Who's Doctor Who? - What IS Doctor Who?
Who's Doctor Who?
Photos: Marcus Durham, Steve      Hill and Louise Lobinske
This page last updated on May 10, 2013
Author: Allen Robinson
William Hartnell
1963-1966
Doctor Who was created in early 1963 by Sydney              Newman and Donald Wilson. Intended as a children's show, which would              combine "an exciting adventure in time and space" with educational              content about science and history, it soon became popular with              adults as well. When the program debuted, on Saturday, November 23,              1963, it starred William Hartnell as The Doctor, a mysterious              traveler in time and space. Hartnell was known for his tough              sergeant roles in films and on TV, including a long-running role in              the popular series The Army Game. He'd also played the sad              old man who befriended Richard Harris's football player in Lindsay              Anderson's film, This Sporting Life, and it was this part              which won him the role of The Doctor. As played by Hartnell, The              Doctor was a crotchety old man who'd been stranded in 1963 while              trying to repair his time machine, the TARDIS. Susan, his              granddaughter, was attending school, and two of her teachers became              curious about her extensive knowledge of some subjects and her              total ignorance of others. They followed her one evening and found              her "home" was a police telephone call box sitting in a junkyard, a              police box which was bigger inside than out. They were further              alarmed when The Doctor, fearing that they'd tell their friends              about the amazing things they'd seen, decided they could not be              allowed to leave, and set his TARDIS in motion. The four travelers              landed on prehistoric Earth and became involved with a tribe which              had lost the secret of fire. From these humble beginnings a legend              was born. The second story introduced the Daleks, an alien menace              which came back to haunt The Doctor throughout his lives, and whose              instant popularity ensured the show's early success. The First              Doctor's stories alternated between costume dramas set in Earth's              past, and science fiction stories, which usually took place on alien              worlds.
William Hartnell's co-stars: Carole Ann Ford              as Susan Foreman, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, Jacqueline Hill              as Barbara Wright, Maureen O'Brien as Vicki, Peter Purves as Steven              Taylor, Adrienne Hill as Katarina, Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom,              Jackie Lane as Dodo Chaplet, Anneke Wills as Polly, and Michael Craze as Ben Jackson
The Second Doctor
Patrick Troughton
1966-1969
When William Hartnell left the show in 1966 the production              team hit on an amazing idea. Rather than recasting the role with a              similar actor, they decided that the next Doctor, while retaining              the same intelligence and curiosity, would have a different physical              appearance and personality. They chose Patrick Troughton as the new              Doctor, and his success in the role paved the way for the nine other              actors who would assume the part. Troughton, a popular character              actor known for roles in Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare films, and              for his appearances in several Hammer horror classics, played The              Doctor until 1969, fighting an array of menaces which included the              Cybermen, Yeti, and Ice Warriors. His second story, The              Highlanders, was the last of the recurring historical stories.              As Troughton's era neared its end, it was decided that his successor              would spend much of his time on Earth. To pave the way for this              change in the show's format, The Invasion introduced the              United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, a paramilitary group              commanded by Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, which had been              formed to combat alien menaces. In Troughton's final story, The              War Games, the audience learned that The Doctor was a fugitive              from his own people, the Time Lords, who had left his home planet,              in part because he wanted to take an active role in a universe which              the other Time Lords were content merely to observe. As punishment              for his interference in the affairs of others, the Time Lords exiled              The Doctor to Earth in the latter half of the 20th century, and              caused him to change his appearance again.
