BBC - Doctor Who - Classic Series - Episode Guide - First Doctor Index The First Doctor William Hartnell 1963-1966 Doddering. Hmmn. Hmmn. Hmmn. Yes. Go forward in all your beliefs. Enigmatic alien. Radioactive cinder. Grandfather. Irascible. Chesterton. Lapels. Ormulu clock. Querulous. Fast return switch. Doctor Who: 48 facts | Radio Times Doctor Who: 48 facts Here are 48 facts about the time-travelling show... Comments 3:26 PM, 23 November 2011 1. Doctor Who first hit TV screens at teatime on 23 November 1963 on BBC1 2. The opening episode was An Unearthly Child, a reference to the Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan, who attended school on Earth and astounded teachers with her alien intelligence 3.The original series ran from 1963 to 1989 4.

It returned on 26 March 2005 with the episode Rose, starring Billie Piper as the eponymous Ms Tyler and Christopher Eccleston as the ninth Doctor. RT celebrated with a special gatefold cover that opened to reveal the interior of the Tardis 5. The original theme tune was composed by Ron Grainer and given its innovative spine-tingling arrangement by Delia Derbyshire of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop 6. The original broadcast of the first episode of Dr Who was eclipsed by the assassination of JFK the previous day, so the BBC showed it again ahead of the second episode the following Saturday 7. Rated on the BBC’s scale of viewer satisfaction, the first episode of Doctor Who received an audience reaction index of 63, smack in the middle of the averages for television drama (62) and children’s programmes (64) 8. The first mention of “Dr Who” in Radio Times was a brief "Coming Next Week" piece in the issue dated 16-22 November 1963 9.

The series claimed its first RT front cover for episode one of the historical adventure Marco Polo in the issue dated 22-28 February 1964 10. 1966 episode The Smugglers is the only Doctor Who production to feature absolutely no incidental music 11. The Wheel in Space (a 1968 six-part Cyberman story) was the only story to be made in all four of the BBC’s London studio sites: Lime Grove, Riverside, TV Centre and Ealing Film Studios 12. The Daleks debuted in the second Doctor Who story and propelled the series into the ratings stratosphere, with the last four episodes hovering around the ten million mark 13. You know him as the Doctor but did you know he was also a doctor? In a sickbay in 1967 story The Moonbase, the Time Lord was asked, “Listen, are you really a medical doctor?” to which he replied, “Yes, I think I was once, Polly. I think I took a degree once in Glasgow. 1888 I think. Lister.” 14.

The first colour episode of Doctor Who was part one of Spearhead from Space, starring third Doctor Jon Pertwee, which aired on 3 January 1970 15. These days, it’s viewers – and River Song – who guard against spoilers but when Radio Times previewed Spearhead from Space in its 1969 Christmas edition, producer Barry Letts complained that the article was too revealing - as well as introducing new Doctor Jon Pertwee, it gave away most of the plot of the first Auton invasion... 16. The letters page of a February/March 1974 edition of Radio Times featured some correspondence from a 15-year-old schoolboy in response to the magazine’s Dr Who special. “The Dalek construction plans will no doubt have inspired many a school to build their own Daleks,” suggested the young man. “Who knows, the country could be invaded by an army of school Daleks!” The youngster’s name? Peter Capaldi. Best known to many as spin doctor Malcolm Tucker from The Thick of It, Capaldi is also familiar to Who fans as Caecilius in 2008 episode The Fires of Pompeii 17.

Inspired by The Dalek Invasion of Earth, the 30 April-6 May 2005 cover of Radio Times was voted the greatest magazine cover of all time by the Periodical Publishers Association 18. William Hartnell is officially the first Doctor but, controversially, in 1976 episode The Brain of Morbius we saw many other faces on a screen, intended to be even earlier selves of the Doctor. They were posed by the production team: producer Philip Hinchcliffe, script editor Robert Holmes, writer Robert Banks Stewart, directors Christopher Barry and Douglas Camfield, production manager George Gallacio and production assistant Graeme Harper (who went on to direct several Who episodes between 2006 and 2009) 19. In 1977, at the end of season 14 of Doctor Who, came the first full-length documentary about the series, Whose Doctor Who. Fronted by Melvyn Bragg, it aired comments from viewers - and psychologists - and loads of archive clips 20. On 28 September 2011 it was announced that behind-the-scenes companion series Doctor Who Confidential was to be axed.

A campaign attempting to save the show quickly sprang up, featuring Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and collecting over 50,000 signatures in an online petition. There’s been no indication yet that it’s changed BBC execs’ minds 21. In 1983, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Peter Davison were brought together for 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors. William Hartnell had died eight years earlier, so Richard Hurndall was drafted in to play the first Doctor, while previously unseen footage of fourth Doctor Tom Baker was used after he declined to take part 22. In March 2005, just a month before David Tennant was announced as the new Doctor, a Radio Times cover featuring the actor as Casanova proclaimed “Doctor Who! Our sneak preview of the biggest event of the TV year!” A coincidence, of course, but in hindsight rather striking… 23. Doctor Who was awarded the 2006 Bafta for best drama series 24. Doctor Who spin-offs have included Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, K-9 and a pilot episode of K-9 and Company 25.

In 2008, the Daleks finally met their match, knocked off the top spot in an RT poll of Doctor Who’s scariest foes by terrifying new monsters The Weeping Angels 26. According to The Sunday Telegraph, the Doctor Who ratings crisis of the late 1980s prompted series co-creator Sydney Newman to urge the BBC to recast the role of the Doctor as a female "Time Lady" 27. Matt Smith is officially the eleventh Doctor but the role has also been played on stage by Trevor Martin and, in films Dr Who and the Daleks and Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 AD, by Peter Cushing 28. In the big-screen versions, Cushing’s character is not a Time Lord but a human scientist from Earth, actually named Dr Who 29. Asteroid 3325, a small main belt asteroid discovered in 1984, is named Tardis after the Doctor's time/space machine 30. Tardis is an acronym of Time and Relative Dimension(s) in Space (there’s a debate among fans as to whether that fourth word should be pluralised) 31.

The Tardis was originally able to take almost any form required but, due to a faulty chameleon circuit, it got stuck as a 1960s police call box 32. The design and shape of the blue Mackenzie Trench-style police box has become so associated with the Tardis that it is now more recognisable as that than its original inspiration. In 1996, the BBC applied to trademark the design. The Metropolitan Police filed an objection but the Patent Office could find no evidence that the Met had ever registered the design and ruled in favour of the BBC 33. The wheezing sound emitted by the Tardis when it travels was originally created by Brian Hodgson at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop by recording the sound of a set of house keys being dragged along the strings of an old piano and adding echo and reverb effects 34. In November 2003, Radio Times created a special 40th anniversary gatefold cover featuring all the surviving Doctors 35. In 2006, the World Cup Final and the Daleks v Cybermen episode of Doctor Who fell in the same week, prompting two striking Radio Times covers 36.

