View source for Doctor Who

{{About |the television series}}
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{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
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{{Infobox television
| show_name            = Doctor Who
| image                = [[File:Doctor Who - Current Titlecard.png|250px]]
| genre                = Science fiction drama
| picture_format       = {{unbulleted list| [[405-line television system|405-line]] [[Black-and-white]] (1963–67) | [[576i|625-line]] Black-and-white (1968–69) | 625-line [[PAL]] (1970–89) | [[480i|525-line]] [[NTSC]] (1996) | [[576i]] [[Aspect ratio (image)|16:9]] [[Digital television|DTV]] (2005–08) | [[1080i]] [[High-definition television|HDTV]] (2009–present) }}
| camera               = [[Multiple-camera setup|Single/multiple-camera hybrid]]
| runtime              = {{unbulleted list| 25 minutes (1963–84, 1986–89) | 45 minutes (1985, 2005–present) | Various other lengths }}
| country              = United Kingdom
| network              = [[BBC One]] (1963–1989, 1996, 2005–present)<br>[[BBC One HD]] (2010–present)<br>[[BBC HD]] (2007–10)
| on_demand            = [[BBC iPlayer]], [[Virgin Media]], S4/Clic
| first_aired          = '''Classic series:'''<br />{{Start date|df=yes|1963|11|23}}
| last_aired           = <br />6 December 1989<br />'''Television film:'''<br />12 May 1996<br />'''Revived series:'''<br />26 March 2005&nbsp;– present
| creator              = {{unbulleted list| [[Sydney Newman]] | [[C. E. Webber]] | [[Donald Wilson (writer and producer)|Donald Wilson]] }}
| executive_producer   = [[List of Doctor Who producers#Executive producer credits|Various]]<br />(as of 2013 [[Steven Moffat]] and Brian Minchin)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Brian-Minchin-confirmed-as-New-Executive-Producer-of-Doctor-Who |publisher=BBC |title=Brian Minchin confirmed as New Executive Producer of Doctor Who |date=30 April 2013 |accessdate=30 April 2013}}</ref>
| director             = [[List of Doctor Who directors|Various]]
| audio_format         = Monaural {{small|(1963–87)}}<br />Stereo {{small|(1988–89; 1996; 2005–08)}}<br />[[5.1 Surround Sound]] {{small|(2009–present)}}
| starring             =  '''[[List of actors who have played the Doctor|Various Doctors]]'''<br />(as of 2013 [[Peter Capaldi]])<br />'''[[Companion (Doctor Who)|Various companions]]'''<br />(as of 2013 [[Jenna Coleman]])
| num_seasons          = 26 (1963–89) plus one TV film (1996)
| num_series           = 7 (2005–present)
| num_stories          = 241
| num_episodes         = 800 ([[Doctor Who missing episodes|97 missing]]) <!--As of 23 October 2013. Does not count "The Infinite Quest" or ''Dreamland'' or other spin-offs. Do not report fewer than 97 missing episodes until this has been reliably confirmed.-->
| list_episodes        = List of Doctor Who serials
| theme_music_composer = {{unbulleted list| [[Ron Grainer]] | [[Delia Derbyshire]] }}
| opentheme            = [[Doctor Who theme music|''Doctor Who'' theme music]]
| composer             = [[#Incidental music|Various composers]]<br />(as of 2005 [[Murray Gold]])
| website              = http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/
| website_title        = ''Doctor Who'' at the BBC
| rss                  = http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/rss.xml
| related              = {{unbulleted list| ''[[K-9 and Company]]'' (1981) | ''[[Torchwood]]'' (2006–11) | ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' (2007–11) | ''[[K-9 (TV series)|K-9]]'' (2009–10) | |''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'' (2005–11) | ''[[Totally Doctor Who]]'' (2006–07)}}}}
'''''Doctor Who''''' is a [[British television science fiction|British]] [[science fiction on television|science-fiction television]] programme produced by the [[BBC]]. The programme depicts the adventures of [[Doctor (Doctor Who)|the Doctor]], a [[Time Lord]]—a [[time travel|time-travelling]] [[humanoid]] [[Extraterrestrial life|alien]]. He explores the universe in his [[TARDIS]], a [[Sentience|sentient]] time-travelling space ship. Its exterior appears as a blue British [[police box]], which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Along with a succession of [[Companion (Doctor Who)|companions]], the Doctor faces a variety of [[List of Doctor Who villains|foes]] while working to save civilisations<!-- This an acceptable spelling in British English. Please use this spelling consistently. -->, help ordinary people, and right wrongs.

The show has received [[List of awards and nominations received by Doctor Who|recognition]] as one of Britain's finest television programmes, winning the 2006 [[British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series]] and five consecutive (2005–2010) awards at the [[National Television Awards]] during [[Russell T Davies]]'s tenure as executive producer.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8471232.stm |publisher=BBC | work = News | title=Doctor Who scoops two TV awards | date=21 January 2010 | accessdate=1 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/news/a300378/national-television-awards-2011-winners.html | title=National Television Awards 2011&nbsp;– Winners | work=[[Digital Spy]] | date=26 January 2011 | accessdate=16 August 2012 | author=Sperling, Daniel}}</ref> In 2011, [[Matt Smith (actor)|Matt Smith]] became the first Doctor to be nominated for a [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor|BAFTA Television Award for Best Actor]]. In 2013, the [[Peabody Award]]s honoured ''Doctor Who'' with an Institutional Peabody "for evolving with technology and the times like nothing else in the known television universe."<ref name=peabody>{{cite web |url=http://peabodyawards.com/2013/03/72nd-annual-peabody-awards-complete-list-of-winners/ |title=72nd Annual Peabody Awards: Complete List of Winners |author=ekropp |date=27 March 2013 |work= |publisher=Peabody Awards |accessdate=29 March 2013}}</ref> The programme is listed in ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world,<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5390372.stm
| title=Dr Who 'longest-running sci-fi'
|publisher=BBC News
| date=28 September 2006
| accessdate=30 September 2006
 }}</ref> the "most successful" science fiction series of all time—based on its over-all broadcast ratings, DVD and book sales, and iTunes traffic—<ref>{{cite news|first=Liz Shannon|last=Miller |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006512.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2562 |title='Doctor Who' Honored by Guinness&nbsp;— Entertainment News, TV News, Media |work=Variety |date= 26 July 2009|accessdate=23 November 2009}}</ref> and for the largest ever simulcast of a TV drama with its [[The Day of the Doctor|50th anniversary special]].<ref name="record">{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/guinness-world-record-for-the-day-of-the-doctor |title=GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR |publisher=''Doctor Who'' website |date=24 November 2013 |accessdate=24 November 2013}}</ref> During its original run, it was recognised for its imaginative stories, creative<!-- not neutral? --> low-budget [[special effect]]s, and pioneering use of [[electronic music]] (originally produced by the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]).

The show is a significant part of [[Culture of the United Kingdom|British popular culture]],<ref>{{cite journal
| date= 14 September 2006
| title = The end of Olde Englande: A lament for Blighty
| journal = [[The Economist]]
| url = http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7912946
| accessdate =18 September 2006}}<br />{{cite web
| title=ICONS. A Portrait of England
| url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/doctor-who
| accessdate=10 November 2007
 }}</ref><ref name="Moran">{{cite news
| first = Caitlin
| last = Moran
| authorlink = Caitlin Moran
| title = Doctor Who is simply masterful
| url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article1989181.ece
|work=The Times
| location=London
| publisher = [[News Corporation]]
| date = 30 June 2007
| accessdate =1 July 2007
| quote = [''Doctor Who''] is as thrilling and as loved as ''Jolene'', or bread and cheese, or honeysuckle, or Friday. It's quintessential to being British.}}</ref> and elsewhere it has become a [[cult following|cult television favourite]]. The show has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series.<ref>{{cite video|title=Do You Remember the First Time?|series=Doctor Who Confidential |serieslink=Doctor Who Confidential |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/confidential/episodes/episode_310.shtml |network=[[BBC]]|station=BBC Three |quote=Director and presenter: [[David Tennant]] |airdate=9 June 2007}}</ref> The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. After an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a [[backdoor pilot]] in the form of a [[Doctor Who (film)|television film]], the programme was [[History of Doctor Who#2000s|relaunched in 2005]] by Russell T. Davies who was showrunner and head writer for the first five years of its revival, produced in-house by [[BBC Cymru Wales|BBC Wales]] in [[Cardiff]]. The [[Doctor Who (series 1)|first series]] of the 21st century, featuring [[Christopher Eccleston]] in the title role, was produced by the BBC. [[Doctor Who (series 2)|Series two]] and [[Doctor Who (series 3)|three]] had some development money contributed by the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC), which was credited as a co-producer.<ref>{{cite journal | first = Andrew | last = Gurudata | title = Rage Against the Machine | journal = Enlightenment | issue = 147}}</ref> ''Doctor Who'' also spawned [[Doctor Who spin-offs|spin-offs]] in multiple media, including ''[[Torchwood]]'' (2006–11) and ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' (2007–11), both created by Russell T Davies; ''[[K-9 (TV series)|K-9]]'' (2009–10); and a single pilot episode of ''[[K-9 and Company]]'' (1981). There also have been many [[Doctor Who spoofs|spoofs and cultural references]] of the character in other media.

