53 Years Ago Today, Doctor Who’s First Multi-Doctor Story Broke All the Time Lords’ Rules

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Over its 60+ years, Doctor Who has become known for many things, but a beloved tradition is bringing different Doctors together. Whether on TV, in books, or audiobooks, the show has created exciting adventures by uniting various versions of the Time Lord.

Did you know the story of Doctor Who really began 63 years ago today? Over half a century ago, the show aired a story featuring multiple Doctors, something completely new for the series. This broke the established rules and changed everything fans thought they knew about the Time Lord.

Doctor Who’s The Three Doctors First Premiered Today (& Told An Epic Story)

I remember being so excited when I first saw The Three Doctors back in 1972! It was a special tenth anniversary episode on BBC1, and it introduced this really powerful villain named Omega. He was one of the very first Time Lords, a founder of their whole society. The story explained how Omega got trapped in this strange anti-matter universe. At first, he could create anything he wanted there, building his own perfect world. But being alone for so long drove him mad, and eventually destroyed his body. He ended up as just a raging, insane spirit trapped inside an armored suit, and he wanted to get revenge on the other Time Lords. It was a really compelling story!

When the Third Doctor was banished to Earth, a villain named Verdigris attempted to appeal his sentence, inadvertently giving Omega an opportunity to steal power from the Time Lords. Omega planned to use this power to send creatures made of anti-matter to capture the Doctor and take his place as a prisoner. Unable to directly help without their full abilities, the Time Lords came up with a daring solution: they brought in the Doctor’s past selves. The Second Doctor arrived to actively assist, and the First Doctor was sent to offer guidance. Together, all three Doctors ventured into the anti-matter universe for a final confrontation with Omega.

The Three Doctors Changed The Game (& Set Milestones)

“The Three Doctors” was a groundbreaking story as the first to feature multiple incarnations of the Doctor. Beyond that, it marked the end of a two-year storyline where the Third Doctor was stuck on Earth – a major shift for the show both in front of and behind the camera. This special also gave us the iconic line, “It’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside,” referring to the TARDIS, and was the first time Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Sergeant John Benton were able to travel inside the TARDIS.

The special was a particularly touching final appearance for William Hartnell as the First Doctor, and marked his only time sharing the screen with multiple Doctors. Sadly, Hartnell was ill with arteriosclerosis during filming, and his health was declining. Because of this, his role was limited to offering advice, and his scenes were filmed in short segments where he simply read lines from cue cards. He passed away just two years later, leaving a huge void for fans and everyone involved with Doctor Who.

Okay, let’s be real – the special effects definitely haven’t aged well, which is pretty typical for classic Doctor Who. But honestly, that shouldn’t stop anyone from checking out The Three Doctors. It’s fascinating to see where so many of the things we love about the show today actually started. It really shows you how the foundations were laid!

You can stream Doctor Who content on BBC and Disney+.

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2025-12-30 21:10