The genesis of Doctor Who

The origins of the universe remain unknown but the origins of the Whoniverse are less of a mystery, having their genesis in a very specific time and place.

In 1963, Sydney Newman was the BBC's Head of Drama with responsibility for all current shows and the remit to create new ones. In this clip from the BBC Oral History Collection he describes the original idea for Doctor Who.

Sydney Newman worked alongside both established and emerging talent to develop the format that is recognised by fans today.

This document from the BBC Written Archives shows the creative process in action as writer Cecil Edwin 'Bunny' Weber proposes the background story and characters, while Sydney Newman's notes reveal his sometimes rather critical comments.

While it is unarguable that Sydney Newman's personality and background were hugely influential in the creation of the original concept, many other forces were at play.

In this clip, Russell T Davies explains the role that focus groups played, and how the show's creators were fundamentally looking to fill a gap in the schedule.

In this clip first broadcast on Radio 2 in 2013, actor Nick Briggs, composer Mark Ayres and director Waris Hussein discuss the creation of Doctor Who, and how Sydney Newman and producer Verity Lambert came up with the initial vision and the subsequent realisation.

This was Sydney Newman's response after viewing the first attempt at a pilot episode of An Unearthly Child in 1963. In this clip from The Reunion, broadcast in 2013, actors William Russell and Carole Ann Ford, and director Waris Hussein discuss the challenges of bringing Newman's vision to life against a backdrop of BBC uncertainty about the show.

Despite the challenging circumstances around its creation the first episode of Doctor Who aired on 23 November 1963 and received a mixed response from the audience as revealed by this audience research report.

It was not until the appearance of the Daleks later in 1963 that the show's popularity soared.