The Genesis of Doctor Who

After reading Brian J Robb's Timeless

 Adventures: How Doctor Who Conquered

TV, I've concluded just how fortunate

Whovians are that our beloved show was produced at all.

In March 1962, Eric Maschwitz, assistant to Controller of Programmes, Stuart Hood,

assigned Alice Frick and Donald Bull of

the BBC Survey Group to prepare a

feasibility study into the creation of a new

science fiction series. A second report by

Frick and John Braybon recommended a time travel format.

Sci-fi buff Sydney Newman began work

as new Head of Drama for BBC TV that

December, and was soon expanding

Frick's work with Donald Wilson and

C E Webber.
But the old guard at Television Centre

were determined for 'Dr. Who' to fail -

only for it's defenders - key personnel

Verity Lambert, David Whitaker, Anthony Coburn, and Waris 

Hussein - the embryonic show would have fallen at the first hurdle.

Fast forward to the transmission of the first Dalek adventure in

December 1963 - the Corporation's powers-that-be thankfully

reacted by abandoning the show's intended thirten-week lifespan.

Only after reading the production notes on The Rescue DVD did I

learn that by August 1964, Donald Baverstock again wanted to

 revert the Doctor Who contract to just 13 weeks, and cancel the

show when all remaining stories finished in January 1965.

Only when Lambert and William Hartnell's agent dug in their

heels did Baverstock finally agree to another, twenty-six-week run,

by which time the programme's long term future was secured.

The threat of cancellation would however revisit the show in times

of crisis. As The War Games concluded the black and white era in

1969, the BBC considered a six year run to have been a good

innings and there was some internal debate about whether to axe

Doctor Who. 

The lowest point in the show's history was the 'hiatus' of 1985

when Michael Grade 'rested' the Doctor's adventures for eighteen

months, then the end finally arrived in 1989 with outright can-

cellation.

It's hard to believe that the programme could have ended after

The Dalek Invasion of Earth (just fifty-one episodes), and was

so close to becoming a footnote in TV history.

Doctor Who On This Day #343

1938 - Director Waris Hussein born

in Lucknow, India

1944 - Writer/Script Editor Eric

Saward born in Britain

1967 - The Ice Warriors, Episode 5

first screened on BBC1

1969 - The Evil of the Daleks, Episode

2 repeated on ABC

1974 - The Time Monster, Episode 3, The

Three Doctors, Episode 3 and Carnival of

Monsters, Episode 1 all repeated on ABC

1975 - The Time Warrior, Part 3 first

creened on TV2

1978 - The Androids of Tara, Part

3 first screened on BBC1

1981 - The Ark in Space, Part 1

repeated on KQED Plus

1982 - Image of the Fendahl, Part

2 repeated on KQED Plus

1983 - The Face of Evil, Part 4 repeated

on ABC; and Logopolis, Part 3 repeated

on KQED Plus

1984 - Enlightenment Omnibus

 repeated on KQED Plus

1985 - Attack of the Cybermen, Part

1 (of 4) first screened on KQED Plus

1986 - The Keys of Marinus, Episode 4: The

Snows of Terror repeated on KQED Plus; and

Planet of the Spiders, Part 2 repeated on TV1

1987 - The Seeds of Doom, Part 6 repeated

on KQED Plus; and The Ribos Operation,

Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on TV2

1988 - Arc of Infinity, Part 4 repeated

on TV2; and Delta and the Bannermen,

Part 1 repeated on KQED Plus

1989 - The Leisure Hive, Part 2

repeated on KQED Plus

1992 - The Space Museum, Episode

 3: The Search repeated on UK Gold

1993 - Genesis of the Daleks, Part 2

repeated on UK Gold; and Time Flight,

Part 1 repeated on ABC

1994 - Delta and the Bannermen, Part 1 repeated on UK Gold

1995 - The Talons of Weng-Chiang, Part 5 repeated on UK Gold
1996 - The Silurians, Episode 3 repeated on UKTV (Aus); and

The Ambassadors of Death Omnibus repeated on KQED Plus

1997 - The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Episode

5: The Waking Ally first screened on Space;

and The Creature from the Pit, Part 4

repeated on UKTV (Aus)

