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Doctor Who is a [[BBC]] science fiction television programme originally created in 1963. It centres around a character named the Doctor, who travels around the universe in a [[time machine]] called the TARDIS ("Time and Relative Dimensions in Space"), which resembles a 1940s British Police phone box, but is considerably larger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Doctor Who is a [[BBC]] science fiction television programme originally created in 1963. It centres around a character named the Doctor, who travels around the universe in a [[time machine]] called the TARDIS ("Time and Relative Dimensions in Space"), which resembles a 1940s British Police phone box, but is considerably larger on the inside than it is on the outside.

The programme ran for twenty-six seasons between 1963 and 1989, at which point it was cancelled indefinitely. Various forms of the series continued after the cancellation, with popular series of novels published by Target (later Virgin) and then BBC Books, along with audio serials and re-releases of past episodes on VHS and DVD. Since 2005, a "new series" has been produced by BBC Wales.

The programme ran for twenty-six seasons between 1963 and 1989, at which point it was cancelled indefinitely. Various forms of the series continued after the cancellation, with popular series of novels published by Target and then BBC Books, along with audio serials and re-releases of past episodes on VHS and DVD. Since 2005, a "new series" has been produced by BBC Wales.

The Doctor has the ability to regenerate his body when mortally weakened, a useful plot device that has allowed the role to be played on TV by ten different actors so far.

The Doctor has the ability to regenerate his body when mortally weakened, a useful plot device that has allowed the role to be played on TV by ten different actors so far.

==Political and social themes==

==Political and social themes==

In a recent episode, the Daleks - Doctor Who's most dangerous enemy, a race of creatures who are physically shriveled and weak but contained within an armored tank-like body - take over Manhattan. They ruthlessly exploit workers engaged in construction and repair on the Empire State Building. This was reported in the British newspaper [[The Independent]] as a metaphor for the rampant abuse of capitalism. Conservative writers in [[The Guardian]] have used this as supposed evidence of the BBC pumping out "relentless socialist propaganda".

 

 

The show's most iconic recurring enemies, the [[Dalek]]s and the Cybermen, can be seen as satirising right and left wing.  In a recent episode, the Daleks - Doctor Who's most dangerous enemy, a race of creatures who are physically shriveled and weak but contained within an armored tank-like body - take over Manhattan. They ruthlessly exploit workers engaged in construction and repair on the Empire State Building. This was reported in the British newspaper [[The Independent]] as a metaphor for the rampant abuse of capitalism. Meanwhile, the Cybermen, who are humans remade into cyborgs with no free will, show how [[collectivism]] destroys individual spirit.

 

 

 

 

Many plotlines in Doctor Who refer to [[Evolution]].  The show's time travel has often been used to travel into times in the past which are inconsistent with a [[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth]].  Indeed, the very first story from 1963 was referred to by some internal BBC documents as "100,000 BC".  Recent episode ''The Runaway Bride'' (2006) showed the formation of the Earth "four and a half billion years ago".

 

However, Doctor Who sometimes supports the idea of [[Intelligent design|Intelligent Design]].  According to the show, many advanced aliens have intervened in Earth's history and the development of mankind.  However, these tend to be evil, suggesting that the programme takes a [[Manicheanism|Manichean]] viewpoint.  [[God]] and [[Jesus]] are never mentioned.

 

The show also contradicts [[Christian]] [[eschatology]] by portraying humanity as present in the far future (including the year 5 billion AD and 100 trillion AD), contradicting prophecies found in the [[Book of Revelation]].

 

 

The executive producer of the revived show, Russell T. Davies, is an "out" [[homosexual]] and several fans have accused him of using the show to promote a deliberate [[homosexual agenda]].

 

*Recurring character Captain Jack Harkness (played by another "out" homosexual, John Barrowman) is bisexual (he will "dance with anyone") and this is presented as a consequence of his coming from the more liberal 51st Century.

==Transmission==

==Transmission==