Today, November 23, it is celebrating its premiere anniversary as one of the most iconic series in British culture. How did his beginnings look like?
Anyone who is currently at least a little bit oriented in popular series will surely know the iconic character of Doctor Who. Although everyone has a favorite role model of the main character, it is impossible to say who is the only one. The same character has already been played by 14 actors, including David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and Paul McGann. The first eccentric, but extremely intelligent time traveler in history was William Hartnell, who appeared in 134 episodes. In 2017, keeping up with the times, the BBC decided to pass the title role of the first in the history of the series to a woman, and since then Doctor Who has been played by Jodie Whittaker. Such a frequent change of actors results from the plot requirements – the main character has an unusual regeneration ability, which allows you to survive even in the event of fatal injuries. However, each time it comes back in a different body and with a different personality. He also has telepathic abilities and a deeply developed sense of touch, which he can sense the presence of ions. He can also check the type of substance with his tongue, and his circulatory system is powered by two beating hearts. All these abilities are characteristic of the Time Lords, representatives of the race from the planet Gallifrey. Dr. Who travels back in time with the stolen TARDIS – the iconic blue telephone box. He can also check the type of substance with his tongue, and his circulatory system is powered by two beating hearts. These are all abilities characteristic of the Time Lords, representatives of the race from the planet Gallifrey. Dr. Who travels back in time with the stolen TARDIS – the iconic blue telephone box. He can also check the type of substance with his tongue, and his circulatory system is powered by two beating hearts. These are all abilities characteristic of the Time Lords, representatives of the race from the planet Gallifrey. Dr. Who travels back in time with the stolen TARDIS – the iconic blue telephone box.
For the first time, the series, created by Sydney Newman, CE Webber and Donald Wilson, was broadcast on the BBC in 1963-1989. After that, production was suspended, and despite attempts to return to the air, Doctor Who was finally not available to watch until 2005. Initially, it was supposed to take on the role of a traditional, educational, family-watched program. It quickly turned out, however, that science fiction dominated the series and the planned historical plots did not arouse as much interest as expected. Doctor Who won the hearts of British viewers, becoming a kind of total product. On its basis, spin-offs, books, comics and various gadgets were created, and the series was referred to in many other productions. The Doctor’s phenomenon also reached abroad and fans from all over the world loved him. This production has also received many awards and nominations, including statuettes such as BAFTA and Saturn. Interestingly, the series also appears in the Guinness book, and not in one, but two categories. It is the longest science-fiction television series in the world and has also aired the same episode simultaneously in the greatest number of countries. The production phenomenon continues and it does not seem to end soon.