The Doctor In The TARDIS
March 28, 2024, 09:13:00 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Check out all the spoilers from Series 7 in our dedicated spoiler section
 
  Home Help Gallery Doctor Who News Facebook Group FAQ's Staff List Calendar Members Login Register  

Barbara Wright

Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Barbara Wright  (Read 518 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Peri-Peri
Global Moderator
Destroyer Of Worlds
*****
Favourite Doctor: Five
Favourite Companion: Peri
Posts: 8805


Circular logic will only make you dizzy, Doctor


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Fifth year Anniversary Fourth year Anniversary Third year Anniversary
« on: March 11, 2012, 03:50:09 pm »


Barbara Wright was teaching history at Coal Hill School in London in 1963, working with science teacher Ian Chesterton. One of their students, Susan Foreman, shows an unusually advanced knowledge of science and history, but a rudimentary knowledge of other subjects. In an attempt to learn more about this "unearthly child", Barbara and Ian follow Susan home to a junkyard, where they hear her voice coming from what appears to be a police box. During a confrontation with her grandfather, the Doctor, Barbara rushes in to the police box, only to discover that its exterior hides the much larger interior of the TARDIS, revealing the vehicle for the first time and making Barbara the first human to step aboard.

At first a reluctant traveller in time and space, the strong-willed Barbara becomes more adventurous, while providing a maternal figure to Susan and subsequently Vicki. She is frequently the only person willing to stand up to the First Doctor's cantankerous outbursts with firmness and logic. A chemistry between her and Ian is also evident, although the nature of their relationship is never fully clarified in the television series.

Although mutually respectful and increasingly affectionate, the relationship between the Doctor and Barbara is often tested by their opposing viewpoints. In The Aztecs, Barbara is mistaken for the reincarnation of a high priest, Yetaxa, after they find her in possession of his bracelet. Barbara seizes this opportunity to change the course of history, and tries to persuade the Aztecs to abandon human sacrifice, so that by the time Hernan Cortes - who overthrew the Aztec empire - lands he will find a glorious civilisation. The Doctor warns Barbara that she cannot rewrite history, but his protests fall on deaf ears. Barbara fails and, although she has influenced some Aztecs, history remains on course.

As well as exploring alien planets, Barbara visits several eras of Earth's history, including the Roman Empire during the time of Nero, Palestine during the Third Crusade, the Himalayas in the 13th Century, and a post-apocalyptic London in the 22nd Century.

After the TARDIS is chased through time and space by the Daleks to the planet Mechanus, where a conflict destroys the pursuing faction of Daleks, Barbara suggests to Ian they use the abandoned Dalek time machine to get home. The Doctor is furious and tries to persuade them to stay with him by suggesting the journey might kill them, but the two teachers had made up their minds. After an emotional farewell to the Doctor and Vicki, Barbara and Ian are returned to London, albeit two years after their disappearance. Back on the TARDIS, the Doctor uses the time-space visualiser to check they have returned safely, and tells Vicki how much he will miss them.
Report Spam   Logged

It eats you, starting with your bottom


Saber
Timelord
****
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
Favourite Companion: Liz Shaw
Posts: 3843



View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Second year Anniversary Apple User Mobile User
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2012, 04:36:29 pm »

This was the first story I saw with Susan, Ian and Barbara, though not the first classic I watched. I have to say that I thought Barbara was excellent from the beginning. It's hard to put my finger on what it is about the character but she just works. She was great from the very beginning.
Report Spam   Logged
Oh-Wise-One
Faithful Companion
***
Posts: 2119



View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Super Poster 25 Posts in one day Level 5 Apple User
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2012, 08:14:59 pm »

I say it every time, but Barbara was excellent. I think they were so lucky in that they had a great character and picked an excellent actress to take on the role. I can't think of a single occassion where she was anything less than her best.
Report Spam   Logged
Peri-Peri
Global Moderator
Destroyer Of Worlds
*****
Favourite Doctor: Five
Favourite Companion: Peri
Posts: 8805


Circular logic will only make you dizzy, Doctor


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Fifth year Anniversary Fourth year Anniversary Third year Anniversary
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2012, 11:36:27 pm »

Well I think Barbara is awful!!!

Na, not really. I love her too. I don't know anyone who doesn't.
Report Spam   Logged

It eats you, starting with your bottom


Tardis-Console
Timelord
****
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
Favourite Companion: Amy
Posts: 4660


Say it. Everybody does!


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Third year Anniversary Search Second year Anniversary
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2012, 05:54:58 pm »

Barbara surprised me from the very beginning. To be honest I fully expected her to be the 'dutiful woman', so it was nice that they sort of tried to break that mould. She wasn't equal by any means. There was still a lot of sexism against her character and many others on the show, but she was far more equal than I think a lot of women on TV were at the time, from the few bits and pieces I have seen of other shows and movies.
Report Spam   Logged


My Series 6 Ratings (so far):
TIA 10/10 | DOTM 10/10 | COTBS 8/10 | TDW 10/10 | TRF 9/10 | TAP 10/10 | AGMGTW 10/10 | LKH 8/10 | NT 4/10 | TGWW 10/10
Kovarians-Eye-Patch
TARDIS Traveller
***
Favourite Doctor: Eleven
Favourite Companion: Martha Jones
Posts: 911



View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Search One year Anniversary Level 4
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2012, 11:56:31 pm »

Within the confines of the TARDIS I would say she was equal. I agree that she came up against sexism but one of the great things about her was that she was never any less than Ian in terms of character and what she was willing and able to do.
Report Spam   Logged
Exterminate
Guardian Of Gallifrey
****
Posts: 6335

Do Not Blaspheme!


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Fifth year Anniversary Fourth year Anniversary Level 6
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2012, 03:17:31 pm »

Barbara is easily my favourite companion of the First Doctor era. Perhaps even the whole 60s and definately amongst my favourites ever. She is consistently great. It's such a shame JH isn't around anymore to see the renewed interest in the show and her character (and maybe even pop in for a cameo. I'd love that)
Report Spam   Logged

Nyki
Guardian Of Gallifrey
****
Favourite Doctor: Jon Pertwee
Favourite Companion: Leela
Posts: 5334



View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Third year Anniversary 5000 Posts Second year Anniversary
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2012, 10:37:28 pm »

Watching this again, I was surprised that Barbara had relatively little to do during the later episodes, other than being the "screaming woman", but she was fantastic in the earlier part.  And she did come into her own by insisting on helping Za.
Report Spam   Logged


hannahcole93
Global Moderator
Master Of Galaxies
*****
Favourite Doctor: 11 & 5
Favourite Companion: Amy Pond & Nyssa
Posts: 10061


"Fish fingers and custard..."


View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Fifth year Anniversary 10000 Posts Fourth year Anniversary
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2012, 09:36:04 pm »

Deffos as Nyki says, she's the "screaming woman". I liked how kind and stuff she was is the first episode, but she got on my nerves so much!
Report Spam   Logged


"All of time and space; everything that ever happened or ever will…Where do you want to start?"
Nyki
Guardian Of Gallifrey
****
Favourite Doctor: Jon Pertwee
Favourite Companion: Leela
Posts: 5334



View Profile
Badges: (View All)
Third year Anniversary 5000 Posts Second year Anniversary
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2012, 02:12:01 am »

Deffos as Nyki says, she's the "screaming woman". I liked how kind and stuff she was is the first episode, but she got on my nerves so much!

She's awesome in everything else - this was definitely her weakest story.
Report Spam   Logged


Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Administrator | Global Moderator | RP Moderator | Role Player
| Member Of The Month
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
Free SMF Hosting - Create your own Forum

Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy