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| style="text-align: center;"|''British [[science fiction|science-fiction]] [[drama]] series''
| style="text-align: center;"|''British [[science fiction|science-fiction]] [[drama]] series''
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| style="background: #fff; text-align: center;" | '''First broadcasts'''
| style="background: #fff; text-align: center;" | '''First broadcast'''
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| style="text-align: center;"|23rd November 1963 (original series)<br> 12th May 1996 (TV movie)
| style="text-align: center;"|26th March 2005 (new series)
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| style="background: #fff; text-align: center;" | '''Creators'''
| style="background: #fff; text-align: center;" | '''Starring'''
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| style="text-align: center;"|[[Christopher Eccleston]] • [[David Tennant]]<br>[[Matt Smith]]
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| style="text-align: center;"|[[Sydney Newman]]<br> [[Donald Wilson]]<br> [[C. E. Webber]]
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| style="background: #fff; text-align: center;" | '''Starring'''
| style="background: #fff; text-align: center;" | '''Executive producers'''
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| style="text-align: center;"|[[William Hartnell]] • [[Patrick Troughton]]<br>[[Jon Pertwee]] • [[Tom Baker]]<br>[[Peter Davison]] • [[Colin Baker]]<br>[[Sylvester McCoy]] • [[Paul McGann]]<br>
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Russell T. Davies]], [[Julie Gardner]] (2005-2009)<br> [[Stephen Moffat]]
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'''[[Doctor Who]]''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[science-fiction]] [[television]] series which was relaunched in 2005 following its [[Doctor Who (1960s-1990s)|original 26-year run]] on the [[BBC]], plus a 1996 [[television movie]]. On television and in other media, it features the adventures of a [[time travel|time traveller]] known as the '[[Doctor Who#Doctor|Doctor]]', who journeys through [[time]] and [[space]], righting wrongs and fighting injustice, often accompanied by friends known to [[fan (person)|fans]] as 'companions'.


'''[[Doctor Who]]''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[science-fiction]] [[television]] series which ran from 1963 to 1989 on the [[BBC]], followed by a 1996 [[television movie]], prior to its [[Doctor Who (2000s-)|relaunch in 2005]]. On television and in other media, it features the adventures of a [[time travel|time traveller]] known as the '[[Doctor Who#Doctor|Doctor]]', who journeys through [[time]] and [[space]], righting wrongs and fighting injustice, often accompanied by allies known to [[fan (person)|fans]] as 'companions'.
The programme has lasted since 1963 partly because the Doctor, who has an [[alien]] physiology, is able to 'regenerate' himself when badly injured, allowing the lead actor to be recast. In the 'new series' (2005-), three actors have played the Doctor - [[Christopher Eccleston]], [[David Tennant]] and [[Matt Smith]].<ref>''BBC News'': '[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7808697.stm New Doctor actor is youngest ever ]'. 4th January 2009.</ref> His [[time machine]], the [[TARDIS]], is famously disguised as an old British [[police box]]<ref>In an example of how British culture has taken the programme to heart, on the occasion when [[London]]'s [[Metropolitan Police]] challenged the BBC's ownership of the police box design, they lost as the court ruled that people associate such boxes with time machines rather than the police. See ''BBC News'': ''[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2352743.stm BBC Wins Police Tardis Case]'', 23rd October 2002.</ref> and is bigger on the inside than out; some well-known adversaries include the [[Daleks]] - mutants inside pepperpot-shaped casings - the [[Cybermen]], and the [[Slitheen]] family. The 2010 series is executive-[[producer|produced]] by [[Stephen Moffat]] and introduces Matt Smith as the Doctor. Moffat took over from [[Russell T. Davies]], who brought back the show in 2005. Currently, ''Doctor Who'' appears to have won a new generation of followers of varying ages: the UK children's magazine show ''[[Blue Peter]]'', for example, reported that their 'Design a ''Doctor Who'' Monster' competition received the largest number of entries for any such event since 1993.<ref>[[BBC]]: ''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2005/08/18/23167.shtml Monster Success]''. 18th August 2005. The winning entry appeared in 2006's 'Love & Monsters' as the fearsome 'Abzorbaloff'. Its creator, 13-year-old William Grantham, reportedly gave the seal of approval to the BBC's interpretation, though remarked that "it was supposed to be the size of a double-decker bus".</ref>
 
The Doctor's time machine, the [[TARDIS]], is famously disguised as an old British [[police box]] and is bigger on the inside than out; some well-known adversaries include the [[Daleks]] - mutants inside pepperpot-shaped casings - and the [[Cybermen]]. The programme has lasted so long partly because the Doctor, who has an [[alien]] physiology, is able to regenerate his body when badly injured, allowing the lead actor to be recast. By 1996, eight actors had played the Doctor on television, with others appearing in unofficial or alternative productions.


