10 Behind The Scenes Secrets From Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child
1. Doctor Who Was Almost Killed By Lee Harvey Oswald
23 November 1963 is a famous date for two very different reasons. In the context of this article, it is the day that Doctor Who premiered to the world, the TARDIS was first seen, and the Doctor first spoke. For millions of other people, however, it is important because of a certain car that drove down a certain street in Texas.
President Kennedy was assassinated on that day, which pushed almost every broadcasting service to cover the unfolding events. This meant that relatively few people actually bothered to tune in to the brand new show about the funny alien man and his box.
However, An Unearthly Child was broadcast once more, one week later. Despite the global shock that had hung over the world after JFK's death, Doctor Who actually did relatively well on its second airing. The first serial drew an average of six million viewers, though it was admittedly a slow-build. The second serial, the Daleks, was far better received, capturing the audience's attention in a way that the cavemen of the first serial simply hadn't managed.