1998 - The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Episode

 6: Flashpoint repeated on Space; and

Resurrection of the Daleks, Part 1 repeated

on UKTV (Aus)

1999 - The Dalek Invasion of Earth,

Episode 6: Flashpoint repeated on

Space

2000 - Planet of the Spiders Omnibus

repeated on UKTV (Aus); and Kinda,

Part 4 repeated on BBC Prime

2001 - Day of the Daleks Omnibus repeated on MPT; The Deadly 
Assassin, Part 2 repeated on WILL; The Keeper of Traken, Parts

1 and 2 both repeated on KBTC; Logopolis, Parts 1 and 2 both

repeated on NHPTV; Enlightenment, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated

 on Iowa PTV; Revelation of the Daleks Omnibus repeated on UK 

Gold; and Survival, Parts 2 and 3 both repeated on MiND

2002 - The Talons of Weng-Chiang

Omnibus repeated on BBC Kids (Can)

2003 - The Web Planet, Episode 6: The Centre repeated on ABC;

 and The Horns of Nimon, Parts 1 and 2 both repeated on BBC 

Kids (Can)
2004 - The Android Invasion, Part

2 repeated on ABC

2005 - Vengeance on Varos, Parts 3 and 4 (of 4) both repeated

 on ABC; Aliens of London first screened on Jimmy; and The 

Long Game repeated on UK Gold

2006 - The Green Death Omnibus, The Girl in the Fireplace and

Rise of the Cybermen all repeated on UK Gold; Dalek and The

Long Game both repeated on France 4; Boom Town repeated on

 UKTV (Aus) and Jimmy; The Age of Steel first screened on KBS2;

and Love & Monsters first screened on Syfy (US)
2007 - The Empty Child repeated on DR1; The Doctor Dances

and Doctor Who Confidential: Weird Science both repeated on

WGVU; The Parting of the Ways repeated on Idaho PTV; and

The Shakespeare Code and Doctor Who Confidential: Stage

Fright both repeated on BBC3

2008 - Kinda, Parts 2 and 3 both first screened on MTV3 SciFi 

and TV4; The Age of Steel and The Idiot's Lantern both repeated

 on France 4; and Last of the Time Lords first screened on Syfy 

(Ben)

2009 - Dalek repeated on Syfy (Spa); The Girl in the Fireplace 
repeated on Syfy (FRG); and The Unicorn and the Wasp repeated
on BBC3

2010 - Aliens of London repeated on Space; School Reunion

 repeated on UKTV (Aus); and The Fires of Pompeii repeated

on AXN SciFi

2011 - Doomsday repeated on BBC America;

Smith and Jones and Doctor Who Confidential

Cutdown: Meet Martha Jones both repeated

on UKTV (Aus); The Stolen Earth repeated on

Space; The Curse of the Black Spot first

screened on Canal 3XL; and Doctor Who

Confidential: When Time Froze repeated

on BBC HD

2012 - The Monster of Peladon, Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on
KBTC; Journey's End and The Next Doctor both repeated on Fox (FRG);
Vincent and the Doctor and The Lodger both repeated on Watch; The 
Impossible Astronaut, Day of the Moon and The Curse of the Black Spot
all repeated on BBC America; Asylum of the Daleks first screened on
KBS2; and The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Wedding of Sarah Jane 
Smith, Episode 1 repeated on CBBC

2013 - Warriors' Gate, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on Syfy (Aus);
Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways both repeated on France 4;
The Shakespeare Code repeated on Watch; Last of the Time Lords 
repeated on UKTV (Aus); Planet of the Ood repeated on BBC America;
The Beast Below repeated on BBC Nordic; The Vampires of Venice,
Amy's Choice and The Hungry Earth all repeated on Syfy (Port); and
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship repeated on BBC Entertainment LA
2014 - The Daleks, Episodes 5 and 6 both repeated on Horror; The 
Monster of Peladon, Parts 3 and 4 both first screened on Retro TV;
Resurrection of the Daleks, Part 2 repeated on Syfy (Aus); Journey's 

End and Dinosaurs on a Spaceship both repeated on Watch; The 
Beast Below repeated on UKTV (NZ); A Good Man Goes to War 
repeated on BBC America and Syfy (Ben); Let's Kill Hitler repeated 
on BBC America; and A Town Called Mercy repeated on Watch