Patrick Troughton's co-stars: Anneke Wills as Polly, Michael Craze as              Ben, Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon, Deborah Watling as Victoria              Waterfield, Wendy Padbury as Zoe Herriot, Nicholas Courtney as              Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, and John Levene as Corporal              Benton
The Third Doctor 
Jon Pertwee
1970-1974
The Doctor's next regeneration was played by Jon              Pertwee, who was perhaps best known for his long-running radio              series The Navy Lark, and for his appearances in the Carry              On films. The Third Doctor spent much of his time helping UNIT              battle a variety of menaces, including the Silurians, the Sea              Devils, the Autons, the Sontarans, and most importantly, another              renegade Time Lord known as The Master, a former friend of The              Doctor who would become his greatest single adversary. In contrast              to his predecessors, The Third Doctor was a man of action, a              characterization which reflected Pertwee's own interests. This              Doctor was as likely to defeat his enemies with exotic martial arts              or swordplay as he was to outwit them. He dressed in a flamboyant              style, and was fond of fast vehicles and fine food and drink. He              also suffered fools even less gladly than the previous Doctors.              Perhaps as a way of reassuring himself that his exile wouldn't last              forever, he delighted in mentioning historical figures and events              he'd been involved with. Following The Three Doctors, an              adventure in which he and his earlier incarnations preserved the              power of the Time Lords, The Doctor's sentence of exile was              rescinded. Although he enjoyed his new freedom, The Doctor continued              to work with UNIT on a regular basis until the end of Pertwee's run              in 1974.
Jon Pertwee's co-stars: Nicholas Courtney as              Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Caroline John as Liz Shaw, John Levene              as Sgt. Benton, Katy Manning as Jo Grant, Richard Franklin as Capt.              Mike Yates, and Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith
The Fourth Doctor
Tom Baker
1974-1981
The Fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker, was the              longest-running and arguably the most popular of all the Doctors.              His previous credits included the role of Rasputin in Nicholas              and Alexandra, and an appearance in The Golden Voyage of              Sinbad which earned him the role of The Doctor. If you ask              casual viewers of the series to describe The Doctor, there's a good              chance they'll choose this incarnation. With his height, curly hair,              toothy grin, and his incredibly long scarf, The Fourth Doctor was              the most visually imposing of them all. During the Tom Baker era the              audience learned a great deal more about the Time Lords. They also              saw the origin of the Daleks, and met their creator, Davros, the              sole threat to The Master's status as the show's most memorable              single villain. The Fourth Doctor's stories introduced a host of new              foes, few of whom would return in later years. When this Doctor              stopped his enemies, it was usually a decisive defeat. Aside from              Davros, the only major new adversary to return in later years was              the Black Guardian, a cosmic force of evil whom The Doctor              encountered during his quest for a powerful artifact called the Key              to Time. Tom Baker's whimsical sense of humor and unpredictability              also restored the alien feel of The Doctor, which had been somewhat              less prominent during the character's exile.
Tom Baker's              co-stars: Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane, Ian Marter as              Surgeon-Lieutenant Harry Sullivan, Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier              Lethbridge-Stewart, John Levene as Sgt. Benton, Louise Jameson as              Leela, John Leeson and David Brierley as the voice of K-9, Mary Tamm              and Lalla Ward as Romana, Matthew Waterhouse as Adric, Sarah Sutton              as Nyssa, and Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka
The Fifth Doctor
Peter Davison
1982-1984
Baker's successor, Peter Davison, the second youngest actor to              assume the role in the series, did a remarkable job of combining the              indecisiveness and enthusiasm of youth with the wisdom of age. The              actor was well-known for his role as the young vet Tristan in the              long-running series All Creatures Great and Small, as well as              appearances in several popular situation comedies. The Fifth              Doctor's victories were usually earned at great cost, including the              first death of a traveling companion since the Hartnell era. The              Fifth Doctor encountered enemies, such as the Silurians, the Sea              Devils, the Black Guardian, and allies, including Susan and the              Brigadier, who hadn't been seen in many years. The Davison years saw              the return of the historical story, and, as with Tom Baker's final              season, an effort was made to link one adventure with the next, an              idea which had been largely abandoned after the Troughton era. The              Fifth Doctor's stories included the program's 20th anniversary              special, The Five Doctors, which saw the returns of Patrick              Troughton and Jon Pertwee, the appearance of Richard Hurndall as The              First Doctor (William Hartnell died in 1975), and in footage from an              incomplete story, Shada, a brief appearance by The Fourth              Doctor (Tom Baker, citing his relatively recent departure, declined              to return). The Davison stories generally succeeded in returning the              series to the more serious tone of its earlier days, which was              largely lost during the later seasons of his predecessor's              era.