{{TOC|right}}
{{TOC|right}}
==History==
==History==
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===1960s===
Following the programme's 1989 cancellation and failure of a 1996 American-backed movie to secure a new series, the rights to make ''Doctor Who'' remained outside the reach of BBC programme-makers. The return of the show in 2005 was largely due to the persistence ofthe then-Controller of Drama Commissioning, [[Jane Tranter]],<ref>''BAFTA'': '[http://www.bafta.org/learning/webcasts/in-conversation-with-jane-tranter,598,BA.html In conversation with Jane Tranter]'. 30th September 2008.</ref> and the Controller of BBC One at the time, [[Lorraine Heggessey]],<ref>[http://media.guardian.co.uk/columnists/story/0,,368725,00.html Born in 1956], Heggessey was amongst the first generation of BBC executives and ''Doctor Who'' contributors who had actually grown up with the original programme. It has been suggested that this childhood love of the series, emerging as these people reached the senior ranks of the BBC, was one factor in the show's resurrection in 2003.</ref> who finally won the rights to the series from the corporation's commercial arm, [[BBC Worldwide]]. The lack of support for further films finally convinced the BBC that an [[in-house]] series was the best way to secure the future of the programme.<ref>''[[Daily Telegraph]]'': '[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/09/26/nwho26.xml Doctor Who ready to come out of the Tardis for Saturday TV series]' 26th September 2003.</ref>. The 'new series' retained the TARDIS and other key features of the original 'classic series', rather than being a fundamentally new spin-off. Going into production in 2004, it was executive-produced by writer Russell T. Davies and [[BBC Wales]] Head of Drama/BBC Television Controller of Drama Commissioning [[Julie Gardner]]. Davies had contributed to a range of ''Doctor Who'' novels published in the interim years, so brought a love of the programme to the new series, as well as considerable television scriptwriting experience. Davies cast the highly-experienced actor Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, leaving the circumstances of his latest regeneration unclear. Eccleston, however, declined to appear in a second run of 13 45-minute adventures, along with a [[Christmas]] special, leading Davies to cast David Tennant as the tenth Doctor.
In the early 1960s, ''Doctor Who'' was the eventual product of a desire within the BBC to bring science fiction to the small screen. Something was needed to plug a gap in the Saturday early evening schedules of [[sport]] and [[music]] programmes; ''Doctor Who'' was created [[Sydney Newman]], [[Donald Wilson]] and [[C.E. Webber]], and produced by the BBC's [[drama]] department as a family viewing, intended to be [[education]]al and exciting. Time travel as a premise of the series would allow a balance of [[history|historical]] settings and space adventure, with the characters facing danger alongside both aliens and figures of history. With [[Verity Lambert]] - then the BBC's youngest and only female producer - at the helm, [[William Hartnell]] was cast as the grandfatherly, enigmatic 'Doctor' and the series was first shown on 23rd November 1963.
 
''Doctor Who'' initially endured a rough ride, though audiences seemed positive on the whole. The series was over-budget, with money being clawed back gradually through Lambert's stewardship, and forces within the BBC were unhappy that the Drama Department were responsible for a programme that they felt would find a more appropriate home at the BBC. The series was only intended to run for a few episodes, but all that changed with the second serial - ''The Daleks''. [[Terry Nation]]'s script ushered in the mid-sixties 'Dalekmania' craze, with millions of children and not a few older viewers taking the evil Daleks to heart. The Daleks secured the show's future, and over time, appeared more regularly both in the series and in two cinematic productions starring [[Peter Cushing]]. More aliens appeared in the programme, and as the years rolled by, the 'pure historical' serials dwindled as successive production teams took the TARDIS further out into time and space.
 
By 1966, changes were afoot as audience ratings began to decline. Hartnell was ill and had become increasingly difficult to deal with. If the show was to survive, a new lead actor was required, raising the problem of how to recast the Doctor. Several ideas were suggested, but ultimately the concept of a mysterious 'renewal' process, explained as part of the TARDIS, was shown to change the Doctor's physical appearance and, to some extent, his personality. [[Patrick Troughton]] first appeared as the Doctor in 1966; over the next few weeks, it became clear that audiences were warming to his portrayal of the Doctor as a dishevelled figure with a determination to overcome the terrors of the [[universe]], and the series entered its so-called 'Monster Era', with more alien creatures appearing.
 
1969 saw Troughton's departure, and another radical change for the series. Under producer [[Derrick Sherwin]], the series moved to an [[Earth]]-based background where the Doctor would be aided by a [[military]] organisation known as the '[[United Nations]] Intelligence Taskforce' (UNIT). Stories set in a near-future Earth - actually, for the most part the south of [[England]] - were cheaper to produce and would involve higher production values, especially during the transition to colour programming. Troughton's final episode saw the Doctor captured and put on trial by his own people, accused of meddling the affairs of other races. The 'Time Lords', from whom it was revealed the Doctor fled due to boredom, exiled the Doctor to Earth and imposed another change of appearance.
 
===1970s===
The early 1970s saw the first episodes of ''Doctor Who'' broadcast in colour - a move which certainly suited the flamboyant third Doctor, played by [[Jon Pertwee]] as something of a dandy. This incarnation would emphasises the Doctor's love of [[technology|technological]] wizardry and high-powered vehicles - aspects which drew much on the interests of Pertwee himself. However, the production team, headed by [[Barry Letts]] and script editor [[Terrance Dicks]], found the UNIT format too restrictive, and so steered the Doctor's adventures to ever-lengthier forays back out into time and space.
 
