'The Daleks' (Ep 1 'The Dead Planet')

Musings on Ep 1;

• The opening pan across the petrified jungle with Radiophonic rumbles and shivers is magic.What a set up!
• Again, like in 'Unearthly Child, a studio breeze! it really helps sell 'alien jungle' to the viewer, not 'laughable papi-er mache explosion'
• Nice bit of exposition through Ian and Barbara discussing why they need the Doctor and what the stakes are for the viewer "why doesn't he take us back", "I don't think he can" and "the ships no good without him" etc
• The petrified metal creature is pretty silly and never really explained, it works for making the point though of not making assumptions based only on what you know, and that 'anything goes' in space and time.
• The slow camera zoom into the model city after Ian gives the Doctor back his glasses and heads back to the TARDIS is just superb. Stunning model work topped off with a fairly convincing mountain range in the distance, low hanging mist and incomparable sonic ambience from the Radiophonic Workshop Team. Another superb shot for the Dr Who trophy room.
• I like the Doctor asking Barbara to have a talk with Susan, the Doctor seems starting to warm to his new companions and recognising both Barbara's intuitive warmth and the potential benefits of having them around.
• Well that didn't last long...so much for the growing warmth; accusations and counter accusations now flying wildly; "uprooted violently", "pushed your way in" etc etc.
• Nice change of gear though with the food machine scene after Ian starts to panic "can we live here?, what do we eat?".
• I love Hartnell's delivery of "how irksome for you", when Barbara says she's got a headache. Sympathy, it seems, from the following lines, but sounds like 100% proof sarcasm the way it came out.
• Hartnell has a fun fumble to Susan "I hope your effects outside the ship haven't effected you too much".
• Hartnell plays the faux TARDIS take-off and fluid link sabotage wonderfully. Like a naughty child you can see the cogs of manipulation turning and the shifty body language is a delight, as is his absolutely delicious delivery of "Yes, the city, of course, of course we're bound to get some mercury there. Yes, we're bound to. Well, I mean, what else can we do, hmm?"
• He then eats up his victory line like he's got the double cream, cheshire cat smile and all, as they will head to the city "at first light then".
• More lovely model shots of the city. I could watch a slow zoom in and out on that model with those ambient groans for half an hour and not be bored.
• The Dalek city design looks great (and surprisingly expensive) up close too
• Barbara! watch out!! It's a throbbing plunger!!!