Peter Davison's co-stars: Matthew Waterhouse as              Adric, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, Janet Fielding as Tegan, Mark              Strickson as Turlough, Gerald Flood as the voice of Kamelion, and              Nicola Bryant as Perpugilliam (Peri) Brown
The Sixth Doctor
Colin Baker
1984-1986
When Davison left the program in 1984, he was              replaced by Colin Baker, who would prove to be the most              controversial Doctor ever. Baker, who was well-known for his role in              the popular soap opera The Brothers, had previously appeared in the series in the Davison story Arc of Infinity. The Sixth              Doctor never seemed to stabilize after his regeneration, and              suffered from frequent mood swings. This era introduced another              renegade Time Lord, The Rani, and included the only accidental              meeting of two Doctors (with Pat Troughton's final appearance as The              Second Doctor; the beloved actor died in 1987). The audience never              quite knew what to expect from The Sixth Doctor, which reinforced              the character's alien nature. This rather daring version of The              Doctor alienated some of the program's fans, and many of its casual              viewers. It also proved unpopular with BBC management, who placed              the show on hiatus for 18 months after Baker's first full season. It              returned in 1986 with a 14-part story, The Trial of a Time              Lord, which reflected the show's uncertain future. While the              ratings ensured that the series would return in 1987, the BBC chose              to replace Colin Baker in the role.
Colin Baker's co-stars: Nicola Bryant as Peri, Lynda Bellingham as The              Inquisitor, Michael Jayston as The Valeyard, and Bonnie Langford as              Melanie Bush
The Seventh Doctor
Sylvester McCoy
1987-1989
Sylvester McCoy's credits before he was chosen as The              Seventh Doctor included The Secret Policeman's Other Ball and              the Frank Langella version of Dracula. The Seventh Doctor              began as a clownish figure, somewhat similar to Pat Troughton's              Doctor, which fit in with McCoy's reputation as an outlandish stage              comedian, known for such stunts as stuffing ferrets down his              trousers. As The Doctor settled into this new regeneration, however,              the audience discovered that this was the darkest and most              mysterious Doctor yet. The Doctor's origins became a question mark              again, with hints that he was a much more important and powerful              figure than had been previously believed. He took care of "unfinished business" with the Daleks and Cybermen, attempting to              end their menaces once and for all. The Doctor's latest companion,              the misfit teenager Ace, was given considerably more character              development than most of her predecessors, with several of the              stories revolving around her. The Doctor seemed to be testing Ace,              manipulating her in preparation for an unknown destiny. Sadly, the              results of this subplot were never to be seen on screen. Faced with              rising production costs and declining ratings, the BBC chose to              cancel Doctor Who, and the program's final regular episode              was broadcast on December 6, 1989.
Sylvester McCoy's co-stars: Bonnie Langford as Melanie, Sophie Aldred as Ace
The Eighth Doctor
Paul McGann
1996
Aside from 1993's Dimensions in Time, an              out-of-continuity story produced for charity in which all of the              surviving Doctors appeared, and an anniversary documentary, 30              Years in the TARDIS, The Doctor's televised adventures              seemed to have ended. Finally, after years of rumors and false              hopes, production began on a made-for-TV movie. This film, Doctor              Who, shown in May 1996, featured a brief return by McCoy, who              soon regenerated into The Eighth Doctor, played by Paul McGann.              Perhaps best known at the time for his role in the cult film Withnail and              I, McGann's more recent credits include appearances in Queen of the Damned and in two of the Hornblower TV movies, shown in the United States on A&E. While the TV movie paid tribute to much of the              history of Doctor Who, it was perhaps most greatly influenced by The Third              Doctor's era. (Sadly, Jon Pertwee died within a week of its              broadcast.) The Eighth Doctor shocked long-term fans by revealing              that he was half human, and by kissing the attractive surgeon who              had inadvertently caused his regeneration (the previous Doctors were              not romantic heroes). Despite fine performances by McGann, Daphne              Ashbrook as Dr. Grace Holloway, and Eric Roberts as The Master, the              movie wasn't the success that had been hoped for. It received              respectable ratings in Britain and elsewhere, but was considered a              failure by its American co-producers, and hopes for a revival of the              series were again in limbo.
