Doctor Who YouTube channel releases edits of classic stories…but are they worth watching?

Several Doctor Who stories are currently available to watch in condensed form on YouTube. But are they a good way to watch these classic adventures?

On Friday, fellow FanSided site Winter is Coming reported on some rather interesting news: YouTube has been releasing edits of Doctor Who stories from the Classic Series! On the surface, this looks extremely exciting, for two reasons.

Firstly, it’s an easy way for fans new to the show to check out some of its vast history for free. Streaming service BritBox has most of the episodes from the Classic Series, at least. But at the same time, with so many streaming services out there, fans can be forgiven for not wanting to subscribe to one more if only one or two shows appeal to them.

Secondly, for some fans, the slow pace of the old stories can be rather off-putting, especially when compared to the stories told in the New Series. So edited versions can have some appeal – an easy way for fans to catch up, especially if they’re for free. So YouTube showing classic stories edited into approximately half an hour sounds perfect, right?

Well…

When edits work

The key thing to keep in mind is that this isn’t an actual re-edit of the story. Instead, it’s a compilation of key highlights that YouTube usually uploads in about 3 to 5-minute chunks, re-edited to fit a general order. As such, it doesn’t really work as a watchable version of the story.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying massive re-edits of classic serials can’t work at all. In fact, there are some edits in the past that have worked extremely well.

For example, on Dec 27 1975, BBC1 broadcast an 85-minute omnibus edit of the Tom Baker classic Genesis of the Daleks. Considering that the full story is comprised of 6 episodes of 25 minutes each, that’s a huge amount of material to cut out. But, having watched it myself on the big screen, it strangely works. It feels a little like watching the story on fast-forward, but first-time viewers shouldn’t feel like they’re missing too much.

When they don’t work

But the reason that this edit worked was that all the key points in the story – such as major character introductions and key plot developments – were included. There was a lot of work put into that edit. And honestly, the same can’t be said of the above edit for The Hand of Fear. The official description describes it as such:

"Watch the highlights of a classic Fourth Doctor story, The Hand of Fear!"

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That’s what you get. Highlights, but not an actual story, not even a heavily edited one. This is why you’re left with a lot of questions when watching it. Why does Sarah become possessed? What snaps her out of it? Who is Eldrad and where does she come from? And why does she become someone else completely? Honestly, it’s a very simple compilation of clips, and it doesn’t allow you to enjoy the story at its best. (Still, the end scene with Sarah Jane leaving still hits hard, it has to be said.)

Other ways to watch

If you’re looking for a good way to enjoy the Classic Series for free, then I don’t think these edits are the best way to do that. If you have access to Pluto TV in the US, you can at least check out the channel Classic Doctor Who on channel 77. Alternatively, it is worth noting that you can enjoy a free trial to BritBox, at least, and considering how it has literally hundreds of episodes of Doctor Who on its service, you may find yourself sticking with it for a few months just for Doctor Who alone.

But while the clips that YouTube offers are great for fans who love these stories to revisit, they aren’t the best way to experience these often well-told stories.

What do you think? Do you agree in that the YouTube edits aren’t a strong way of enjoying the Classic Series? Or do you disagree and think that they offer a great way of catching up? Let us know in the comments below.