5 Best First Doctor Stories to Celebrate 62 Years of Doctor Who

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On November 23, 2025, Doctor Who will celebrate its 62nd anniversary, officially becoming the longest-running science fiction series ever made for television. The show, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson, premiered in 1963 and introduced audiences to the very first Doctor. Between 1963 and 1966, William Hartnell – a well-known actor for his roles in military films like In Which We Serve, The Way Ahead, and Carry On Sergeant – played the First Doctor and led the show on some of its most iconic adventures.

While many episodes from the First Doctor’s run of Doctor Who feel dated and aren’t necessarily missed, a few truly stand out as the series’ greatest adventures. The very first episode, “An Unearthly Child,” is particularly important, introducing the entire concept of Doctor Who and remaining a landmark moment in television history. Stories like “The Aztecs,” “The Chase,” and “Marco Polo” skillfully blended historical settings with alien encounters, but these five additional tales represent the absolute best of the First Doctor’s era.

5) The Dalek Invasion of Earth

Originally broadcast in six parts from November 21st to December 26th, 1964, “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” was a landmark achievement for Doctor Who as it featured the first significant filming done outside of the studio. In this story, the Doctor, along with his companions Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton, and Barbara Wright, encounter the Daleks – the show’s most famous villains – who have conquered Earth in the year 2164. The group joins a resistance movement to fight back against the Daleks’ rule. This serial is particularly remembered for Susan’s emotional farewell as she leaves the TARDIS, the impressive and frightening depiction of the Daleks themselves, and the chilling sight of them invading the streets of London.

4) The Time Meddler

Since the original Doctor Who began, we’ve met numerous Time Lords – the alien race the Doctor is a part of. However, the Monk, portrayed by Peter Butterworth in “The Time Meddler,” was the very first Time Lord shown besides the Doctor himself. Like the Doctor, he had his own TARDIS and traveled through time, but he used it to change history for his own benefit, violating Time Lord rules and clashing with the Doctor’s stronger sense of right and wrong. Thanks to a well-written story and skillful direction, “The Time Meddler”—first aired in 1965—significantly impacted Doctor Who, paving the way for many more Time Lord characters in later episodes.

3) The Sensorites

Following stories focused on technology and history, “The Sensorites” introduced the Sensorites as the second alien race in Doctor Who – after the Daleks. This episode allowed the show to explore increasingly strange and imaginative stories and characters. The Sensorites defend their planet from human invaders using telepathy, a power originally intended for the Doctor and his granddaughter, Susan. Although this idea about Time Lords was later changed, “The Sensorites” helped inspire the creation of many unique alien creatures in the Doctor Who universe, and was even referenced in the Tenth Doctor’s 2008 episode, “Planet of the Ood.”

2) The Tenth Planet

The Daleks became famous as one of the Doctor’s biggest foes, but the Cybermen quickly became equally important. They first appeared in the First Doctor’s last adventure, “The Tenth Planet,” which aired in four parts from October 8th to 29th, 1966. This story revealed the Cybermen’s home planet, Mondas – a long-lost twin of Earth – and brilliantly introduced this frightening, emotionless, and technologically advanced race. Importantly, “The Tenth Planet” also showed the First Doctor changing into the Second Doctor, played by Patrick Troughton, setting up a key element that would become central to Doctor Who. The story was gripping and scary, perfectly introduced the Cybermen, and arguably brought about the most important change in the history of Doctor Who.

1) The Daleks

While the Daleks have appeared in many episodes of Doctor Who since their first appearance, it was the 1963 serial simply titled “The Daleks” that truly introduced them to audiences. This second story of the show, following “An Unearthly Child,” brought the Doctor and his companions to the planet Skaro and established the conflict between the Daleks and the Thals – a storyline that would continue throughout the series. “The Daleks” was genuinely frightening when it originally aired, and Terry Nation’s writing continues to be praised. It remains a classic episode, considered one of the best in Doctor Who history, not just from the First Doctor’s time.

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2025-11-23 16:12