Doctor Who has a long and detailed history, over 44 years worth. With hundreds of episodes, comic strips, novels, short stories, and audio plays, such a wealth of material is certain to intimidate the curious. However, this shouldn't stop them from watching one of the greatest and most enduring science fiction tales ever created.
Therefore, I have come up with this guide that I feel covers the most basic essentials in understanding the series. In order to minimize confusion, and to keep this from becoming a novella, I have stuck to information from the TV series only.
This is an extended and more detailed guide than the orignal version that appeared in my regular blog world. Also, spoilers are present, so be warned.
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TRANSMISSION
- The first episode was broadcast on Novemeber 23, 1963, the day after the assassination of President Kennedy.
- The series originally ran for 26 seasons, from 1963 to 1989. It went on hiatus for 18 months from mid 1985 to late 1986, but a fervent letter campaign by fans gave it a reprieve. Unfortunately, the BBC decided to pull the plug for good in December 1989.
- A TV movie was produced as a joint effort between the BBC and FOX in 1996. It was filmed in Vancouver and aimed more at attracting American viewers, but the numbers were not good enough to give it a full run as a series.
- In 2005, the BBC finally revived the series as a joint venture with BBC Wales. The series is now filmed in Cardiff, and is currently in it's 4th season as of April 5, 2008.
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THE DOCTOR
Of course, the central character of the series is the Doctor. He is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Millennia ago, the people of Gallifrey discovered the secret of time travel. They also managed to extend their lifespans with genetic modifications.
As a Time Lord, the Doctor has two hearts, an incredibly complex brain, and a body temperature of 60 degrees. He also has the ability to fully regenerate his body when he is severely injured and on the verge of death.
REGENERATION
- If the Doctor is mortally wounded, his body goes through a process which changes his entire physical being. Every Doctor looks different from the others, and while each has his own personality quirks, he essentially remains the same person, retaining all his memories and his core personality traits of a strong sense of justice, compassion and morality.
- All Time Lords have a maximum of 13 lives before they finally die. The Doctor has regenerated nine times, currently in his 10th incarnation.
First Doctor - played by William Hartnell (1963-1966):
- This Doctor was a crochety old man, and more of an anti-hero at first, prefering not to become involved if he could help it. Over time and friendship with his traveling companions, he started to soften.
- The Doctor tried to hold on to this body longer than he should have, and finally fatigue following his very first encounter with the Cybermen caused him to regenerate for the first time.
Second Doctor - played by Patrick Troughton (1966-1969):
- This new Doctor was much livlier than his predecessor. Often referred to as "Chaplinesque" or "Cosmic Hobo" for his oversized clothes and tendency to act like a fool, he nevertheless posessed a keen intellect which he hid from his enemies until it was too late for them.
- Eventually, his fellow Time Lords caught up to him and put him on trial for interfering in the affairs of other beings and worlds, against their laws. However, realizing that his actions were beneficial, rather than executing him, they forced him to regenerate and exiled him to Earth.
Third Doctor - played by Jon Pertwee (1970-1974):
- This Doctor was often compared to James Bond (minus the womanizing) because of his fondness for gadgets. He dressed as a dandy, always wearing frilly shirts, smoking jackets and cloaks. During his exile, the Doctor became a scientific advisor to UNIT, a United Nations military organization charged with investigating and neutralizing alien threats to Earth.
- After the Doctor saved Gallifrey and the universe from Omega, a legendary Time Lord who had been trapped in a universe of anitmatter, the Time Lords commuted his senetence of exile. While he enjoyed having his freedom again, he still lived on Earth and continued working for UNIT.
- His regeneration was caused by a fatal dose of radiation.
Fourth Doctor - played by Tom Baker (1974-1981):
- The Fourth Doctor was quite the character. By turns brilliant and oddball, he finally severed his ties with Earth to resume a wandering lifestyle.
He was very much a bohemian. Besides his wide eyes and shock of curly hair, his trademarks included a rather battered floppy hat, impossibly long scarf, and a bag of Jelly Babies he would always whip out at random moments.
- He met his end in a fall from a radio telescope.
- Tom Baker was the longest-serving actor in the role, and to many he is the defenitive Doctor.
Fifth Doctor - played by Peter Davison (1981-1984):
- This Doctor was the youngest-looking so far, and was a more vulnerable and sensitive soul. He wore the garb of an Edwardian cricketer, with a distinctive stick of celery pinned to his coat lapel.
- He regenerated due to poisoning from a toxic substance.
Sixth Doctor - played by Colin Baker (1984-1986):
- Following a difficult regeneration, this Doctor exhibited very erratic behavior: cowardice, self-loathing, mania, and even attempted to strangle his companion in the throws of a hysteric fit. His wardrobe also reflected his inner chaos and wild personality: green shoes with orange spats, yellow-and-black stripped trousers, and a multicolor patchwork coat.
Over time his personality settled down, although he was often rude to any narrow-minded person he met and very verbose and wordy.
- During this incarnation the Doctor was once again put on trial by the Time Lords for interference, but this was revealed as a sham to cover up for their own crime of nearly destroying Earth in the distant future. The Valeyard, or prosecutor, was also exposed as a personification of the Doctor's dark side from his personal future. The Valeyard wished to steal the Doctor's remaining lives and become a complete being.
- The cause of this Doctor's regeneration is still under debate by fans, although, the standby reason is trauma suffered when the TARDIS was shot down.
- During Colin's tenure, the show came under heavy criticism for an increased level of violence. The show was put on hiatus for 18 months. In the end, rather than taking responsibility for their own production decisions, the actor was blamed and fired.
Seventh Doctor - played by Sylvester McCoy (1987-1989):
- This Doctor was much like the Second at first, often acting clownish. But over time he became more mysterious and a bit darker, often luring his enemies into carefully orchestrated traps. He would also force his young companion Ace to face the demons of her past.
- McCoy's costume took the question mark motif to an extreme, with a brightly colored, quention mark patterned pullover and a question mark handled umbrella. He also wore a Panama hat most of the time.
- McCoy reprised his role at the start of the TV Movie. After being wounded in the middle of a gang shootout, the Doctor was taken to a hospital where the surgery team inadvertantly killed him.
Eighth Doctor - played by Paul McGann (1996):
- The Eighth Doctor remains somewhat controvertial for kissing a woman (the first time ever in the series) and claiming that he is half human on his mother's side. This claim is hotly debated among fans.
- This Doctor dressed in a Victorian manner, with a velvet coat, brocaded waistecoat and cravat. He held an almost childlike sense of wonder for the universe.
- The TV Movie was the only the Eighth Doctor's only appearance on TV, although his adventures continued in novels, comic strips, and audio dramas. His regeneration has yet to be documented.
Ninth Doctor - played by Christopher Eccleston (2005):
- The Ninth Doctor was a departure from all of his predecessors. He was much more dressed down, sporting military-short hair, long-sleeved T-shirts, and a battered leather coat. He also regained the rudeness of his Sixth incarnation, and refused to be involved in anything "domestic". He was also haunted by the Time War and the things he had done in it.
- He regenerated as a result of absorbing the energy of the Time Vortex in order to save his companion, Rose.
Tenth Doctor - played by David Tennant (2005-...):
The Tenth Doctor has regained many of the traits of his Fourth self, namely the wide eyes and boggly personality, although he continues to be rude to those who cannot think outside the box., and has a tendency to speak very rapidly, confusing both friend and enemy alike.
- His dress style has been describe as 'geek chic'; he wears a brown (or blue) pinstrip suit and trainers, styles his hair, and often whips out a pair of square, thick-rimmed glasses.
