THE CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO FIELD OF 64

I AM TOLD THAT EVERY MARCH THERE'S A THING CALLED MARCH MADNESS.  I wouldn't know about such things.  However, since this is the 10th anniversary of this blog . . . and since doing Fields of 64 is his thing, my pal Sweet Cheeks has suggested that I do a "Field of 64" of my own of the best Classic DOCTOR WHO stories.

Now, I suppose this sorta thing would've been very appropriate two years ago when DOCTOR WHO was celebrating it's 50th anniversary but, hey, I saved it for this blog's 10th.  I have been watching DOCTOR WHO since 1977 or 1978 when my Dad's friend Ronnie told me about this cool British science-fiction show airing weeknights on PBS.  You know, the ones which had the Howard DaSilva "previously on DOCTOR WHO narration".  The very first episode of DOCTOR WHO I ever saw was the second or third (I can't remember which) episode of PYRAMIDS OF MARS and I was immediately hooked!  So yes, my first Doctor was Tom Baker and he still remains my favourite.  Since the first Tom Baker story I ever saw was PYRAMIDS OF MARS, I thought I'd mention briefly the first story of each Doctor I ever saw.  My first William Hartnell was appropriately AN UNEARTHLY CHILD; the first ever episode of the series.  My first Patrick Troughton story was THE SEEDS OF DEATH.  The first Jon Pertwee story I ever saw was the psychedelic THE CLAWS OF AXOS.  And from then on I saw all the other Doctors when their very first episodes were new and originally aired on PBS:  Peter Davison's debut CASTROVALVA, Colin Bakers' THE TWIN DILEMMA and Sylvester McCoy's TIME AND THE RANI.  Yikes!  Those last two!!! 

Sweet Cheeks, henceforth known for the duration of this Field of 64 as Jon Pertcheeks, (pictured below)

is going to be doing his own Classic WHO Field of 64 over at his own blog (click here) while I'll be doing my own version right here this month.  Now the rules are very simple.  I will be selecting my own Field of 64 favourite classic DOCTOR WHO stories.  Now, that means the original DOCTOR WHO series from AN UNEARTHLY CHILD to SURVIVAL.  The 1996 TV movie and the subsequent reboot series starting in 2005 and continuing to this day are not eligible.

As this is the very first time I've attempted a "Field of 64" (whereas Jon Pertcheeks is an old pro at this kind of thing), I'll just stumble along as best I can.  For those of you in the know, you're aware of how a Field of 64 works but basically I'll be posting the full list of all the stories and then two classic DOCTOR WHO stories will go head-to-head against each other with one declared the winner.  And so on until the final champion is crowned.  As some favourites are eliminated, I'm sure there will be some tears along the way.  After all, even a Time Lord can cry.  So join us, won't you, all month long for the CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO FIELD OF 64.  You have nothing to lose but your cloister bell!