1960 (production)

On 19 May 1960, Tobias and the Angel airs. This opera production is notable for having been worked upon by Ben Palmer, who pioneered the Howlaround effect. This had been seen by Verity Lambert, and taken her interest. Of particular significance is opening of the production, which features howlaround elements that would later be used in the first Doctor Who title sequence. (Palmer would also later assist on the recording sessions for Doctor Who's title sequence.) As such, this has the significance of being the first known TV appearance of a piece of footage that would appear in Doctor Who.

Also during May, the BBC's Head of Serials, Donald Wilson, established the Monitoring Group, also known as the Survey Group, whose job was to keep the BBC informed about current trends in various genres of entertainment. In a couple of years, the work of this group would become foundational to the creation of Doctor Who.