Twelve actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show as [[Regeneration (Doctor Who)|regeneration]], a life process of [[Time Lord]]s through which the character of the Doctor takes on a new body and, to some extent, new personality, which occurs after sustaining injury which would be fatal to most other species. Although each portrayal of the Doctor is different, and on occasions the various incarnations have even met one another, they are all meant to be aspects of the same character. As of 2013, the Doctor is currently portrayed by [[Peter Capaldi]], who took on the role after [[Matt Smith (actor)|Matt Smith]]'s final appearance in the 2013 Christmas special "[[The Time of the Doctor]]".<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite news
  |title=Doctor Who: Peter Capaldi revealed as 12th Doctor
  |date=4 August 2013
  |newspaper=[[BBC News Online]]
  |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23570354
}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Doctor Who}}
''Doctor Who''  first appeared on [[BBC1]] television at 17:16:20 [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]], 1:20 minutes after the scheduled programme time, 5:15&nbsp;pm, on  [[November 1963#November 23.2C 1963 .28Saturday.29|Saturday, 23 November 1963]].<ref>Howe, Stammers, Walker (1994), p. 54</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/unearthlychild/detail.shtml | title=An Unearthly Child |publisher=BBC | date=16 August 2012}}</ref> It was to be a regular weekly programme, each episode 25 minutes of transmission length. Discussions and plans for the programme had been in progress for a year. The [[BBC television drama|Head of Drama]], Canadian [[Sydney Newman]], was mainly responsible for developing the programme, with the first format document for the series being written by Newman along with the Head of the Script Department (later Head of Serials) [[Donald Wilson (writer and producer)|Donald Wilson]] and staff writer [[C. E. Webber]]. Writer [[Anthony Coburn]], [[David Whitaker (screenwriter)|David Whitaker]], a [[Script editor|story editor]], and initial producer [[Verity Lambert]] also heavily contributed to the development of the series.<ref>Howe, Stammers, Walker (1994), pp. 157–230 ("Production Diary")</ref><ref group=note>Newman is often given sole creator credit for the series. Some reference works such as ''The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs 1947–1979'' by Vincent Terrace erroneously credit Terry Nation with creating ''Doctor Who'', because of the way his name is credited in the two Peter Cushing films.<br />Newman and Lambert's role in originating the series was recognised in the 2007 episode "[[Human Nature (Doctor Who episode)|Human Nature]]", in which the Doctor, in disguise as a human named John Smith, gives his parents' names as Sydney and Verity.</ref> The programme was originally intended to appeal to a family audience,<ref>Howe, Stammers, Walker (1992), p. 3.</ref> as an educational programme using time travel as a means to explore scientific ideas and famous moments in history. On 31 July 1963 Whitaker commissioned [[Terry Nation]] to write a story under the title ''The Mutants''. As originally written, the [[Dalek]]s and [[Thal (Doctor Who)|Thal]]s were the victims of an alien [[neutron bomb]] attack but Nation later dropped the aliens and made the Daleks the aggressors. When the script was presented to Newman and Wilson it was immediately rejected as the programme was not permitted to contain any "[[bug-eyed monster]]s". The first serial had been completed and the BBC believed it was crucial that the next one be a success, however, ''The Mutants'' was the only script ready to go so the show had little choice but to use it. According to producer Verity Lambert; "We didn't have a lot of choice&nbsp;— we only had the Dalek serial to go&nbsp;... We had a bit of a crisis of confidence because Donald [Wilson] was so adamant that we shouldn't make it. Had we had anything else ready we would have made that." Nation's script became the second ''Doctor Who'' [[List of Doctor Who serials|serial]]&nbsp;– ''[[The Daleks]]'' (aka ''The Mutants''). The serial introduced the eponymous aliens that would become the series' most popular monsters, and was responsible for the BBC's first merchandising boom.<ref>Steve Tribe, James Goss ''Dr Who: The Dalek Handbook'' [[BBC Books]] [[Random House]] 2011 ISBN 978-1-84990-232-8 Pg9</ref>

The BBC drama department's Serials division produced the programme for 26 seasons, broadcast on [[BBC One|BBC 1]]. Falling viewing numbers, a decline in the public perception of the show and a less-prominent transmission slot saw production suspended in 1989 by [[Jonathan Powell (producer)|Jonathan Powell]], Controller of BBC 1.<ref name="powell">{{cite news
|url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/bbc/story/0,,1511487,00.html
|title=Doctor Who makes the Grade
|first=Jason
|last=Deans
|work=The Guardian
|quote=But Mr Grade was not at the helm when Doctor Who was finally retired for good in 1989&nbsp;— that decision fell to the then BBC1 controller, Jonathan Powell.
|date=21 June 2005
|accessdate=4 February 2007
| location=London}}</ref> Although (as series co-star [[Sophie Aldred]] reported in the documentary ''Doctor Who: More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS'') it was effectively, if not formally, [[cancellation (television)|cancelled]] with the decision not to commission a planned 27th series of the show for transmission in 1990, the BBC repeatedly affirmed that the series would return.<ref name="8thdrspecial" />

While in-house production had ceased, the BBC hoped to find an independent production company to relaunch the show. [[Philip Segal]], a British [[expatriate]] who worked for [[Columbia Pictures]]' television arm in the United States, had approached the BBC about such a venture as early as July 1989, while the 26th series was still in production.<ref name="8thdrspecial">Doctor Who Magazine Eighth Doctor Special, Panini Comics 2003</ref> Segal's negotiations eventually led to a [[Doctor Who (1996 film)|''Doctor Who'' television film]], broadcast on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox Network]] in 1996 as a co-production between Fox, [[Universal Studios|Universal Pictures]], the BBC and [[BBC Worldwide]]. Although the film was successful in the UK (with 9.1&nbsp;million viewers), it was less so in the United States and did not lead to a series.<ref name="8thdrspecial" />

Licensed media such as novels and audio plays provided [[Doctor Who spin-offs|new stories]], but as a television programme ''Doctor Who'' remained dormant until 2003. In September of that year,<ref>{{cite news|last=Gibson|first=Owen|title=Doctor Who returns to BBC1 screens|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2003/sep/26/bbc.broadcasting|work=The Guardian|accessdate=20 January 2012|date=26 September 2003|location=London}}</ref> [[BBC Television]] announced the in-house production of a new series after several years of attempts by BBC Worldwide to find backing for a feature film version. The executive producers of the new incarnation of the series were writer [[Russell T Davies]] and [[BBC Cymru Wales]] Head of Drama [[Julie Gardner]].

