Portal:Doctor Who
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Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called the Doctor, part of a humanoid species called Time Lords. The Doctor travels in the universe and in time using a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS, which externally appears as a British police box. While travelling, the Doctor works to save lives and liberate oppressed peoples by combating foes. The Doctor often travels with companions.
Beginning with William Hartnell, fourteen actors have headlined the series as the Doctor; as of 2024[update], Ncuti Gatwa leads the series as the Fifteenth Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the series with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation, a plot device in which, when a Time Lord is fatally injured, their cells regenerate and they are reincarnated, into a different body with mannerisms and behaviour, but the same memories, explaining each actor's distinct portrayal, as they all represent different stages in the life of the Doctor and, together, they form a single lifetime with a single narrative. The time-travelling nature of the plot means that different incarnations of the Doctor occasionally meet. The Doctor can also change ethnicity or gender; in 2017, Jodie Whittaker became the first woman cast in the lead role, and in 2024, Gatwa became the first black actor to headline the series.
The series is a significant part of popular culture in Britain and elsewhere; it has gained a cult following. It has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series. Fans of the series are sometimes referred to as Whovians. The series has been listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science-fiction television series in the world, as well as the "most successful" science-fiction series of all time, based on its overall broadcast ratings, DVD and book sales. (Full article...)
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Selected story
The Rescue is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on January 2 and January 9, 1965. The story is set in the future on the planet Dido and introduces Maureen O'Brien as the Doctor's newest companion, Vicki.
In the serial, the Doctor, Ian and Barbara land on the planet Dido, where survivors from a doomed spaceship are threatened by a mysterious being known as Koquillion. The travellers come across two survivors, Vicki and Bennett. With Vicki's help, the Koquillion is unmasked as Bennet, who is killed by the natives of Dido. Vicki is then invited aboard the TARDIS.
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Did you know (auto-generated)

- ... that the 2024 Doctor Who episode "Dot and Bubble" was first conceptualized in 2009?
- ... that the Beep the Meep puppet created for "The Star Beast" took six people to operate?
- ... that a popular romantic pairing from Doctor Who was later adapted into the show at the suggestion of lead actress Jodie Whittaker?
- ... that "Mission to the Unknown" is the only Doctor Who serial not to feature the Doctor at all?
- ... that David Tennant filmed a Doctor Who mini-episode on his birthday?
- ... that due to legal and union restrictions, the production team for the Doctor Who episode "Space Babies" occasionally had to replace real babies with props?
Selected quote
“ | Let me tell you something about the human race. You put a mysterious blue box slap-bang in the middle of town, what do they do? Walk past it. Now stop your nagging. Let's go and explore. | ” |
— Ninth Doctor, Boom Town |
Events
Date | Event |
---|---|
29 August 2022 | Another SMTV Live crossover episode |
1 January 2022 | 2022 specials |
December 2021 | Big Finish audio play The Year of Martha Jones [1] |
February 2022 | Second volume of the Big Finish audio play The Lone Centurion [2] |
May 2022 | Series 2 of the audio play Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures |
More did you know?
- ... that Doctor Who spoofs include a Comic Relief special The Curse of Fatal Death?
- ... that Torchwood was the first spin-off from Doctor Who since the pilot for K-9 and Company in 1981?
- ... that an animated Doctor Who serial, The Infinite Quest, aired as part of the children's magazine show Totally Doctor Who?
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