"Run!"

Those were the first words instructed to Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) in the basement of department store Henrik's as a mysterious Northern grabs her by the arm and whisks her away from danger, narrowly avoiding a swipe from an animated mannequin.

Broadcast across the nation back in 2005 (even if interrupted by Graham Norton), the launch episode of 'Rose' was an entrance for many into a show of travelling through space and time, fighting monsters, saving planets, and being with The Doctor.

Yesterday, it was announced that Doctor Who would return to our screens in November with the first of three Anniversary Specials to coincide with the show's 60th anniversary. Today, the 24th of September, also marks 60 days until the 23rd of November, when the show began in 1963.

The show has touched the lives of countless people across the globe and is even my special interest as part of my Autism, which saw me contribute to the book Celebrate Regenerate a decade ago where I wrote about my favourite episode, 'The God Complex'.

In my opinion, the show is home to some of the UK's most talented individuals in the industry, whether it's the music of Murray Gold; the roster of talented directors like Toby Haynes, Jamie Childs, Rachel Talalay or Eros Lyn; the special effects from Danny Hargreaves, or the unmatched writing by the likes of Toby Whithouse, Vinay Patel, Mark Gatiss, and of course Steven Moffat and Russell T. Davies. The show is a mainstay of British culture and its talent forever reinforces it.

We all have our own Doctor, favourite episode, and favourite companion, wishing it was us instead of being whisked away to see all of time and space. For me, it's Matt Smith, his childish silliness being a defensive reaction to the tragedies, whereas Christopher Eccleston entered as a hardened, sharp-tongued cynic having witnessed the horrors of the Time War.

"We all change, when you think about it, we're all different people; all through our lives, and that's okay, that's good, you've gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be."

Through the different Doctors, their personalities and their stories, we learn more about ourselves, and the world around them. After all, Doctor Who began as a project aimed to educate audiences on history and socio-political issues. From tackling racism in the award-nominated episode 'Rosa', to the tensions of mob mentalities in 'Midnight', the show is constantly reflecting our own society as it is a fictionalisation of different worlds or universes.

Doctor Who will always have a special place in my heart, and celebrating its anniversary is always a chance to reflect on what it means, and just how I, and many others, have had their lives transformed by its wonderous, camp, and joyful flare.

Allons-y!