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"The Doctor" is a Time Lord, an extraterrestrial from the planet Gallifrey, who travels in a time machine called the TARDIS - Time And Relative Dimensions (or Dimension) In Space - that allows him to reach any point in time and space. For the most part, and usually because the vessel's navigation system is old and unreliable, he explores the universe at random and uses his extensive knowledge of science and advanced technology to heroically avert the crises that he encounters. The Doctor has, at various times, been accompanied by companions who have chosen to travel with him for a variety of reasons.
The Doctor is considered a renegade by his people for his penchant of getting "involved" with the universe, in direct violation of official Time Lord policy. However, most of the time his actions are tolerated, especially when he has saved not just Gallifrey, but the universe, several times over. His standing in Time Lord society has waxed and waned over the years, from being a hunted man to even being appointed Lord President of the High Council (an office he did not assume for very long and eventually was removed from in his absence). In the end, though, he has always seemed quite content to remain a renegade and an exile.
The character was first portrayed by William Hartnell in 1963, who played him as an irascible, grandfatherly figure. When Hartnell left the series, the role was taken over by Patrick Troughton in 1966. To date, eight actors have played the Doctor on television, with perhaps the most enduring incarnation being the fourth, played by Tom Baker. Christopher Eccleston will play the Ninth Doctor in a new series to debut in 20052005 is a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). It has been designated: The World Year of Physics The International Year of Microcredit The International Year for Sport and Physical Education The United States Year of Foreign.
When the series begins, nothing is known of the Doctor at all, not even his name. In the very first serial, 100,000 BCThis article is about the Doctor Who serial. For information about this year, see references at Centuries. 100,000 BC was the very first serial in the BBC television series Doctor Who''. It features William Hartnell as The Doctor. Synopsis Ian Chesterton, two teachers from the Coal Hill SchoolThe Coal Hill School is a fictional school in the television series Doctor Who''. It is a secondary modern comprehensive school located in the Shoreditch area of London, England. The Coal Hill School is the setting of much of the very first episode of the in LondonLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium the capital of the Roman province of Bri, Barbara WrightBarbara Wright is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who''. She was one of the programme's very first regulars and appeared in the bulk of its first two seasons from 1963- 65, played by Jacqueline Hill. In a film and Ian ChestertonIan Chesterton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who''. He was originally played by William Russell, and was one of the members of the programme's very first regular cast, appearing in the bulk of the first t, become intrigued by one of their students, Susan ForemanSusan Foreman is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who''. She is played by actress Carole Ann Ford. Susan is the granddaughter of the Time Lord known as the Doctor. Her last name of Foreman is an alias taken fro, who exhibits high intelligence and unusually advanced knowledge. Trailing her to a junkyard at 76 Totter's Lane, they see her enter what appears to be a police boxA police box is a telephone kiosk or callbox for use by members of the police. Police boxes pre-date the modern era, where every police officer (in developed countries) is likely to carry a two-way radio. They contained a telephone linked directly to the. Following her inside, the two not only discover the police box's exterior is camouflage for the TARDIS, but encounter an elderly gentleman whom Susan calls "Grandfather". He introduces himself simply as the Doctor, and subsequently whisks them all away for an adventure in time and space.
The Doctor's calling card (from Remembrance of the Daleks).
In the first episode, Barbara addresses the Doctor as "Doctor Foreman," as the junkyard in which they find him bears the sign "I.M. Foreman". The Time Lord responds, "Eh? Doctor who?" Although referred to in the on-screen credits for nearly twenty years as "Doctor Who", the Doctor is never really referred to by that name, except in the tongue-in-cheek manner of the first episode. The only exception has been a computer in the serial, The War Machines, which commanded that "Doctor Who is required." Although it is often asserted that "Doctor Who" is not the character's name, there is nothing in the series itself that actually confirms this. On at least one occasion the Doctor is about to give a name after the title "Doctor..." but is interrupted.
In The Highlanders he adopts the alias "Doctor von Wer" (a German approximation of "Doctor Who"), and signs himself as "Dr. W" in The Underwater Menace . When pressed, he sometimes gives the name "Dr John Smith". On occasion he is referred to as "Theta Sigma", apparently a University nickname. In the 1988 serial Remembrance of the Daleks, the Doctor is asked to sign a document, which he does so by using a question mark. He has been mocked by his own people for adhering to such a "lowly" title as "Doctor".
In many spin-off comic strips, books, films and other media, the character is often called "Doctor Who" (or just "Dr. Who") as a matter of course, though this has declined in more recent years. From the first story through to Logopolis (the last story of the 18th season and also of the Tom Baker era), the lead character was listed as "Doctor Who". Starting from Peter Davison's first story, Castrovalva (the first story of the series' 19th season), the lead character is credited simply as "The Doctor". Some fans have speculated, taking off from the fact that the full name of the Time Lady Romana is Romanadvoratrelundar, that the first syllable of the Doctor's true name is "Who".
A large part of the Doctor's appeal comes from his mysterious and alien origins. While over the decades several revelations have been made about his background - that he is a Time Lord, that he is from Gallifrey, and so on - the writers have often strived to retain some sense of mystery and to preserve the eternal question, "Doctor who?" This backstory was not rigidly planned from the beginning, but developed gradually (and somewhat haphazardly) over the years, the result of the work of many writers and producers.
Understandably, this has led to continuity problems. Characters such as the Meddling Monk were retroactively classified as Time Lords, early histories of races such as the Daleks were rewritten, and so on. The creation of a detailed backstory has also led to the criticism that too much being known about the Doctor limits both creative possibilities and the sense of mystery. Some of the stories during the Seventh Doctor's tenure, part of the so-called " Cartmel Masterplan", were intended to deal with this issue by suggesting that much of what was believed about the Doctor was wrong and that he is a far more powerful and mysterious figure than previously thought. In both Silver Nemesis and an untelevised scene in Remembrance of the Daleks it is implied that the Doctor is not "just" a Time Lord.
The 1996 Doctor Who television movie, known informally as Enemy Within, created even more uncertainty about the character, revealing (among other things) that his mother was human, although fans seemed to be more upset about the fact that the Doctor was shown breaking the series' longstanding taboo against the Doctor having any romantic involvement with his companions by kissing Dr. Grace Holloway .
While some fans regard discontinuities as a problem, others regard it as a source of interest or humour (an attitude taken by in the book The Discontinuity Guide ). A common fan explanation is that a universe with time travellers is likely to have many historical inconsistencies. There has also been much fan speculation centred on exactly which aspects of the television series, books, radio dramatisations, and other sources will be considered canon in the new series to be broadcast in 2005.