Doctor Who, the iconic British science-fiction series following a time-traveling alien scientist, was first broadcast November 23, 1963, on BBC Television. Though modestly conceived and produced, its depiction of the alien but strangely human "Doctor" proved to be such a commercial success that the program was shown in more than forty countries over twenty-six seasons-from 1963 to 1989-and returned successfully to television in 2005. In Doctor Who, Jim Leach explores the reasons behind the original series' popularity and the ways it evolved during its long run.

Leach analyzes in detail...