Doctor Who is a science fiction classic from the BBC, decades in the making. The show follows a time traveler across space and time on journeys through the distant past, the far future, and strange new planets. From the iconic TARDIS to memorable companions and the most frightening monsters, here’s the facts that define Doctor Who.
5 Doctor Who Facts
1. Doctor Who debuted in 1963. (Source)
The BBC aired the first episode of Doctor Who in 1963, filmed in black and white. The air date, November 23, was the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The original episodes had a 25-minute run time, later changed to 45 minutes.
2. The first doctor’s health problems led to “the regeneration” of the character. (Source)
The original Doctor was played by William Hartnell. His health issues made him step back from his role in the series, so showrunners decided that the Doctor would have the ability to “regenerate” rather than die off. This has led to (more or less) 14 Doctors to date!
3. Two Doctors have married companion actresses. (Source)
The Doctor often travels with a companion or two, a human from Earth who grounds the Doctor, and serves as a friend and assistant. In real life, a Doctor actor, Tom Baker, married Lalla Ward who played the companion, Lady Time Romana. Years later, David Tennant who played the tenth Doctor married actress, Georgia Moffett who played “the Doctor’s daughter.”
4. Doctor Who is a 60-year British teatime tradition. (Source)
Doctor Who always aired at teatime on Saturday nights in Britain. The show was off the air briefly in the 90s then revived to massive success in 2005.
5. The TARDIS is one of the most iconic phones in television. (Source)
The iconic blue police phone box that serves as the Doctor’s time machine has a design based on a fixture of 1960s London that no longer exists outside the world of Doctor Who.
