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Doctor Who was the longest running science fiction TV series on earth (November 23, 1963 - December 6, 1989) and the Britsh Broadcasting Coporation's longest running series of any type.

Doctor Who featured the adventures through time and space of the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. The series title is a question (Doctor who?) as the Doctor's origins were originally a mystery (that he's a Time Lord was not revealed until 1969 and that he's from the planet Gallifrey was not revealed until 1973), there is no such person in the series as "Doctor Who". On occasion the Doctor will use the alias Dr. John Smith. His real name is a secret he's unwilling to share with anyone. When a student at the Prydonian Acamedy on Gallifrey he was known by the nickname "Sigma" and his calling card uses that greek letter.

Upon reaching extreme old age or when suffering great physical damage, Time Lords can regenerate all the cells in their bodies, healing the damage and giving them a new appearance. They can do this 12 times, effectively giving them 13 "lives". The Doctor has done it 7 times, meaning there are 8 of him. Rengeneration also has some effect on the personality, so each Doctor although maintaing some core beliefs (such as a great curiosity and a concern for those in need) has his own quirks. The 1st and 6th Doctors for example were not very friendly, at first. The 2nd played the recorder. The 3rd liked old cars and tickering with things. The 4th wore absurdly long scarves. The 5th was very found of celery. The 7th had a bit of a ruthless streak.

The Doctor

Doctor 1
William Hartnell (29 stories/134 episodes)
November 23, 1963 - Octoober 29, 1966
An Unearthly Child - The Tenth Planet

Doctor 2
Patrick Troughton (21 stories/119 episodes)
November 5, 1966 - June 21, 1969
The Power of the Daleks - The War Games

Doctor 3
Jon Pertwee (24 stories/128 episodes)
January 3, 1970 - June 8, 1974
Spearhead from Space - Planet of the Spiders

Doctor 4
Tom Baker (42 stories/178 episodes)
December 28, 1974 - March 21, 1981
Robot - Logopolis

Doctor 5
Peter Davison (20 stories/74 episodes)
January 4, 1982 - March 16, 1984
Castrovalva - The Caves of Androzani

Doctor 6
Colin Baker (8 stories/31 episodes)
March 22, 1984 - December 6, 1986
The Twin Dilemma - The Trial of a Time Lord
(11 episodes were 50 minutes each instead of 25)

Doctor 7
Sylvester McCoy (12 stories/42 episodes)
September 7, 1987 - December 6, 1989
Time and the Rani - Survival

Doctor 8
Paul McGann (1 story)
Doctor Who (95 minute TV movie)
May 14, 1996 (US) / May 27, 1996 (UK)
(Sylvester McCoy appears in the beginning of this film)

Doctor 9
Christopher Eccleston (10 stories/13 episodes)
March 26, 2005 - June 18, 2005
Rose - The Parting of the Ways

Doctor 10
Dave Tennant (22 stories /30 episodes so far)
April 15, 2006 - ?
New Earth - ?


The original series consisted of a total of 708 episodes, 698 twenty-five minutes each, 11 fifty minutes each and 1 ninety minute special. The first 255 episodes were filmed in black and white. This series was followed by an American made 95 minute TV movie. The new series, which begain in 2005 consists of 43 episodes (so far), 38 forty-five minutes each, 1 fifty-two minutes, 3 sixty minute specials and 1 seven minute special.

The new series is going on hiatus for 2009. There are three specials planned but no weekly series. The series is set to return in 2010.

In 1965 Peter Cushing stared in the movie "Doctor Who And The Daleks". This movie was based on the TV series episodes "The Daleks". In 1966 Peter Cushing stared in the movie "The Dalek Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.", based on "The Dalek Invasion of Earth". In these movies Cushing was a human, from Earth, with the last name of "Who" not the Time Lord from Gallifrey known as "The Doctor".

At age 55 William Hartnell was the oldest actor to play the Doctor, at age 30 Peter Davison was the youngest. William Hartnell died April 24, 1975 at age 67, in England after a series of strokes. Patrick Troughton died March 28, 1987 at age 67, heart attack while visiting USA (Georgia). Jon Pertwee died May 20, 1996 at age 77, heart attack while visiting USA (New York).

The Doctor's TARDIS

TARDIS

The Doctor travels through time and space in TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). The name TARDIS was invented by the Doctor's granddaughter Susan. To the Time Lords the machine is a Type 40 Time Capsule. When the Doctor left Gallifrey he borrowed a Type 40 Time Capsule which was in for repairs. Over the centuries he's tried to make repairs himself and on occasion he can pilot the TARDIS to when and where he wants to go but most of the time he has no idea where and when it will take him. One of the malfunctioning systems he was unable to repair is the Chameleon Circuit, a device which is supposed to scan the landing area than transform the TARDIS exterior to a form that will blend in. When the Doctor materialized the TARDIS in Foreman's Junkyard (76 Trotter's Lane), London, the Chameleon Circuit transforms the TARDIS exterior into the shape of a Police Callbox, then jams so that the TARDIS is stuck in that form.

The TARDIS is dimensional transcendantal, which is fancy way of saying its bigger on the inside than the outside. In fact its easy to get lost in the TARDIS' many corridors.

TARDIS console TARDIS console TARDIS console TARDIS console TARDIS console TARDIS console

The main control room has gone through a number of changes over the centuries. The first three Doctors used the same console. The fourth Doctor not only updated his console room but also used a second back up control room. The fifth Doctor used the same main control room as the fourth. The sixth Doctor changed the controls, which the seventh Doctor also used. The eight Doctor completely remodeled the control room. Then the ninth Doctor changed the room yet again.

The Doctor's Friends


The Companions - the Doctor does not like traveling alone, so he always has one or more traveling companions.

United Nations Inteligence Taskforce (UNIT) - military organization assigned to defend Earth against alien invasion.

The White Guardian - mysterious being with greater power over time than the Time Lords.

Non-Companions - other regular human characters who appear in the new series.

The Face of Boe - an extremly old alien of great influence 5 billions in the future.

The Doctor's Enemies


The Doctor has met many alien species during his travels through time and space, some friendly, some openly hostile. The Doctor's three most dangerous enemies (also most popular with fans) are the Daleks, the Cyberman and the Master.


Daleks, Davros, Ogrons, Movellans - the most dangerous of the hostile aliens, their creator, their servants, their enemies.

Cybermen - emotionless cyborgs which are alergic to gold.

Renegade Time Lords - the Doctors own kind, including the Master and the Rani.

Yeti - fur covered robots controlled by an alien inteligence.

Ice Warriors - green skinned, cold blooded Martians.

Autons - plastic warriors controlled by an alien inteligence.

Silurians & Sea Devils - underwater inhabitants of planet Earth.

Sontarans & Rutans - warrior clones & their shape shifting enemy.

The Black Guardian - mysterious being with greater power over time than the Time Lords.


There are many other enemies (humans, aliens creatures and robots) encountered by the Doctor only once.

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Last updated Tuesday, Auguest 7, 2007


Original Doctor Who television series © 1963-1989 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Doctor Who movie © 1996 Universal TV, BBC Worldwide, 20th Century Fox Television
New Doctor Who television series & holiday specials © 2005-2007 BBC Wales


Most pictures from Doctor Who Image Archive
Midi files from Doctor Who MIDI Archives

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