From 1963 to 1989, the BBC television program
Doctor Who
followed a time-traveling human-like alien called "The Doctor" as he sought to help people, save civilizations and right wrongs. Since its 2005 revival,
has become a pop culture phenomenon surpassing its "classic" period popularity and reaching a larger, more diverse audience. Though created as a family program, the series has dramatized serious themes in philosophy, science, religion, and politics.
's thoughtful presentation of a secular humanist view of the universe stands in stark contrast to the flashy special effects central to most science fiction on television. This examination of
from the perspective of philosophical humanism assesses the show's careful exploration of such topics as justice, ethics, good and evil, mythology and knowledge.