In 1974, Pertwee moved on, and was succeeded by [[Tom Baker]], then the youngest actor to take on the part. At 40, Baker would go on to become the best-remembered Doctor to date, playing the role for a record seven years and depicting the Doctor as a more 'bohemian' figure, usually clad in a long coat, wide-brimmed hat and trademark scarf. Over time, the character varied from a  darker personality given to sombre moods, to a lighter portrayal which injected much humour into the series, especially when [[Douglas Adams]] script-edited the programme in the late 1970s. By this time, ''Doctor Who'' was a mainstay of Saturday-evening entertainment, regularly pulling in over ten million viewers a week. Change, as ever, was just around the corner.
 
===1980s===
[[John Nathan-Turner]] became the producer of ''Doctor Who'' in 1980, at the time of Baker's final season. 'JN-T' would go on to produce the programme right through the 1980s, and became the source of much fan comment due to an increasingly controversial style. In 1981, he cast the well-known actor [[Peter Davison]] as Baker's successor - at the time, the youngest ever at 29 - and oversaw the Doctor's transformation into a more 'human' persona that evidenced a love of [[cricket (sport)|cricket]] - as evidenced by his outfit - and a more 'vulnerable' character that was far from infallible. Nathan-Turner was determined to court the series' fans by bringing back old adversaries, and also introduced more unconventional companions that were a sharp contrast with the mostly female, human occupants that until then had made up the majority of TARDIS travellers.
 
Davison would ultimately decide that three years was enough, and Nathan-Turner again had to find a replacement, casting [[Colin Baker]], until then best-known for playing television villains. Baker debuted in 1984, playing a loud and unashamedly arrogant sixth Doctor, and would ultimately complete only two seasons. The BBC considered ''Doctor Who'' vulnerable against competition on other channels, and possibly too [[violence|violent]], though [[Michael Grade]],　then the Controller of BBC One, would later admit a personal dislike of the show.<ref>''Daily Telegraph'': '[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3638380/He-eats-sleeps-and-breathes-television---and-at-last-hes-got-round-to-watching-some.html He eats, sleeps and breathes television - and at last he's got round to watching some]'. 3rd January 2009.</ref> Creative differences between Nathan-Turner and his script editor, [[Eric Saward]], reached a low point at this stage. ''Doctor Who'' was 'suspended' in 1985, but a fan campaign backed up by the [[media]] ensured its return after 18 months. However, senior management were determined to implement change: Baker was sacked, and Nathan-Turner was forced to cast his third leading man.
 
1987 saw the return of the series with the little-known [[Sylvester McCoy]] in the role. McCoy's portrayal took some time to settle down as the actor gradually became settled into the role, at a time when behind-the-scenes strikes were taking their toll on production. McCoy's early clownish seventh Doctor became much darker and manipulative under the direction of script editor [[Andrew Cartmel]]; this era of the show also encouraged young and inexperienced writers, leading to some of the most innovative but controversial stories of the original series. By 1989, however, ratings had declined once more, and this time no media campaign backed the series when it was quietly killed off after 26 years.


===1990s===
After four series and several specials, Davies left the programme in the hands of frequent writer for the series, Stephen Moffat, who is executive producer from series five onwards. With David Tennant also leaving the series in 2010, the fifth season of the programme will open with a new actor playing the Doctor, Matt Smith.
''Doctor Who'' survived throughout the 1990s as a series of original novels produced by Virgin Publishing, and later the BBC. In 1996, the Doctor returned to the small screen in a U.S.-backed TV movie which saw McCoy hand over to [[Paul McGann]]. The production fared well among UK audiences, but was poorly scheduled in [[North America]] and ultimately it failed to go to a series. McGann's Doctor, who was revealed to be half-human, was a gentler figure than his predecessor, often struck by [[amnesia]]; his adventures continued in print, on [[radio]] and in [[comic]]s into the twenty-first century.


==Characters==
==Characters==
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===The Doctor===
===The Doctor===
The Doctor is the main character in the series: various aspects of his character and past have been revealed, but much remains mysterious. Even his name remains an enigma; 'Who' is certainly not his real name (''An Unearthly Child'', 1963), though he has occasionally used it as a [[pseudonym]], especially when translated into other [[language]]s (e.g. ''The Underwater Menace'', 1967). As for his title, various explanations have been presented over the years, such as the Doctor obtaining various [[doctorate]]s (e.g. ''The Armageddon Factor'', 1978). It is unclear whether he is a [[medicine|medical]] [[doctor (physician)|doctor]] or not, and early on he referred to himself as a [[science|scientist]] and [[engineering|engineer]], "a builder of things" (''The Aztecs'', 1964).
The Doctor is the main character in the series: various aspects of his character and past have been revealed, but much remains mysterious. The Doctor's real name, for example, is something he could reveal "only one time" (''Forest of the Dead'', 2008).


Over the course of the series' first few years, it becomes clear that the Doctor is not a human being, though in the 1990s and later, it was shown that he may have some human roots (''Doctor Who'', 1996). First shown travelling with his grand-daughter, Susan (''An Unearthly Child'', 1963), the programme has given but a few hints about what other family he might have had: the 1996 film revealed that his mother was human. From 1969's ''The War Games'', the Doctor's　own people, the Time Lords, appeared regularly in the show.
In ''Rose'' (2005), the first episode of the new series, the viewer is introduced to what appears to be a leather-jacketed man of action, mid-way through a conflict with a creature known as the Nestene. It becomes clear that he is not a human being, and that he travels in time and space in a machine disguised as a 1950s police telephone box, and which is much bigger on the inside. This story also reveals that he believes himself to be the last of his own people, who were destroyed in a battle known as the 'Time War'. Throughout this season of adventures, it is emphasised that this individual is "damaged", in Russell T. Davies's words, by his experiences, which make him somewhat unpredictable.  