Doctor Who monsters have twice invaded the Royal Albert Hall for special Proms. One included a pre-recorded segment featuring David Tennant’s Doctor (Music of the Spheres) and in the second Matt Smith was among the audience, interacting with one lucky young fan 37. Aged 26 when he started, Matt Smith is the youngest ever actor to play the Doctor - three years younger than Peter Davison when he was cast in the role in 1981 38. This April 2010 cover was the first starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan but was also notable for introducing us to a brand-new Tardis interior 39. Doctor Who is the world’s longest running sci-fi series ever, according to the Guinness Book of Records. The 2011 Christmas special will be episode 779 40. You know you’ve arrived when you make an appearance on The Simpsons and the Doctor’s had four, all in his fourth incarnation, but with Tom Baker’s voice provided by another actor 41. As if The Simpsons wasn’t enough, the Doctor and a number of his adversaries were seen up in lights as part of the 2007 Blackpool Illuminations.

Complementary sub-fact: two actors who’ve played the Doctor have switched on the Illuminations - Tom Baker in 1975 and David Tennant in 2007 42. The word Tardis appears as an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary 43. The 2005 cover of the Christmas issue of the magazine featured the Tardis inside a snowglobe. It was only the 11th time the hallowed seasonal issue had been dedicated to a specific show 44. The revived series of Doctor Who has been shown in around 50 countries, ranging from Australia to Vietnam 45. New Zealand was the first country outside the UK to show the series, starting in 1964 46. During the late 1960s, Latin America knew the show as Doctor Misterio 47. In November 2011, Harry Potter director David Yates revealed that a Doctor Who film is in its very early stages. It’s the latest in a long line of rumours of a new big-screen adventure for the Time Lord 48. The 2011 Christmas episode is called the Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.

Watch the trailer here... Like this? Share it. Doctor Who (1963) - Show News, Reviews, Recaps and Photos - TV.com EDIT "My name is William Hartnell, and as Doctor Who, I make my debut on Saturday 23rd November at 5.15." Doctor Who is the longest-running science fiction TV series in history, airing initially from 1963 to 1989. The series told the story of the Doctor, a mysterious traveller in space and time, whose TARDIS can take him and his companions anywhere in time and space. Inevitably he finds evil at work wherever he goes… The series was postponed indefintely in 1989, but fans of the series would not allow it to die, and a whole cottage industry was created around original novels and audio-only productions. There was an abortive attempt to renew the franchise as a series of telemovies in the U.S., but ratings for the pilot were judged insufficient. In 2003, the BBC announced that, at long last, it would commission a revival of Doctor Who. The series, initially starring Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, was launched in 2005.

You can read about the new series here . Traditionally listed by production, the data on this site has now been amended to TV.com standards and lists each of the 697 broadcast episodes from the original series. I hope that you find the site useful, and that it might act as a springboard to the wider world of Doctor Who appreciation. TheOldBillmoreless Looking back on 50 years of 'Doctor Who' - CNN.com Looking back on 50 years of 'Doctor Who' By Henry Hanks, CNN Updated 3:36 PM ET, Fri November 22, 2013 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years On November 23, 1963, "Doctor Who" was first broadcast on the BBC. Today, it remains a cult favorite among science-fiction fans young and old. Peter Capaldi (pictured with Jenna Coleman) took over as the Twelfth Doctor in 2014. Click through the gallery to see the men who have played the title character.

Hide Caption 1 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years William Hartnell – The Doctor -- a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who traveled through space and time -- was first played by William Hartnell, who took along his granddaughter on his adventures. Hide Caption 2 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years Patrick Troughton – Patrick Troughton took over the role in 1966, and it was explained on the show that Time Lords can regenerate into new bodies upon their death. Troughton's Second Doctor was more of an oddball, prone to playing his recorder and fooling enemies into thinking he was a simpleton. Hide Caption 3 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years Jon Pertwee – Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor dove headlong into the 1970s. He was the closest to James Bond of any of the Doctors, earthbound and a big fan of traveling in flashy vehicles.

Hide Caption 4 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years Tom Baker – The Fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker, is a favorite of many fans, having played the character the longest starting in 1974. Baker brought back some of the childlike aspects of the Doctor in a big way, and he gained a robotic dog companion, K-9. Hide Caption 5 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years Peter Davison – Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor brought the character into the 1980s as a young, well-dressed cricketer, leading a team of companions on his adventures. Hide Caption 6 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years Colin Baker – The no-nonsense Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, took over in 1984. Despite his outlandish, colorful costume, he was one of the least approachable-seeming Doctors.

Hide Caption 7 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years Sylvester McCoy – The Seventh Doctor, starting in 1987, ended the original series of "Doctor Who." Sylvester McCoy's take on the character returned him to the quirky mannerisms of the Second and Fourth Doctors, though this one was more of a schemer. Hide Caption 8 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years Paul McGann – Up until recently, the Eighth Doctor's adventures on screen lasted all of one TV movie, a failed attempt to resurrect the series on Fox. Paul McGann returned on a "Webisode" in 2013, explaining what became of his character when he regenerated. Hide Caption 9 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years Christopher Eccleston – The show was rebooted in 2005, and Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor was the first one many new fans saw. Wearing a leather jacket, this Doctor was stripped down to his bare essentials.

Hide Caption 10 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years David Tennant – After Eccleston's departure at the end of the first new season, David Tennant brought back some of the quirkiness with his Tenth Doctor, a trenchcoat-wearing adventurer with a great sense of humor. He was recently voted fans' favorite Doctor by readers of the UK's Radio Times. Hide Caption 11 of 12 Photos: 'Doctor Who' through the years Matt Smith – Matt Smith brought a youthful appearance to the Eleventh Doctor starting in 2010. His penchant for wearing bow ties and fezzes and dancing like a "drunken giraffe" played against the fact that he was determined to save the day, and his companions, no matter what. Hide Caption Producer Marcus Wilson has worked on "Doctor Who" since 2011 Series celebrates 50th anniversary Saturday with special episode Wilson shares his thoughts on the show's longevity On Saturday, "Doctor Who" celebrates its historic 50th anniversary with a simulcast special in 75 countries. But it almost wasn't to be. In 1989, the show was canceled.

A 1996 attempt to reboot it lasted as long as one TV movie. Finally, in 2005, the show was revived, and its fanbase has grown ever since. News of the 12th Doctor, Peter Capaldi, made worldwide headlines. Fans of the Doctor -- an alien "Time Lord" who travels across space and time -- are no longer relegated to fan sites and "Doctor Who" conventions. The show is now a high point of each year's San Diego Comic-Con and prominently referenced on shows like "The Big Bang Theory" and "Community." It's also the No. 1 rated show on BBC America and won a prestigious Peabody Award this year. That's quite an achievement for a show aimed at children that was quietly launched on November 23, 1963. Marcus Wilson, a producer "Doctor Who" since 2011, spoke to CNN about the show's legacy and what fans can expect for the big 50th anniversary episode, "The Day of the Doctor." CNN: What do you think it is that has helped the show last 50 years, continuing to grow its fan base?