2015 - Terror of the Zygons, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on Retro 

TV; The Android Invasion, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on Horror; 

The Robots of Death, Part 2, Earthshock, Part 3 and The Unicorn and

 the Wasp all repeated on Syfy (Aus); The Waters of Mars repeated

on TV Cultura; The Lodger repeated on BBC Entertainment AP;

Closing Time and The Wedding of River Song both repeated on BBC 

America; The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe repeated on BBC 

Nordic HD and BBC Polska HD; Nightmare in Silver repeated on Syfy 

(Port); Mummy on the Orient Express repeated on RAI4; Death in 

Heaven repeated on Karusel; and Face the Raven repeated on FX

India

2016 - The Talons of Weng-Chiang, Parts 2 and 3 both repeated on 

Retro TV; Father's Day, Turn Left, The Stolen Earth, Journey's End 

and The Next Doctor all repeated on Syfy (Aus); The Doctor's

Daughter repeated on BBC Polska HD; The Wedding of River Song 

and Death is the Only Answer both repeated on Syfy (LA); The 

Crimson Horror repeated on The Zone; and The Magician's

Apprentice, The Witch's Familiar and Under the Lake all

repeated on Syfy (Bra)

2017 - The Android Invasion, Part 4, The Masque of Mandragora, Part 

1 and Nightmare of Eden, Parts 3 and 4 all repeated on Retro TV; The 

Sontaran Stratagem, The Poison Sky, The Doctor's Daughter and The 

Unicorn and the Wasp all repeated on BBC Polska HD; The Curse of 

the Black Spot, The Doctor's Wife and The Rebel Flesh all repeated on 

Syfy (Aus); Into the Dalek repeated on W; Listen and Time Heist both 

repeated on Space; Death in Heaven repeated on BBC Entertainment 

EU; and The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived both 

repeated on BBC First (RSA)

2018 - The Chase Omnibus repeated on Idaho PTV; The Ark

in Space, Parts 3 and 4 both repeated on KBTC; The Awakening

Omnibus repeated on Iowa PTV; The Girl in the Fireplace, Rise

of the Cybermen, The Age of Steel, The Idiot's Lantern, The

 Impossible Planet, The Satan Pit and Love & Monsters all 

repeated on W; The Big Bang and A Christmas Carol both

repeated on One ARD; The Almost People and Let's Kill Hitler

 both repeated on RAI4; The Zygon Invasion and The Zygon 

Inversion both repeated on Fox (FRG); The Witchfinders 

repeated on Sony SciFi; It Takes You Away repeated on

BBC America and Sony SciFi; and The Battle of Ranskoor

Av Kolos  first screened on BBC1, BBC HD and BBC First

 (ME)

2019 - Last of the Time Lords repeated on Syfy

(Fra); and Listen repeated on BBC Polska HD

2020 - The Web Planet, Episodes 3 and 4 both

repeated on Retro TV; The Sontaran Stratagem

repeated on ABC ME; and Spyfall, Part 1 repeated

on BBC Polska HD

2021 - Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Parts

1 and 2 both repeated on Retro TV; The

Girl Who Waited repeated on BBC Polska

HD; The Name of the Doctor and Survivors

of the Flux both repeated on BBC First

Turkey; Listen repeated on ABC2; The

Pilot repeated on BBC Entertainment EU;

Spyfall, Part 1 repeated on TV2; and The

Vanquishers repeated on ABC

2022 - The Shakespeare Code repeated

on Fox SciFi; and Flesh and Stone

repeated on ABC Family

2023 - The Poison Sky, The Doctor's

 Daughter, The Unicorn and the Wasp

and Silence in the Library all repeated

on Fox SciFi; The Giggle first screened

on BBC1, BBC iPlayer and Disney+; and

Doctor Who: Unleashed, Episode 3 first

screened on BBC3 and repeated on BBC1

2024 - Oxygen repeated on ABC Family

and ABC Entertains

2025 - The War Between the Land and

the Sea, Episode 1: Homo Aqua and

Episode 2: Plastic Apocalypse both

repeated on BBC3