The early ones now you have to put in context, 1960's special effects and stage etc.

I realize the earlier shows are not going to be able to compare in terms of production, special effects, etc.

To me, the show is about the Doctor's struggle between his contempt/sympathy for the human race

The scene at the end of "The Doctor Dances", when Eccleston shouts out, "Everybody lives! I need more days like this", is one of my all time favorites.

It reminded me of a scene from a series that's about as far removed from Doctor Who as possible, but just as dramatic - The Sopranos.

There's an episode when Tony Soprano initially orders a hit on a grown man who had sex with a teenage girl (whom Tony thinks of as a second daughter) and left her emotionally scarred. But then Tony calls off the hit at the last minute and instead has his crew notify the cops, who charge the man with statutory rape. At the end of the episode, Tony comes home, drunk, slurring his words, dancing around, looks at his wife, and says, "Carm....I didn't hurt nobody this time".

That was always the struggle with Tony Soprano, at least in the early years - a monster searching for one moment of decency.