Doctor Who: 10 Best First Doctor Stories

As the first ever story of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child does an amazing job of introducing the show to fresh eyes, making one of the most bizarre premises in television history seem down-to-earth and credible. 57 years worth of television has followed on the basis of this pilot, and for any fan of the show, it's required viewing, if only for mild curiosity value, to find out where it all began.

The serial starts with school teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, who are both concerned with one of their pupils, Susan Foreman. Susan seems to have an amazing intellect and in depth-knowledge of science and history, but also has tremendous gaps in her knowledge. For example, she's able to run rings around her science teacher and point out flaws in history textbooks, but doesn't have the faintest grasp of how English currency works. Further investigation reveals that her "address" is listed as a junkyard in a London alley, a junkyard that contains nothing except trash and police box.

After meeting Susan's grandfather, an old man who insists his name is "The Doctor", they barge their way inside the police box, only to discover a glistening control room that is much bigger than the dimensions of the police box outside. From there, a journey to the Stone Age, and an encounter with a violent tribe of cavemen becomes the ground work for a show that would dominate British television for more than half a century.

Rewatching the opening episode of An Unearthly Child is always a peculiar and intriguing experience. From the first bars of the (then) revolutionary electronic opening theme, to the first shot of the TARDIS, to the introduction of The Doctor and to the first ever "it's bigger on the inside" moment, it's positively littered with milestones and firsts that will leave any fan awe-struck upon viewing.

Whilst the characters and iconography have become commonplace today, it's important to watch this serial (as it is with all classic series stories) from the perspective of a viewer in 1963, who couldn't have foreseen the impact that could have been made by An Unearthly Child.