Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary Retrospective & Celebration Shared In Videos
A collection of videos are shared on social media to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic British science fiction show Doctor Who.
A series of videos are celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. The iconic British science fiction show follows a character known as the Doctor, a Time Lord who can regenerate form, allowing the show to periodically recast the Doctor as needed, in addition to swapping out the colorful companions that accompany the Doctor. The show, which now spans 39 seasons, countless specials, and 14 different Doctors portrayed by 13 actors (ahead of the Fifteenth Doctor, who will star in the relaunched show’s upcoming season 14), originally premiered on November 23, 1963.
To celebrate the Doctor Who 60th anniversary, the official BBC Twitter account for the show has shared a variety of tribute videos. These include an attempt to summarize 60 years of history in 60 seconds (which ends on what may be some first-look footage from the upcoming season starring Ncuti Gatwa) and a variety of cast members wishing fans a “happy Doctor Who day.” Check out the videos below:
60 years of #DoctorWho, a lifetime of memories… how many can you squeeze into 60 seconds? Let's find out! #DoctorWhoDay ❤️❤️➕🟦 pic.twitter.com/mxRkjj5B7x
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) November 23, 2023
A very happy #DoctorWhoDay, with love from 60 years of the Whoniverse! 💙💙 pic.twitter.com/yy5RAPgfgD
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) November 23, 2023
Doctor Who’s Legacy Will Continue For Years To Come
Sixty years is an impressive legacy for any television show. Even though the flagship show was off the air between 1989 and 2005, the number of Doctor Who episodes has now reached a staggering total of more than 800. This number doesn’t include the vast array of books, comics, audio dramas, movies, specials, and video games expanding the show’s universe. The spinoffs Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, K9, and Class also provide an additional 128 episodes between them.
While there are technically 871 Doctor Who episodes, 97 are either missing or destroyed.
With all of this material to comb through, it makes sense that the Doctor Who franchise would continue to be remembered in the 60 years since its premiere. This longevity can in large part be attributed to the fact that the creators of the show devised a way for the Doctor to evolve and be recast with entirely different performers while still remaining the same character. While they did eventually have to write around the originally stated limit of 12 regenerations, the Doctor’s lifespan has allowed the show to achieve a kind of immortality.
The world of Doctor Who is also set to continue expanding over the next few years. In addition to the upcoming season 14, it has been renewed for season 15, which is due sometime in 2025. There is also another spinoff in development featuring Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, the Chief Scientific Officer at UNIT, a United Nations task force that investigates extraterrestrial activity.