The Doctor's physiology is rather different from humans; ''Spearhead from Space'' (1970) reveals he has two [[heart]]s, for example, and he is also capable of physical and mental feats beyond those of an ordinary human. The most spectacular of these, first shown at the conclusion of 1966's ''The Tenth Planet'', is his ability to 'regenerate' - what he calls a "renewal" (''The Power of the Daleks'', 1966). It is quickly established that this new person is the same character, physically different and with some new personality quirks, but still the same adventurer. Later stories established that this ability is limited to twelve regenerations (e.g. ''The Deadly Assassin'', 1977; ''Mawdryn Undead'', 1983), though in ''The War Games'' (1969), the Doctor stated that Time Lords could live forever.
The Doctor's physiology is rather different from humans, with its most spectacular ability  being to 'regenerate' - what he calls a a trick for "cheating death", as shown at the conclusion of 2005's ''The Parting of the Ways''. With the Doctor's body fatally injured in the course of saving his companion's life, she and the viewer witness a tremendous burst of energy released from his body, and his features melt into those of a new individual - the Doctor's tenth incarnation, portrayed by David Tennant. It is quickly established that this new person is the same character, physically different and with some new personality quirks, but still the same adventurer, (''The Christmas Invasion'', 2006), who would rather solve problems with his wits than through violence. The new series is yet to indicate whether there is a limit to the number of times the Doctor can do this; in ''School Reunion'' (2006), he states that he does not age, though this may be in relation to the much shorter lifespan of a human being.


Other aspects of the Doctor's life remain less clear. Occasionally, there are suggestions of romantic feelings towards others, e.g. his companions Grace (''Doctor Who'', 1996), but his personal relationships are never humanlike. For much of the series, the relationships with his companions were purely platonic.
Other aspects of the Doctor's life remain less clear. Sometimes, there are suggestions of romantic feelings towards others, e.g. Reinette in the 2006 adventure ''The Girl in the Fireplace'', and his companion Rose (2005-2008), but his personal relationships are never humanlike. The programme has given but a few hints about what family he might have had: the new series has mentioned a brother (''Smith & Jones'', 2007) and that he was a father (''Fear Her'', 2006). The Doctor's　own people, the Time Lords, were destroyed in a 'Time War' with the Daleks, the Doctor's greatest adversary.


===Companions===
===Companions===
The Doctor rarely travels the universe alone, and many of his friends or 'companions' have shared his adventures over the years. The very first, Susan, was actually his grand-daughter, with her two human teachers completing the first TARDIS crew from 1963 after they followed her home to an old police box in the very first episode, ''An Unearthly Child''. Through curiosity, being rescued or taking up an offer to see the universe, many others followed over the years. In the 1970s, the Doctor was 'exiled' to Earth by his own people for a time, and became a reluctant member of UNIT, a special taskforce set up to counter alien threats. This 'UNIT family' memorably included [[Nicholas Courtney]] as its commanding officer, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Other well-remembered companions of the 1970s included the accident-prone UNIT agent Jo Grant ([[Katy Manning]]), the leather-clad savage Leela ([[Louise Jameson]]), and Sarah Jane Smith, played by [[Elisabeth Sladen]] in the original series, the new series and two spin-off productions of 1981 and 2007 onwards.
The Doctor rarely travels the universe alone, and many of his friends or 'companions' have shared his adventures over the years. The Doctor is initially travelling alone, but former London shop assistant Rose Tyler ([[Billie Piper]]) joins him at the close of the opening 2005 adventure, with others appearing later. It becomes clear that the Doctor's new friends were not the first to join him in the TARDIS, but so far only three of his 'companions' from the past have appeared (''School Reunion'' onwards, 2006, and ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'', 2007-) and others have not been discussed. Though the relationship between the Doctor and Rose is initially rocky, they come to trust and rely on each other through experience; her departure in 2006's ''Doomsday'' seemed to affect the Doctor deeply.
 
In terms of programme-making, the idea of having a companion is to provide a surrogate with whom the audience can identify and to further the story by asking questions and getting into trouble. Any kind of intimate relationship is out, though the new series seems to have established a tradition that the Doctor must have romantic involvement each year; so far, the kisses have kept coming.


===Villains===
===Villains===
In ''Doctor Who'', the universe is a dangerous place. A frequently occurring theme is that of various alien races attempting to conquer the Earth or otherwise threatening the human race, only to be foiled by the Doctor. Examples include the [[Cybermen]], the Sontarans and the Doctor's arch-nemesis, the Master (a fellow, evil Time Lord played mainly by [[Roger Delgado]] and [[Anthony Ainley]]).
In ''Doctor Who'', the universe is a dangerous place. A frequently occurring theme is that of various alien races attempting to conquer the Earth or otherwise threatening the human race,<ref>A new, enforced guideline for the new series so far is that all stories must involve humanity in some way.</ref> only to be foiled by the Doctor. Perhaps the best-known example of this in the new series concerns the attempts of the Slitheen family to take over the planet and sell it for scrap (''Aliens of London'' and ''World War Three'', 2005). Other villains appearing include the Master (a fellow, evil Time Lord returning from the original series in 2007, played by [[John Simm]] and Sir [[Derek Jacobi]]), the [[Cybermen]] (2006 onwards) and Cassandra, the last human being alive five billion years in the future ''The End of the World'', 2005; ''New Earth'', 2006).


