An Unearthly Child ( TV story ) The first ever televised " Doctor Who " serial was produced under the title 100 , 000 BC , but later marketed under the name of its first episode , An Unearthly Child . It marked the official television debut appearance of the Doctor and the beginning of the " Doctor Who " franchise in general . The story starred the character ' s original incarnation , the First Doctor , as well as his granddaughter Susan Foreman . It also introduced Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton , who became the Doctor ' s first companion s , though unwillingly whisked away on the Doctor ' s TARDIS . At the end of the fourth episode , " The Firemaker " , the jungles of the recurring alien world of Skaro ( not named in this story ) were briefly seen before its first full appearance in the following serial . This adventure also introduced the Doctor ' s TARDIS , which , in spite of it usually possessing the ability to change its outward appearance ( having already previously disguised as an Ionic column and as a sedan chair ) , was stuck in its most recognisable form of a police box after leaving London in 1963 . Synopsis . Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton , two humble teacher s during 1963 , are surprised by a bright student named Susan Foreman . Confused by the contradictions in Susan ' s knowledge , Barbara had decided to visit her home , only to learn that the address on record is a junkyard . She and Ian decide to wait at the location until Susan or her grandfather show up . There , they discover a junkyard inhabited by her grandfather , simply known as " the Doctor " , and he doesn ' t want them lurking about . When the teachers refuse to leave , they discover that an ordinary police box is actually bigger on the inside . The Doctor decides they know too much about his and Susan ' s otherworldly origins and takes them on a journey across space and time in his TARDIS , the place he and Susan now call home . Plot . An Unearthly Child ( 1 ) . On a foggy London night , a policeman makes his rounds , passing I . M . Foreman ' s junkyard at 76 Totter ' s Lane . In the junkyard stands an incongruous - looking police box emitting an eerie hum . Another day of classes ends at the Coal Hill School . History teacher Barbara Wright and science teacher Ian Chesterton compare notes on an enigmatic student , Susan Foreman . Her knowledge of history and science surpasses the rest of the class and possibly the teachers . However , she has very curious gaps about present - day culture — for example , she forgets that England has yet to adopt a decimal currency . Barbara has encouraged her to specialise in history , but Susan is resistant to her suggestion about in - home tutoring , saying her grandfather , with whom she lives , doesn ' t like strangers . Barbara tells Ian she got Susan ' s address , 76 Totter ' s Lane , from the school secretary . She went there and found , not a house , but a junkyard . They find Susan so Barbara can lend her a book on the French Revolution . Ian offers Susan a ride , but she declines . Ian and Barbara resolve to follow her home . After they leave the room , Susan reads the history book and remarks , " That ' s not right ! " Arriving by car at 76 Totter ' s Lane , Ian and Barbara see Susan enter the junkyard alone . Following from a distance , they search the junkyard for her in vain . Ian is transfixed by a police box there which hums . Touching it , he exclaims that it ' s alive . They hear someone coming and hide . An old man approaches the police box and unlocks it . The teachers seem to hear Susan ' s voice from inside , greeting him . They confront the old man , who brusquely shuts the door and refuses to acknowledge that anyone is inside . When they threaten to go to the police , the old man calmly dismisses their claims . The door opens from the inside . Hearing Susan ' s voice again , the teachers push past the man . They are astounded to find themselves in a much larger space , with futuristic electronic panels and a central hexagonal control console . Susan is shocked to find her teachers there . The old man , her grandfather , is furious at their untimely intrusion . Susan and her grandfather , who calls himself simply the Doctor , say the police box is actually a disguise for their space - time ship , the TARDIS . They are alien refugees from another planet and time . Despite Susan ' s protests , the Doctor prepares the TARDIS for takeoff , saying he must kidnap Ian and Barbara to protect Susan and himself . The sudden takeoff renders the two schoolteachers unconscious . The TARDIS arrives on a Palaeolithic landscape , over which falls the shadow of a man . The Cave of Skulls ( 2 ) . The shadow is of a man dressed in animal skins . He watches the TARDIS ominously . A tribe of cavemen are gathered around one of their members , Za . Za is the son of the tribe ' s previous leader , who never taught his son the secret of making fire . As Za futilely tries to make fire , a female tribe elder throws scorn on Za ' s abilities and states that Kal , a stranger from another tribe , would be a far better leader . This frustrates Za . Hur , a young cavewoman , tries to pacify him but also warns him that if he loses his position as the leader of the tribe he will lose her ; her father is intent on her bearing children for