How many seasons were in the classic Doctor Who series from 1963 to 1989? The classic series had 26 seasons. It began on BBC One on 23 November 1963 and ended on 6 December 1989 with the final episode of Survival.
The 26 seasons included seven Doctors: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy. The programme's original format usually presented stories as multi-episode serials, so a season's episode count could vary considerably from one year to another.
This number is sometimes confused with the 2005 revival's overall numbering. The first revival series was promoted as the twenty-seventh season overall, because it followed the original run, although modern listings generally label it Series 1. The 1996 television film did not constitute a regular season.
The classic run was interrupted by an eighteen-month hiatus in 1985, but production resumed for Seasons 23 through 26. After the BBC ended the original programme in 1989, Doctor Who returned as a regular television series in 2005.