Best-known villains in the series and wider UK culture are the 'Daleks', mutants inside metallic pepperpot-like casings equipped with a gun and an appendage not unlike a [[sink plunger]]. Envisaged as representing the [[Nazism|Nazis]], their best-known characteristic is frequently screaming ''"Exterminate!"'' at anything un-Dalek prior to destroying anything that gets in their way of eliminating all life other than that which is Dalek. The Daleks have appeared several times in the series, firstly in ''The Daleks'' (1963), where it appears that they are confined to a single city on their home planet of Skaro. Their popularity meant that future appearances saw them transformed into the most dangerous race in the universe (e.g. ''The Dalek Invasion of Earth'', 1964; ''Genesis of the Daleks'', 1975).
Best-known villains in the series and wider UK culture are the 'Daleks', mutants inside metallic pepperpot-like casings equipped with a gun and an appendage not unlike a [[sink plunger]]. Envisaged as representing the [[Nazism|Nazis]], their best-known characteristic is frequently screaming ''"Exterminate!"'' at anything un-Dalek prior to destroying anything that gets in their way of eliminating all life other than that which is Dalek. They have appeared several times in the new series, firstly in ''Dalek'' (2005), where it appears that only one individual had survived a previous encounter with their nemesis, the Doctor - known in Skaroene lore as 'The Oncoming Storm' (''The Parting of the Ways'', 2005). The Daleks have made more regular appearances in the relaunched programme than in the original 1963-1989 series, returning at least once a year.


==Format==
==Format==
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Episodes of ''Doctor Who'' run for about 45 minutes, except for special Christmas adventures broadcast between series. Two-part episodes have separate titles. From series two, the regular characters have been largely absent from one or more episodes so the leads can concentrate on filming others; this led to criticism of the first 'Doctor-lite' adventure, 2006's ''Love and Monsters''.
For most of its 1963-1989 run, ''Doctor Who'' was broadcast in 25-minute episodes, with few exceptions: the series experimented with 45-minute episodes in the mid-1980s. Initially the programme ran for most of the year, with only a few weeks' break between seasons (and if the programme was repeated in the interim, it would effectively be shown year-round). Over the decades, the number of episodes each year was reduced; about 26 was the norm for some years, though by the end of the 1980s this had fallen to 14. Long stories of six or more episodes thus became a thing of the past; the majority of stories consisted of four episodes. From 1966, each story had only one title, but originally individual episodes had separate titles, leading to considerable fan debate over what the overall titles for some of these early serials are. The very first story, for instance, is commonly known and marketed by the BBC as ''An Unearthly Child'', which strictly speaking was only the title of the very first episode. Internal production documents have led some fans to conclude that the 'true' title is ''100,000 BC''.<ref>Research publications by David J. Howe, Mark Stammers and Stephen J. Walker hold to these behind-the-scenes titles, for example.</ref>


==Music and titles==
==Music and titles==
The theme music for ''Doctor Who'' changed little for the first 17 years of the original series's run: composed by [[Ron Grainer]] and realised by [[Delia Derbyshire]] of the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]], this example of [[electronic music]] played over the original series titles, which were achieved using a [[howl-round]] visual effect. The final result served as a memorable introduction to each episode. Other composers on the original series included [[Peter Howell]], who created a faster, more dramatic version for the period 1980-1985; [[Dominic Glynn]] (1986); and [[Keff McCulloch]] (1987-1989). The 1996 film also had new theme music.
The theme music for ''Doctor Who'', arranged by [[Murray Gold]], is based on that of the original series's run, by [[Ron Grainer]] and [[Delia Derbyshire]], and likewise the titles evoke those of the original. The twenty-first-century series theme and titles represent the space-time vortex through which the TARDIS travels.


==Spin-offs and other adventures==
==Spin-offs and other adventures==
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The original series had only one spin-off, which did not survive beyond its 1981 pilot. ''K-9 and Company'' starred [[Elisabeth Sladen]] and [[John Leeson]], reprising their roles as former companions Sarah Jane Smith and K-9 (a [[robot]] [[dog]] voiced by Leeson).
The new series has seen two spin-off dramas, ''[[Torchwood]]'' (2006-), starring [[John Barrowman]], and ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' (2007-) starring [[Elisabeth Sladen]] with occasional appearances by K-9, a [[robot]] [[dog]] voiced by [[John Leeson]].<ref>The dog is set to star in his own series, ''K-9 Adventures'', according to reports.</ref> Sladen and Leeson's characters were 'companions' in the original series of ''Doctor Who'', and were brought back in the 2006 adventure ''School Reunion''. This is one of the few examples of a direct link between the new and 'classic' series of the programme. The main character in ''Torchwood'', Captain Jack Harkness, appeared in ''Doctor Who'' from 2005's ''The Empty Child'' onwards. The programme sees Harkness leading a team trying to prevent alien incursions via a 'time rift' running through present day Cardiff, while the ''Sarah Jane Adventures'' follows the adventures of investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith over several series. The latter production aired on [[Children's BBC]] with an intended audience of younger fans, while ''Torchwood'' was presented as a post-9pm 'adult' take on the affairs of the ''Doctor Who'' universe. Enthusiasm from children, however, later saw a cut version also broadcast. ''Torchwood'' returned for a second series in 2008, followed by a [[BBC Radio 4]] play that year. The 2009 series comprises five episodes shown over one week.
===Films, plays, radio, video and web dramas, novels===
In the 1960s, Terry Nation was unable to launch a U.S. spin-off series starring his creations, the Daleks, but they twice appeared on the big screen. Two televised adventures of ''Doctor Who'' were remade for the cinema: ''Doctor Who and the Daleks'' (1965) and ''Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150AD'' (1966) starred Peter Cushing as 'Doctor Who', an elderly human scientist who had invented a time machine. These two films, which were not part of the television series's continuity, did well at a time when 'Dalekmania' was at its height; as enthusiasm for the exterminating aliens waned, however, the Daleks made no further assaults on the box office.
 
