Doctor Who: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Autons

10. The Autons' Many 'Firsts'

First appearing to menace the Third Doctor in 1970's Spearhead from Space, the Autons hold high honours for breaking numerous 'first-time' records in Doctor Who.

Serving as the first villains of the 1970s and the Third Doctor's tenure, they were also the first Who-baddies to be shown in colour. Upon Spearhead's release, the BBC decided to switch from black and white to colour - displaying these foes, and Jon Pertwee's velvet smoking jacket and cape, in all their technicolour glory.

When Doctor Who was rebooted in 2005, showrunner and writer Russell T Davies opted to use the Autons as the first enemies of in the modern series. Featured as the antagonists in the first episode Rose, they were also the first baddies to face the new Ninth Doctor on-screen. Davies believed the classic monsters would be an excellent way of introducing new fans and bringing back the original followers of the show.

The Nestene Consciousness would also be the first to mention the Time War - with its home planet being destroyed in the atrocities. This revolution, and the mystery around it, would set up major story arcs for the revival series.

Interestingly, Rose's Auton sequences would also herald another first for the series - breaking glass. When Spearhead's Auton mannequins were originally to smash out of their shop windows, the BBC realised that they couldn't afford to break any glass. The production team instead cut to reactions and the sound effect of smashed glass before revealing the Autons who had 'come to life'.

With an increased budget and a new production team, Rose's climactic sequence didn't feature this same problem.