Doctor Who American/Season 1

is 1960. Sydney Newman and Verity Lambertbegan development of a new sci-fi series titled Doctor Who which was originally pitched to the BBC. Yet, The show didn't interest the BBC. So they decided to move to America to find a home there. During that time, CBS’s latest series, The Twilight Zone has become a stellar success with fans alike with fabulous reviews. Sydney Newman and Verity Lambert pitched the show to CBS to which they very liked the concept and idea giving the show a possible chance. Former producer Buck Houghton, having a small run with The Twilight Zone, was brought on board to help develop the show with Sydney and Verity, But Buck only wrote episodes and needed more help with the series then just Sydney and Verity,. Roger Corman was hired by CBS to help with the series after he finished filming The Raven and X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes. Cyril Hume was eventually brought in too after his film in 1956 Forbidden Planet was a worldwide box office hit.

Buck Houghton suggested  Burgess Meredith. seeing as he worked with Meredith in the Season 1 episode “Time Enough At Last” and the other Twilight Zone episode The Obselete Man and Mr. Dingle  was a spot on pick for Verity and Sydney wanted to portray The Doctor. And after CBS's suggestion  Ray Walston declined the role as he was in development of  filming a tv show called My Favorite Martian. The companions introduced were Susan Foreman,Joanne Smith and Carlos Burgstien. Susan who would be the granddaughter to the Doctor being portrayed by Susan Pleshette after appearing in the breakout role as Pruedence Bell in the 1962 movie Rome Adventure,. Tippi Hedren was cast as Joanne after turning down the role of Melanie in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds Earl Holliman who was also a regular on The Twilight Zone was also cast as Carlos as his show Wide Country was to end after only gaining one season. In Addition, The Tardis would be a phone booth as eventually the movie Bill and Ted: Excellent Adventure  would be criticized,by fans claiming to be a ripoff to Doctor Who in the future.

The series consisted of eight episodes An Unearthly Child The Daleks where The Doctor comes face to face with an old familiar enemy The Edge of Destruction, Marco Polo The Keys of Marinus and The Aztecs.

Cast


 * Burgess Meredith as The Doctor
 * Suzanne Pleshette as Susan Foreman
 * Tippi Hedren as Joanne Smith
 * Earl Holliman as Carlos Burgstien
 * Guest
 * Raymond Burr as Marco Polo
 * Chuck Hayward as Tegana
 * Karl Sweenson as Kublai Khan
 * John Carradine as Tlotoxl