Good News In History, November 23
Good News In History, November 23 62 years ago today, the very first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast on the BBC. An Unearthly Child, starring William Hartnell, is set amid a power struggle between warring Stone Age factions who have lost the secret of making fire after the original “companions” Ian and Barbara, find the Doctor’s time-traveling spaceship in a London junkyard. READ about the runup to the debut… (1963) Doctor Who in An Unearthly Child, Fair Use. The show was created to fill a gap between children’s and young adult programming. Canadian producer Sydney Newman, recently made Head of Drama at the BBC, was tasked with creating the show and conceived the idea of the TARDIS, as well as the central character of the Doctor. The first episode was divided into four separately broadcast parts, but the show’s launch was overshadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy the previous day, resulting in a repeat of the first episode the following week. Though received with m…
