musiced921 said:
A little off topic regarding NuWho, but a few days ago I was feeling the Doctor Who itch and Netflix has a very limited amount of episodes so I figured I'd dive into a Tom Baker story. I ended up going with The Ark in Space and wow was I happy with my decision. I really enjoyed the episodes and started feeling the urge to watch more.
Glad you dabbled in some classic Who!
I'm by no means and expert, but if you enjoyed "The Ark in Space," you'll probably enjoy other stories by Robert Holmes, one of the most acclaimed writers of the classic era.
Here's a list of his stories:
http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Robert_Holmes#Televised_scripts
Of these, I can personally vouch for the following:
Spearhead from Space: A much better starting place for classic Who than the actual first episode, IMO. This story started with a new Doctor and new Companions, so it's something of a clean slate. It was also the first storyline in color, and the only story to ever be completely shot on film. (Most classic episodes have an awkward combination of videotape for the interior shots and film for the exterior shots. All modern episodes are of course shot digitally.) As such, this story has a very handsome and polished look to it.
This episode introduces Jon Pertwee's debonair Third Doctor, as well as companion Liz Shaw (a scientist that was a refreshing change from the typical screaming damsels in distress that the Doctor had previously worked with), brings back Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and UNIT (both introduced during the Second Doctor's run), and re-formats the show into a very entertaining Earth-bound adventure.
This storyline also introduces the Autons, controlled by the Nestene Consciousness. The first episode of the new series, 2005's "Rose," is a virtual sequel to this story.
Carnival of Monsters -- When the Third Doctor returned to traveling through space, he did so with companion Jo Grant. This storyline is honestly so clever and surprising that I don't want to reveal anything about it. it's my favorite classic Who story that I've seen so far, and the one that made me pay attention to Holmes as a writer.
The Time Warrior -- When the series began, time travel stories were purely historical; other than our travelers, there was no science fiction element in them. But for the first time in this story, we see other aliens (in this case, the Sontarans, introduced here) going back through time and making changes for their own sake, which is now the norm for all historical stories.
This tale also introduces Sarah Jane Smith, a companion so beloved that she would return to the modern series ("School Reunion," "Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End," plus her own spinoff). If all that weren't enough, Holmes gives the Doctor's home planet its name (Gallifrey) for the first time!
This medieval adventure was largely shot in and around an actual castle.
Pyramids of Mars -- A fun romp for Sarah Jane and the fourth Doctor.
Of the ones I haven't seen, "Terror of the Autons" is a Third Doctor story notable for introducing the Master, and "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" is a highly acclaimed story that has the Fourth Doctor playing Sherlock on the streets of London in 1889. "The Brain of Morbius" (4th), "The Caves of Androzani" (5th) and "The Ultimate Foe" (6th) have also all been referenced at some point in the new series.
Happy viewing! Let us know what else you see and what you think of them.
And don't worry about not liking the Sixth Doctor's outfit. Nobody liked that, not even the actor who had to wear it.