BBC America to air older 'Doctor Who' serials

 

Before the 2005 return of Doctor Who, there was 26 seasons of TOS -including the back stories of the Daleks, the Cybermen, Sarah Jane Smith, K9, The Master and the Time Lords themselves which all have made appearances in the modern series. 

Back then, the series was told in serial format, with complete stories told over 4 or more 25 minute episodes (though there was a handful of 2 part ones, as well as one story -The Dalek Masterplan- that stretched over 12{!} half hour episodes). And while most of the older generation was brought up on them, today's modern viewer is reluctant to watch a serial that can span two to three hours long (if not longer) and be in black&white. Of course, this is why TOS is hard to find in syndication, though some PBS stations still air the show.

And even though all the surviving episodes of TOS are now out on DVD (the BBC wiped many adventures of both the first and second Doctor. And while that was done for economic reasons -videotape was expensive back then- it also reflected the inability of people to predict the the future) and some can be found on services like Netflix, it appears most of the newer fans want only to watch the modern Doctor Who, starting with Christopher Eccelston's portrayal of the Ninth Doctor on through David Tennant's Tenth and Matt Smith current incarnation.

But as the show moves towards its 50th Anniversary in November, BBC America is giving the newer viewers a chance to see previous adventures of the good Time Lord. From January through November, the cable net will air one complete adventure from each of the Eleven Doctors, starting January 27th with The Aztecs, a 1964 adventure featuring the First Doctor (the late William Hartnell) and his original companions, granddaughter Susan (Carol Anne Ford), and teachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (the late Jacqueline Hill).