the leader . Back at the TARDIS , Ian and Barbara regain consciousness to find the Doctor and Susan puzzling over readings displayed on the TARDIS ' main console . The Doctor tells them they have gone back in time . This annoys Ian , who demands concrete proof . The Doctor opens the door , revealing the barren desert . All four go outside . The Doctor professes confusion as to why the TARDIS has retained the shape of a police box . Ian apologises to Susan and Barbara for stubbornly disbelieving the Doctor ' s story . Susan is also surprised that the TARDIS is still in the shape of a police box . The Doctor is elsewhere , looking for samples of rocks and plants to estimate the current date , when the caveman who was watching the TARDIS sneaks up on him and attacks him . His three companions hear him shout and run to his rescue . When they get there , all they find is the Doctor ' s bag , hat and Geiger counter smashed . Susan hysterically runs off to look for him . Ian and Barbara soon follow but not before Ian finds the sand is freezing cold . Horg , Hur ' s father , tells Za that Kal claims he knew how to make fire in his old tribe . Za angrily responds that Kal ' s tribe all died out . Kal would have died too if this tribe had not saved him . Hur again warns him : Kal is bringing in meat and winning favour amongst the tribe . Za says if he has to kill a few people to exert his authority , he will . At this point , Kal , who attacked the Doctor , comes in with the old man ' s unconscious body . Kal tells the tribe that he saw the Doctor make fire and he should be leader of the tribe now , that the Doctor had immense strength and fighting prowess . Za scorns and mocks Kal , but Horg states that Kal is doing far more for the tribe than Za and if his captive can create fire , Kal should be made leader . Za says the Doctor should be taken to the Cave of Skulls and sacrificed so Orb will return . At this point the Doctor wakes up . He says he can create fire for the whole tribe without any need for killing , but he soon realises he has lost his match es . When he tells the tribe he will need to go back to the TARDIS before they get fire , Za mocks Kal , saying his promise of " an old man who can make fire " was lies . The tribe turns against Kal . In his frustration , he pulls his knife on the Doctor . Kal is on the verge of killing him when Susan , Barbara and Ian attack the tribe , knocking Kal off the Doctor . The companions are soon overpowered . Kal approaches Barbara . Before he can kill her , Za gets in the way and says the four must be taken to the Cave of Skulls and sacrificed as a gift to Orb . The Doctor and his companions are led away . Horg tries to take Hur from Za , but Za insists that with the Doctor ' s sacrifice , Orb will return and fire will return also . The tribe will retain Za as leader . Horg seems to accept this . The four travellers are sealed in the tribe ' s Cave of Skulls with the bones of many prisoners . The Doctor notices that the skulls have all been split open . The Forest of Fear ( 3 ) . Still in the Cave of Skulls , Ian , Barbara , and Susan try to escape ; however , the Doctor seems disconsolate and unhelpful . Ian shouts at him , prompting the Doctor to suggest that they use the bones of the dead to cut the ropes that bind their hands and legs . The group begins to unify . Back at the main cave , the tribe is asleep . The female elder wakes up . She steals Za ' s knife and heads towards the Cave of Skulls . Unbeknownst to the old woman , Hur has seen her . When she arrives at the Cave of Skulls , she is met by a large stone that blocks the door . However , she seems to know an alternate route . Inside the Cave of Skulls , the Doctor and the others are trying to free Ian so he can defend them if needed . Susan screams as the elder bursts though a gap in the undergrowth that blocks the cave . Hur wakes Za and calls him out of the cave to inform him that the elder took his knife and headed out of the cave . They decide she went to the Cave of Skulls . Hur believes the elder is afraid of fire , so she will kill the four to prevent the tribe from learning the secret . However , the elder is using the knife to free the four , whilst outside Za and Hur try to move the stone . Just as the stone budges , the four escape out the back of the cave . Za , frustrated , throws the elder to the floor . Hur convinces Za that the only way he will retain the tribe ' s leadership is by capturing the Doctor and harnessing the fire . Za and Hur plunge into the forest in pursuit of the Doctor . The foursome are lost in the forest , trying to find their way back to the TARDIS . Yet again , Ian and the Doctor fall out as Ian takes the lead . Whilst they argue , Barbara trips and falls . She lands on a dead boar and screams . This alerts Za and Hur . The movement of the undergrowth impels the Doctor and his companions to hide . When Za and Hur catch up with them , Za is attacked by a wild beast and injured badly . Against the Doctor ' s wishes , Barbara and Ian try to help Za . The Doctor tries to stop Susan from going , insinuating that he would leave Ian and Barbara behind . Ian and Barbara help Za , to Hur ' s bemusement . She does not understand the idea of friendship . Hur is openly hostile to Susan , thinking she is trying to steal Za from her . The Doctor picks up a stone and