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November 23rd, 2012 52 comments

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Doctor Who – 49 Years – The Countdown Begins

Doctor Who – 49 Years – The Countdown Begins

From The BBC Archives

23rd November 1963
5.15
DR. WHO
An adventure In space and time.
with
WILLIAM HARTNELL as Dr. Who
WILLIAM RUSSELL as Ian Chesterton
JAQUELINE HILL as Rarhara Wright and
CAROLE ANN FORD as Susan Foreman

An Unearthly Child
by Anthony Coburn
Title music by Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Incidental music by NORMAN KAY
Story editor. David Whitaker
Designer, Peter Brachacki
Associate producer, Mervyn Pinfleld
Producer, Verity Lambert
Directed by Waris Hussein

DR. WHO? That is just the point. Nobody knows precisely who he is, this mysterious exile from another world and a distant future whose adventures begin today. But this much is known: he has a ship in which he can travel through space and time – although, owing to a defect in its instruments he can never be sure where and when his ‘landings’ may take place. And he has a grand-daughter Susan, a strange amalgam of teenage normality and uncanny intelligence.

Click the image to find out more…


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52 comments

  • Whovian

    November 25th, 2012 - 5:17pm

    BRING ON THE BIG 5 0!!!!!!!!!! I’ve been a fan ever since the first reboot episode. I can’t wait for the anniversary!

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    November 25th, 2012 - 8:47am

    Happy Birthday Doctor Who! I can’t believe its nearly 50 years, I’m Excited for Next Year! In 2005 when I was about 4 or 5 my first Episode was World War 3, I know I missed 4 Episodes of the First New Series but then I got addicted to it. So now I’m an official Doctor Who Fan! COME ON 50TH WE ARE WAITING!!!

    Reply
  • The Supreme Dalek

    November 25th, 2012 - 8:39am

    Happy Birthday Doctor Who! Next year is going to be great! From the start of 2013, I shall be watching episodes every day for the celebration! πŸ˜€

    I’m 12 and I remembered watching it for the first time. ‘Rose’ was actually my first one when I was 5 or 6. My parents had watched the classics so they let me watch it. I enjoyed it so much, then I watched the next episode, and the next, and that was me! Come on 50th!! πŸ˜€

    Reply
    • I-Luvv-Matt-Smith.xxx

      November 25th, 2012 - 5:28pm

      Same, Rose was the first episode I ever watched πŸ™‚ I loved Rose, think she is one of my fav companions

    • georgia-doctor

      November 26th, 2012 - 7:17pm

      same! The first thing i saw was the doctor’s hand around rose’s in the shop where she worked and he said “run”. best moment in my life. CAN’T WAIT FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY!!!!

  • John Smith

    November 25th, 2012 - 2:11am

    Been a fan since I was about 4 years old when they were doing classic series re-runs on the ABC. Genesis of the Daleks was my first ever episode and the Daleks terrified me while the 4th Doctor made me laugh. What better way to enter the world of Doctor Who? Since then I’ve watched every episode to be brought out on DVD from the classic series and even some on old video tapes. Not to forget the series’ return to our screens in 2005 which left me breathless.

    Here’s to another 50 years! GERONIMO!

    Reply
  • Fish Fingers ‘n Custard

    November 24th, 2012 - 10:47pm

    I’m only 12 but I started watching Doctor Who from a young age, and I was hooked. My parents watched Doctor Who when they were younger so I was able to watch the older episodes. I got the magazines and I basically loved it. I still do obviously and I’ll definitely be celebrating this! Happy Birthday Who!

    Reply
  • I-Luvv-Matt-Smith.xxx

    November 24th, 2012 - 7:49pm

    I have not been a fan for long because I am 12 but since Cristopher Eccleston’s first appearance I have loved Doctor Who since, and I have loved the Daleks, so I will be celebrating 50th Anniversary! I wish I had seen the original Doctor Who episodes, were they as good as Angles take Manhattan?

    Reply
    • doctorwhoone

      November 25th, 2012 - 8:31am

      It’s ‘Angels’ not ‘Angles’, and yes, the original series of Doctor Who has stories that are just as good as ‘The Angels take Manhatten’.

