There have been countless different sci-fi TV shows over the years, but I challenge you to find anything better than Doctor Who. Take it to the comments below if you really think you can prove me wrong.
Some sci-fi stories are pretty lightweight, while others hold up a mirror to the real world, allowing us to see ourselves through a fantastical lens. Doctor Who is officially the longest-running sci-fi TV show of all time; the first episode aired in 1963, in the context of the JFK ᴀssᴀssination. Its longevity alone suggests how good it is.
Doctor Who Is The Greatest Science-Fiction TV Show Of All Time
“A thing that looks like a police box, standing in a junkyard, it can move anywhere in time and space?” Those words, spoken by William Russell’s Ian Chesterton in the very first episode of Doctor Who in 1963, tell you almost everything you need to know about the show’s (definitely rather eccentric) premise.
Most sci-fi TV shows are understandably limited by their core concept and premise. Stranger Things has struggled to go beyond Hawkins, Star Trek is hemmed in by decades of mythology, and even Star Wars classics like Andor exist in the shadow of the Death Star. But Doctor Who is different.
Doctor Who is limited only by the writer’s imagination. The show can go anywhere in time and space, from the Stone Age to the end of the world and back again. It can be hard sci-fi, supernatural thriller, or even riff on Eurovision. Every Doctor Who story is a brand-new adventure. There’s literally nothing quite like it.
Regeneration Is The Secret Of Doctor Who’s Success
How many TV shows can survive after their star leaves? That was the challenge that faced Doctor Who all the way back in 1966, when William Hartnell’s health began to decline. The solution was regeneration, an alien power that allows the Doctor to switch forms and be replaced by a brand-new actor (or actress).
Other long-running franchises need to relaunch themselves every time they start getting old; how many times has Star Trek introduced a new starship and crew? But relaunches are literally baked into Doctor Who, because every regeneration is an opportunity for the show to reinvent itself, taking on a new form and shape.
The BBC canceled Doctor Who in 1989, and it didn’t stick, with Russell T. Davies reinventing the show in 2005. Doctor Who‘s fanbase is eternally fearful of another cancellation, but this show has already outlived all its rivals, and that secret of regeneration should mean Doctor Who stands strong even when Stranger Things is just a fond memory.
Companions Have Become So Much More Than Eye-Candy
I’m not going to pretend Doctor Who has never put a foot wrong. The early shows were made on a shoestring budget, meaning special effects are often pretty cringeworthy (and the sets wobble), while some of the early companions were definitely eye candy. But modern Doctor Who is a big-budget (Disney+) affair, and companions have become a vital audience surrogate.
This usually means the companion is an everyday character thrown into situations that are decidedly not everyday. They become the lens through which we see the Doctor, and we find ourselves falling in love with the Time Lord along with them (sometimes literally). It’s an opportunity for deep, thrilling character arcs – and total immersion, with all disbelief suspended in sheer joy.
It’s a trick no other franchise can replicate, a blend of fantasy and the everyday that makes every story a thrill. The police once complained after an officer was unmasked, revealing a waxwork dummy’s head beneath it; officer morale suffered because kids became scared of the police in the real world. That is how powerful Doctor Who can be.
The Doctor’s Rogues’ Gallery Should Never Be Underestimated
The Doctor’s enemies have constantly evolved – another advantage of time travel, meaning Doctor Who doesn’t need to worry about changing Klingon foreheads. The Daleks may look like a race of malevolent pepperpots, but they’ve sent generations of kids cowering behind the sofa. The Cybermen literally feel like the inspiration for the Borg.
And then there are the recent additions. Who can forget the chilling Weeping Angels, the creeping Vashta Nerada, or the Beast of the Pit – a creature from horror lurking near the event horizon of a black hole? Again, the infinite potential of Doctor Who means every writer can create something fresh, new, and potentially iconic.
Most TV shows exist within limits. Stranger Things‘ villains are tied to Dr. Brenner and the Upside Down, Star Trek is always encountering strange new worlds (and the occasional interdimensional godlike being). Doctor Who? The Doctor can face anything, from a time-traveling racist to the Devil himself.
Infinite potential, unlimited opportunities, beyond any other series. That’s why Doctor Who is the greatest sci-fi TV show of all time.
