adventure also includes another wonderful character who is so well rounded – and it’s such a pity that she has not appeared again. In Moffat’s early work, no character passes through without a shine and an ability to immerse the audience in the atmosphere of war-torn London. The character of Nancy is so well rounded and every interaction, whether it be with the kids she looks after or the Doctor, is completely based in truth.

Dr. Constantine’s gas mask transformation is still terrifying and so heartbreaking. The growing gas mask is still very graphic and it took me well over 7 years to be able to watch it again after initial transmission. Good nature of people: ‘Before this war started, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither, but I am still a doctor.’ A good man. An example of British morale and staying power and the spirit of those war years. He also has one of the greatest lines of all NuWho:

Mrs Harcourt: My leg’s grown back. When I come to the hospital, I only had one leg.

Dr. Constantine: Well there is a war on, are you sure you haven’t miscounted?

And at this joyous time of year, I think it’s apt that we have an ending where, to quote the Doctor’s utter joy ‘EVERYBODY LIVES!’ It’s a pity that Moffat didn’t keep this up, but for this story and as the winner of Series One favourite, it is a wonderful message to think on. Not everything ends badly. Sometimes, when we just dream, there are good days.

The bad in this episode is not intentional. It is pure accident. Shows bad things can just happen sometimes but there doesn’t always have to be a negative outcome.

There are plenty of other wonderful reasons why this story deserves the top spot of Series One, but you should go back and watch it to see them all. Now we here at the K must bid you a good day. I’m off to snooze this Christmas off.

*sits in armchair, puts feet up, and plays Glenn Miller on the gramophone*

The post Here’s Why The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances is Your Favourite Series 1 Serial appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.