''Doctor Who'' finally returned with the episode [[Rose (Doctor Who)|"Rose"]] on BBC One on 26 March 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor Who is Saturday night hit|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4385801.stm|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=24 October 2013}}</ref> There have since been six further series in 2006–2008 and 2010–2012, and Christmas Day specials every year since 2005. No full series was filmed in 2009,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davies |first1=Russell T |last2=Cook | first2=Benjamin |title=Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter |year=2010 |publisher=[[BBC Books]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-84607-861-3 |page=216}}</ref> although four additional specials starring Tennant were made. In 2010, [[Steven Moffat]] replaced Davies as [[head writer]] and executive producer.<ref name=RTDgone>{{cite news|title = Doctor Who guru Davies steps down|publisher=BBC News|date = 20 May 2008|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7411177.stm|accessdate =20 May 2008}}</ref>

The 2005 version of ''Doctor Who'' is a direct continuation of the 1963–1989 series,<ref group=note>This is often emphasised in the accompanying making-of documentaries in the series ''Doctor Who Confidential'', as well as in occasional flashbacks to images of earlier versions of the Doctor.</ref> as is the 1996 telefilm. This differs from other series relaunches that have either been reimaginings or reboots (for example, ''[[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' and ''[[Bionic Woman (2007 TV series)|Bionic Woman]]'') or series taking place in the same universe as the original but in a different period and with different characters (for example, ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' and spin-offs).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gallifreyone.com/newseriesfaq.php|title=Outpost Gallifrey: TV Series FAQ|publisher=gallifreyone.com}}{{Dead link|date=April 2010}}</ref>

The programme has been sold to many other countries worldwide (see [[#Viewership|Viewership]]).

===Public consciousness===
It has been suggested that the transmission of the first episode was delayed by ten minutes due to extended news coverage of the assassination of US President [[John F. Kennedy]] the previous day; whereas in fact, it went out just eighty seconds late.<ref name="companion">{{Cite book| last = Howe | first = David J. | authorlink = David J. Howe | coauthors = [[Mark Stammers]] and [[Stephen James Walker]] | year = 2003 | title = The Television Companion: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to DOCTOR WHO | edition = 2nd|publisher = [[Telos Publishing Ltd.]]| location = Surrey|isbn = 1-903889-51-0}}</ref> Because it was believed that the coverage of the events of the assassination as well as a series of power blackouts across the country may have caused too many viewers to miss this introduction to a new series, the BBC broadcast it again on 30 November 1963, just before the broadcast of episode two.<ref>{{cite web|title=Serial A: 100,000 BC (aka An Unearthly Child, The Tribe of Gum)|url=http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/a.html|publisher=shannonsullivan.com|accessdate=6 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=DOCTOR WHO'S FIRST EPISODE: AN UNEARTHLY CHILD|url=http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/dw3.htm|publisher=televisionheaven.co.uk|accessdate=6 September 2013}}</ref>

The programme soon became a national institution in the United Kingdom, with a large following among the general viewing audience.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/454592/index.html
|title=Doctor Who (1963–89, 2005–)
|first=Anthony|last=Clark
|work=[[Screenonline]]
| quote = The science fiction adventure series Doctor Who (BBC, 1963–89) has created a phenomenon unlike any other British TV programme.
|accessdate=21 March 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/D/htmlD/doctorwho/doctorwho.htm
|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070211080018/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/D/htmlD/doctorwho/doctorwho.htm
|archivedate = 11 February 2007
|title=Doctor Who
|first=John|last=Tulloch
|work=[[Museum of Broadcast Communications]]
| quote = The official fans have never amounted to more than a fraction of the audience. Doctor Who achieved the status of an institution as well as a cult.
| accessdate=21 March 2007}}</ref> Many renowned actors asked for, or were offered and accepted, [[Celebrity and notable guest appearances in Doctor Who|guest-starring roles]] in various stories.<ref>{{cite web|title=Voyage of the Damned – Cast and Crew|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2007/credits/credits_votd.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=24 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Planet of the Dead – Credits|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/?episode=s0_06&action=credits|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=24 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Dinosaurs on a Spaceship – Credits|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mm5c9|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=24 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Name of the Doctor – Credits|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01skh8t|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=24 October 2013}}</ref>

With popularity came controversy over the show's suitability for children. Morality campaigner [[Mary Whitehouse]] repeatedly complained to the BBC in the 1970s over what she saw as the show's frightening or gory content.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0925766/bio | work = IMDb | title = Biography of Mary Whitehouse | accessdate =6 July 2007}}</ref> [[John Nathan-Turner]], who produced the series during the 1980s, was heard to say that he looked forward to Whitehouse's comments, as the show's ratings would increase soon after she had made them.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/new_media/1965981.stm|title=Doctor Who Producer Dies|accessdate=6 July 2007 |publisher=BBC News | date=3 May 2002}}</ref>

During [[Jon Pertwee]]'s [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 8 (1971)|second series]] as the Doctor, in the serial ''[[Terror of the Autons]]'' (1971), images of murderous plastic dolls, daffodils killing unsuspecting victims, and blank-featured policemen marked the apex of the show's ability to frighten children.<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC – Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – Terror of the Autons|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/terrorautons/detail.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref> Other notable moments in that decade included a disembodied brain falling to the floor in ''[[The Brain of Morbius]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The Brain of Morbius|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/brainmorbius/detail.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref> and the Doctor apparently being drowned by Chancellor Goth in ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'' (both 1976).<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC – Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The Deadly Assassin|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/deadlyassassin/detail.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref>

[[File:TARDIS2.jpg|thumb|The fibreglass [[TARDIS]] prop used between 1980 and 1989.]]
A BBC audience research survey conducted in 1972 found that, by their own definition of violence ("any act[s] which may cause physical and/or psychological injury, hurt or death to persons, animals or property, whether intentional or accidental") ''Doctor Who'' was the most violent of the drama programmes the corporation produced at the time.<ref name="times-violence">{{cite news|title=Violence is not really Dr Who's cup of tea|work=The Times|first=Philip|last=Howard|date=29 January 1972|page=2}}</ref> The same report found that 3% of the surveyed audience regarded the show as "very unsuitable" for family viewing.<ref name="times-audience">{{cite news|title=The Times Diary&nbsp;— Points of view|work=The Times|date=27 January 1972|page=16}}</ref> Responding to the findings of the survey in ''[[The Times]]'' newspaper, journalist Philip Howard maintained that "to compare the violence of ''Dr Who'', sired by a horse-laugh out of a nightmare, with the more realistic violence of other television series, where actors who look like human beings bleed paint that looks like blood, is like comparing [[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]] with the property market in London: both are fantasies, but one is meant to be taken seriously."<ref name="times-violence"/>

The image of the [[TARDIS]] has become firmly linked to the show in the public's consciousness; BBC scriptwriter [[Anthony Coburn]], who lived in the resort of [[Herne Bay, Kent]], was one of the people who conceived the idea of a police box as a time machine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-13411516|title=Doctor Who fan in tardis replica plan for Herne Bay|publisher=BBC|accessdate=31 July 2013}}</ref> In 1996, the BBC applied for a trade mark to use the TARDIS's blue [[police box]] design in merchandising associated with ''Doctor Who''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tmcase/Results/1/UK00002104259 |title=Case details for Trade Mark UK00002104259 |accessdate=27 October 2013 |work=[[UK Intellectual Property Office|UK Patent Office]]}}</ref> In 1998, the Metropolitan Police Authority filed an objection to the trade mark claim; but in 2002, the [[UK Intellectual Property Office|Patent Office]] ruled in favour of the BBC.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm/t-decisionmaking/t-challenge/t-challenge-decision-results/t-challenge-decision-results-bl?BL_Number=O/336/02 |title=Trade mark decision |accessdate=17 January 2007 |work=[[UK Intellectual Property Office|UK Patent Office]] website}}<br />{{cite web |url= http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm//legal/decisions/2002/o33602.pdf |title=In the matter of application No. 2104259 by The British Broadcasting Corporation to register a series of three marks in Classes 9, 16, 25 and 41 AND IN THE MATTER OF Opposition thereto under No. 48452 by The Metropolitan Police Authority |accessdate=17 January 2007 |last=Knight |first=Mike |work=[[UK Intellectual Property Office|UK Patent Office]]|format=PDF}}<br />{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2352743.stm |title=BBC wins police Tardis case |accessdate=17 January 2007 |date=23 October 2002 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

The programme's broad appeal attracts audiences of children and families as well as science fiction fans.<ref>{{cite news |first=Sam |last=Leith |title=Worshipping Doctor Who from behind the sofa |url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/07/05/do0502.xml |work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London |date=4 July 2008 |accessdate=7 July 2008|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080706030948/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/07/05/do0502.xml|archivedate=6 July 2008}}</ref>

