Professor X Professor X was a BBC science fiction television series which ran from 1963 to 1989 . The show concerned a mysterious scientist who travelled through time and space inside a TASID , a ship which resembled a pillar box on the outside . ( PROSE : " No Future " ) Alice Lloyd told the Sixth Doctor that Professor X was always exploring dimensions similar to their own , including one where the Nazi s won the Second World War and one where Kennedy wasn ' t assassinated . ( AUDIO : " The End of the Line " ) One of its most popular stories , produced during the 1960s , was " Vault of the Cyborgs " . ( AUDIO : " Klein ' s Story " ) The twelfth story of Series Three was entitled " The Rage of the Weylanni " . Ellis Andrews did not consider it to be one of the series ' better stories . ( AUDIO : " The Crooked Man " ) The show had a " missing " Christmas episode . ( PROSE : " Conundrum " ) In 1976 , the character was being played by Frankie Howerd . During that same year , Bernice Summerfield , apparently unfamiliar with this aspect of 20th century popular culture , encountered the Professor in his own fictional world inside the Mediasphere . Using his TASID , the Professor dropped her off in the real universe . Benny noticed his resemblance to the Seventh Doctor and appreciated the character all the more because of it . ( PROSE : " No Future " ) Dave Young played a Cybertron in one of the final episodes of the series . ( PROSE : " Escape Velocity " ) In May 1996 , a " Professor X " movie premiered . A novel series called " " also existed , for which Joel Mintz had written a submission . ( PROSE : " The Room With No Doors " ) In the early 21st century , re - runs of " Professor X " were broadcast on UK Gold . ( PROSE : " The Deadstone Memorial " ) " Professor X " was among the 20th century Earth television shows broadcast by Reef Station One in the New Earth Republic during the 101st century . Fans argued whether the latest incarnation of Professor X was the ninth or tenth . Monsters battled by the Professor included the XTerminator s , Snow Viking s , whom debuted in " The Snow Vikings " , and Cyb s . ( PROSE : " Synthespians™ " ) References . The series had merchandise based on it , ( PROSE : " Conundrum " ) which included fanzines . The show had overseas fans in such places as the United States . ( PROSE : " Return of the Living Dad " ) Ace ' s younger brother Liam McShane was a fan of the series . ( AUDIO : " The Rapture " ) Polly Wright watched the show sat on her sofa at the age of twenty - four . ( PROSE : " The Murder Game " ) The Seventh Doctor and Bernice Summerfield once watched an episode of the series . ( PROSE : " Question Mark Pyjamas " ) American fans called themselves X - ian s , while the British ones preferred to be known as Professor X Appreciation Association , with Internet - based fan organisations . ( PROSE : " Escape Velocity " ) Mark Bradley said that the technology found in the Forge Alpha Facility was " like something out of Professor X " . ( PROSE : " Project : Valhalla " ) Behind the scenes . It has been suggested that the fictional series was designed as a tribute to the " Doctor Who " series itself , given the evidence listed above concerning similar running dates , characters and plotlines . It is possible that " Professor X " would in effect serve to replace " Doctor Who " in the " Doctor Who " universe . If that were the case , it ' s similar to the relationship between " Quatermass " and " Nightshade " .