Big Ideas Doctor Who turns 60 — why the world still loves you
Jul 21, 2025
John Higgs, a journalist and cultural historian, dives into the 60-year legacy of Doctor Who, revealing how it mirrors societal changes and adapts to cultural shifts. He shares moving anecdotes about the emotional connections fans have with the show's characters. Higgs explores the trickster archetype embodied by the Doctor and discusses its impact over the decades. The conversation also touches on the show's significance in shaping narratives and evolving personal identities through storytelling, celebrating its enduring appeal across generations.
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Tom Baker Inspires Genuine Awe
- John Higgs tells a story of meeting Tom Baker in a Soho pub and witnessing a man who showed genuine awe upon seeing the iconic Doctor Who actor.
- This moment made Higgs realize fictional characters like the Doctor hold profound meaning and impact in people's lives.
Doctor Who as a Crowdsourced Character
- Doctor Who's creation was not the result of a single vision but an evolving space for many contributors to shape.
- The character is deliberately undefined, allowing successive actors and writers to make it their own, which is rare in fiction.
The Doctor as a Trickster Archetype
- The Doctor embodies the archetype of the trickster, a boundary-crosser who incites change without moral weighting.
- This makes the character complex and fluid, able to adopt disguises but never fully turn into a conventional hero.
