HAPPY 49th BIRTHDAY, 'DOCTOR WHO'

The adventures begin. Ian Chesterton (William Russell), Susan (Carole Ann Ford), Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) and the mysterious Doctor (William Hartnell) only just escape 100, 000 BC in the very first DOCTOR WHO story. Image: BBC. 

49 years ago today, a mysterious old man named The Doctor and his power humming police box were discovered within an abandoned junk yard in the mist shrouded Totter's Lane of 1963 London, by two concerned young school teachers, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, whose curiosity would quickly get the better of them in their investigations into the Unearthly Child that was their unique and adult beyond her years pupil, Susan Foreman. Kidnapped, unwillingly whisked off into the fourth dimension of Time and Space by Susan's at-first hostile and seemingly alien "Grandfather", Chesterton and Wright were soon part of the time-travelling duo's new family and thrust into a series of exciting, dangerous adventures: their first back in Earth's past, forced to create fire for warring tribesman, then a trip into the far future, on a long dead world-the planet Skaro-as the fearsome metal encased monstrosities of hate and prejudice- the Daleks-made their ground-breaking premiere appearance, soon terrorising and fascinating audiences, especially inquisitive children, with their xenophobic plans for destruction.

Doctor Who Every Title Sequence (1963-2011) - YouTube

It was thought that this new show from in-house drama genius Sydney Newman and relatively inexperienced producer Verity Lambert: DOCTOR WHO, ridiculed and often looked down on over the years by the BBC drama department, would only last thirteen episodes in that monochrome first season. But now, after all these years, look what it has become, with eleven actors having portrayed the title role, multitudes of companions accompanying him in the Time Lord's travels in the TARDIS, legions of terrifying monsters, aliens fought and beaten, and umpteen trips into the time and space vortex visiting Earth, the universe and beyond. DOCTOR WHO the TV series has endured and defied the odds, the critics and changing audience fads, remaining as popular today with worldwide family audiences as it was in those early potential packed days of its launch.

It's a true British institution-a show that's as indomitable as the dedicated casts, writers and behind the scenes crews over the years that have joined forces so imaginatively to make it the special and enduring curiosity it is. And with a spectacular 50th Anniversary year of celebrations ahead, including two ambitious specials (one of which will chart the shows genesis), the second half of Matt Smith's third starring year on the show, the return of old enemies and a plethora of celebratory memorabilia (including the BBC's re-release of eleven specially chosen classic books from their original stories range, plus the final wave of classic DVD releases), the party's only just begun...

Check out today's official BBC page: BBC - Blogs - Doctor Who - Happy Anniversary, Doctor!