Following a Doctor-less Dalek stage play of the late 1960s, ''The Curse of the Daleks'', in the early the Time Lord returned to the stage in ''Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday'', starring [[Trevor Martin]] as an alternative fourth Doctor. Another theatrical adventure, this time featuring Doctors from the television series, appeared as ''The Ultimate Adventure'' in 1989. Jon Pertwee reprised his role for the play's first run - with [[David Banks]] understudying - and a further run of shows featured [[Colin Baker]] returning to the role. Baker and his co-star on the original series, [[Nicola Bryant]], also appeared in a ''Doctor Who'' radio drama, ''Slipback'', in 1985. Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen also voiced their characters for ''Doctor Who and the Pescatons'', an original adventure first released on [[LP]] in 1976. In the 1990s, Sladen starred alongside Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney in two ''Doctor Who'' BBC Radio dramas written by former producer Barry Letts, ''The Paradise of Death'' (1993) and ''The Ghosts of N-Space'' (1996).


Many of the original stars of the series appeared as different characters - some rather similar to their ''Doctor Who'' personas - in several fan-produced video dramas in the 1990s. More recently, they have starred in officially-licensed audio dramas by [[Big Finish]], some of which have aired on the [[digital radio]] station [[BBC 7]]. Meanwhile, a series of original novels saw Doctors past and present battling adversaries old and new first for Virgin Publishing in their ''New Adventures'' series (1991-1997), then [[BBC Books]] (1997-).
Several shorter adventures have also appeared as part of charity events and the [[Proms]], a long-standing evening of music at the [[Royal Albert Hall]]. 2005 saw the immediate aftermath of the Doctor's regeneration into the form of David Tennant broadcast as part of the long-running charity event ''[[Children in Need]]''. Similarly, a second short ''Children in Need'' adventure, ''Time Crash'' (2007), contributed to the series' continuity. The Doctor also appeared in ''The Music of the Spheres'' as part of the 2008 Proms, in an 'interactive' adventure which saw the TARDIS linked to the Royal Albert Hall via a hole in time and space through which an evil 'Graske' emerged to threaten the audience. This was the Graske's second appearance in what has become a significant run of extra adventures available on digital channels or the internet, the first being ''Attack of the Graske'' in 2005. Series two's web-only ''TARDISodes'', which comprised short prequels to broadcast stories, did not return again, however and likewise the quiz show for young fans, ''Totally Doctor Who'', was ultimately not renewed.


===Spoofs===
The BBC had produced original adventures for the Doctor on its website, notably ''The Scream of the Shalka'' (2003), starring [[Richard E. Grant]], who for a time was publicised as the "ninth Doctor" prior to Christopher Eccleston's first television appearance. Grant's Holmesian Doctor was the main casualty of the series's renewal, with further adventures ruled out to avoid confusing the audience as to which "ninth Doctor" was official.
The BBC itself produced two spoofs of ''Doctor Who'' for charity. In 1993 Children in Need featured ''[[Dimensions in Time]]'', a crossover with several incarnations of the Doctor meeting characters from the British [[soap opera]] ''[[Eastenders]]'', which was publicised as a "pantomime" and is not considered 'canon' by fans. In 1999, ''[[Red Nose Day]]'' featured the comedy ''Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death''.


==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==
Line 99: Line 74:


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Doctor Who (2000s-)]]
*[[Doctor Who (1960s-1990s)]]
*[[TARDIS]]
*[[TARDIS]]
*[[Science fiction]]
*[[Science fiction]]
*[[BBC]]
*[[BBC]]

Revision as of 00:48, 20 September 2009

Doctor Who
British science-fiction drama series
First broadcast
26th March 2005 (new series)
Starring
Christopher Eccleston • David Tennant
Matt Smith
Executive producers
Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner (2005-2009)
Stephen Moffat

Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television series which was relaunched in 2005 following its original 26-year run on the BBC, plus a 1996 television movie. On television and in other media, it features the adventures of a time traveller known as the 'Doctor', who journeys through time and space, righting wrongs and fighting injustice, often accompanied by friends known to fans as 'companions'.

