ing ▁( if ▁b izar re ) ▁story lines , ▁it ▁never ▁rival led ▁Doctor ▁Who , ▁possibly ▁because ▁unlike ▁the ▁BBC ▁programme ▁it ▁attempted ▁to ▁identify ▁with ▁children ▁by ▁featuring ▁children , ▁thus ▁making ▁the ▁c ros so ver ▁appeal ▁to ▁an ▁adult ▁audience ▁much ▁more ▁difficult . ▁ ▁A ▁much ▁more ▁respect ed ▁show , ▁produced ▁by ▁A TV ▁in ▁a ▁similar ▁production ▁manner ▁to ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁( i . e . ▁on ▁vide ot ape ▁using ▁a ▁serial ▁form ) ▁was ▁S app hire ▁& ▁Ste el ▁( 1 9 7 9 – 8 2 ). ▁The ▁tale ▁of ▁two ▁" time ▁detect ives " ▁played ▁by ▁David ▁Mc Call um ▁and ▁Jo anna ▁L um ley , ▁S app hire ▁& ▁Ste el ▁was ▁a ▁super b ly ▁atmos pher ic ▁piece ▁of ▁television , ▁although ▁its ▁production ▁run ▁was ▁often ▁ham per ed ▁by ▁the ▁un av ail ability ▁of ▁its ▁two ▁leads . ▁▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁Long er - running ▁science - f iction ▁series ▁became ▁few ▁and ▁far ▁between . ▁Although ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁was ▁still ▁running , ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁audience ▁it ▁was ▁struggling ▁to ▁comp ete ▁with ▁US ▁imports ▁in ▁the ▁genre ▁which ▁began ▁to ▁re - emer ge ▁following ▁the ▁box - office ▁success ▁of ▁contemporary ▁films ▁like ▁the ▁Star ▁Wars ▁franch ise . ▁For ▁the ▁television ▁channel ▁controllers , ▁these ▁had ▁the ▁benefit ▁of ▁transmission ▁rights ▁having ▁a ▁lower ▁cost ▁than ▁any ▁domestic ▁produ ctions . ▁Dr ▁Who ' s