Doctor Who

A closer look at the story

The original Doctor Who series, which began on the BBC in 1963, follows the adventures of a mysterious traveller known as the Doctor. The Doctor is a humanoid but alien being, one of the Time Lords, who can journey through time. The Doctor explores the universe in the TARDIS, a sentient spacecraft capable of travelling through time. On the outside, the TARDIS resembles a blue police box of the kind often seen on British streets when the show was first broadcast. With the companions who travel alongside, the Doctor explores space and time, solves the most unlikely problems and confronts all kinds of enemies. The aim is to save civilisations, help ordinary people and put wrongs right. Created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson and running for 26 seasons and 694 episodes, this classic science-fiction series saw the Doctor played by actors such as William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.