SINGAPORE — Although having a humanoid alien travelling in a time machine and saving the world may sound like a rather cheesy plot to some, there’s no denying the appeal of science-fiction drama, Doctor Who.

The series, which began in 1963, has not only been regaling audiences with tales of Doctor Who — thus named because his real name is quite unpronounceable. It has also received recognition as one of Britain’s finest television series and was even listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest-running and most successful science-fiction drama of all time.

British actor Matt Smith, who landed the role as the Eleventh Doctor, the youngest person to play the iconic character, was clearly proud to be celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary. “It’s a thrill to be in the 50th anniversary. I feel very proud to be part of it and it’s a credit to everyone who started the show back in the ’60s that it’s come this far. It’s a great format and a great idea,” said Smith, who will act alongside David Tennant (who played the Tenth Doctor) and John Hurt (the unknown incarnation of The Doctor) in the series’ 50th Anniversary Special — The Day Of The Doctor.

While Smith said the different Doctors never had any competition off-screen, he admitted that he felt weird working with Tennant for the 50th Anniversary Special. “It’s quite strange, I always sort of get that surreal thing of looking at David and thinking, ‘Oh my God, there’s Doctor Who’. And John is acting royalty … I think, looking back over my tenure on this show, one of the great privileges has been the quality of actors that you get to work with.” Kimberly Fong

What: Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary Special — The Day Of The Doctor

When: Nov 24, 3.50am

(encore telecast 7.30pm)

Where: BBC Entertainment

(StarHub Channel 521)