Stories Television Doctor Who Season 1 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 An Unearthly Child 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 44 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 13 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, November 23, 1963 Production Code A Written by Anthony Coburn, C. E. Webber Directed by Waris Hussein Runtime 100 minutes Story Type New Companion Introduction, New Doctor Introduction Time Travel Past, Present Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Child Genius, Doctor Who?, First TARDIS trip, Pure Historical Location (Potential Spoilers!) Shoreditch, Coal Hill School, Earth, England, London Synopsis Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton, two humble teachers during 1963, are surprised by a bright student named Susan Foreman. Confused by the contradictions in Susan's knowledge, Barbara had decided to visit her home, only to learn that the address on record is a junkyard. She and Ian decide to wait at the location until Susan or her grandfather show up. There, they discover a junkyard inhabited by her grandfather, simply known as "the Doctor". Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save 4 Episodes An Unearthly Child First aired Saturday, November 23, 1963 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Anthony Coburn C. E. Webber Directed by Waris Hussein UK Viewers 4.4 million Appreciation Index 63 Synopsis After discussing a strange pupil, Susan Foreman, teachers Ian and Barbara follow her to a junkyard. They meet her grandfather, the Doctor, and force their way inside a police box with frightening results. The Cave of Skulls First aired Saturday, November 30, 1963 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Anthony Coburn Directed by Waris Hussein UK Viewers 5.9 million Appreciation Index 59 Synopsis The enigmatic Doctor, afraid that schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright will reveal his secrets to the people of 20th century Earth, has taken them and his granddaughter Susan back to the dawn of human history. There, the four travellers are dragged into the savage politics of a tribe of cavemen who have lost the secret of making fire… The Forest of Fear First aired Saturday, December 7, 1963 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Anthony Coburn Directed by Waris Hussein UK Viewers 6.9 million Appreciation Index 56 Synopsis Prisoners of the earliest humans, the TARDIS crew are caught in a deadly power play for leadership of the tribe. The Firemaker First aired Saturday, December 14, 1963 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Anthony Coburn Directed by Waris Hussein UK Viewers 6.4 million Appreciation Index 55 Synopsis The TARDIS crew must make fire for the early humans to stay alive. But once they do, they may not be allowed to leave! Show All Episodes Characters First Doctor William Hartnell First Appearance Ian Chesterton William Russell First Appearance Barbara Wright Jacqueline Hill First Appearance Susan Carole Ann Ford First Appearance Za Derek Newark First Appearance Hur Alethea Charlton First Appearance Horg Howard Lang First Appearance Kal Jeremy Young Old Mother Eileen Way Show All Characters (9) How to watch An Unearthly Child: DVD The Beginning – An Unearthly Child / The Daleks / The Edge of Destruction Blu-Ray An Adventure in Space & Time VHS An Unearthly Child (VHS) (1st edition) VHS The Hartnell Years (VHS) VHS An Unearthly Child (VHS) (2nd edition) Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 44 reviews 20 June 2025 · 228 words Review by Smallsey Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! The first episode is kinda great. The next 3, well they aren't great. I can't give a bad rating to a serial that has that first episode. But, seeing as 3/4s of this serial are pretty uninteresting and somewhat repetitive, I can't go higher than 3 stars either. I've seen this serial 3 times now, and I'm always surprised by how antagonistic Hartnell's Doctor is in it. This is a compliment though. I find it refreshing and the fact that he butts heads with Ian and Barbara (mostly Ian) so often really makes him unlike most tv heroes. The way he sees things logically but at times unempathetically really sets him apart as different and dare I say, a little alien. The other characters are fine, but none of them stand out like the Doctor. They're likeable enough, they're smart, capable and do have somewhat distinct personalities. My only complaint with the characterisation of these characters is that Susan is so odd and otherworldly in the first episode. I'd have liked to have seen this continue, as she feels distinctly more human once they go back to the cavemen era. Also the female characters are both shown to become a little hysterical and scream when in danger, which feels reductive and a little annoying. But this is the 1960's and this is sadly a common female character trope of the era. Smallsey View profile Like Liked 1 20 June 2025 · 34 words Review by Romy 2 Wow! It's a quite rich story. Ofc there