The programme has lasted since 1963 partly because the Doctor, who has an alien physiology, is able to 'regenerate' himself when badly injured, allowing the lead actor to be recast. In the 'new series' (2005-), three actors have played the Doctor - Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith.[1] His time machine, the TARDIS, is famously disguised as an old British police box[2] and is bigger on the inside than out; some well-known adversaries include the Daleks - mutants inside pepperpot-shaped casings - the Cybermen, and the Slitheen family. The 2010 series is executive-produced by Stephen Moffat and introduces Matt Smith as the Doctor. Moffat took over from Russell T. Davies, who brought back the show in 2005. Currently, Doctor Who appears to have won a new generation of followers of varying ages: the UK children's magazine show Blue Peter, for example, reported that their 'Design a Doctor Who Monster' competition received the largest number of entries for any such event since 1993.[3]

History

Following the programme's 1989 cancellation and failure of a 1996 American-backed movie to secure a new series, the rights to make Doctor Who remained outside the reach of BBC programme-makers. The return of the show in 2005 was largely due to the persistence ofthe then-Controller of Drama Commissioning, Jane Tranter,[4] and the Controller of BBC One at the time, Lorraine Heggessey,[5] who finally won the rights to the series from the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide. The lack of support for further films finally convinced the BBC that an in-house series was the best way to secure the future of the programme.[6]. The 'new series' retained the TARDIS and other key features of the original 'classic series', rather than being a fundamentally new spin-off. Going into production in 2004, it was executive-produced by writer Russell T. Davies and BBC Wales Head of Drama/BBC Television Controller of Drama Commissioning Julie Gardner. Davies had contributed to a range of Doctor Who novels published in the interim years, so brought a love of the programme to the new series, as well as considerable television scriptwriting experience. Davies cast the highly-experienced actor Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, leaving the circumstances of his latest regeneration unclear. Eccleston, however, declined to appear in a second run of 13 45-minute adventures, along with a Christmas special, leading Davies to cast David Tennant as the tenth Doctor.

After four series and several specials, Davies left the programme in the hands of frequent writer for the series, Stephen Moffat, who is executive producer from series five onwards. With David Tennant also leaving the series in 2010, the fifth season of the programme will open with a new actor playing the Doctor, Matt Smith.

Characters

The Doctor

The Doctor is the main character in the series: various aspects of his character and past have been revealed, but much remains mysterious. The Doctor's real name, for example, is something he could reveal "only one time" (Forest of the Dead, 2008).

In Rose (2005), the first episode of the new series, the viewer is introduced to what appears to be a leather-jacketed man of action, mid-way through a conflict with a creature known as the Nestene. It becomes clear that he is not a human being, and that he travels in time and space in a machine disguised as a 1950s police telephone box, and which is much bigger on the inside. This story also reveals that he believes himself to be the last of his own people, who were destroyed in a battle known as the 'Time War'. Throughout this season of adventures, it is emphasised that this individual is "damaged", in Russell T. Davies's words, by his experiences, which make him somewhat unpredictable.

The Doctor's physiology is rather different from humans, with its most spectacular ability being to 'regenerate' - what he calls a a trick for "cheating death", as shown at the conclusion of 2005's The Parting of the Ways. With the Doctor's body fatally injured in the course of saving his companion's life, she and the viewer witness a tremendous burst of energy released from his body, and his features melt into those of a new individual - the Doctor's tenth incarnation, portrayed by David Tennant. It is quickly established that this new person is the same character, physically different and with some new personality quirks, but still the same adventurer, (The Christmas Invasion, 2006), who would rather solve problems with his wits than through violence. The new series is yet to indicate whether there is a limit to the number of times the Doctor can do this; in School Reunion (2006), he states that he does not age, though this may be in relation to the much shorter lifespan of a human being.

Other aspects of the Doctor's life remain less clear. Sometimes, there are suggestions of romantic feelings towards others, e.g. Reinette in the 2006 adventure The Girl in the Fireplace, and his companion Rose (2005-2008), but his personal relationships are never humanlike. The programme has given but a few hints about what family he might have had: the new series has mentioned a brother (Smith & Jones, 2007) and that he was a father (Fear Her, 2006). The Doctor's　own people, the Time Lords, were destroyed in a 'Time War' with the Daleks, the Doctor's greatest adversary.

Companions

The Doctor rarely travels the universe alone, and many of his friends or 'companions' have shared his adventures over the years. The Doctor is initially travelling alone, but former London shop assistant Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) joins him at the close of the opening 2005 adventure, with others appearing later. It becomes clear that the Doctor's new friends were not the first to join him in the TARDIS, but so far only three of his 'companions' from the past have appeared (School Reunion onwards, 2006, and The Sarah Jane Adventures, 2007-) and others have not been discussed. Though the relationship between the Doctor and Rose is initially rocky, they come to trust and rely on each other through experience; her departure in 2006's Doomsday seemed to affect the Doctor deeply.

In terms of programme-making, the idea of having a companion is to provide a surrogate with whom the audience can identify and to further the story by asking questions and getting into trouble. Any kind of intimate relationship is out, though the new series seems to have established a tradition that the Doctor must have romantic involvement each year; so far, the kisses have kept coming.