The 21st century revival of the programme has become the centrepiece of BBC One's Saturday schedule, and has "defined the channel".<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=Robinson |title=Television's Lord of prime time awaits his next regeneration |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,2036415,00.html |work=The Observer|date=18 March 2007 |accessdate=19 March 2007 | location=London}}</ref> Since its return, ''Doctor Who'' has consistently received high ratings, both in number of viewers and as measured by the [[Appreciation Index]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Pettie |title=Casting Matt Smith shows that Doctor Who is a savvy multi-million pound brand |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/4094067/Casting-Matt-Smith-shows-that-Doctor-Who-is-a-savvy-multi-million-pound-brand.html |work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London |date=4 January 2009 |accessdate=4 January 2009}}</ref> In 2007, [[Caitlin Moran]], television reviewer for ''[[The Times]]'', wrote that ''Doctor Who'' is "quintessential to being British".<ref name="Moran" /> Director [[Steven Spielberg]] has commented that "the world would be a poorer place without ''Doctor Who''".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2008/08/steven_moffat_dont_rule_out_do.html|title=Edinburgh TV Festival 2008: don't rule out Doctor Who feature film, says Steven Moffat|first=Ben|last=Dowell|work=The Guardian |date=23 August 2008|accessdate=23 August 2008 | location=London}}</ref>

On 4 August 2013, a live programme titled ''Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor'' was broadcast on BBC One, during which the actor playing the Twelfth Doctor was revealed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23531724|title=New Doctor Who star to be unveiled|accessdate=3 August 2013|date=2 August 2013|publisher=BBC}}</ref> The show was simultaneously broadcast in the US and Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/from-spin-doctor-to-doctor-who-stars-childhood-dream-comes-true.21792902|title=From spin doctor to Doctor Who&nbsp;... star's childhood dream comes true|date=5 August 2013|accessdate=18 August 2013|publisher=HeraldScotland}}</ref>

==Episodes==
{{Further|List of Doctor Who serials}}
''Doctor Who'' originally ran for 26 seasons on BBC One, from 23 November 1963 until 6 December 1989. During the original run, each weekly episode formed part of a story (or "serial")&nbsp;— usually of four to six parts in earlier years and three to four in later years. Notable exceptions were: ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan]]'', which aired in 12 episodes (plus an earlier one-episode teaser,<ref>''[[The Daleks' Master Plan]]''. Writers [[Terry Nation]] and [[Dennis Spooner]], Director [[Douglas Camfield]], Producer [[John Wiles]]. ''Doctor Who''. BBC. BBC One, London. 13 November 1965&nbsp;– 29 January 1966.</ref> "[[Mission to the Unknown]]", featuring none of the regular cast<ref>{{cite episode | title = Mission to the Unknown | episodelink = Mission to the Unknown | series = Doctor Who | credits = Writer [[Terry Nation]], Director [[Derek Martinus]], Producer [[Verity Lambert]] | network = BBC | station = BBC One | city = London | airdate = 9 October 1965}}</ref>); almost an entire season of 7-episode serials (season 7); the 10-episode serial ''[[The War Games]]'';<ref name=WarGames>''[[The War Games]]''. Writers [[Malcolm Hulke]] and [[Terrance Dicks]], Director [[David Maloney]], Producer [[Derrick Sherwin]]. ''Doctor Who''. BBC. BBC One, London. 19 April 1969&nbsp;– 21 June 1969.</ref> and ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'', which ran for 14 episodes (albeit divided into three production codes and four narrative segments) during [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 23 (1986)|Season 23]].<ref name=Trial>''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]''. Writers [[Robert Holmes (scriptwriter)|Robert Holmes]], [[Philip Martin (screenwriter)|Philip Martin]] and [[Pip and Jane Baker]], Directors [[Nicholas Mallett]], [[Ron Jones (television director)|Ron Jones]] and Chris Clough, Producer [[John Nathan-Turner]]. ''Doctor Who''. BBC. BBC One, London. 6 September 1986&nbsp;– 6 December 1986.</ref> Occasionally serials were loosely connected by a storyline, such as [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 8 (1971)|Season 8]] being devoted to the Doctor battling a rogue Time Lord called [[Master (Doctor Who)|The Master]],<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC – Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – Season 8|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/season8.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Master – BBC|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/characters/the-master.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref> [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 16 (1978–79)|Season 16]]'s quest for [[The Key to Time]],<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC – Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – Season 16|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/season16.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref> [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 18 (1980–81)|Season 18]]'s journey through [[E-Space]] and the theme of entropy,<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC – Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – Logopolis|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/logopolis/detail.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref> and [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 20 (1983-84)|Season 20]]'s Black Guardian Trilogy.<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC – Season 20 – Episode guide|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00sfvc7/episodes/guide|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref>

The programme was intended to be educational and for family viewing on the early Saturday evening schedule.<ref name="Doctor Who Education">{{cite web|title=10 things you didn't know about Doctor Who
|url=http://uktv.co.uk/watch/stepbystep/aid/576125
|publisher=[[Watch (TV channel)|Watch]]
|accessdate=20 January 2012
|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110116052952/http://uktv.co.uk/watch/stepbystep/aid/576125
|archivedate =16 January 2011}}</ref> Initially, it alternated stories set in the past, which taught younger audience members about history, with stories set either in the future or in outer space to teach them about science.<ref name="Doctor Who Education" /> This was also reflected in the Doctor's original companions, one of whom was a science teacher and another a history teacher.<ref name="Doctor Who Education" />

However, science fiction stories came to dominate the programme and the "historicals", which were not popular with the production team,<ref name="Doctor Who Education" /> were dropped after ''[[The Highlanders (Doctor Who)|The Highlanders]]'' (1967). While the show continued to use historical settings, they were generally used as a backdrop for science fiction tales, with one exception: ''[[Black Orchid (Doctor Who)|Black Orchid]]'' set in 1920s England.<ref name=Orchid>''[[Black Orchid (Doctor Who)|Black Orchid]]''. Writer [[Terence Dudley]], Director [[Ron Jones (television director)|Ron Jones]], Producer [[John Nathan-Turner]]. ''Doctor Who''. BBC. BBC One, London. 1 March 1982&nbsp;– 2 March 1982.</ref>

The early stories were serial-like in nature, with the narrative of one story flowing into the next, and each episode having its own title, although produced as distinct stories with their own production codes.<ref name="BBC Doctor Who Episode List">{{cite web|title=Doctor Who Episode List|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/treasurehunt/missing/drwho.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=26 October 2013}}</ref> Following ''[[The Gunfighters]]'' (1966), however, each serial was given its own title, with the individual parts simply being assigned episode numbers.<ref name="BBC Doctor Who Episode List" />

Of the programme's [[List of Doctor Who writers|many writers]], [[Robert Holmes (scriptwriter)|Robert Holmes]] was the most prolific,<ref>{{cite web|last=Debnath|first=Neela|title=Review of Doctor Who 'The Talons of Weng-Chiang' (Series 14)|url=http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/12/31/review-of-doctor-who-%E2%80%98the-talons-of-weng-chiang%E2%80%99-series-14/|publisher=[[The Independent]]|accessdate=26 October 2013|date=21 September 2013}}</ref> while [[Douglas Adams]] became the most well-known outside ''Doctor Who'' itself, due to the popularity of his ''Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''.<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC Online – Cult – Hitchhiker's – Douglas Adams – Biography|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhikers/dna/biog.shtml|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=26 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Shada, Douglas Adams's 'lost' Doctor Who story, to be novelised|url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/mar/24/douglas-adams-doctor-who-story-published|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=26 October 2013|date=24 March 2011}}</ref>

The serial format changed for the [[Doctor Who (series 1)|2005 revival]], with each series usually consisting of 13 45-minute, self-contained episodes (60 minutes with adverts, on overseas commercial channels), and an extended episode broadcast on Christmas Day. Each series includes several standalone and multi-part stories, linked with a loose story arc that resolves in the series finale. As in the early "classic" era, each episode, whether standalone or part of a larger story, has its own title. Occasionally, regular-series episodes will exceed the 45-minute run time; notably, the episodes "[[Journey's End (Doctor Who)|Journey's End]]" from 2008 and "[[The Eleventh Hour (Doctor Who)|The Eleventh Hour]]" from 2010 exceeded an hour in length.

