Professor X

Professor X was a BBC science fiction television series which ran from 1963 to 1989.

The show concerned a mysterious scientist who travelled through time and space inside a TASID, a ship which resembled a pillar box on the outside. (PROSE: No Future) Alice Lloyd told the Sixth Doctor that Professor X was always exploring dimensions similar to their own, including one where the Nazis won the Second World War and one where Kennedy wasn't assassinated. (AUDIO: The End of the Line)

One of its most popular stories, produced during the 1960s, was Vault of the Cyborgs. (AUDIO: Klein's Story) The twelfth story of Series Three was entitled "The Rage of the Weylanni." Ellis Andrews did not consider it to be one of the series' better stories. (AUDIO: The Crooked Man) The show had a "missing" Christmas episode. (PROSE: Conundrum)

In 1976, the character was being played by Frankie Howerd. During that same year, Bernice Summerfield, apparently unfamiliar with this aspect of 20th century popular culture, encountered the Professor in his own fictional world inside the Mediasphere. Using his TASID, the Professor dropped her off in the real universe. Benny noticed his resemblance to the Seventh Doctor and appreciated the character all the more because of it. (PROSE: No Future)

Dave Young played a Cybertron in one of the final episodes of the series. (PROSE: Escape Velocity)

In May, 1996, a Professor X movie premiered. A novel series called Professor X: The New Adventures also existed, of which Joel Mintz had written a submission for. (PROSE: The Room With No Doors)

In the early 21st century, re-runs of Professor X were broadcast on UK Gold.(PROSE: The Deadstone Memorial)

Professor X was among the 20th century Earth television shows broadcast by Reef Station One in the New Earth Republic during the 101st century. Fans argued whether the latest incarnation of Professor X was the ninth or tenth. Monsters battled by the Professor included the XTerminators, Snow Vikings, whom debuted in The Snow Vikings, and Cybs. (PROSE: Synthespians™)

References

The series had merchandise based on it, (PROSE: Conundrum) which included fanzines. The show had overseas fans in such places as the United States. (PROSE: Return of the Living Dad)

Ace's younger brother Liam McShane was a fan of the series. (AUDIO: The Rapture)

American fans called themselves X-ians, while the British ones preferred to be known as Professor X Appreciation Association, with Internet-based fan organisations. (PROSE: Escape Velocity)

Behind the scenes

It has been suggested that the fictional series was designed as a tribute to the Doctor Who series itself, given the evidence listed above concerning similar running dates, characters and plotlines. It is possible that Professor X would in effect serve to replace Doctor Who in the Doctor Who universe. If that were the case, it's similar to the relationship between Quatermass and Nightshade.

External links

• The Professor X Programme Guide - A humorous fan-created guide to the fictional series, via Internet Archive: Wayback Machine