The longest running TV Sci-Fi show on the planet!
Picture: The 11 faces of Doctor Who so far...
Top Row - William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee
Middle Row - Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy
Bottom Row - Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith
Here are some top picks from the most recent Doctors...
Dr Who Reviewed
So far, there have been ten Doctors, all with their own unique qualities (the story goes that a Time Lord such as The Doctor can regenerate 12 times), and very soon number eleven will be appearing on our TV screens. Will he live up to the high standards of his predecessors? We'll have to wait and see...
The Doctors so far...1st Doctor
William Hartnell (1963-1966)
Born 8 January 1908 - Died 23 April 1975William Hartnell played The Doctor as a tetchy old man, and to begin with the character was very mysterious. Not much was revealed about him in the early days of Dr Who, only that he was an alien traveller and a bit of an eccentric. However, his character soon mellowed, potentially due to the influence of his companions, and the character became quite loveable. All subsequent doctors have taken something from their predecessors, although William Hartnell originally defined this character.
Hecame back for an appearance on the 10th anniversary story, "The Three Doctors" in 1973, but due to ill health he was only in a few scenes sitting in a chair. This was his last appearance on TV, and indeed in any acting role.
1st Doctor's Companions:
Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford)
Ian Chesterton (William Russell)
Barbara Wright (Jaqueline Hill)
Vicki (Maureen O'Brian)
Steven Taylor (Peter Purves)
Katrina (Adrienne Hill)
Sara Kingdom (Jean Marsh)
Dodo Chaplet (Jackie Lane)
Polly Lopez (Anneke Wills
Ben Jackson (Michael Craze)
Doctor Who: A New Dimension - First Doctor
Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child
William Hartnell
2nd Doctor
Patrick Troughton (1966-1969)
Born 25 March 1920 - Died 28 March 1987Patrick Troughton's Doctor emphasised the loveable side of the first Doctor, along with a certain amount of eccentricity. He could be commonly seen playing a recorder. With his shabby dress sense and lighthearted manner he has been described on the show as both a scarecrow and a clown.
After leaving the show, he made three more cameo appearances as the second Doctor in "The Three Doctors" (for the 10th anniversary), "The Five Doctors (for the 20th anniversary and also "The Two Doctors" (where he starred alongside Colin Baker, the sixth Doctor.
2nd Doctor's Companions:
Polly Lopez (Anneke Wills
Ben Jackson (Michael Craze)
Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines)
Victoria Waterfield (Deborah Watling)
Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney)
Zoe Heriot (Wendy Padbury)
Doctor Who: A New Dimension - Second Doctor
3rd Doctor
Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
Born 7 July 1919 - Died 20 May 1996When Jon Pertwee took over the role, the Doctor had been exiled to the planet Earth. This was the punishment give to him by his people the Time Lords for interfering in the history of other worlds. He became involved as a scientific advisor to UNIT (Uniterd Nations Intelligence Taskforce) headed by his old friend Colonel Lethbridge Stuart (now a Brigadier). Therefore, many more stories at this time were set on Earth, until he finally won his freedom.
Jon Pertwee's Doctor was often described as a "dandy", due to the fact that he tended to wear frilly shirts. This was a complete change to the Doctor's image so far. he was also more dynamic than the previous Doctors, and had a tendancy to be far more involved in action scenes such as fights.
3rd Doctor's Companions:
Liz Shaw (Caroline John)
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney)
Jo Grant (Katy Manning)
Sergeant Benton (John Levene)
Captain Mike Yates (Richard Franklin)
Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen)
Doctor Who: A New Dimension - Third Doctor
More Dr Who Stuff from Amazon
4th Doctor
Tom Baker (1974-1981)
Born 20 January 1934Tom Baker is the longest serving Doctor to date, as his time aboard the TARDIS spanned seven years. His character was that of an oddball, with an almost childlike interest in everything. He developed a style quite unlike any of the previous Doctors with his trademark long scarf and his love of jellybabies (which he would offer to anyone).
Whilst filming on the show, he met his first wife Lalla Ward, who famously played the second incarnation of the Time Lady Romana. However the marriage didn't last.
Now in his seventies, he still continues to act, and has published his autobiography "Who on Earth is Tom Baker?"
4th Doctor's Companions:
Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen)
Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter)
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney)
RSM Benton (John Levene)
Leela (Louise Jameson)
K9 (voiced by John Leeson)
1st Romana (Mary Tamm)
2nd Romana (Lalla Ward)
Adric (Matthew Waterhouse)
Nyssa (Sarah Sutton)
Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding)
Doctor Who: A New Dimension - Fourth Doctor
5th Doctor
Peter Davison (1981-1984)
Born 13 April 1951Peter Davison was the youngest Doctor so far, and has held that position until Matt Smith takes over the TARDIS in 2010. He was a different kind of Doctor, and in addition to the characteristics normally portrayed by the others, had a certain vulnerability. The fragility of his Doctor gave viewers a new side of the cahracter to respond to, and they loved him. Also unlike the other Doctors before him, he tended to travel with an entourage, rather than a single companion. He was the reigning Doctor at the time of the 20th anniversary edition of the show.
