THE FIRST SEASON
1963-1964

Part 1: July 1963 to February 1964

CHRONOLOGY

July 9, 1963
John Lucarotti is commissioned to write the 7-parts serial Marco Polo

July 31, 1963
David Whitaker commissions Terry Nation for a prospective six-parts story entitled The Mutants.

August 8, 1963
A seventh episode is granted to Nation's The Mutants.

August 20, 1963
Bernard Lodge, of the BBC Graphics Unit, records Doctor Who's title sequence.

September 13, 1963
Test filmings for the TARDIS' materialisation/dematerialisation sequence.

September 19, 1963
Doctor Who's first film session at Ealing Studios.

September 20, 1963: (l to r) Carole Ann Ford, Jacqueline Hill, Verity Lambert, William Russell, William Hartnell

September 27, 1963
Studio recording for An Unearthly Child at Lime Grove Studio D.

October 4, 1963
Sidney Newman requests that An Unearthly Child be recorded again due to several technical difficulties. Script changes are also in order.

October 9, 1963
Ealing filming for An Unearthly Child.

October 10, 1963
Ealing filming for An Unearthly Child.

October 11, 1963
Ealing filming for An Unearthly Child.

October 16, 1963
Donald Baverstock extends the initial number of episodes from 4 to 13.

October 18, 1963
Studio recording for An Unearthly Child at Lime Grove Studio D.

October 25, 1963
Studio recording for The Cave of Skulls  at Lime Grove Studio D.

October 28, 1963
Ealing studio filming, The Daleks

November 1, 1963
Studio recording for The Forest of Fear at Lime Grove Studio D.
Ealing studio filming, The Daleks

November 8, 1963
Studio recording for The Firemaker at Lime Grove Studio D.

November 15, 1963
Studio recording for The Dead Planet at Lime Grove Studio D. However, due to technical issues, the entire episode has to be recorded again at a later date.

November 16, 1963
A Doctor Who trailer appears on BBC 1 to promote the new show.

November 21, 1963
Script Editor David Whitaker and the Doctor Who cast appear at a press conference to promote the new programme. On the same day, a radio trailer read by William Hartnell is broadcast on the BBC Home Service.

November 22, 1963
A second Doctor Who trailer is transmitted on BBC 1.
Studio recording for The Survivors at Lime Grove Studio D.

November 23, 1963

• An Unearthly Child  (4.4 millions. The Kennedy assassination and several power blackouts in England necessitated a repeat of the first episode the very next week.)

November 29, 1963

Studio recording for The Escape at Lime Grove Studio D.

November 30, 1963

• An Unearthly Child  (repeat broadcast, 6.0 million)
• The Cave of Skulls  (5.9 million)

December 2, 1963

Ealing filming for model shots, The Daleks

December 6, 1963

Remount studio recording for The Dead Planet at Lime Grove Studio D.

December 7, 1963

• The Forest of Fear  (6.9 million)

December 13, 1963

Studio recording for The Ambush at Lime Grove Studio D.

December 14, 1963

• The Firemaker  (6.4 million)

December 20, 1963

Studio recording for The Expedition at Lime Grove Studio D.

December 21, 1963

• The Dead Planet  (6.9 million)

December 28, 1963

• The Survivors  (6.4 million)

January 3, 1964

Studio recording for The Ordeal at Lime Grove Studio D.

January 4, 1964

• The Escape  (8.9 million)

January 10, 1964
Studio recording for The Rescue at Lime Grove Studio D.

January 11, 1964

• The Ambush  (9.9 million)

January 13, 1964

Ealing filming, Marco Polo

January 14, 1964

Ealing filming, Marco Polo

January 15, 1964

Ealing filming, Marco Polo

January 16, 1964

Ealing filming, Marco Polo

January 17, 1964

Ealing filming, Marco Polo

Studio recording for The Edge of Destruction at Lime Grove, Studio D

January 18, 1964

• The Expedition  (9.9 million)

January 24, 1964

Studio recording for The Brink of Disaster at Lime Grove, Studio D

January 25, 1964

• The Ordeal  (10.4 million)

January 31, 1964

Studio recording for The Roof of the World at Lime Grove, Studio D

February 1, 1964

• The Rescue  (10.4 million)

February 10, 1964

Script Editor David Whitaker is commissioned to write a two part story to be inserted between The Daleks and Marco Polo. Oddly enough, the serial has already been recorded at this point. 

MAJOR PLAYERS

Terry Nation
(1930-1998)

David Whitaker
(1928-1980)

Richard Martin

Christopher Barry

John Lucarotti
(1926-1994)