      If you’ve not yet seen any classic Doctor Who, I’d recommend the following –

      An Unearthly Child [but ignore the Caveman stuff]
      The Invasion [1968 Cyberman story]
      The Green Death
      Genesis of the Daleks
      The Five Doctors
      Revelation of the Daleks
      Attack of the Cybermen
      Doctor Who – The Movie

    • John Smith

      November 25th, 2012 - 8:45am

      No Sylvester McCoy episodes?

    • Those Snowmen over there

      November 25th, 2012 - 8:56am

      Remembrance of the Daleks! πŸ˜€ You can’t forget Remembrance! πŸ˜‰

    • doctorwhoone

      November 25th, 2012 - 10:19am

      Oops, sorry, I thought ‘Attack of the Cybermen’ was a McCoy story, I ment ‘Silver Nemesis’ when it comes to his Doctor.

      ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’ thou, yes I agree that is recommended too πŸ™‚

    • I-Luvv-Matt-Smith.xxx

      November 25th, 2012 - 5:26pm

      Ok sos i meant angels πŸ™‚ Okay thanks for the help x

  • McGann is the Doctor.

    November 24th, 2012 - 3:32pm

    I first became a fan shortly before Planet of the Dead aired.

    I bought my dad the Genesis of the Daleks DVD for his birthday, and got into it since then.

    Remember the main thing I was interested in was getting loads of Daleks and Cybermen.

    Now, I’ve become such a better fan, on so many levels, and I have learned alot from the show, it’s making, and it’s hero.

    My favourite Doctor is Colin Baker, when I saw his performance I liked him instantly.

    Here’s to many more years of Big Finish stories, novelisations with great covers, 5″ action figures, high quality DVDs with educational features, great Doctors with fantasticly strange outfits and overall, may we be better for having watched the show ❗

    Reply
  • Hector Sandler

    November 24th, 2012 - 7:44am

    Well it great . My comment to say I always will love Dr.Who. Now & Forever. I grew up with Jon Pertwee & Tom Baker. But William Hartnell & Patrick Troughton were great. I do like the current Doctors & his predecessors who portrayed the role since 2005.

    Reply
  • Dalek Strategist

    November 24th, 2012 - 3:34am

    Happy 49th! From William’s grandfatherly wisdom, to Smith’s alien quirkiness, to Sylvester’s mysterious aura, even to David’s angst, the Doctor is the greatest fictional character of all time, and the Daleks are the greatest antagonists ever created!

    Reply
  • Those Snowmen over there

    November 23rd, 2012 - 9:09pm

    Happy birthday Doctor Who! Looking forward to the 50th next year! GERONIMO! πŸ˜€

    Reply
  • BOOBOO JR

    November 23rd, 2012 - 8:52pm

    Happy Birthday Doctor Who! Only one year and we’ll be celebrating the 50th; I cannot wait!!!

    Reply
  • Zak

    November 23rd, 2012 - 8:34pm

    Happy Birthday Doctor Who!
    49 years of travelling through time and space in a police box! Undoubtedly one of the most successful shows of all time.

    Reply
  • Dalek Jake

    November 23rd, 2012 - 7:31pm

    Happy 49th Doctor Who!

    Reply
  • RORY DOCTOR RIVER POND

    November 23rd, 2012 - 6:14pm

    Happy 49th Birthday Doctor Who!

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    November 23rd, 2012 - 5:03pm

    Why does the countdown say it’s 6 years untill the 50th anniversary??? It’s next year!

    Reply
    • Some bloke

      November 23rd, 2012 - 5:11pm

      It doesnt, it says its 365 days, 23 hours, 55 mins and counting

    • booboo

      November 23rd, 2012 - 5:31pm

      its whatever your computer in set to

    • Anonymous

      November 23rd, 2012 - 5:38pm

      OH JUST REALISED MY IPOD THINKS ITS 2006! WHICH ISNT THAT BAD AS IT USED TO THINK IT WAS 1970

    • Dalek Strategist

      November 24th, 2012 - 3:36am

      If it was 1970, the Doctor would be exiled to Earth, in his 3rd incarnation, and working for UNIT

  • charliec3po

    November 23rd, 2012 - 4:04pm

    happy birthday doctor who !!!!!!!

    Reply
  • Mr Zarbi

    November 23rd, 2012 - 3:49pm

    Happy Birthday Who! Watching An Unearthly Child at 5:15 like the original

    Reply
    • Mr Evil Fez

      November 23rd, 2012 - 3:57pm

      5:16

    • doctorwhoone

      November 23rd, 2012 - 3:59pm

      Mr Evil Fez – No, it was 5:15pm.

