Hartnell

William Hartnell
IS
The First Doctor
(1963-1966)

Classic fluffs

"You'd be blown to atoms by a split second!" Inside The Spaceship

"Yes, I don't think I don't see why not. There's nothing no danger about."
"No, impossible at this temperature... besides, it's too warm."
"And if you'd had your shoes on, my Boy, you could have lent her hers."
"I can't improve at this very moment... I can't prove..." The Keys Of Marinus

"I rather fancy that's settled that little bit of solution." The Sensorites

"A dead human body in the river? I should say that's near murder. Isn't it? The Dalek Invasion of Earth

"But I'm not a mountain goat and I prefer walking to any day. And I hate climbing." The Time Meddler

"I do hope your effects outside the ship haven't affected you too much."

"Well, my boy, we've managed to come out of this not unscathed, hmm?"

"My dear Susan, how glad! I'll tell you how glad I am to see you later on."

"You'll end up as a couple of burnt cinders flying around in Spain - in space!" The Chase

"If they succeed it'll mean that they're unt-upset the entire constellation - we must present, er, prevent it!"

William Hartnell was the first actor to portray the Doctor. His interpretation was of an ill-tempered, stern old man, who was also eccentric and brilliant. As well as securing the success of the series during it's fledgling first three years, his frequently fluffed lines led to many memorable moments.

Hartnell can't really be blamed for the odd slip up though, in the early days the series was recorded almost as-live, with a tight schedule that allowed little or no time for re-shooting scenes. His health was also failing, and this would eventually contribute to his departure from the series.
Even before being cast as the Doctor William Hartnell was a fairly big name, having starred in over seventy-five feature films, including the title role in Carry On Sergeant. He was on the verge of securing a contract in Hollywood when the outbreak of the Second World War took him to the Army Tank Corps. Here he developed a stutter and had a nervous break-down. He was out of the army after eleven months.

We meet Hartnell's Doctor in 100, 000BC (AKA An Unearthly Child). He kidnaps two teachers, Ian and Barbara, from London in the swinging sixties They have followed home his Granddaughter, Susan, who is a bit wierd. He doesn't want the the teachers telling the human race that time-travelling aliens are among them, so he takes off. Susan is the only family the Doctor is ever referred to as having.
He tends to treat his younger, female, companions like Susan, Vicki, and Dodo with kindness, while the others he is more impatient with, although grudgingly liking them.
Hartnell left the series after three years, due to his health, and difference with the producers, as he felt the series was no longer for children. He returned for the series tenth anniversary story, The Three Doctors, but was only well enough to appear on a screen, reading his lines from an autocue, while his two immediate successors did all the running around. William Hartnell died in 1975. The role of the First Doctor was played by Richard Hurndall in the twentieth anniversary special The Five Doctors, but he played the character as a nasty old git, and didn't capture any of Hartnell's sparkling eccentricity.
Along with the Daleks, who appeared in his second story, Hartnell secured the popularity of Doctor Who.

Companions