799 ''Doctor Who'' instalments have been televised since 1963, ranging between 25-minute episodes (the most common format), 45-minute episodes (for ''[[Resurrection of the Daleks]]'' in the 1984 series, a single season in 1985, and the revival), two feature-length productions (1983's ''[[The Five Doctors]]'' and the [[Doctor Who (1996 film)|1996 television film]]), eight [[Christmas special#Television series specials|Christmas specials]] (most of 60 minutes' duration, one of 72 minutes), and four additional specials ranging from 60 to 75 minutes in 2009, 2010 and 2013. Four mini-episodes, running about eight minutes each, were also produced for the 1993, 2005 and 2007 [[Children in Need]] charity appeals, while another mini-episode was produced in 2008 for a ''Doctor Who''-themed edition of [[The Proms]]. The 1993 2-part story, entitled ''[[Dimensions in Time]]'', was made in collaboration with the cast of the BBC soap-opera ''[[EastEnders]]'' and was filmed partly on the ''EastEnders'' set. A two-part mini-episode was also produced for the 2011 edition of [[Comic Relief]]. Starting with the 2009 special "[[Planet of the Dead]]", the series was filmed in [[1080i]] for [[HDTV]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor Who to be filmed in HD|url=http://www.drwho-online.co.uk/news/#newseries-hd0|work=Doctor Who Online|date=4 February 2009|accessdate=5 February 2009}}{{dead link|date=February 2013}}</ref> and broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and [[BBC HD]].

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the show, a special [[3D television|3D]] episode, "[[The Day of the Doctor]]", was broadcast in 2013.<ref name="bbc3D">{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21413511 | title=BBC announces Doctor Who 3D Special | publisher=BBC | work=BBC News | date=11 February 2013 | accessdate=12 February 2013}}</ref> In March 2013, it was announced that Tennant and Piper would be returning,<ref name="tennantReturns">{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21980892 | title=Doctor Who: David Tennant returns for anniversary show | publisher=BBC | work=BBC News | date=30 March 2013 | accessdate=2 April 2013}}</ref> and that the episode would have a limited cinematic release worldwide.<ref name="NotParticularlyGoodReferenceWillReplace">{{cite web | url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/doctor-who-to-go-3d-for-half-century-sepcial-edition/ | title='Doctor Who' goes 3D for its half-century edition | publisher=Digital Trends | date=12 February 2013 | accessdate=2 April 2013 | author=McMillan, Graeme}}</ref>

===Missing episodes===
{{Main|Doctor Who missing episodes}}
Between about 1964 and 1973, large amounts of older material stored in the BBC's various video tape and film libraries were either destroyed,<ref group=note>The tapes, based on a [[405-line television system|405-line broadcast standard]], were rendered obsolete when UK television changed to a [[625-line television system|625-line signal]] in preparation for the soon-to-begin colour transmissions.</ref> [[wiping|wiped]], or suffered from poor storage which led to severe deterioration from [[broadcast quality]]. This included many old episodes of ''Doctor Who'', mostly stories featuring the first two Doctors: [[William Hartnell]] and [[Patrick Troughton]]. In all, 97 of 253 episodes produced during the first six years of the programme are not held in the BBC's archives (most notably seasons 3, 4, & 5, from which 79 episodes are missing). In 1972, almost all episodes then made were known to exist at the BBC,<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/archive.htm
|title=BBC Archive Holdings
|first=Richard|last=Molesworth
|work=[[Doctor Who Restoration Team]]
|quote=A full set was held at least until early 1972, as 16 mm black and white film negatives (apart&nbsp;— of course&nbsp;— from 'Masterplan' 7). .
|accessdate=30 April 2007}}</ref> while by 1978 the practice of wiping tapes and destroying 'spare' film copies had been brought to a stop.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/archive.htm
|title=BBC Archive Holdings
|first=Richard|last=Molesworth
|work=[[Doctor Who Restoration Team]]
|quote=the videotapes began to be wiped, or re-used, until the formation of the BBC's Film and Videotape Library in 1978 put a stop to this particular practice.
|accessdate=30 April 2007}}</ref>

No 1960s episodes exist on their original videotapes (all surviving prints being film transfers), though some were transferred to film for editing before transmission, and exist in their broadcast form.<ref name="Doctor Who Restoring and Reconstructing Missing Episodes">{{cite news|title='Doctor Who': Restoring and Reconstructing Missing Episodes|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lancashire/plain/A14066589|publisher=BBC|accessdate=20 January 2012}}</ref>

Some episodes have been returned to the BBC from the archives of other countries who bought prints for broadcast, or by private individuals who acquired them by various means. Early colour videotape recordings made off-air by fans have also been retrieved, as well as excerpts filmed from the television screen onto 8&nbsp;mm [[cine film]] and clips that were shown on other programmes. Audio versions of all of the lost episodes exist from home viewers who made tape recordings of the show. Short clips from every story with the exception of ''[[Marco Polo (Doctor Who)|Marco Polo]]'', "[[Mission to the Unknown]]" and ''[[The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve]]'' also exist.

In addition to these, there are off-screen photographs made by photographer [[John Cura]], who was hired by various production personnel to document many of their programmes during the 1950s and 1960s, including ''Doctor Who''. These have been used in [[Doctor Who missing episodes#Reconstruction|fan reconstructions]] of the serials. These amateur reconstructions have been tolerated by the BBC, provided they are not sold for profit and are distributed as low-quality VHS copies.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lewinski|first=John Scott|title=Fans Reconstruct Doctor Who's Trashed Past|url=http://www.wired.com/underwire/2008/09/who-recon/|work=Wired|accessdate=20 January 2012|date=29 September 2008}}</ref>

One of the most sought-after lost episodes is Part Four of the last William Hartnell serial, ''[[The Tenth Planet]]'' (1966), which ends with the [[First Doctor]] transforming into the [[Second Doctor|Second]]. The only portion of this in existence, barring a few poor-quality silent 8&nbsp;mm clips, is the few seconds of the regeneration scene, as it was shown on the children's magazine show ''[[Blue Peter]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Lara|title=Zimbabwe 'hoarding lost 'Who' episodes'|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a147355/zimbabwe-hoarding-lost-who-episodes.html|work=[[Digital Spy]]|accessdate=20 January 2012|date=20 February 2009}}</ref> With the approval of the BBC, efforts are now under way to restore as many of the episodes as possible from the extant material.

"Official" reconstructions have also been released by the BBC on VHS, on MP3 [[CD-ROM]], and as special features on DVD. The BBC, in conjunction with animation studio [[Cosgrove Hall Films|Cosgrove Hall]], reconstructed the missing Episodes 1 and 4 of ''[[The Invasion (Doctor Who)|The Invasion]]'' (1968), using remastered audio tracks and the comprehensive stage notes for the original filming, for the serial's DVD release in November 2006. The missing episodes of ''[[The Reign of Terror (Doctor Who)|The Reign of Terror]]'' were animated by animation company Theta-Sigma, in collaboration with [[Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]], and became available for purchase in May 2013 through Amazon.com.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/06/dwn210611211508-reign-of-terror-update.html|title=The Reign of Terror&nbsp;— animation update|publisher=[[Doctor Who News Page]]|first=Chuck|last=Foster|date=21 June 2011}}</ref> Subsequent animations made in 2013 include ''[[The Tenth Planet]]'', ''[[The Ice Warriors]]'' and ''[[The Moonbase]]''.

