Dr. Who (memo)

"Dr. Who" was the title given two memos that detail the original 1963 pitch for Doctor Who, then titled Dr. Who.

Science Fiction: Characters and Setup
Before the "Dr. Who" memos, C. E. Webber sent a memo to Donald Wilson on 29 March 1963. It was a prompt for a new science fiction show with two goals:


 * 1) It must attract and hold the audience.
 * 2) It must be adaptable to any [science fiction] story, so that we do not have to reject stories because they fail to fit into our setup.

It was the genesis of Doctor Who, with character archetypes that would evolve into the first main cast:


 * The handsome young man hero
 * The handsome welldressed heroine aged about 30
 * The maturer man, 35 - 40, with some "character" twist
 * A handwritten note from Syndey Newman reads, "Need a kid to get into trouble, make mistakes"

The rest of the proposal outlines the three main characters as scientists in a scientific firm in the near future, tackling problems no other organisation is equipt to handle. It also described the need for a headquarters with "a small lab fitted with way-out equipment". The prompt also suggested the idea of a permanent villain such as a "venal politician" or an "industrialist".

While the early seasons of Doctor Who would take a different path, Jon Pertwee era of the show would take a similar approach to this proposal (perhaps coincidentally) with UNIT being an organisation in the near future and the Master being a recurring villain.

"Dr. Who" General Notes on Background and Approach
The first memo that has the show's title lacks a date, but was made sometime between 29 March and 16 May 1963. It was written by C. E. Webber with handwritten notes from Sydney Newman.

This document defined many ideas that would evolve into the Doctor Who known today:
 * A schoolgirl named Biddy getting involved in Dr. Who's adventures in time and space.
 * A female teacher named Lola McGovern and a male teacher named Cliff.
 * The early outline of "Dr. Who", an old man lost in time and space with memory loss.
 * Dr. Who's machine can travel in time and space. It is faulty and obsolete (TV: The Claws of Axos, The Deadly Assassin, et all.), thus unreliable. It is capable of turning invisible (TV: The Invasion, Day of the Moon) to avoid it being a "common object in street such as a night-watchman's shelter" that functions a magic door.
 * Dr. Who has a mystery about him that should always be maintained. He is believed to be a criminal fleeing from his own time. Dr. Who stole his machine. (TV: The War Games et al.)
 * A mysterious enemy from the Doctor's own time pursues him through time and space. (Akin to The Monk and The Master.)
 * Authorities from Dr. Who's time are less concerned with him stealing the machine and are more concerned with him "monkeying with time". The show may visit his home time at some point. (TV: The War Games)
 * The first story will feature the protagonists being miniaturised. (TV: Planet of Giants)
 * The third story will feature a great calamity such as the destruction of the Earth. (TV: The Ark, The End of the World)
 * The suggestion that Merlin could have been Dr. Who. (TV: Battlefield)

"Dr. Who" General Notes on Background and Approach for an Exciting Adventure - Science Fiction Drama Series for Childrens [sic] Saturday Viewing
The second memo was sent to Controller of BBC1 Donald Baverstock on 16 May 1963, it outlined the concept of a proposed programme called Dr. Who. It was prepared by Donald Wilson, C. E. Webber and Sydney Newman.

This updated concept included:
 * A schoolgirl named Sue getting involved in Dr. Who's adventures in time and space.
 * A a male science teacher named Cliff and a female history teacher named Miss McGovern who help Sue find the home of Dr. Who.
 * The early outline of "Dr. Who", a 650-year-old man lost in time and space with memory loss about a galactic war he was involved in.
 * Dr. Who's machine can travel in time and space. It is faulty and obsolete (TV: The Claws of Axos, The Deadly Assassin, et all.), thus unreliable. Dr. Who stole it to escape his galaxy in the year 5733 and isn't sure how to work it. It is disguised as a police box but is an "extensive electronic contrivance" on the inside. Pressing the wrong buttons causes the ship to transport them through time and space.
 * The first story called "The Giants" will feature the protagonists being miniaturised in Cliff's school laboratory. (TV: Planet of Giants)

In other media
The Baverstock/Newman meeting implied by the memo was spoofed by Mark Gatiss and David Walliams in The Pitch of Fear.