are some weaknesses, but the discovery of the Doctor, the alchimy between the TARDIS Team and the portreyal of the tribe make me love this story! Romy View profile Like Liked 2 18 June 2025 · 19 words Review by Mattie1711 Spoilers This review contains spoilers! Solid first story of Doctor Who,love part 1,however 2-4 are just eh,cavemen politics,not a fan - 7/10 Mattie1711 View profile Like Liked 0 14 June 2025 · 62 words Review by ikennedy817 2 An amazing first episode that sets up the series and character of the doctor very well, but the following episodes do not hold up very well at all. The caveman plot starts interesting, but quickly becomes repetitive and somewhat annoying quick. The doctor and his companions carry the episodes very hard and manage to make it still charming despite the lackluster plot. ikennedy817 View profile Like Liked 2 13 June 2025 · 57 words Review by ThetaSigmaEarChef 2 I can see why this show was allowed to continue and became such a hit - charming characters (a good balance between totally alien and relatable), a clear and engaging plotline, absolutely banger music, and a good moral to boot. What an enjoyable ride! I sure do hope this show is picked up for more episodes! /j ThetaSigmaEarChef View profile Like Liked 2 Show All Reviews (44) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating884 members 3.38 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 1547 Favourited 116 Reviewed 44 Saved 7 Skipped 1 Related Stories The Diary of River Song 6 An Unearthly Woman Rating: 3.75 Story Skipped Audio Drama Reviews(3) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Diary of River Song Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Doctor Who – Destiny of the Doctor: The Complete Adventure • Episode 1 Hunters of Earth Rating: 3.36 Story Skipped Audio Book Reviews(7) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Destiny of the Doctor Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Short Trips The Last Day at Work Rating: 3.67 Story Skipped Audio Book Reviews(6) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trips Set of Stories: Short Trips (Audio) Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Subscriber Short Trips Home Again, Home Again Rating: 4.19 Story Skipped Audio Book Reviews(5) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Subscriber Short Trips Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Big Finish Short Trips The Rag & Bone Man’s Story Rating: 2.93 Story Skipped Short Story More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Short Trips (Big Finish) Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved BBC Books The Eight Doctors Rating: 2.52 Story Skipped Book Reviews(12) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Eighth Doctor Adventures (Books) Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Doctor Who Magazine Comics Hunters of the Burning Stone Rating: 4.40 Story Skipped Comic Reviews(3) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Doctor Who Magazine Comics Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Telos Novellas Time and Relative Rating: 3.92 Story Skipped Book Reviews(4) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Telos Novellas Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Doctor Who Magazine The Legacy of Gallifrey Rating: 3.36 Story Skipped Short Story Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Doctor Who Magazine Short Stories Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Other adaptations of this story: We define an adaptation as a recreation of a similar story but on a different medium or with different characters. Target Collection Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child Rating: 3.49 Story Skipped Book Reviews(5) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Target Collection Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved BBC Books Ye Unearthly Childe Rating: 3.16 Story Skipped Short Story More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Shakespeare Notebooks Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Give-a-Show Projector The Secrets of the Tardis Rating: 2.55 Story Skipped Comic Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Give-a-Show Projector Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite DOCTOR: I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it. Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension? Have you? To be exiles? Susan and I are cut off from our own planet, without friends or protection. But one day we shall get back. Yes, one day. One day. — An Unearthly Child Show All Quotes (13) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking (A foggy night, and a policeman is patrolling his beat past I M Foreman's Scrap Merchants at 76 Totter's Lane. Inside is an assortment of items, including a police telephone box.) [Coal Hill School corridor] (The bell is ringing for end of classes.) GIRL: Night, Miss Wright.BARBARA: Wait in here, please, Susan. I won't be long.BOY: Goodnight, Miss Wright. [Laboratory] Show Full Transcript Open in new window