Marcus Wilson: It's a very simple premise, yet it has endless flexibility: A man travels through time and space, fighting for good against evil wherever he goes. It's accessible, uplifting and endlessly entertaining because it engages the viewer's imagination and credits them with intelligence. It can regenerate itself (even its leading man) to keep the show modern and in tune with its audience. CNN: What sets the fandom for "Doctor Who" apart from others? Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The First Doctor – For 50 years, "Doctor Who" has thrilled TV viewers with the science fiction exploits of one alien with two hearts and (thus far) a dozen different faces. Fans have been dressing up as -- cosplaying -- their favorite Doctors for decades. Here, Scott Sebring, left, portrays William Hartnell's First Doctor. Hide Caption 1 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Second Doctor – Mikhail Lynn cosplays as multiple doctors, including the recorder-playing Second Doctor, who was portrayed by Patrick Troughton. He holds a special place in the St.

Louis resident's heart: "Confident in his abilities and downright cocky at times, he never took himself too seriously. When faced with danger, the mercurial Doctor would play up the image of a hapless bumbler to throw off his enemies only to reveal a darker, sometimes ruthless side that was both a cunning strategist and fiercely loyal to his companions." Hide Caption 2 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Third Doctor – Jared Claxon's favorite Doctor is the third, played by Jon Pertwee. " I watched reruns of Three on PBS when I was a wee lad," said the market researcher from Lake Helen, Florida. He was cosplaying the Third Doctor when he met his now fiancee. Hide Caption 3 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Fourth Doctor – Bob Mitsch of Pasadena, California, can often be seen at fan conventions portraying the Fourth Doctor. Tom Baker is quite popular, having played the Doctor longer than anyone.

"He'll always be the one, the only and the definitive to me despite discovering and appreciating other Doctors over the years." Hide Caption Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Fourth Doctor – Matthew Brewer of Fairburn, Georgia, portrays the Fourth Doctor. Hide Caption 5 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Fifth Doctor – Nathaniel Strong , here cosplaying Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor, said his life has not been the same since discovering "Doctor Who" a few years ago. The lesson he takes away from it is, "Even if you think little of yourself you can make a world of a difference." Hide Caption Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Fifth Doctor – Mikhail Lynn plays the Fifth Doctor. Hide Caption 7 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Sixth Doctor – Trey Tackett didn't just dress like the colorful Sixth Doctor, he got to meet the man himself, Colin Baker, back in May. "There was something about the Sixth Doctor that just appealed to me," said the Roanoke, Virginia, sales clerk.

"He was brash, blunt and honest." Hide Caption 8 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans 50 years of 'Doctor Who,' 50 years of fans – "Erdaniella" got together with some female friends in Budapest, Hungary, last summer to do a photo shoot as all 11 Doctors. She chose Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor. "He is one of my favorites for his gamesmaster way of dealing with things." Hide Caption 9 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Eighth Doctor – Paul McGann's time as the Eighth Doctor lasted only about 90 minutes -- with six minutes tacked on just recently in a webisode -- but it was long enough to make an impact on London resident Owen Rickard . Hide Caption 10 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Ninth Doctor – "Doctor Who" made a triumphant return to TV in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor. Nolan Moon of Orlando often cosplays as this Doctor, and Allison Farrell often dresses like his companion, Rose Tyler.

Hide Caption Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Ninth Doctor – John Rabon of Easley, South Carolina, cosplays the Ninth Doctor. Hide Caption 12 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Tenth Doctor – David Tennant is a favorite of new "Doctor Who" fans, and Katrina Lynn Panzer has made something of a reputation playing him. He "reminded me of myself. I quickly realized it wasn't just his enthusiasm or his tendency to use furniture in unconventional ways. He also had the anxiety and mood swings I've experienced most of my life." Hide Caption Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Tenth Doctor – Ric Mauger of Hawthorn, Australia, as the Tenth Doctor. Hide Caption 14 of 16 Photos: Photos: 50 years of 'Who' fans The Eleventh Doctor – The current Doctor, the Eleventh portrayed by Matt Smith, is a favorite of Matthew Brewer .

"The one from the new series is the one I actually followed from his beginning: the raggedy, bow-tied, tweedy, floppy-haired, childlike, fish finger and custard loving, fez wearing, very curious ... Eleventh Doctor. Since his start in 2010, I really followed his run down to the letter, I even have three Eleventh sonic screwdrivers." Hide Caption Television in the US: History and Production Television in the US: History and Production Resources Outside reading... Erik Barnouw.Tube of Plenty. New York: Oxford University Press. 1990 Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, 1946 - Present. New York: Ballantine Books. 1992. Richard Lindheim and Richard Blum. Inside Television Producing. Boston: Focal Press. 1991. Vince Waldron. Classic Sitcoms: A Celebration of the Best of Prime Time Comedy. New York: Macmillan. 1987. Internet... Objectives of Unit II, Lecture 7: Television in the US: History and Production To identify the milestones in the development of television and the techniques used in tv productions.

How did television develop between the 1880s and the 1930s? A Nipkow Disk 1884: Paul Gottlieb Nipkow (1860-1940), a German university student, patents (German Patent #30105) the concept for an electro-mechanical television system. This system, which becomes the basis of the television experiments of the 1920s and early 30s, uses a rotating scanning-disk (known as a Nipkow disk) with a series of 30 holes, in a pattern which spirals from the edge of the disk towards the center. A prototype of his scanning device was not built. 1926: Using a spinning Nipkow disk, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird (1888-1946) transmits to a receiver in his London labatory a moving image, with just enough detail (30 line resolution) to discern the human face. This experiment is believed to be the first demonstration of a working electro-mechanical television system.

1927: American inventor Philo Farnsworth (1906-1971) develops an all-electronic television system which he demonstrates to the press in September 1928. He would not give a public demonstration until 1934. Felix the Cat in front of an early TV "Camera" 1928: General Electric establishes an experimental electro-mechanical television station, W2XB, at its factory in Schenectady, NY. The station broadcasts a moving image from a "camera" using a Nipkow disk with a 24 line resolution. The star of these early transmissions was a 13" tall Bakelite statue of Felix the Cat slowly rotating on a turntable. In addition to the statue of Felix the Cat, W2XBS also broadcast images of a human subject. These broadcasts were used by GE engineers to test the new technology. In 1942, W2XB becomes WRGB, sister to radio station WGY.

An Actor in front of the TV "Camera," Popular Mechanics Magazine, April 1928 The arc lamp projects a beam of light through the rotating Nipkow disk on to the face of the actor (Subject). The light reflected off the actor's face is picked up by the four photo-electric cells at the top, bottom and sides of the box. The photo cells turn the flickering light into fluctuating electric current which is transmitted to the television receiver. GE 3" Octogan TV Receiver 1928:General Electric designs and builds an experimental 3 inch electro-mechanical television receiver. There was some talk about manufacturing and selling the set to the public, but the plan was scrapped. Only five of the experimental units survive. In 1931, Popular Science Monthly published a series of articles by George H. Waltz on how the home craftsman could build his own television receiver. These articles can be read at . A number of companies did manufacture and sell mechanical television sets, either assembled or in kit form.

