Doctor Who is one of the longest running and most successful TV shows of all time, yet most people don’t know that it was originally intended to be a children’s educational program! The show is about a time travelling alien, who looks like a human, known as “the Doctor.” While it eventually caught the attention of science fiction enthusiasts around the world, Sydney Newman, the co-creator, has said that the stories were made to teach kids about history and science.
It was set in the past so kids could learn more about history, with simple scientific facts provided to get kids interested in science. The show only became a science fiction series with the second story. This story featured the “Daleks” which are a race of mutant cyborgs bent on the conquest of the universe. This twist in the show caught so much more attention than a children’s educational program, that producers decided to stick with the more outlandish theme. Good thing they did because Doctor Who is still on today!