    • booboo

      November 23rd, 2012 - 5:00pm

      5.16.20 to be precise

  • Tardis’nt

    November 23rd, 2012 - 3:42pm

    Happy birthday to who, happy birthday to who…

    Reply
    • Twelth Cyber Legion

      November 23rd, 2012 - 4:44pm

      I know i,ve been saying that all day.

  • crazy guy

    November 23rd, 2012 - 3:41pm

    happy birhtday doctor who. today as it is friday i am gonna watch a few of my favrioute episodes.
    also can someone awnser my question as if susan is
    the doctors granddaughter who would be the doctors son or daughter and also is susan a timelord too.

    Reply
    • doctorwhoone

      November 23rd, 2012 - 3:55pm

      Susan is the Doctors granddaughter, and she is a Time Lord, or Time Lady as female Gallifrayans where normally called.

      She has a son called Alex who was born after the original Dalek Invasion of Earth in an 8th Doctor audio called ‘An Earthly Child’ who is part Time Lord, Part human, and voiced by 8th Doctor Paul McGann’s real life son.

      The only member of the Doctor’s family seen on screen since Susan is Jenny from the series 4 episode ‘The Doctors Daughter’, and is it believed his own mother is featured in ‘The End of Time’, normally seen with Wilfred Mott.

    • crazy guy

      November 23rd, 2012 - 4:38pm

      oh thanks for clearing that up i was quite confused as she is a timelord i guess she can also regenerate

    • doctorwhoone

      November 23rd, 2012 - 6:19pm

      Your welcome πŸ™‚

      Susan left a year later in 1964’s ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’, 2 years before regeneration was first introduced in 1966’s ‘The Tenth Planet’, but she clearly did have the power to regenerate, just never shown, and since we don’t know of her exact fate wither she was with her grandfather during the Time War in his 8th incarnation, it’s unknown if she died or maybe still on earth in the 22nd Century, and the Doctor just claims to be the last Time Lord just to keep his granddaughter safe, but no one knows for sure.

    • crazy guy

      November 24th, 2012 - 3:49pm

      oh thanks for clearing everything up now it all makes sense. thank you

  • CG

    November 23rd, 2012 - 1:22pm

    Happy Birthday Doctor Who????

    Reply
  • daleksean

    November 23rd, 2012 - 11:19am

    happy 49 years doctor who

    Reply
  • McGann is the Doctor

    November 23rd, 2012 - 10:06am

    The anniversary always creeps up unnoticed till the night before, but next year, make no mistake about it, we will see it coming.

    Next year is the GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY people ! πŸ˜€

    Reply
  • matt smithy

    November 23rd, 2012 - 7:52am

    happy 49th doctor who! Can’t wait till next year!

    Reply
  • Ryan

    November 23rd, 2012 - 7:51am

    Happy 49th Doctor! I’m celebrating, at 5:15 today, I’ll be happily watching An Unearthly Child, and I am doing a marathon, of watching an episode/part a day, which reconstructions of the missing eps until the 50th! Happy birthday to Who!

    Reply
  • doctorwhoone

    November 23rd, 2012 - 7:21am

    HALF A CENTURY OF DOCTOR WHO NEXT YEAR IN 2013 – BRING ON THE GOLDEN JUBILEE !!!!.

    For today thou, I’m just going to watch ‘An Unearthly Child’ and the most recent episode, ‘The Angels take Manhatten’.

    HAPPY 49TH BIRTHDAY DOCTOR WHOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!! πŸ˜€

    Reply
  • Adam

    November 23rd, 2012 - 7:11am

    Happy 49th Birthday Doctor Who

    Im Celebrating

    Reply
  • The TARDIS

    November 23rd, 2012 - 7:10am

    Happy 49th Doctor Who! One year ’till the big one… And a great count-down booboo!

    Reply
  • Mr Evil Fez

    November 23rd, 2012 - 7:08am

    Happy Birthday Doctor Who!

    Reply
  • Doctor Who?

    November 23rd, 2012 - 6:49am

    Happy 49th Anniversary Doctor WHO! 1 more year to go until Doctor Who goes 50!

    Reply
  • Harold Saxon

    November 23rd, 2012 - 12:06am

    Happy 49th Anniversary Doctor!

    Reply

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