In 1931 the Jenkins Television Radiovisor and Receiver Kit with a 3" magnyfing lens could be purchased for $ 115.45 ($1,769 in 2013 dollars). The Jenkins Television Model 200 Radiovisor and Receiver was designed for the living room. It had a finished walnut cabinet with an 8" picture and sold for $189.50. ($2,904 in 2013 dollars). The television transmission is picked up by a short wave radio receiver which feeds the fluctating electrical signal to a neon lamp which is located behind a rotating 24" diameter Nipkow disk. The viewer watches the flickering image as it is projected on to the 3 inch screen. A block diagram of the GE electro-mechanical television system, Radio News, April 1928. Note that two radio transmitters were used in these experimental broadcasts.

The visual image was broadcast on experiemntal shortwave station W2XB operating on 37.33 meters (7.7 MHz) and the sound was broadcast over radio station WGY operating on 379.9 meters (790 KHz). Live TV Broadcast, 1928 1928: On September 11, 1928, W2XB (video) and WGY (audio) broadcast American first television drama, a 40 minute one-act melodrama titled "The Queen's Messanger." Because the TV screens were small, only the actor's face or hands were shown. Three "cameras" were used, two for the actors faces and a third for the actors hands or stage props. The play had only two characters. A female Russian spy and a British Diplomatic Courier. Four actors were used. Two for the character's faces, and two for their hands. Amateur radio operators in Los Angeles and Pittsfield, Mass. watched the experimental broadcast on home built television sets.

In a story published in the Washington Post on September 21, 1928 under the headline: DRAMA IS RADIOED THROUGH TELEVISION, these radio operators reported: "Results only fair due to fading in 21 meter band, voices very strong with occasional glimpses of faces." General Electric took a number of staged publicity photos of the event and a short clip of the "broadcast" was included in a GE produced newsreel. 1928: RCA establishes an electro-mechanical experimental television station, W2XBS, in New York City. In 1933 the station leaves the air to return in 1935 as an all-electronic experimental station. By 1931 there were approximately 25 experimental televison stations in the United States. Most had left tha air by 1935. In 1941 experimental station W2XBS becomes WNBT which is now WNBC, channel 4 in New York City.

1931: German inventor Manfred von Ardenne (1907-1997) demonstrates at the Berlin Radio Show an all-electronic television system using a cathode ray tube for the image pickup (pickup tube) in the television camera and the image display (picture tube) in the television receiver. 1934: For 10 days in August, Philo Farnsworth demonstrates his all-electronic television system to the general public at the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia. Note: The Farnsworth and Ardenne all-electronic systems were not compatible. 1935: An all-electronic television service begins broadcasting in Berlin. TV Camera at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 1936: The Berlin Summer Olympic Games are broadcast live by stations in Berlin and Hamburg. Twenty-eight public television rooms are opened for those who do not own a set. 1936: The British Broadcasting Company begins transmitting a high-definition (405 line resolution) television service from the Victorian Alexandra Palace in north London. This service, which becomes BBC One. is claimed by some to be the birthplace of modern television. 1. When did commercial television broadcasting begin in the United States?

FDR Opens the 1939 World's Fair Note how fuzzy the picture was in 1939 1939: President Franklin Roosevelt's opening of the 1939 New York World's Fair is broadcast live from NBC's experimental station -- W2XBS -- in New York City. In 1939 W2XBS was on the air 4 hours a day (2:30-4:30 and 8:30-10:30pm EST), 5 days a week, Wednesday through Sunday. 1941: In July, both NBC (WNBT on channel 1) and CBS (WCBW on channel 2) come on the air with a commercial station, again in New York City. Both stations still exist. They are now WNBC (Channel 4) and WCBS (Channel 2). Further development is halted by World War II. 1946: The war is over, only 6 station are on-air (3 in New York City, 1 in Chicago, 1 in Philadelphia and 1 in Schenectady, NY) and both networks, NBC and CBS, begin to expand.

1948: Four television networks, (NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont), broadcasting over 128 stations, begin a full prime-time schedule (8 to 11pm, Eastern Time), seven days a week. In what city? Commercial TV began in New York City When did television arrive in South Dakota? Television arrived in South Dakota in May 1953 when KELO-TV began broadcasting in Sioux Falls. Five years later, in November 1958, KXAB (now KABY) goes on the air on channel 9 in Aberdeen. 2. What was the relationship between radio drama and early television programming? The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Most early (1948 to 1960) television shows, both dramatic and non-dramatic, originated on radio. For many programs -- The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1944-1954), Father Knows Best (1949-1954), Dragnet (1949-1956) -- the transition was easy: the cast performed in a television or film studio instead of a radio station.

For the actor, a TV production required a longer time committment. A radio show was normally produced in one day -- a read through in the morning, a "dress" rehearsal in the afternoon, and the performance that evening. A half hour filmed television show required the actor to be in front of the camera for three or four, 10 to 12 hour days. William Conrad For other productions, the switch was much more difficult. William Conrad (1920-1994) created the role of U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon in the radio version of Gunsmoke (1952-1961). When CBS decided to bring Gunsmoke to television in 1955, the network executivies decided that although Conrad sounded like a US Marshall, he didn't look like one. At 5' 9" and 270 pounds, the portly, balding, mustached Conrad looked more like a villain than a western hero.

James Arness At the suggestion of John Wayne, CBS cast James Arness (1923-2011), a 6' 7" actor who's major acting credit at the time was the title role in The Thing from Another World (1951). Arness would be Matt Dillon for the next 40 years. First on the television series (1955-1975), then in five made-for-TV Gunsmoke movies. William Conrad, who was one of radio's most prolific actors, would become a television producer and director. His first major on camera television role was Frank Cannon in Cannon (1971-1976). This was followed by Nero Wolf (1981) and J.L. McCabe, the Fatman, in Jake and the Fatman (1987-1992). William Conrad died of congestive heart failure in February 1994 and was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997. Link to Gunsmoke: Radio's Last Great Dramatic Series for more information, including photographs, on the cast, characters and setting of radio's Gunsmoke.

Watch William Conrad as Frank Cannon introduce the "Frank Cannon Diet" on YouTube. 3. Who was television's first super star? Milton Berle Milton Berle (1908-2002) started in show business at the age of five, appearing as a child in The Perils of Pauline (1914) and Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914). Through the 1920s, Berle moved up through the vaudeville circuit, finding his niche in the role of a brash comic known for stealing other comic's material. He became a popular master of ceremonies in vaudeville, soon achieving top billing in the largest cities and theatres. During the 1930s, he appeared in a variety of Hollywood films and further polished his routines in night clubs and on radio. 4. What was the program? Texaco Star Theatre The Texaco Star Theatre (1948-1956) was an old-fashioned vaudeville variety hour with a half dozen guests each week. Berle, both host and star, worked his way into many of the acts.

