Doctor Who in Australia

Doctor Who in Australia refers to the history and culture surrounding the British Broadcasting Corporation science fiction programme Doctor Who since its first broadcast in Australia in January 1965.

From its origins Australians have had many links to Doctor Who: two Australian writers played key roles in the series' gestation - C.E. "Bunny" Webber and Anthony Coburn, Coburn having worked on the pre-production and first story; the iconic Doctor Who theme music was written by Australian musician Ron Grainer; one-time Australian ballet composer Dudley Simpson wrote incidental music for many stories during the 1960s and 1970s; and the actress Janet Fielding played popular companion Tegan in the 1980s.

Additionally, the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) was one of the first and longest term purchasers of the series from the BBC, initially planning its Australian debut for May 1964, only six months after the UK premiere.

In 1979 the ABC organised a nationwide promotional tour by then-current Doctor Tom Baker and, in 1983, it co-funded the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors.

Australia was also a key market for the many products licensed by BBC Enterprises and the success of the series in Australia was an important factor in its worldwide penetration; English-speaking countries in the Asia-Pacific region generally bought whatever episodes the ABC had cleared for its own use, and BBC Enterprises' office for the entire region was in Sydney and dealt with the censors and marketing.

Australians have played significant roles in the creation of Doctor Who ever since 1963. The Australian author C.E. Webber was instrumental in establishing the series' premise, while the first Doctor Who story to air, An Unearthly Child, was written by fellow Australian author Anthony Coburn. Another Australian, Bill Strutton, wrote the 1965 serial The Web Planet.

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