Doctor Who

Guide Note

Doctor Who is a science fiction television show produced in Britain by the BBC. The show centers around the adventures of "The Doctor," an alien traveler through time and space, and his (usually) human companions. The Doctor can "regenerate" upon death into a new physical form, a fact that has allowed for the show's long run, as the role can always be filled by a new actor. Since 1963, the show has been on and off the air, starring various reincarnations of the title character.

Fast Facts

1. Network: BBC One (re-airs on the Sci-Fi Channel in the U.S.)
2. First Aired: November 23, 1963
3. 10 different actors have played The Doctor
4. Current Doctor: David Tennant
5. Companions (to date): 36
6. Spin-offs currently airing: Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures

The Doctor began as a crotchety antihero, and all that was known about him was that he was a highly intelligent alien. He became more sympathetic fairly quickly, and the audience learned that he was from the planet Gallifrey and part of a race of people known as the Time Lords. The Doctor was established as the black sheep of the Time Lords. The Doctors, in order of appearance, were played by:

1. William Hartnell
2. Patrick Troughton
3. John Pertwee
4. Tom Baker
5. Peter Davison
6. Colin Baker
7. Sylvester McCoy
8. Paul McGann
9. Christopher Eccleston
10. David Tennant

Tennant has announced he is leaving at the end of the current series. It has not been announced who will replace him as the Doctor.

The TARDIS is the vehicle the Doctor uses to travel in time and space. TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It is much larger on the inside than it is on the outside. A Chameleon Circuit in the TARDIS is designed to give it an appearance that blends with its environment, but because the circuit is broken, it always looks like a police box from 1960s Britain.

The Doctor always has at least one companion, and often several. They are usually humans, in order to give viewers a point of connection with the series. The Companions have been both genders and a range of ages, with professions ranging from astronaut to student, shopgirl to scientist. They come from the present day, from history, and from the future.

The Daleks are a race of organic beings who each live within a shell of protective armor. Their mission is to eradicate all who are not like them - namely, humans. The Cybermen are a cybernetic/human fusion. The Master is an evil Time Lord bent on galactic domination, who has gone through several regenerations during the course of the series.

The BBC attempted to relaunch Doctor Who in 1996 as a co-production on the United States television network Fox. Though the initial TV movie was successful overseas, it flopped in the United States, and did not continue as a series. Russell T. Davies, known for his work on Queer as Folk, was named producer of a new series in 203. It debuted on March 26, 2005 and was an instant success.