makes for Za but Ian stops him . The Doctor claims that he was going to get Za to draw a map with the stone showing the way to the TARDIS . The Doctor reminds his companions that the tribe elder is still with the cavemen . He worries she may wake them and set off in pursuit of the travellers . Ian builds a makeshift stretcher to carry Za back to the TARDIS to heal him there . Back at the settlement , Kal has returned to the cave to find it empty . He questions the prostrate elder , who says she set the Doctor and his companions free . Kal kills her . He returns to the tribe to inform them that it was Za who let the Doctor free so he could keep fire to himself . The tribe are sceptical and Kal says the elder will back him up . When Kal returns to the cave to " discover " the dead elder , he says it must have been Za who killed her . Kal declares himself leader and takes his new tribe off to find Za . The Doctor and his companions happily find the TARDIS . However , their escape attempt is foiled when they see the tribesmen appear . They turn to flee but they find the way blocked by Kal and the other tribesmen . The Firemaker ( 4 ) . The four travellers are returned to the encampment . At first , the tribe is hostile to Za and his friends , especially when they accuse him of killing the tribal elder , but the Doctor convinces the tribe that Kal killed Old Mother by tricking Kal into showing the tribe his bloody knife . The Doctor and Ian lead the tribe in an attack which drives Kal into the forest . The recovered Za is again declared leader , but instead of expressing his gratitude by freeing the travellers as the Doctor expected , he orders them returned to the Cave of Skulls where he will either learn the secret of fire from them or sacrifice them to Orb . In the Cave of Skulls , Ian makes fire for Za , using friction for a spark , hoping this gift will convince the tribe to set them free . Za comes to speak with them and is entranced by the fire . Ian says that in his " tribe " all members know how to make fire . Za asks Ian if he is the leader of his tribe . He responds ( with a nod to Susan ) that the Doctor is the leader . Meanwhile , Kal sneaks back into the camp . He kills the guard outside the cave and attacks Za . Kal sees the fire and immediately slashes at Za with his axe . Za grabs a thick branch to defend himself and breaks Kal ' s axe with it . Finally , Za gains the upper hand , chokes Kal in a headlock , and knocks him to the cave floor . Za picks up a big stone , while Barbara turns her head away , knowing what Za intends to do will be too gruesome to watch . Za smashes the stone on Kal ' s head with a skull - crushing blow , killing Kal and confirming his leadership ; the Doctor is visibly disturbed by this barbaric action . With fire at his disposal , Za is now undisputed . However , he still leaves the Doctor and his companions to languish in the cave . After going out hunting , Za decrees that the travellers will merge with his tribe rather than leave and orders them confined to the cave indefinitely . The four try to think of a means of escape ; absentmindedly , Susan places a skull in a flame . This leads Ian to devise a plan to scare and distract the tribe enough to let them flee . Four skulls are placed on top of burning torches . This ghoulish vision distracts the cave dwellers , allowing the travellers to escape into the forest . This time , the four travellers make it back inside the TARDIS ; the Doctor only just makes it in before the tribesmen catch up with them . The TARDIS dematerialises as the tribesmen throw spears at the craft , leaving them staring in amazement . Za , however , looks on in defeat . The Doctor explains that he has no idea where or when they will end up next because the TARDIS is not displaying any data to help him direct the ship . In time , the scanner shows their new destination , a mysterious jungle with strange - looking trees . Before they go out to explore the planet , the Doctor asks Susan to check the radiation levels . They are at the normal level . As the four leave the console room to clean themselves , the radiation detector ' s needle passes into the " Danger " zone . Home video and audio releases . DVD releases . This story was released as " Doctor Who : An Unearthly Child " as part of the DVD box set " The Beginning " , together with " The Daleks " and " The Edge of Destruction " . This release was also included with the 2014 US Bluray release of the 2013 docudrama " An Adventure in Space and Time " , and includes all of the bonus features noted below . Released : Special features : Box sets . This story was released along with " The Daleks " and " The Edge of Destruction " in a box set called " The Beginning " . Digital releases . This story is available : Video releases . Original release . This story was released on video as " Doctor Who : An Unearthly Child . " The " Next Episode " caption has been removed from Episode 4 . Released : Second release . This was an unedited , remastered edition that the BBC originally intended to release in a box set with " The Daleks " and " The Edge of Destruction " . They changed their plans and decided to release each story individually . A version of the Pilot was released on " The Hartnell Years " video with a complete take being released on " The Edge of Destruction " video . Released :