Even though it has been more than five decades since the BBC's hit Doctor Who took to the airwaves, this television program has enchanted fans of all ages, taking chances that have doomed lesser programs.
Four factors that could explain the inter-generational popularity of Doctor Who:
* The instantly recognizable theme song: Composed by Ron Grainer, this theme song was mixed in the BBC studio, by Delia Debyshire. No other television show has such a unique-sounding theme.
* Outstanding writing: Many of the themes and occurrences throughout the show are scary and thematically, not meant for children. But, with sophisticated writing, and the doctor's typically nonviolent responses to danger, kids can watch and still sleep at bedtime. In fact, Doctor Who was originally meant for children, according to mentalfloss.com.
* The changing Doctor: What began as a problem, the original doctor's declining health, ended up as a trademark with a dozen new actors "regenerating" as the doctor during the series.
Piers Britton of the University of Redlands in California and author of TARDISbound told Forbes that the idea of change is central to the show. Even as popular culture changes, so does the show reinvent itself.
In addition the very Britishness of the show anchors it in UK culture while attracting viewers from all over the world.
Television host Craig Ferguson once said that the show is a "triumph of intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism."
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