In 1950, the first year of the Nielson ratings, the "Milton Berle Show" was watched by 62% of those owning TV sets. It has been said that Berle was television's first great "salesman." During his tenure the number of TV homes went from a little under 191,000 to over 21,000,000, an increase of approximately 10,994%. In 1952 the cost of a 20" black & white GE console TV was $ 300. That would be $ 2,732 in today's (2016) currency. If you your family didn't have a TV, and many didn't, you visited a neighbor who did. "Tuesday night was Berle night!" From where was it broadcast? Live from New York City. Although the program was broadcast live, a kinescope, a contrasty and fuzzy recording made by filming the picture off of a television monitor, was often made for "legal" reason and for a 3 hour delayed re-broadcast to the West coast.

Although most of these kinescopes have lost, a few have survived. The Texaco Star Theatre starring Milton Berle With guests: Ronald Reagan and Dolores Grey Part 1 of 4... 5. When was the Golden Age of Television? Westinghouse Studio One 1948 to 1960. Although the 12 year period between 1948 and 1960 is remembered for the variety show (Texaco Star Theatre), the sitcom (I Love Lucy) and the western (Gunsmoke), when we talk about the Golden Age of Television we are generally refering to the dramatic anthology programs, such as Westinghouse Studio One (1948-1958), The US Steel Hour (1953-1963), Alcoa Hour (1955-1957), Kraft Television Theatre (1947-1958), and Playhouse 90 (1956-1961) which were broadcast live from New York City.

Begining in 1957 with the introduction of the $50,000.00 Ampex VRX-1000, America's first video tape recorder (VTR), many of these programs were taped before broadcast. 6. Name one major writer who got his start during this period. William Gibson (1914-2008), Ira Levin (1929-2007), Rod Serling (1924-1975), Gore Vidal (1925-2012) 7. Give the title of one major work (film or play) which began as a golden age television script? The Miracle Worker (William Gibson), The Days of Wine and Roses (J. P. Miller, 1919-2001), 12 Angry Men (Reginald Rose, 1920-2002), Requim for a Heavyweight (Rod Serling), No Time for Sergeants (Ira Levin). Links are to the film adaption in the Internet Movie DataBase . 8. When did television production move from live from New York City to filmed from LA? 1951.

9. What network show is credited with starting the shift to the west coast? I Love Lucy I Love Lucy (1951-1958). CBS wanted to broadcast live from New York. Lucy and Desi didn't want to leave their home in Los Angeles. They filmed the show with three cameras (which the film studios said couldn't be done) before a live audience. Because the show was filmed, both coasts got a high quality picture. Link to the I Love Lucy web page at Tim's TV Showcase. 10. What is the process used in developing a television series and selling it to a network? There are only five major broadcast clients: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and CW. All of the clients are owned by production houses. All network prime time series are produced by the major film studios (Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Paramount, Disney) or the five TV networks because they have "deep pockets." Ideas come from both the networks and the studios. The concept, the story, the script, and the cast must be approved by both the studio and the network, as well as the show's production company.

After a concept is given the "green light", a pilot episode will be shot. The pilot is often a two hour made for TV movie. Sometimes the characters and concept will be introduced on an episode of an existing series. For example, CBS's Jake and the Fatman (1987-1992) was introduced in a two hour episode-- The Don (1986) -- of NBC's Matlock (1986-1995). Normally between 15 and 20 pilots are produced each season. If the pilot is accepted, the network will order between four and six episodes. If the mini-series is a succeess, additional episodes will be ordered. There are 22 episodes in a full season. 11. What is the difference between a single camera shoot and ... Hawaii Five-0 In a single camera shoot, the program is filmed and edited like a movie: Rehearse a scene, shoot the scene. It is the technique used for most hour long action-adventure shows: Hawaii Five-0, Law and Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, Bones, NCIS... A multi-camera shoot?

The Big Bang Theory The multi-camera shoot, which is much closer to live theatre, is the technique developed by the television industry during's it's "Golden Age." It is the technique used for the half-hour sit-com (Big Bang Theory) and the network quiz show (both of which are usually taped before a live audience), and the hour long "soap opera" (which is taped in a closed TV studio without an audience). 12. How many cameras are used in a multi-camera production? Three. The center camera is used for the "Master Shot," the left and right camera cover the closeups and over-the-shoulder shots. Most local news programs, which are mult-camera productions, use only two cameras. 13. How many days is a half-hour sitcom in rehearsal/production? Five days. The director spends the first three days with the actors. Day four the camera crews are brought in, and the camera's location for each scene is determined. Day five is the final dress rehearsal, and the taping of the show. Normally both the final dress rehearsal as well as the performance are taped. 14. What are the three program sources available to a local station's program director? Network 15.

What is the major form of original programming produced by a local station? Eyewitness News News and information, including local high school and college sports coverage. 16. What types of programs normally appear in syndication? Wheel of Fortune Talk shows (Doctor Oz, Doctor Phil), game shows (Wheel of Fortune) and re-runs of old network sitcoms (Two and a Half Man). The top rated syndicated television program is Wheel of Fortune. 17. Which shows are usually picked up from the network feed? American Idol The morning news shows (Good Morning, America), the afternoon soaps (Days of Our Lives), the 5:30 national news (The CBS Evening News ) and the prime time programs (7 to 10pm, Central time). 18. How are radio and television shows financed? By commercials. 19. What is the basic function of the program? To attract an audience to watch or listen to the commercials. 20. How many minutes of commercials support a half-hour prime time show? Eight minutes. Six minutes are sold by the network, and two minutes are available for sale by the local station. 21. What is the standard length of a television commercial? Thirty seconds. 22.

How much would a prime time spot cost on Aberdeen's KABY (Channel 9)? In the spring of 2006, a prime time 30 second spot on the Aberdeen ABC station, KABY, costs between $ 200 and $ 300. KABY broadcasts to approximately 80,000 TV households in a 16 county area. 23. What is the difference between rating point, share and ranking? Rating point: The percentage of TV homes watching a program. A rating of 20 points means that 20% of America's TV homes are watching the program. Share: The percentage of TV homes, whose sets are on, watching a program. A 30 share means that 30% of those people who are watching TV at that moment, are watching the program. Ranking: The position (or place) the show holds in that week's (or season's) list. 24. Which, rating are share, will always be higher? The share. 25. What readily available source can be used to determine a program's rating?