Interim 
1997-2005
While fans awaited the return of an ongoing series of              television adventures, a few important events indicated that The Doctor hadn't entirely disappeared from the small screen. A              comedy special, Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death, produced for Red Nose              Day 1999, the annual British Comic Relief telethon, starred              Rowan Atkinson as The Ninth Doctor and Jonathan Pryce as The Master,              and featured the Daleks, with appearances by Richard E. Grant, Jim              Broadbent, Hugh Grant, and Joanna Lumley as the Tenth through              Thirteenth Doctors. In November 1999, BBC 2 devoted an evening to              the series. Who Night, hosted by Tom Baker, included              interviews, documentaries, comedy sketches, an episode of the first               Dalek story, and a broadcast of the McGann film. This was followed              by a brief run of adventures from the Pertwee and Tom Baker eras. In     addition to the specials and reruns on TV, there were also audio adventures by Big Finish Productions , who started     an ongoing series with Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann, along with other members of the original series cast. In 2001 and 2002,     Internet adventures joined the mix when the BBC produced semi-animated stories     for website broadcast. These included Death Comes To Time featuring Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, Real     Time with Colin Baker, and a remake of Shada with Paul McGann as The Doctor (Tom Baker, the Doctor in the original,     unfinished Shada, had declined to appear). In late 2003, the BBC     announced the casting of a new Doctor, the above mentioned Richard E. Grant, for     a planned series of fully animated adventures to be broadcast online. The first     adventure, Scream     of the Shalka , was shown on the BBC website starting in November 2003.     That same month, Doctor Who Magazine ran a story about a new     television series being commissioned by BBC 1, but it wasn't until March     2004 that the BBC announced the casting of Christopher Eccleston as The Ninth Doctor     for the new series.
The Ninth Doctor
Christopher Eccleston
2005
BBC Worldwide, which had the rights to do a movie but which had not used them, agreed to let BBC 1 Controller Lorraine Heggessey do the series she had been waiting to do.       The new series would be produced at BBC Wales, with Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner and Mal Young as executive       producers. On Saturday, March 26, 2005, British Who fans were treated to the sight of ordinary shopgirl Rose Tyler going       about her day until the shop window dummies come to life and try to kill her. A guy in a leather jacket seems to       know what to do, and so The Ninth Doctor, as played by Christopher Eccleston, was introduced to a new generation       of fans. Eccleston, who had a strong reputation in drama, had also worked with Russell T. Davies on The Second Coming. His Doctor seemed to bring back some of the humor of the Fourth Doctor, but with a dark, brooding edge. Through The Ninth Doctor, we learn that Gallifrey has been destroyed and he is the last of the Time Lords. While he never admits to his new companion Rose that he is half-human, he is at the same time not       afraid to show his affection for her, and even invites her on board the TARDIS twice before she accepts. Questions       of The Doctor's romantic and sexual nature seem to have finally been answered.
Christopher Eccleston's co-stars: Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, Camille Coduri     as Jackie Tyler, Noel Clarke as Mickey Smith, Bruno Langley as Adam, John Barrowman as     Captain Jack Harkness
The Tenth Doctor
David Tennant
2005-2009
Christopher Eccleston      had signed a one-year contract. As it turned out, David Tennant had been skirting      around the role of The Doctor for quite some time, appearing in Scream of the Shalka and Colditz, as well as Sympathy for the Devil and Exile, two Doctor Who      Unbound adventures by Big Finish. Also, as a subscriber to Doctor Who Magazine before he got the part, Tennant may have the distinction of being the first      Doctor Who fan to be cast as The Doctor. This incarnation is more comfortable with full-blood humans, while occasionally taking time out to chastise us when he feels we need it.
David Tennant's co-stars: Billie Piper as Rose, Camille Coduri as Jackie, Noel Clarke as Mickey, John Barrowman as Captain Jack, Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones, Adjoa Andoh as Francine Jones, Kylie Minogue as Astrid, Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane, John Leeson as the voice of K-9, Thomas Knight as Luke, Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Penelope Wilton as Harriet Jones, Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble, Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott, Alexander Armstrong as the voice of Mr. Smith
The Eleventh Doctor