50 Years Ago Today - The First Try At Doctor Who

On September 9, 1963, the pilot for Doctor Who, "An Unearthly Child", was shot at Lime Grove Studios in London. The episode was directed by Waris Hussein, and featured a more sinister Doctor (William Hartnell) and an alien-acting granddaughter, Susan (Carole Ann Ford). After the shooting, creator and Canadian Sydney Newman took Hussein and his producer, Verity Lambert, out to dinner. There, he told them he should fire both of them, but was going to give them a second chance. The second pilot, shot almost a month later, featured a softer Hartnell, which was the reason the type-casted tough guy took the role in the first place. Also, Susan became more like a modern teenager, and instead of 49th century Earth, the two were from "another time, another place," allowing for more mystery in the show. That "An Unearthly Child" would air in November, and the rest they say is history.
Read more, including set plans, at the Radio Times.