The Nielsen Ratings (provided by Nielsen Media Research ) of television's prime time schedule are published in the Life (or purple) section of the Wednesday (or maybe Thursday) issue of USA Today . TV rating are also published on the Web at Zap2It.com . 26. How many television homes does each rating point represent? A rating point is equal to 1% of tv homes. According to Nielsen's National Television Household Universe Estimates, there are 118.4 million TV homes in the US. Nielsen estimates that nearly 302 million persons age 2 and older live in these TV homes. 96% of American homes have access to broadcast television either off the air, via cable or satellite, or from the internet. 27. Why can a show with a low rating still attract advertisers? Because that program attracts the kind of audience (meaning: The kind of people who will buy the sponsor's product) the advertiser wants. Advertisers tend to look for viewers between the age of 18 and 49. If your show attracts a younger audience, the network can charge more for a 30 advertising second spot (commercial).

During the 2009-2010 tv season, Fox's Glee drew fewer total viewers than CBS's top rated NCIS but the Fox show earned on average $ 272,694 per 30 second spot to CBS' $150,708 for NCIS. 28. What elements, other than the quality of production, can effect a program's rating? The two major element are (1) a shows competition (You don't want to be scheduled opposite the number one show) and (2) what programs lead and follow your show (You want to be sandwiched between two hit shows). 29. What is television's number one show?

According to Nielson.com the most watched TV show during the 2015-2016 Season was NBC's Sunday Night Football (Rank: #1; 21.4 million viewers), CBS's top show was The Big Bang Theory (Rank: #2; 19.4M viewers) FOX's number one show was Empire (Rank: #5; 15.7 viewers) and ABC's most watched series was Dancing with the Stars (Rank: #8; 13.4M viewers) Viewer estimates include live viewing, off-the-air, cable or satellite, and DVR playback on the same day. The most watched dramatic tv program was CBS' NCIS (Rank #3, 20.3M viewers) 30. What is television's longest running prime-time dramatic series? The Simpsons. 20+ years, from December 1989 to ???. 31. What is broadcasting's (radio and television) longest running program? Guiding Light Guiding Light. 72 years. GL began in Chicago on January 25, 1937 as a 15 minute, 5 days a week, soap.

The show was originally about the Reverend Doctor John Rutledge (played by Arthur Peterson) and his Little Church of Five Points in Five Points, a Chicago suburb. The Rev. Rutledge left a lamp, the original "guiding light," burning in his study as a beacon for those who needed help. In 1948 the focus of the show shifted to the Frederick (Papa) Bauer family of Springfield. During the Christmas Episode in December of 2000, Meta Bauer, the daughter of Mama and Papa Bauer remembers... When I was a girl we used to listen to Reverend Ruthledge at the Church in Five Points. He was the best man I've ever known at finding hope for people in trouble, and I guess that's just about everybody at one time or another. He used to say something I'll never forget. "There is a destiny that makes us brothers. No one goes that way alone. All that we bring into the lives of others, comes back into our own." In 1952 CBS-TV introduced Guiding Light, a 15 minute soap opera to their afternoon schedule.

In 1968 the show was expanded to a half-hour, and was expanded to an hour in 1977. In April 2009, CBS announced that the last episode of Guiding Light would be broadcast on Friday, September 18, 2009. 32. Which regularly scheduled television series has the distinction of drawing the largest audience for a single episode? M*A*S*H M*A*S*H (1972-1983). The 2 hour series finale broadcast in February 1983. It earned a 60.2 rating with a 77 share. 33. What are the sweeps? The "Sweeps" are the television rating surveys which "sweep" North America, all 210 television markets, four times a year -- November, February, May and August. Because they use a larger, and more complete sample than the Neilsen index, they give a more accurate idea of what the "local" audience is watching in the smaller markets. It is during "Sweeps" that the networks broadcast...

All new episodes of regularly scheduled shows; many featuring special guest stars, Made-for-TV movies with sensational themes and major film and TV stars, The mini-series-- a multi-part, four to twelve hour, made-for-TV movie, Award shows, The premiere of a summer bockbuster movie, and Multi-part documentaries on local and national newscasts. Why are they important? Ratings developed during the "Sweeps" are used by the local station and network to establish their quarterly rate card. The higher the rating, the larger the audience, the more they can charge for a thirty second spot. 34. What effect has cable and home DVRs had on the size of the network's prime time audience? The commercial network's prime time audience has dropped from a 90 share in the mid 70's, to less than a 50 share in 2008. Today, only a little less than a third (30%) of the prime time audience is watching the big three networks -- ABC, CBS, and NBC. When the networks lose audience, they lose ad revenue, and their profits drop which makes the stock holders unhappy.

TV Audience Distribution, 2008 Public Broadcasting Service | Tardis | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Unlike most broadcast networks in the US that are funded either through commercial sales or cable fees, PBS is funded by government support, corporate grants, and donations from viewers. As such, it is able to broadcast without commercial interruption — other than its own continuity announcements and appeals for donations. However, the piecemeal nature of PBS' funding means that the network's hold over its individual affiliates is comparatively weak. Schedules vary widely from station to station, depending upon the resources of a particular station, and the desires of its local viewership. PBS station viewers can successfully lobby for their local station to carry a particular show, if they are able to bring together enough other viewers willing to pay for its purchase. It is because of this dynamic that the 1963 version of Doctor Who found its way onto individual PBS stations in the 1970s, why it was able to remain there in most states through the early 1980s, and also why many PBS stations began to shed themselves of Doctor Who in the late 1980s and 1990s.

The need for individuals willing to specifically earmark donations for Doctor Who also explains why the BBC Wales series has not been widely shown on PBS stations. PBS have been denied first-run rights by BBC Worldwide , in deference to true network debuts on Sci Fi and BBC America . By the time that Worldwide have made the show available to PBS stations, most American fans have already had a chance to see the episodes on network television or to buy the DVDs. Thus, a PBS broadcast is superfluous to most modern American viewers, and cannot generate the same level of financial support that it did in previous decades. A common rationale among modern fans is that a $100 donation to a local PBS station in the hope that they carry Doctor Who could simply go towards the DVD purchase of Doctor Who for the certainty of being able to view the episodes. All that being said, some PBS stations do still air the program, including WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago. [1] The PBS audience Edit Whereas an NBC or CBS affiliate is owned for profit, such is not really the purpose of a PBS station. Therefore few have the ability to stand completely on their own, receiving only the donations of their viewers and federal grants.

Most require a physical presence at or near universities, if only to get a financial discount on their physical plant. Many PBS stations so located also have a reduced overall labour cost than their completely independent counterparts, because they can easily get interns to work in the studios. Many PBS stations also choose to be located close to universities because much of their local documentary programming is easier to create if they are close to local scholars who provide the on-air talent. The practical result of PBS affiliates being wed to universities is that the audience for Doctor Who in its American heyday was significantly student-based. PBS stations usually offered the strongest signals to campus televisions when most people still received television signals aerially. The effect of Doctor Who upon student populations in America was thus pronounced just because of the particular channel that carried the programme. The general shape of PBS stations' buying patterns Edit Although a handful of pioneering PBS stations may have begun broadcasting Doctor Who with a few Jon Pertwee stories (Chicago's WTTW showed some episodes in 1975, sometimes without a discernible order), [2] Doctor Who broadcasting on PBS stations largely began with the Time + Life distribution of seasons 12 to 15 .