In April 2006, ''[[Blue Peter]]'' launched a challenge to find missing Doctor Who episodes with the promise of a full-scale [[Dalek]] model as a reward.<ref>{{cite web
| month =April | year =2006
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/content/articles/2006/04/19/doctor_who_feature.shtml
| archiveurl =http://web.archive.org/web/20060424144255/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/content/articles/2006/04/19/doctor_who_feature.shtml
| archivedate =24 April 2006
| title =Blue Peter&nbsp;— Missing Doctor Who tapes
|publisher=BBC
| accessdate =24 April 2006
}}</ref>

In December 2011, it was announced that part 3 of ''[[Galaxy 4]]'' and part 2 of ''[[The Underwater Menace]]'' had been returned to the BBC by a fan who had purchased them in the mid-1980s without realising that the BBC did not hold copies of them.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mulkern|first=Patrick|title=Doctor Who: two long-lost episodes uncovered|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-12-11/doctor-who-two-long-lost-episodes-uncovered|accessdate=11 December 2011|newspaper=Radio Times|date=11 December 2011}}</ref>

On 10 October 2013, the BBC announced that films of eleven episodes, including nine missing episodes, had been found in a Nigerian television relay station in [[Jos]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Christopher Allen |url=http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/two-missing-doctor-who-adventures-found/ |title=Two "Missing" Doctor Who Adventures Found |publisher=BBC Worldwide |date=10 October 2013 |accessdate=11 October 2013}}</ref> Six of the eleven films discovered were the six-part serial ''[[The Enemy of the World]]'', from which all but the third episode had been missing.<ref>{{cite web |author=Doctor Who Online |url=http://news.drwho-online.co.uk/Nine-Missing-Doctor-Who-Episodes-Recovered!.aspx |title=Nine Missing Doctor Who Episodes Recovered! |publisher=Doctor Who Online |date=11 October 2013 |accessdate=11 October 2013}}</ref> The remaining films were from another six-part serial, ''[[The Web of Fear]]'', and included the previously missing episodes 2, 4, 5, and 6. Episode 3 of ''The Web of Fear'' is still missing.<ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor Who: Yeti classic among episodes found in Nigeria|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24467337|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref>

==Characters==

===The Doctor===
{{Main|Doctor (Doctor Who)}}
[[File:Versions of the Doctor2.jpg|thumb|the 12 Doctors|<div class="center">The Doctor portrayed by series leads in chronological order. Left to right from top row; [[William Hartnell]], [[Patrick Troughton]], [[Jon Pertwee]], [[Tom Baker]], [[Peter Davison]], [[Colin Baker]], [[Sylvester McCoy]], [[Paul McGann]], [[Christopher Eccleston]], [[David Tennant]], [[Matt Smith (actor)|Matt Smith]] and [[Peter Capaldi]].</div><!-- FAIR USE of 10dr19.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10dr19.jpg for rationale -->]]

The character of the Doctor was initially shrouded in mystery. All that was known about him in the programme's early days was that he was an eccentric alien traveller of great intelligence who battled injustice while exploring time and space in an unreliable [[time machine]], the "[[TARDIS]]" (an [[acronym]] for Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space), which notably appears much larger on the inside than on the outside (a quality referred to as "dimensional transcendentality").<ref group=note>When it became an entry in the [[Oxford English Dictionary]], the word "TARDIS" often came to be used to describe anything that appeared larger on the inside than its exterior implied.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.jessesword.com/sf/view/424|title = Full record for Tardis-like adj.|work = Science Fiction Citations|accessdate=7 September 2007}}</ref>

The initially irascible and slightly sinister Doctor quickly mellowed into a more compassionate figure. It was eventually revealed that he had been on the run from his own people, the [[Time Lord]]s of the planet [[Gallifrey]].

====Changes of appearance====
Producers introduced the concept of [[Regeneration (Doctor Who)|regeneration]] to permit the recasting of the main character. This was first prompted by original star [[William Hartnell]]'s poor health. The actual term "regeneration" was not initially conceived of until the Doctor's third on-screen regeneration however; Hartnell's Doctor had merely described undergoing a "renewal," and the Second Doctor underwent a "change of appearance." The device has allowed for the recasting of the actor various times in the show's history, as well as the depiction of alternative Doctors either from the Doctor's relative past or future. 

The serials ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'' and ''[[Mawdryn Undead]]'' and the 1996 [[Doctor Who (film)|TV film]] would later establish that a Time Lord can only regenerate 12 times, for a total of 13 incarnations. This line has stuck in the public consciousness despite not often being repeated, and was recognised by producers of the show as a plot obstacle for when the show finally had to regenerate the Doctor a thirteenth time.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ian|last=Berriman|url=http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/10/26/interview-russell-t-davies-talks-about-that-sarah-jane-adventures-line/|title=Interview: Russell T Davies Talks About THAT Sarah Jane Adventures Line|publisher=SFX.co.uk|date=26 October 2010|accessdate=19 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/steven-moffat-on-doctor-numbers-and-the-regeneration-limit|title=Steven Moffat on ‘Doctor numbers’ and the regeneration limit|author=Darren Scott|date=26 November 2013}}</ref> The episode "[[The Time of the Doctor]]" depicted the Doctor acquire a new cycle of regenerations, starting from the [[Twelth Doctor]], due to the [[Eleventh Doctor]] being the product of the Doctor's twelfth regeneration from his original set.<!--A note explaining this can go here, but it would be best not to digress into an explanation of the circumstances of a particular regeneration in the paragraph which introduces the general concept-->

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Series Lead !! Incarnation !! Tenure  
|-
| [[William Hartnell]] || [[First Doctor]] || 1963–1966<ref name="guestappearances" group=note>Earlier incarnations of the Doctor have occasionally appeared with the then current incarnation in later plots. The First and Second Doctors appeared in the 1973 Third Doctor story, ''[[The Three Doctors (Doctor Who)|The Three Doctors]]''; The First, Second, Third and Fourth appeared in the 1983 Fifth Doctor story, ''[[The Five Doctors]]''; the Second appeared with the Sixth in the 1985 story, ''[[The Two Doctors]]''; the Fifth appeared with the Tenth in the 2007 mini-episode, "[[Time Crash]]"; and the Tenth appeared with the Eleventh in "[[The Day of the Doctor]]". The Eighth Doctor also returned in the 2013 mini-episode "[[The Night of the Doctor]]".</ref> 
|-
| [[Patrick Troughton]] || [[Second Doctor]] || 1966–1969<ref name="guestappearances" group=note/> 
|-
| [[Jon Pertwee]] || [[Third Doctor]] || 1970–1974<ref name="guestappearances" group=note/> 
|-
| [[Tom Baker]] || [[Fourth Doctor]] || 1974–1981<ref name="guestappearances" group=note/> 
|-
| [[Peter Davison]] || [[Fifth Doctor]] || 1981–1984<ref name="guestappearances" group=note/> 
|-
| [[Colin Baker]] || [[Sixth Doctor]] || 1984–1986
|-
| [[Sylvester McCoy]] || [[Seventh Doctor]] || 1987–1989, 1996<ref>
 {{cite web
|date =31 March 2008
|url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/
|title = Official episode guide
|publisher=BBC | location = UK
|accessdate =31 March 2008
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/index_seventh.shtml | work =Doctor Who&nbsp;— Classic Series | title = Episode Guide&nbsp;— Seventh Doctor Index |publisher=BBC | location = UK | accessdate=30 July 2011}}</ref><ref>
 {{cite web
|url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/tvmovie/detail.shtml#cast
|title =TV Movie cast & crew
|publisher=BBC | location = UK
|accessdate =15 April 2008
 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Paul McGann]] || [[Eighth Doctor]] || 1996<ref name="guestappearances" group=note/>
|-<-- Please do not add John Hurt here without discussing it on the talk page-->
| [[Christopher Eccleston]] || [[Ninth Doctor]] || 2005 
|-
| [[David Tennant]] || [[Tenth Doctor]] || 2005–2010<ref name="guestappearances" group=note/>
|-
| David Tennant || Regenerated as himself ||
|-
| [[Matt Smith (actor)|Matt Smith]] || [[Eleventh Doctor]] || 2010–2013 
|-
| [[Peter Capaldi]] || [[Twelfth Doctor]] || 2013–<ref name="regenerations" group=note>The 8th regeneration is the [[War Doctor]] character, played by [[John Hurt]] in ''[[Day of the Doctor]]'' and the [[Tenth Doctor]] used a second regenration, making the [[Eleventh Doctor]] the last incarnation until a second cycle was granted in ''[[The Time of the Doctor]]''.</ref>
<!--Please do not add the War Doctor here without discussing it on the talk page-->|}

