N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!

Although I did watch Doctor Who‘s unaired pilot episode way back at the beginning of this blog when viewing the transmitted version of An Unearthly Child, it’s significant to me as it marks what was likely the last time something Doctor Who-related was transmitted to which I didn’t pay attention!

That’s because, on 26th August 1991, the BBC aired the original pilot episode of An Unearthly Child.

Or at least one version of it was transmitted!

The Doctor Who Wiki makes it clear that there are at least five versions of the Doctor Who pilot episode out there: the version on The Hartnell Years VHS tape (which I still have), the version transmitted in August 1991 (which I didn’t see), the version on The Edge of Destruction VHS tape (which I don’t have) and the two versions in the The Beginning DVD box set. It is the “corrected” DVD version that is presumably the edition available on Britbox (unless there’s a sixth edit)?

My request for the eventual Season One collection Blu-ray is that they include an option to view all of these versions!

“I was born in the 49th century …”

Susan, An Unearthly Child [The Pilot Episode]

If you ignore the technical and dialogue flubs, there are some interesting differences from the version that ended up being re-recorded and transmitted on 23rd November 1963, not least being the softening somewhat of the Doctor’s character.

Whichever edition you watch, it’s worth your time, warts ‘n’ all — something which could be said for Doctor Who in general!