These initially appeared as individual episodes, with Howard Da Silva linking narration at the top of episodes to explain things for viewers who may have forgotten where the narrative had left off. These three seasons were put onto a loop my most of the stations that carried them, because the stations had bought the right to show the episodes a certain number of times. The fact that this initial package ended with The Invasion of Time allows us to date general American involvement with Doctor Who to no earlier than about 1978. PBS would then obtain rights to subsequent seasons. Usually, the prospect of getting the new season was used as an incentive during PBS donation requests, or "pledge drives". As each new season was added to the library of the particular station, the "Tom Baker loop" would grow ever longer. Each station would go as far as they could with their Baker episodes, then snap back to Robot , and do it all again. Thus, Tom Baker is particularly vivid in the minds of many American fans because his adventures were played so often. Eventually, the Peter Davison and Colin Baker seasons were added to many PBS station libraries.

Arguably, the influence of the PBS broadcasts reached their zenith on November 23, 1983, the 20th anniversary of Doctor Who, when PBS broadcasters aired the anniversary special The Five Doctors , several days before the BBC. Sales to PBS stations began to drop off around the time The Trial of a Time Lord went up for sale. There were a variety of reasons. One of the biggest was the advent of the VHS recorder. This allowed American fans to copy episodes of Doctor Who, which were being replayed on a regular basis. It was possible for viewers in some markets to get a complete Tom Baker-Colin Baker run in about a year, if they were so inclined. Also, BBC Video had begun releasing official NTSC VHS editions of stories at that point. Thus, there was simply less actual need for a PBS station. Negative press surrounding the Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy eras may have played a contributing factor, but this cannot be proven, and certainly many PBS stations continued to air the series all the way through to Survival , which began to appear on PBS broadcasters in Detroit and elsewhere in 1990. It was around this time that many PBS stations chose to look backward instead of forwards.

In the late 1980s, they began to more strongly buy existing serials from the William Hartnell , Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee eras. The PBS "omnibus" Edit PBS broadcasts of Doctor Who in the 1980s and 1990s often used an "omnibus" format. Instead of airing each individual episode on a weekly or daily basis, each serial was edited together into a movie format. This meant that individual broadcasts could be as short as 45 minutes (for broadcasts of 2-episode stories), to 90 minutes which was the most common length for airing a stiched-together four-episode story, to a four hour marathon in the case of The War Games ( The Trial of a Time Lord , however, was never broadcast as a single omnibus, but was aired in four instalments broken down by the generally-defined story arcs — three 90-minute episodes followed by a 45-minute conclusion). Due to the independent nature of affiliate stations, however, viewers in one part of the United States often had a very different experience of Doctor Who than those in another. Some stations exclusively aired omnibus editions, some never did.

And some stations broadcast omnibuses on the weekend, while transmitting standard episodes during the week. The omnibus format varied in quality with regards to episode transitions. Sometimes cliffhangers were edited together smoothly, while other times the "electronic scream" episode-ending sound effect and sometimes a few moments of the episode opening credits were accidentally left in (this occurred frequently with Davison-era episodes). Some Pertwee omnibus episodes would switch from colour to black and white and back again in the case of serials where only B&W prints of some episodes survived; Invasion of the Dinosaurs was the only incomplete serial to be broadcast by PBS, with its then-missing first episode omitted (when the missing episode was recovered, a complete omnibus was compiled). The omnibus style broadcasts were not universal; for example, California station KTEH would run episodes individually on weeknights, and as an omnibus late on one weekend night. PBS affiliates also produced their own documentaries based upon the series, utilising behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew at American Doctor Who conventions. KTEH, notably, would bring some of the actors portraying the Doctor to their studio to film original interviews (as well as meet American fans).

PBS and BBC Wales Edit When the Doctor Who resumed producation again in 2005, PBS did not initially receive broadcast rights to the newer episodes, which instead went to the Sci Fi Channel , and in 2009 the rights for first broadcast were taken over by BBC America . However, PBS affiliates subsequently received rebroadcast rights to Series 1 of Doctor Who starring Christopher Eccleston . These episodes aired in summer of 2007 and Series Two episodes aired in the summer of 2008. Individual PBS affiliates as of 2010 have been airing not only Series 4 episodes, but also instalments of Doctor Who Confidential . "The Pilot Episode" | Tardis | Fandom powered by Wikia An Unearthly Child "The Pilot Episode" is a name used to market the first recording of the individual episode, " An Unearthly Child ". The term is not strictly accurate, as pilots did not exist in the British television industry in 1963 . It is sometimes imprecisely called "the first episode of Doctor Who ", but this suggests a difference from "An Unearthly Child" which can't fairly be said to exist.

It is merely a different version of the first episode of Doctor Who, which was not broadcast because Sydney Newman thought it had too many technical flaws and misjudged characterisations. Five different editions of this initial take on "Unearthly" have been made available to the public over the years, creating some ambiguity over what is meant by "the pilot". The actual plots of the two recordings of "Unearthly" are insignificantly different. Nevertheless, all of "the pilot"'s subsequent editions had obvious differences with "An Unearthly Child" as broadcast, especially in performances and technical recording flaws. Only a handful of lines of dialogue differ in the pilot and "Child", but they suggest things about the character and back story of the Doctor which would be hard to reconcile with the general characterisation which was later obtained. No edition of "the pilot" was broadcast until 1991 and fans could not easily compare the various editions of "the pilot" until multiple versions were released on a single DVD in 2006. Contents Edit School teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are curious about their student Susan Foreman .

She is brilliant in many areas of science and history but is ignorant of mundane matters, such as how many shillings make a Pound Sterling . They follow her home one evening to discover that she seems to live in a police box in a junkyard . Soon after meeting the girl's irascible grandfather , they find the police box is in fact a fantastic vessel, the TARDIS , capable of travelling through space and time . Fearful that the schoolteachers will tell others what they have seen, the mysterious old man, the Doctor , activates the machine's controls and whisks them away from the world they know... Plot The Pilot is made up of two sections. An unearthly doodle by an unearthly child Section 1 is nearly identical to scenes of " An Unearthly Child " set in the School , Ian 's car and the Junkyard. Rather than reading the book Barbara has lent her, Susan plays with dropping ink on a sheet of paper, creating a Rorschach pattern, then doodling with the resulting inkblot, creating a hexagonal image. (the same shape as the TARDIS control console) The resulting image alarms Susan.

