Doctor Who

7.9
196325m

The adventures of The Doctor, a time-traveling humanoid alien known as a Time Lord. He explores the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient time-traveling spaceship. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, The Doctor faces a variety of foes while working to save civilizations, help ordinary people, and right many wrongs.

Production

Logo for BBC

Trailers & Videos

Thumbnail for video: Seventh Doctor Intro

Seventh Doctor Intro

Thumbnail for video: Fifth Doctor Intro

Fifth Doctor Intro

Thumbnail for video: Sixth Doctor Intro

Sixth Doctor Intro

Thumbnail for video: Fourth Doctor Intro

Fourth Doctor Intro

Thumbnail for video: Fourth Doctor Intro Version 2

Fourth Doctor Intro Version 2

Thumbnail for video: Third Doctor Intro Version 2

Third Doctor Intro Version 2

Thumbnail for video: Third Doctor Intro

Third Doctor Intro

Thumbnail for video: Second Doctor Intro

Second Doctor Intro

Thumbnail for video: First Doctor Intro

First Doctor Intro

Seasons

42 Episodes • Premiered 1963

The season introduces William Hartnell as the First Doctor, an alien who travels through time and space in his TARDIS, which appears to be a British police box on the outside. Carole Ann Ford is also introduced as the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman, who acts as his companion alongside her schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, portrayed by William Russell and Jacqueline Hill, respectively. Throughout the season, the Doctor and his companions travel throughout history and into the future. Historical stories were intended to educate viewers about significant events in history, such as the Aztec civilisation and the French Revolution; futuristic episodes took a more subtle approach to educating viewers, such as the theme of pacifism with the Daleks.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 1: An Unearthly Child

1. An Unearthly Child

8.0

After discussing a strange pupil, Susan Foreman, teachers Ian and Barbara follow her to a junkyard. They meet her grandfather, the Doctor, and force their way inside a police box with frightening results.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 2: The Cave of Skulls

2. The Cave of Skulls

5.8

The enigmatic Doctor, afraid that schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright will reveal his secrets to the people of 20th century Earth, has taken them and his granddaughter Susan back to the dawn of human history. There, the four travellers are dragged into the savage politics of a tribe of cavemen who have lost the secret of making fire…

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 3: The Forest of Fear

3. The Forest of Fear

6.1

Prisoners of the earliest humans, the TARDIS crew are caught in a deadly power play for leadership of the tribe.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 4: The Firemaker

4. The Firemaker

6.4

The TARDIS crew must make fire for the early humans to stay alive. But once they do, they may not be allowed to leave!

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 5: The Dead Planet

5. The Dead Planet

7.2

Time Unknown, Planet Unknown. The TARDIS lands in an eerie petrified forest overlooking a magnificent steel city. The Doctor wants to explore the city – but what is waiting there?

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 6: The Survivors

6. The Survivors

7.1

The dead planet is not uninhabited after all. The Doctor is about to meet what will become his greatest enemies. And he and his crew are dying of radiation sickness.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 7: The Escape

7. The Escape

7.3

Imprisoned on Skaro by the scheming Daleks, the Doctor and his companions work to escape their clutches.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 8: The Ambush

8. The Ambush

6.9

The time travellers work desperately to both escape the Dalek city and prevent a bloody massacre.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 9: The Expedition

9. The Expedition

6.5

The time travellers have escaped from the Daleks, but left a vital piece of the TARDIS behind. Getting it back will mean pushing the Thals to mount a dangerous operation.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 10: The Ordeal

10. The Ordeal

7.0

Ian, Barbara and the Thals struggle through the caves to reach the Dalek city. Will they get there in time? Is there even a way through the treacherous caves? And what are the Daleks planning?

