"Doctor Who" (1963) TV series 1963-1989

Creator:

Sydney Newman

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | unknown

Release Date:

29 September 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The adventures of an eccentric renegade time traveling alien and his companions.

Plot Keywords:

Time Lord | Alien | Companion | Renegade | Police Box

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Tom Baker	...	Doctor Who (173 episodes, 1974-1981)
William Hartnell	...	Dr. Who / ... (136 episodes, 1963-1973)
Jon Pertwee	...	The Doctor / ... (129 episodes, 1970-1983)
Patrick Troughton	...	Dr. Who / ... (127 episodes, 1966-1985)
Frazer Hines	...	Jamie McCrimmon (117 episodes, 1966-1985)
Nicholas Courtney	...	Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart / ... (107 episodes, 1965-1989)
Elisabeth Sladen	...	Sarah Jane Smith (81 episodes, 1973-1983)
Jacqueline Hill	...	Barbara Wright / ... (80 episodes, 1963-1980)
William Russell	...	Ian Chesterton (77 episodes, 1963-1965)
Katy Manning	...	Jo Grant (77 episodes, 1971-1973)
Pat Gorman	...	Cyberman / ... (75 episodes, 1964-1985)
John Scott Martin	...	Dalek / ... (74 episodes, 1965-1988)
John Levene	...	Sergeant Benton / ... (73 episodes, 1967-1975)
Peter Davison	...	The Doctor / ... (70 episodes, 1981-1984)

Also Known As:

Dr. Who (UK) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

45 min (15 episodes) | 25 min (679 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1963-1969) | Color (1970-1989)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (1963-1987) | Stereo (1988-1989)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:13 | UK:PG | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:G (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The series was originally devised as an educational program for kids, with co-creator Sydney Newman having no intention of featuring "bug eyed monsters." The first episodes featured cavemen. But when the Daleks were introduced, the attitude of the program was forever changed. Even so, the series continued to alternate between science fiction and purely historical stories for several seasons.

Quotes:

The Doctor: A hyperactive Peri - too ghastly to contemplate.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Restoring 'The Aztecs' (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Incidental Music (1989)

Greatest Series of All Time

`Doctor Who', in a nutshell, is probably the most imaginative show ever created. Initially, it was about an eccentric time-traveller from another planet, who looked human and affected an English manner and style. The interior of his time machine (called a TARDIS) was huge and highly advanced, but the exterior quaintly resembled an English public call box. The Doctor was a self-imposed exile from a race of powerful beings called the Time Lords. The Time Lords observed history, but never interfered with it. This bored the almighty heck out of the Doctor, so he made off with an older TARDIS and decided to see the Universe for himself.

When the original actor who played the Doctor decided to leave the show, the writers came up with the inventive concept of `regeneration'. Whenever the Doctor was close to death, or actually killed, he would `regenerate' into a new body (and persona). The show went through seven highly talented actors in this fashion.

The format of the show was highly adaptable. Didn't like the way the show was going? Just wait two or three years. The style always seemed to change whenever there was a change of Doctor, producer and/or script editor. The series went from educational children's drama to monster show to intelligent adult sci-fi/drama to gothic horror to high camp, et cetera, et cetera, and so forth.

This was a wonderful, imaginative, fun show when it was on. I was sad to see it go.