Some dialogue differences and technical problems occur during this section, including Ian knocking over a dummy on the junkyard set, Barbara getting caught in a doorway, Susan flubbing a line of dialogue involving the chart placement of John Smith and the Common Men's hit single, and the camera running into a piece of scenery during the junkyard segment. This section ends with the teachers attempting to enter the TARDIS. Ian holds onto the Doctor as Barbara enters the ship, the actors freeze as someone says "hold it there" and the screen goes blank. Section 2 is made up of 3 parts: Part 1 - Begins with Barbara, then Ian and the Doctor entering the TARDIS. A noticeable difference between this and the final version is that the interior of the TARDIS is visible as Barbara forces her way through the doors. This effect was not used in the final transmitted version or any stories of the original series, though it has become standard in the new series. This take continues to the end, complete with end credits. There is a noticeable issue with the TARDIS interior doors in this take. Barbara forces her way into the quite visible TARDIS interior.

Part 2 - is a short aborted second attempt to record the second half of the episode. Barbara crashes through the TARDIS doors, looking around the ship, the radiophonic sound of the TARDIS interior cuts off and the take is abandoned. Part 3 - is the successful third attempt to record the second half of the episode. It runs from the teachers and the Doctor first entering the TARDIS to the end of the episode. One difference between this and the successful first take is that The Doctor calls Ian "School Teacher" instead of "School Master". This take is also complete with end credits. Neither of the two complete takes that make up section 2 has a Next Episode caption. Alternate versions Edit Several versions of the pilot have been circulated. The version first broadcast in August 1991 incorporates several of the dialogue and technical errors that occurred during filming: Carole Ann Ford muffing her line about John Smith and the Common Men; Jacqueline Hill getting caught in the door; William Russell knocking over a prop; the TARDIS doors banging; etc.

Two alternate editions were released to home video on The Hartnell Years in June 1991 and as a bonus with the UK VHS release of The Edge of Destruction in May 2000. When the episode was included in the DVD release The Beginning , two versions were prepared: a raw, unedited version containing all takes, errors and footage shot during production, and a newly edited version that minimises and in some cases eliminates some of the dialogue and technical errors that occurred during production. This resulted in a more polished-looking production than the edition broadcast in 1991. Both DVD versions were put through the VidFIRE process. This restored the film recordings to their original, videotape appearance. The 36-minute version on the DVD included not just all available recorded material, but also a commentary by Verity Lambert and other key personnel, which detailed the reasons why certain elements of "the pilot" were changed for "An Unearthly Child". Cast Edit A copy of this episode exists on 16mm telerecordings . It was discovered in 1978 in a mislabelled film can and is currently held in the BBC's Film and Videotape Library .

Version 2 of the Pilot was broadcast on BBC Two on 26 August 1991 as part of The Lime Grove Story , a series of programs marking the closure of Lime Grove Studios where the episode had first been recorded. It consisted of Section 1 and Section 2 part 1. The documentary also featured a parody sketch with the Doctor Who policeman. After viewing the original pilot Sydney Newman decided that the episode needed to be remade. He even described this version as "...the worst piece of work I've seen in a long time." ( In Their Own Words Volume One ) As well as numerous technical and dialogue problems, changes were also made to the story. These mostly consisted of changing the characters of the First Doctor and Susan . The Doctor was made more likable and less confrontational and Susan less alien (notably her costume, originally very futuristic, was made to look more childlike in the second version). Newman acknowledged Captain Nemo as a major influence in his original concept for the Doctor's character and personality. Fred Rawlings was the actor who played the Policeman in the pilot. He was replaced by Reg Cranfield when the episode was remounted.

Otherwise all other noticeable cast members, including the two girls seen gossiping immediately before Barbara's introduction, were retained for the remount. In this version, the TARDIS interior is briefly visible as Barbara forces her way through the doors. Curiously, this effect was not used in the final transmitted version. It would not become a standard effect until the series revival in 2005. A slight difference exists in the Doctor Who theme in the pilot. A thunderclap sound effect was removed for the televised version. The Pilot differs in a few key points from the broadcast episode, " An Unearthly Child ". As it contains numerous discrepancies from the broadcast version, it is generally not considered canonical. The Doctor shows genuine anger towards Susan rather than the affection he showed in the broadcast version. At one point he refers to her as a stupid child. Susan says she was born in the 49th century , but, unlike the Doctor, doesn't directly state that they were from another planet. This was removed from the broadcast version and replaced with "I was born in another time, another world", avoiding giving a specific century and making her alien origins clearer. The Doctor wears a suit and tie, rather than his Edwardian costume.

Susan is depicted as being more sensual and adult in appearance and her behavior. The original script emphasised her sexuality even more, before things were scaled back to make Susan more identifiable to children in the audience. ( INFO : An Unearthly Child ) Rather than becoming engrossed in, and then correcting, the book on the French Revolution, Susan instead draws a mysterious, hexagonal ink blot pattern, then quickly crumples the paper once she realises what she has done. The significance of this is left unexplained, although the pattern does resemble the TARDIS console. Other than the above points, other continuity-related details are similar to the broadcast version. Filming locations The entire episode was filmed at Lime Grove Studio D . Production errors Edit If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion . Though Sydney Newman 's displeasure with the characterisations of Susan and the Doctor are well known, the plethora of technical errors was the primary justification for re-recording the episode.

Among the many things that went wrong behind-the-scenes were: For reasons not clear on screen, Jacqueline Hill and William Russell are seen having difficulty getting through the doorway leading into the classroom where Susan is listening to the radio, forcing Carole Ann Ford to extend her "dance" for a few moments. This is the earliest known recorded "blooper" of the Doctor Who franchise. This error is edited out of some versions of the pilot, including the "The Beginning" DVD version. Depending on the edition viewed, Susan says John Smith and the Common Men went from 2 to 19 in the hit parade before correcting herself and saying 19 to 2. The version in the Beginning set digitally removes the error. There is a lighting problem while Ian and Barbara discuss Susan in the car. William Russell's face is obscured completely by shadow for much of the scene, which is retained in all versions of the pilot. During the exploration of the scrapyard, Ian trips and falls down, dropping his flashlight. Although this was scripted, the subsequent loud crash as a junk prop also falls over was not. This error is retained in all versions of the complete pilot.

During the scrapyard sequence, a camera runs into a piece of scenery (this error was common in early live-to-tape productions of the era, including Newman's other series, The Avengers). During one of the takes of the initial TARDIS control room scene, the doors leading into the room fall open and bang against the scenery several times. Unlike the errors above, this disrupted the scene sufficiently that the take had to be abandoned and started over, a rare occurrence in those days. During the console room scene the studio ceiling can be seen once or twice. While Ian and Barbara are sitting in Ian's car outside I.M.Foreman's junkyard, a stagehand can be seen moving behind them. After Ian and Barbara enter the TARDIS, you can see a shadow moving along the TARDIS doors. During a tracking shot of the TARDIS, the cameraman stumbles and a clatter is heard. You can hear the PA calling the shots on some sections if you listen carefully (one example is when the Doctor is operating the TARDIS console, shortly before Ian is electrocuted).

DVD, video, and audio releases Remastering for both the VHS (2000) and DVD (2006) releases was completed by Doctor Who Restoration Team . VHS releases

Question: In what year was the very first episode of 'Doctor Who' broadcast?
Answer: 1963