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 11: The Rescue

11. The Rescue

6.9

Time is running out as the Doctor and his companions try to defeat the Daleks before they wipe out all life on Skaro.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 12: The Edge of Destruction

12. The Edge of Destruction

6.6

A mysterious explosion has knocked the TARDIS into void. And in their confusion, the crew are turning on one another.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 13: The Brink of Disaster

13. The Brink of Disaster

6.2

The TARDIS is adrift, the crew turning on each other. Only by working together can they find their way out before they are destroyed.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 14: The Roof of the World

14. The Roof of the World

6.7

The TARDIS experiences a total power failure and is stranded in the Himalayas in the 13th century. The travellers are forced to join the caravan of the famous explorer, Marco Polo, in order to survive -- but Polo, fascinated by their claims that the TARDIS can fly through the air, seizes it on behalf of Kublai Khan in the hope that presenting the Khan with such a fabulous gift will convince him to let Polo return home to Venice. The travellers are forced to accompany Polo on his long trek across Asia to the Khan's court, but their many attempts to reclaim their property are foiled -- not just by Polo, but by the war lord Tegana, who is apparently on a mission of peace but has entirely different plans for dealing with Kublai Khan...

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 15: The Singing Sands

15. The Singing Sands

6.0

Tegana sabotages the party's water bags, leaving them in dire need of fresh supplies.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 16: Five Hundred Eyes

16. Five Hundred Eyes

6.4

The Doctor and Susan are able to supply Marco with condensation that has formed inside the TARDIS, saving the group from dying of thirst. When the group are reunited with Tegana, the travellers begin to suspect he is up to something.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 17: The Wall of Lies

17. The Wall of Lies

6.4

The Doctor's group manage to rescue Barbara from the Mongols but once more Marco remains unaware of Tegana's involvement.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 18: Rider from Shang Tu

18. Rider from Shang Tu

6.0

The Doctor and his friends elect to warn Marco of Acomat's attack even though it means losing their chance to gain access to the TARDIS.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 19: Mighty Kublai Khan

19. Mighty Kublai Khan

5.8

The Doctor, Ian and Barbara are forced to surrender to Tegana and Marco, leaving both of them the opportunity to gain possession of the TARDIS.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 20: Assassin at Peking

20. Assassin at Peking

6.0

Tegana finally makes his move to assassinate the Khan, giving the Doctor and his friends an opportunity to thwart his plans and regain the TARDIS.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 21: The Sea of Death

21. The Sea of Death

6.8

The alien world of Marinus. Perfect peace has reigned here for decades due to the mind-controlling influence of a machine known as the Conscience. But now a race known as the Voord have developed an immunity and Arbitan, keeper of the machine, has been forced to scatter the vital control keys around the planet. Now he needs the help of the time travellers to get them back - it will be an extraordinary journey, with perils every step of the way...

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 22: The Velvet Web

22. The Velvet Web

6.4

The Doctor and his friends arrive in the apparently idyllic city of Morphoton but Barbara soon begins to realise there is more to their hosts than meets the eye.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 23: The Screaming Jungle

23. The Screaming Jungle

6.5

The search for the second key takes the travellers to a jungle where Ian and Barbara come under threat from rapidly growing plants.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 24: The Snows of Terror

24. The Snows of Terror

5.8

Searching for the third key, Ian and Barbara meet with the sinister trapper Vasor before following Susan and the others into a cave system guarded by the mysterious Ice Soldiers.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 25: Sentence of Death

25. Sentence of Death

6.3

The group are reunited with the Doctor in the city of Millennius where Ian faces trial for murder after the fourth key is stolen.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 26: The Keys of Marinus

26. The Keys of Marinus

6.7

The Doctor and his friends must locate the real murderers and the fourth key before heading off for a final confrontation with the Voord

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 27: The Temple of Evil

27. The Temple of Evil

6.8

The TARDIS arrives on Earth landing in 16th century Aztec society. Barbara goes off exploring - despite the Doctor's orders not to wander off - and is taken away by the high priest Autloc who believes she is the reincarnation of the goddess Yetaxa. They believe it is a sign that the rains - which are late - will now come. The high priest of sacrifice Tlotoxl recruits Ian to lead their army but he finds he has a rival in Ixta. Ian is less than comfortable with his role when he learns that they are to deliver the human sacrifice to the high priest at the rain ceremony. The Doctor emphasizes that they must not interfere with Aztec rituals, something that does not sit well with Barbara.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 28: The Warriors of Death

28. The Warriors of Death

6.5

Barbara tries to change the course of history - and Ian fights for his life.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 29: The Bride of Sacrifice

