Doctor Who Day

The first episode of the science fiction TV show ‘Doctor Who’ was aired on the BBC on 23rd November 1963. That this was the day after the assassination of President Kennedy and the show had a tiny budget for its strange, experimental concept did little to help viewing figures and the show was almost cancelled after four episodes.

Nevertheless, an alien Time Lord’s travels through time and space in a police phone box with a huge interior existing in a different dimension drew in more interest as the series progressed.

The show’s longevity was helped by the Doctor reincarnating/regenerating every few years, so that multiple actors have claimed the lead role and expanded the fanbase. Their personalities vary but they all seek to protect civilisations and correct injustices by their wits, assisted by one or two select humans.

Doctor Who Day is therefore on 23rd November each year. In milestone anniversary years, such as the 25th, special editions of the show have appeared in which all actors who have played the Doctor take part and the origin of the Doctor’s exploits is explained or referenced in some way. Fans also gather together for ‘Whovian’ conventions in which Doctor actors may participate.

(Top images LtoR: the Tardis – Steve Collis at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0, three Doctors – Gareth Milner at Flickr.com / CC BY 2.0)