ed ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁ABC ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁Head ▁of ▁D rama ▁at ▁the ▁BBC , ▁officially ▁joining ▁the ▁Corporation ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁BBC ▁developed ▁an ▁idea ▁of ▁New man ' s ▁into ▁Britain ' s ▁first ▁dur able ▁science - f iction ▁television ▁series . ▁T aking ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁research ▁Wilson ' s ▁department ▁had ▁completed , ▁New man ▁initi ated ▁the ▁creation ▁and ▁along ▁with ▁Wilson ▁and ▁BBC ▁staff ▁writer ▁C . ▁E . ▁Web ber ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁this ▁new ▁series , ▁which ▁New man ▁named ▁" Do ctor ▁Who ". ▁ ▁After ▁much ▁development ▁work , ▁the ▁series ▁was ▁launched ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁November ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁The ▁importance ▁of ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁to ▁British ▁television ▁science ▁fiction ▁cannot ▁be ▁over st ated . ▁It ▁last ed ▁for ▁twenty - six ▁seasons ▁in ▁its ▁original ▁form , ▁through ▁which ▁first ▁emer ged ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁writers ▁who ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁would ▁create ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁genre ' s ▁successful ▁British ▁shows . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁science ▁fiction ▁series ▁to ▁have ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁conscious ness , ▁its ▁success ▁led ▁the ▁BBC ▁to ▁produce ▁other ▁efforts ▁in ▁the ▁genre . ▁Of ▁particular ▁note ▁being ▁its ▁own ▁science ▁fiction ▁anth ology ▁series ▁Out ▁of ▁the ▁Un known ▁( 1 9 6 5 – 7 1 ), ▁which ▁ran ▁for ▁four ▁seasons . ▁ ▁Some