29. The Bride of Sacrifice

6.0

While the Doctor tries to find a way back to the TARDIS, Tlotoxl continues to plot Barbara's downfall and sees an opening when Susan questions Aztec custom.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 30: The Day of Darkness

30. The Day of Darkness

6.0

Tlotoxl's machinations result in both Susan and Ian being arrested. With the TARDIS once again trapped inside the tomb, the travellers' only hope for escape lies with Autloc and Cameca.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 31: Strangers in Space

31. Strangers in Space

6.0

The 28th century. The TARDIS materialises on a spaceship orbiting a planet known as the Sense-Sphere, whose natives, the Sensorites, have trapped the ship's human crew in a state of paralysis.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 32: The Unwilling Warriors

32. The Unwilling Warriors

5.8

The Doctor and his companions are on board an Earth ship trapped in orbit around the Sense-Sphere when it is boarded by the Sensorites, who steal the lock mechanism from the TARDIS.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 33: Hidden Danger

33. Hidden Danger

5.6

The Doctor and his companions are escorted to the Sense-Sphere where they attempt to negotiate with the Sensorites for the release of the TARDIS.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 34: A Race Against Death

34. A Race Against Death

5.8

With Ian having fallen victim to the Sensorites' plague, the Doctor is desperate to find a cure. But the City Administrator is still determined to rid his world of aliens.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 35: Kidnap

35. Kidnap

5.8

The City Administrator is determined to destroy the Doctor and his friends and his paranoia prevents the Doctor's cure from being distributed.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 36: A Desperate Venture

36. A Desperate Venture

6.4

While the City Administrator's schemes reach their climax, the Doctor and Ian venture into the tunnels under the city to discover the real cause of the Sensorite plague.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 37: A Land of Fear

37. A Land of Fear

6.5

The TARDIS lands during the French Revolution, where Ian, Barbara, and Susan become caught up in the politics of the day. When they are arrested and set to be executed, the Doctor must take on the disguise of a public official to try and save their lives.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 38: Guests of Madame Guillotine

38. Guests of Madame Guillotine

6.6

Susan, Ian and Barbara are sentenced to be guillotined but an encounter with a dying English prisoner may offer Ian a chance of survival.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 39: A Change of Identity

39. A Change of Identity

6.4

Susan and Barbara are rescued by Jules and Jean, two members of the escape chain, while the Doctor gains access to the prison by posing as a revolution official.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 40: The Tyrant of France

40. The Tyrant of France

6.4

The Doctor is forced into a meeting with Robespierre while Barbara's attempts to find a physician for Susan result in them being betrayed.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 41: A Bargain of Necessity

41. A Bargain of Necessity

6.4

Ian finds himself held prisoner by the treacherous Leon while the Doctor attempts to engineer Susan and Barbara's escape.

Still image for Doctor Who season 1 episode 42: Prisoners of Conciergerie

42. Prisoners of Conciergerie

6.6

Ian finally delivers his message to James Stirling but in order to secure Susan's release he and Barbara are forced into a dangerous spying mission.

Cast

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Reviews

C

cloister56

10/10

How do you review a show like Doctor Who that has been running for so long, enjoying dizzying highs and terrible lows (I'm looking at you The Twin Dilemma).

The concept is the most open there can be. With the TARDIS the show can go anywhere and any when. This lead to a huge range in the stories, from historical with no alien involvement like The Aztecs (1964), to full on sci-fi like The Daleks (1963) and that was just the first series.

The show created some of the most memorable monsters with the Daleks and Cybermen being the most famous. Even outside the recurring creatures there were fantastic adversaries like an Egyptian god bent on destruction to an alien splintered through time.

Doctor Who also embraced change in the form of the regeneration. The actor playing the Doctor could change and play the part differently but it still was the Doctor. This led to changes in approach to problems and in the attitude of the central character while keeping core values the same.
The Doctor is one of the few heroes who rarely resorts to violence to solve problems, usually relying on his intelligence and wits.

The show also truly innovated. Many special effects were tried out for the first time on screen. It didn't always work but working with what they had they created some truly memorable television like creating a convincing lunar surface 2 years before the moon landings (The Moonbase 1967).

This is my favourite of all television shows, it wasn't always perfect but I love it all the same.

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