Villains

In Doctor Who, the universe is a dangerous place. A frequently occurring theme is that of various alien races attempting to conquer the Earth or otherwise threatening the human race,[7] only to be foiled by the Doctor. Perhaps the best-known example of this in the new series concerns the attempts of the Slitheen family to take over the planet and sell it for scrap (Aliens of London and World War Three, 2005). Other villains appearing include the Master (a fellow, evil Time Lord returning from the original series in 2007, played by John Simm and Sir Derek Jacobi), the Cybermen (2006 onwards) and Cassandra, the last human being alive five billion years in the future The End of the World, 2005; New Earth, 2006).

Best-known villains in the series and wider UK culture are the 'Daleks', mutants inside metallic pepperpot-like casings equipped with a gun and an appendage not unlike a sink plunger. Envisaged as representing the Nazis, their best-known characteristic is frequently screaming "Exterminate!" at anything un-Dalek prior to destroying anything that gets in their way of eliminating all life other than that which is Dalek. They have appeared several times in the new series, firstly in Dalek (2005), where it appears that only one individual had survived a previous encounter with their nemesis, the Doctor - known in Skaroene lore as 'The Oncoming Storm' (The Parting of the Ways, 2005). The Daleks have made more regular appearances in the relaunched programme than in the original 1963-1989 series, returning at least once a year.

Format

Episodes of Doctor Who run for about 45 minutes, except for special Christmas adventures broadcast between series. Two-part episodes have separate titles. From series two, the regular characters have been largely absent from one or more episodes so the leads can concentrate on filming others; this led to criticism of the first 'Doctor-lite' adventure, 2006's Love and Monsters.

Music and titles

The theme music for Doctor Who, arranged by Murray Gold, is based on that of the original series's run, by Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire, and likewise the titles evoke those of the original. The twenty-first-century series theme and titles represent the space-time vortex through which the TARDIS travels.

Spin-offs and other adventures

The new series has seen two spin-off dramas, Torchwood (2006-), starring John Barrowman, and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-) starring Elisabeth Sladen with occasional appearances by K-9, a robot dog voiced by John Leeson.[8] Sladen and Leeson's characters were 'companions' in the original series of Doctor Who, and were brought back in the 2006 adventure School Reunion. This is one of the few examples of a direct link between the new and 'classic' series of the programme. The main character in Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness, appeared in Doctor Who from 2005's The Empty Child onwards. The programme sees Harkness leading a team trying to prevent alien incursions via a 'time rift' running through present day Cardiff, while the Sarah Jane Adventures follows the adventures of investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith over several series. The latter production aired on Children's BBC with an intended audience of younger fans, while Torchwood was presented as a post-9pm 'adult' take on the affairs of the Doctor Who universe. Enthusiasm from children, however, later saw a cut version also broadcast. Torchwood returned for a second series in 2008, followed by a BBC Radio 4 play that year. The 2009 series comprises five episodes shown over one week.

Several shorter adventures have also appeared as part of charity events and the Proms, a long-standing evening of music at the Royal Albert Hall. 2005 saw the immediate aftermath of the Doctor's regeneration into the form of David Tennant broadcast as part of the long-running charity event Children in Need. Similarly, a second short Children in Need adventure, Time Crash (2007), contributed to the series' continuity. The Doctor also appeared in The Music of the Spheres as part of the 2008 Proms, in an 'interactive' adventure which saw the TARDIS linked to the Royal Albert Hall via a hole in time and space through which an evil 'Graske' emerged to threaten the audience. This was the Graske's second appearance in what has become a significant run of extra adventures available on digital channels or the internet, the first being Attack of the Graske in 2005. Series two's web-only TARDISodes, which comprised short prequels to broadcast stories, did not return again, however and likewise the quiz show for young fans, Totally Doctor Who, was ultimately not renewed.

The BBC had produced original adventures for the Doctor on its website, notably The Scream of the Shalka (2003), starring Richard E. Grant, who for a time was publicised as the "ninth Doctor" prior to Christopher Eccleston's first television appearance. Grant's Holmesian Doctor was the main casualty of the series's renewal, with further adventures ruled out to avoid confusing the audience as to which "ninth Doctor" was official.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ BBC News: 'New Doctor actor is youngest ever '. 4th January 2009.
  2. ↑ In an example of how British culture has taken the programme to heart, on the occasion when London's Metropolitan Police challenged the BBC's ownership of the police box design, they lost as the court ruled that people associate such boxes with time machines rather than the police. See BBC News: BBC Wins Police Tardis Case, 23rd October 2002.
  3. ↑ BBC: Monster Success. 18th August 2005. The winning entry appeared in 2006's 'Love & Monsters' as the fearsome 'Abzorbaloff'. Its creator, 13-year-old William Grantham, reportedly gave the seal of approval to the BBC's interpretation, though remarked that "it was supposed to be the size of a double-decker bus".
  4. ↑ BAFTA: 'In conversation with Jane Tranter'. 30th September 2008.
  5. ↑ Born in 1956, Heggessey was amongst the first generation of BBC executives and Doctor Who contributors who had actually grown up with the original programme. It has been suggested that this childhood love of the series, emerging as these people reached the senior ranks of the BBC, was one factor in the show's resurrection in 2003.
  6. ↑ Daily Telegraph: 'Doctor Who ready to come out of the Tardis for Saturday TV series' 26th September 2003.
  7. ↑ A new, enforced guideline for the new series so far is that all stories must involve humanity in some way.
  8. ↑ The dog is set to star in his own series, K-9 Adventures, according to reports.

See also

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