5th Doctor's Companions:
Adric (Matthew Waterhouse)
Nyssa (Sarah Sutton)
Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding)
Turlough (Mark Strickson)
Kamelion (Chris Padmore)
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney)
Peri Brown (Nicola Bryant)
Doctor Who: A New Dimension - Fifth Doctor
6th Doctor
Colin Baker (1984-1986)
Born 8 June 1943Colin Baker's Doctor came into the show with another new angle. This time he was portrayed as suffering from a "regeneration crisis" and at the start was quite unstable. He even tried to strangle his companion at one point! However, he soon settled down.
At the time that Colin Baker took over the role, the TV ratings were slipping. So much so that he was eventually dismissed, with the powers that be believing that a new Doctor could save the show.
6th Doctor's Companions:
Peri Brown (Nicola Bryant)
Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford)
Doctor Who: A New Dimension - Sixth Doctor
Even more for great stuff for all Dr Who Fans
7th Doctor
Sylvester McCoy (1987%u20131989, 1993 & 1996)
Born 20 August 1943Sylvester McCoy started out by playing his Doctor as a much more comic character, but soon began to explore the darker side of the Doctor's nature. In 1990 he was voted Best Doctor by the readers of Doctor Who Magazine.
However, the show's ratings were still falling, and in 1989 Doctor Who was cancelled by the BBC. He reprised the role in 1993 for the charity special "Dimensions in Time" and again in 1996, when he appeared in the Doctor Who movie to hand over the role to his sucessor Paul McGann.
7th Doctor's Companions:
Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford)
Ace (Sophie Aldred)
Doctor Who: A New Dimension - Seventh Doctor
8th doctor
Paul McGann (1996)
Born 14 November 1959Before landing the role as the Doctor for the television movie, Paul McGann was already a well known and respected actor.
The movie itself was a joint production between the BBC, Universal Studios and the Fox Broadcasting Network. Set in San Francisco, this movie was to be the prequel to a series, as long as there was enough interest in the US. Unfortunately, this didn't happen, and Doctor Who was again shelved for almost ten years.
8th Doctor's Companions:
Dr Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook)
Chang Lee (Yee Jee Tso)
Dr Who 1996 Movie (Official Fox Promo Trailer)
Miscellaneous Dr Who Stuff
9th Doctor
Christopher Eccleston (2005)
Born 16 February 1964As with Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston had already made his name as an actor when the most recent revival of the show exploded onto our TV screens in 2005. His portrayal of the Doctor was a more contemporary one, with his trademark leather jacket and northern accent. He explained the accent to his companion Rose by telling her that "lots of planets have a north"!
Despite being extremely popular as the Doctor, he stunned viewers by his departure after just one series of the show. However, this time the revival of the show was an enormous sucess.
9th Doctor's Companions:
Rose Tyler (Billie Piper)
Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman)
Doctor Who: 2005 Trailer
10th Doctor
David Tennant (2005-2010)
Born 18 April 1971Arguably the most popular Doctor in recent times, David Tennant burst onto our screens in 2005 during a spectacular regeneration scene. He has held the audience captivated for almost five years in the role. His Doctor comprises the most interesting characteristics of the Doctor, and he is adept at switching between the authoritative, vulnerable and eccentric with ease.
However, despite his great sucess in the role, he announced that he would be leaving the show on 29 October 2008, following three series and four special episodes to be shown throughout 2009.
10th Doctor';s Companions:
Rose Tyler (Billie Piper)
Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke)
K9 (voiced by John Leeson)
Donna Noble (Catherine Tate)
Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman)
Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman)
Lady Christina de Souza (Michelle Ryan)
Doctor Who: 2007 Trailer
11th Doctor
Matt Smith (2010-?)
Born 28 October 1982In comparison to many of the other actors who were reported to be in the running to become David Tennant's sucessor, Matt Smith is relatively unknown, and a surprise choice for the role. He is also the youngest actor to date to be cast as the Doctor at age 26. The BBC were cautious at first to cast him, as they believed that he was too young to portray such a character. Nevertheless, we will find out when Matt Smith takes over the TARDIS in 2010! This could be one to watch!
11th Doctor's Companions:
To be announced...
Doctor Who - 11th Doctor Matt Smith Interview
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- EelKat EelKat Apr 23, 2009 @ 10:21 am
- What a wonderful lens! Thanks for telling me about it. It's been blessed.
I've been a Doctor Who fan since the 70's. Started watching it with Tom Baker, and been watching ever since. I was so glad when they started the New Doctor Who series esp since they picked up where they left off and keep it true to the original. Even after all these years these, I still like Tom Baker the best of all.
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