In addition to those actors who have headlined the series, others have portrayed versions of the Doctor in guest roles. Notably, in 2013, [[John Hurt]] guest-starred as an hitherto unknown incarnation of the Doctor known as the [[War Doctor]] in the run-up to the show's 50th anniversary special "[[The Day of the Doctor]]".<ref name="HurtDoctor">{{cite web | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/10065201/Doctor-Who-The-Name-of-the-Doctor-BBC-One-review.html | title=Doctor Who: The Name of the Doctor, BBC One, review | work=Telegraph | date=18 May 2013 | accessdate=22 May 2013 | author=Hogan, Michael}}</ref> He is shown in mini-episode "[[The Night of the Doctor]]" to have been [[retroactive continuity|retroactively inserted]] into the show's fictional chronology between McGann and Eccleston's Doctors, although his introduction was written so as not to disturb the established numerical naming of the Doctors.<ref name="HurtDoctorNumber">{{cite web | url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a533505/doctor-who-steven-moffat-on-regeneration-limit.html?rss | title='Doctor Who': Steven Moffat on regeneration limit | work=[[Digital Spy]] | date=24 November 2013 | accessdate=25 November 2013 | author=Rigby, Sam}}</ref> Another example is from the 1986 serial ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'', where [[Michael Jayston]] portrayed the [[Valeyard]], who is described as an amalgamation of the darker sides of the Doctor's nature, somewhere between his twelfth and final incarnation.

On rare occasions other actors have stood in for the lead. In ''[[The Five Doctors]]'', [[Richard Hurndall]] played the First Doctor due to William Hartnell's death in 1975. In ''[[Time and the Rani]]'', Sylvester McCoy briefly played the Sixth Doctor during the regeneration sequence, carrying on as the Seventh. For more information, see the [[list of actors who have played the Doctor]]. In other media, the Doctor has been played by various other actors, including [[Peter Cushing]] in two films.

The casting of a new Doctor has often inspired debate and speculation: in particular, the desirability or possibility of a new Doctor being played by a woman.<ref>Ted B. Kissell. [http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/08/the-depressing-disappointing-maleness-of-i-doctor-who-i-s-new-time-lord/278380/ "The depressing, disappointing maleness of ''Doctor Who'' 's new Time Lord",] ''The Atlantic'', August 5, 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.sundayworld.com/entertainment/tv/neil-gaiman-hopes-a-non-white-person-will-take-doctor-who-role-someday "Neil Gaiman hopes a non-white person will take Doctor Who role someday",] ''Sunday World'', August 8, 2013.</ref> In October 2010, the ''Sunday Telegraph'' revealed that the series' co-creator, Sydney Newman, had urged the BBC to recast the role of the Doctor as a female "Time Lady" during the ratings crisis of the late 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|first=Marc|last=Horne|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/8052694/How-Doctor-Who-nearly-became-the-Time-Lady.html|title='How Doctor Who nearly became the Time Lady'|publisher=Sunday Telegraph|accessdate=10 October 2010}}</ref>

====Meetings of different incarnations====
There have been instances of actors returning at later dates to reprise the role of their specific Doctor. In 1973's ''[[The Three Doctors (Doctor Who)|The Three Doctors]]'', William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton returned alongside Jon Pertwee. For 1983's ''[[The Five Doctors]]'', Troughton and Pertwee returned to star with Peter Davison, and Tom Baker appeared in previously unseen footage from the uncompleted [[Shada]] episode. For this episode, Richard Hurndall replaced William Hartnell. Patrick Troughton again returned in 1985's ''[[The Two Doctors]]'' with Colin Baker. Finally, Peter Davison returned in 2007's Children in Need short "[[Time Crash]]" alongside David Tennant. In addition, the Doctor has occasionally encountered himself in the form of his own incarnation, from the near future or past. The First Doctor encounters himself in the story ''[[The Space Museum]]'' (albeit frozen and as an exhibit), the Third Doctor encounters and interacts with himself in the story ''[[Day of the Daleks]]'', the Ninth Doctor observes a former version of his current incarnation in "[[Father's Day (Doctor Who)|Father's Day]]", and the Eleventh Doctor briefly comes face to face with himself in "[[The Big Bang (Doctor Who)|The Big Bang]]". In "[[The Almost People]]" the Doctor comes face-to-face with himself although it is found out that this incarnation is in fact just a flesh replica. In "[[The Name of the Doctor]]", the [[Eleventh Doctor]] meets an unknown incarnation of himself, whom he refers to as "his secret" and who is subsequently revealed to be the [[War Doctor]].<ref name="HurtDoctor" /> The latter reappeared in the 50th anniversary show, "[[The Day of the Doctor]]", along with the [[Tenth Doctor|Tenth]] and Eleventh Doctors.

Additionally, multiple Doctors have returned in new adventures together in audio dramas based on the series. Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy appeared together in the 1999 audio adventure ''[[The Sirens of Time]]''. To celebrate the 40th anniversary in 2003, an audio drama titled ''[[Zagreus (audio drama)|Zagreus]]'' featuring Paul McGann, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Peter Davison was released with additional archive recordings of Jon Pertwee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bigfinish.com/50-Doctor-Who-Zagreus|title=Doctor Who&nbsp;— Zagreus|publisher=[[Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]]}}</ref> Again in 2003, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy appeared together in the audio adventure ''[[Project Lazarus|Project: Lazarus]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bigfinish.com/45-Doctor-Who-Project--Lazarus|title=Doctor Who&nbsp;— Project: Lazarus|publisher=[[Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]]}}</ref> In 2010, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann came together again to star in the audio drama ''[[The Four Doctors]]''.

====Revelations about the Doctor====
{{See also|Doctor (Doctor Who)#Continuity curiosities|l1= Doctor Who Continuity curiosities}}

Throughout the programme's long history, there have been revelations about the Doctor that have raised additional questions. In ''[[The Brain of Morbius]]'' (1976), it was hinted that the First Doctor may not have been the first incarnation (although the other faces depicted may have been incarnations of the Time Lord Morbius). In subsequent stories the First Doctor was depicted as the earliest incarnation of the Doctor. In ''[[Mawdryn Undead]]'' (1983), the Fifth Doctor explicitly confirmed that he was then currently in his fifth incarnation. Later that same year, during 1983's 20th Anniversary special "[[The Five Doctors]]", the First Doctor enquires as to the Fifth Doctor's regeneration; when the Fifth Doctor confirms "Fourth!", the First Doctor excitedly replies "Goodness me! So there are five of me now!" In 2010, the Eleventh Doctor similarly calls himself "the Eleventh" in "[[The Lodger (Doctor Who)|The Lodger]]".

During the Seventh Doctor's era, it was hinted that the Doctor was more than just an ordinary Time Lord. In the [[Doctor Who (1996 film)|1996 television film]], the Eighth Doctor describes himself as being "half human".<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/tvmovie/detail.shtml
| title =Doctor Who: the TV movie
|publisher=BBC
| accessdate =13 June 2008
}}</ref> The BBC's FAQ for the programme notes that "purists tend to disregard this",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/faq/plot_continuity.shtml |title=Doctor Who&nbsp;— FAQ&nbsp;— Plot and Continuity |publisher=BBC |date=28 March 2008 |accessdate=30 April 2010}}</ref> instead focusing on his Gallifreyan heritage.

The programme's first serial, ''[[An Unearthly Child]]'', shows that the Doctor has a granddaughter, [[Susan Foreman]]. In the 1967 serial, ''[[Tomb of the Cybermen]]'', when [[Victoria Waterfield]] doubts the Doctor can remember his family because of "being so ancient", the Doctor says that he can when he really wants to—"the rest of the time they sleep in my mind". The 2005 series reveals that the Ninth Doctor thought he was the last surviving Time Lord, and that his home planet had been destroyed; in "[[The Empty Child]]" (2005), Constantine makes a statement that "before the war even began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither." The Doctor remarks in response, "Yeah, I know the feeling." In "[[Smith and Jones (Doctor Who)|Smith and Jones]]" (2007), when asked if he had a brother, he replied, "No, not any more." In both "[[Fear Her]]" (2006) and "[[The Doctor's Daughter]]" (2008), he states that he had, in the past, been a father.

