❚ We may earn commission from links on this page. Our editorial is always independent (learn more).
Doctor Who's William Hartnell in rare photos from first ever episodes
Happy birthday to Doctor Who!
- Louise Griffin
Published: Saturday, 23 November 2024 at 8:00 am
Subscribe to Radio Times – 5 weeks for £2
With Doctor Who Day here once more, we're revisiting the show's first ever episodes in rare photos from the Radio Times archive.
Ad
Doctor Who's first ever episode, the first part of An Unearthly Child, aired on 23rd November 1963, starring William Hartnell as the Doctor, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, and Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman.
Below are the earliest shots of Doctor Who in the Radio Times archive, with the iconic cast captured beautifully in 1963 by RT photographer Don Smith.
Other tidbits include the floor plan of the set of An Unearthly Child.
Doctor Who. Don Smith
The first ever Doctor Who story, which is sadly not available on BBC iPlayer due to a rights issue, saw the Doctor and co seized by tribe of cave dwellers desperate to rediscover the secret of fire.
It began an adventure in space and time which would last 61 years (and counting) and paved the way for every actor who would follow Hartnell as the Doctor.
Doctor Who. Don Smith
Last year, Ford looked back on the early days of Doctor Who with RadioTimes.com, telling us: "It was very easy to slip into Susan's shoes because [Hartnell] did take on that [grandfatherly] role very seriously.
"I loved him very much. For me, he was a very sweet man and a very easy man to work with. He had a wicked sense of humour, which was great if you appreciated that humour and a bit disarming, I suppose, if you didn't!"
Showing item 1 of 7
previous item
next item
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
1 of 7
Don Smith/Radio Times
Don Smith/Radio Times
Radio Times
Don Smith
Don Smith
She added: "Bill used to say in the very beginning that it could go on forever. Because there's no reason for it not to, because the Doctors can regenerate again and again and again, and they can go anywhere and do anything so it wouldn't get stale.
"They could meet different people, go to different planets, different circumstances, there's no reason at all why it shouldn't stay fresh... there's no reason at all for it to end, it can just go on forever and ever."
Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Ad
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
Ad
Ad
Get the Christmas double issue
Too much to watch at Christmas? Let Radio Times do the choosing to find something the whole family will enjoy.
Loading...
Ad
Loading...