Doctor Who is the longest running science-fiction programme in the world, and has captured the imagination of children and adults alike for almost 50 years. We are holding a special symposium about the show, it's history, the mythology and its enduring appeal.
With guest speakers including people who have worked on the show - in front of and behind the camera, journalists, writers and academics.
Mission to the Unknown: the rise of Doctor Who
How the show was created, influenced and precursors (H.G. Wells, Quatermass, British culture and living in 1963). From history lessons to ‘Dalekmania’, embracing ‘bug-eyed monsters’.
From smacked bottoms to cosmic kisses: the Doctor’s women
The role of the female companion, and how it changed from screaming girls, to beating up Daleks with baseball bats, to "the most important woman in the universe", the changing portrayal of women on television, and the women behind the camera.
Edge of Destruction: the wilderness years
How the fan community kept the show alive during the years when it was off-air, fan fiction,and how they embraced different technologiesto generate new content. The lost episodes;the task of restoration.
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy: the regeneration of Doctor Who
Looking at how the show was revived into a successful, new - yet still recognisable - format, and how it has grown to become one of the BBC's flagship shows. And a look to the future... How many more Doctors can there be?