In "[[The Wedding of River Song]]" (2011), it is implied that the Doctor's true name is a secret that must never be revealed.

===Companions===
{{Main|Companion (Doctor Who)}}
The perennial companion figure has been a constant feature in ''Doctor Who'' since the programme's inception in 1963. Generally human, one of the roles of the companion is to remind the Doctor of his "moral duty".<ref name=Overview>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7736130.stm|title=Doctor Who (before the Tardis)|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|date=19 November 2008|accessdate=22 May 2012}}</ref> The Doctor's first companions seen on screen were his granddaughter [[Susan Foreman]] ([[Carole Ann Ford]]) and her teachers [[Barbara Wright (Doctor Who)|Barbara Wright]] ([[Jacqueline Hill]]) and [[Ian Chesterton]] ([[William Russell (actor)|William Russell]]). These characters were intended to act as [[audience surrogates]], through which the audience would discover information about the Doctor who was to act as a mysterious father figure.<ref name=Overview/> The only story from the original series in which the Doctor travels alone is ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]''. Notable companions from the earlier series included [[Romana (Doctor Who)|Romana]] ([[Mary Tamm]] and [[Lalla Ward]]), a [[Time Lord|Time Lady]]; [[Sarah Jane Smith]] ([[Elisabeth Sladen]]); and [[Jo Grant]] ([[Katy Manning]]). Dramatically, these characters provide a figure with whom the audience can identify, and serve to further the story by requesting exposition from the Doctor and manufacturing peril for the Doctor to resolve. The Doctor regularly gains new companions and loses old ones; sometimes they return home or find new causes&nbsp;— or loves&nbsp;— on worlds they have visited. Some have died during the course of the series. Companions are usually human, or humanoid aliens.

Since the 2005 revival, The Doctor generally travels with a primary female companion, who occupies a larger narrative role. Steven Moffat described the companion as the main character of the show, as the story begins anew with each companion and she undergoes more change than the Doctor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-04-19/steven-moffat-the-companion-is-the-main-character-in-doctor-who-not-the-doctor|title=Steven Moffat: the companion is the main character in Doctor Who, not the Doctor|work=Radio Times|publisher=[[BBC Magazines]]|last=Jones|first=Paul|date=19 April 2012|accessdate=28 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/03/doctor-who-returns-steven-moffat-talks-new-companion-clara-and-jenna-louise-coleman.html|title='Doctor Who' returns: Steven Moffat talks new companion Clara and Jenna-Louise Coleman|publisher=[[Zap2it]]|last=Berkshire|first=Geoff|date=27 March 2013|accessdate=28 November 2013}}</ref> The primary companions of the [[Companion (Doctor Who)#Ninth Doctor|Ninth]] and [[Companion (Doctor Who)#Tenth Doctor|Tenth]] Doctors were [[Rose Tyler]] ([[Billie Piper]]), [[Martha Jones]] ([[Freema Agyeman]]), and [[Donna Noble]] ([[Catherine Tate]]) with [[Mickey Smith]] ([[Noel Clarke]]), [[Jackie Tyler]] ([[Camille Coduri]]) and [[Jack Harkness]] recurring as secondary companion figures.<ref name=AbsentPostcolonial/> Lindy A. Orthia observes that these characters introduced characteristics previously unseen in the companion figure as each of them is black, queer and/or part of the unskilled [[working class]].<ref name=AbsentPostcolonial>{{cite journal|journal=Journal of Commonwealth Literature|doi=10.1177/0021989410366891|url=http://jcl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/45/2/207|title="Sociopathetic Abscess" or "Yawning Chasm"? The Absent Postcolonial Transition in ''Doctor Who''|last=Orthia|first=Lindy A.|year=2010|volume=45|issue=2|pages=207–225}}</ref> The [[Eleventh Doctor]] became the first to travel with a married couple ([[Amy Pond]] ([[Karen Gillan]]) and [[Rory Williams]] ([[Arthur Darvill]])) whilst out-of-sync meetings with [[River Song (Doctor Who)|River Song]] ([[Alex Kingston]]) and [[Clara Oswald]] ([[Jenna Coleman]]) provided ongoing story arcs.

Some companions have gone on to re-appear either in the main series, or in spin-offs. Sarah Jane Smith became the central character in ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' (2007-2011) following a return to ''Doctor Who'' in 2006. Guest stars in the series included former companions Jo Grant, [[K-9 (Doctor Who)|K-9]], and [[Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]]. The character of Jack Harkness also served to launch a spin-off, ''[[Torchwood]]'', (2006-2011) in which Martha Jones also appeared.

===Adversaries===
{{See also|List of Doctor Who universe creatures and aliens|List of Doctor Who villains}}
When Sydney Newman commissioned the series, he specifically did not want to perpetuate the cliché of the "[[bug-eyed monster]]" of science fiction.<ref>{{cite news |title=Doctor Who (before the Tardis) |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7736130.stm |work= BBC Magazine |date=19 November 2008 |accessdate=3 January 2009}}</ref> However, [[monster]]s were popular with audiences and so became a staple of ''Doctor Who'' almost from the beginning.

With the show's 2005 revival, executive producer Russell T Davies stated<ref>{{cite news|title=Doctor Who series two secrets revealed|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4100000/newsid_4104500/4104586.stm|publisher=BBC|accessdate=29 August 2013|date=19 June 2005}}</ref> his intention to reintroduce classic [[Cultural icon|icons]] of ''Doctor Who'' one step at a time: the [[Auton]]s with the Nestene Consciousness and [[Dalek]]s in series 1, [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] in series 2, the [[List of Doctor Who monsters and aliens#Macra|Macra]] and [[Master (Doctor Who)|the Master]] in series 3, the [[Sontaran]]s and [[Davros]] in series 4, and the [[Time Lord]]s ([[Rassilon]]) in the 2009–10 Specials. Davies' successor, Steven Moffat, has continued the trend by reviving the [[Silurian (Doctor Who)|Silurians]] in series 5, [[Cybermat]]s in series 6, the [[Great Intelligence]] and the [[Ice Warrior]]s in Series 7, and [[Zygon]]s in the 50th Anniversary Special.<ref>{{cite video |people= |year=2011 |title=Monster Files: Cybermats |url= |medium= |trans_title= |publisher=iTunes |time= |isbn= }}</ref> Since its 2005 return, the series has also introduced new recurring aliens: [[Slitheen]] (Raxacoricofallapatorian), [[Ood]], [[Judoon]], [[Weeping Angel]]s and [[Silence (Doctor Who)|the Silence]].

Besides infrequent appearances by the Ice Warriors, [[Ogron]]s, the [[Rani (Doctor Who)|Rani]], and [[Black Guardian]], several adversaries have become particularly iconic:

====Daleks====
{{Main|Dalek}}
The Dalek race, which first appeared in the show's second serial in 1963,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0562905/ | title = The Dead Planet | accessdate =30 June 2011}}</ref> are ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s oldest villains. The Daleks were [[Kaled]]s from the planet [[Skaro]], mutated by the scientist [[Davros]] and housed in tank-like mechanical armour shells for mobility. The actual creatures resemble octopuses with large, pronounced brains. Their armour shells contain a single eye-stalk to allow them vision, a sink-plunger-like device that serves the purpose of a hand, and a [[directed-energy weapon]]. Their main weakness is their eyestalk; most attacks on them, including those from guns and [[baseball bat]]s, will blind them, making them go mad. Their chief role in the plot of the series, as they frequently remark in their instantly recognisable metallic voices, is to "exterminate" all non-Dalek beings, even attacking the [[Time Lord]]s in the often-referred-to-but-never-shown [[Time War (Doctor Who)|Time War]]. The Daleks' most recent appearance was in the 2012 episode "[[Asylum of the Daleks]]". They continue to be a recurring 'monster' within the Doctor Who franchise. Davros himself has also been a recurring figure since his debut in ''[[Genesis of the Daleks]]'', although played by several different actors.

The Daleks were created by writer [[Terry Nation]] (who intended them to be an [[allegory]] of the [[Nazism|Nazis]])<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/N/htmlN/nationterry/nationterry.htm | title = NATION, TERRY | accessdate =19 May 2008}}</ref> and BBC designer [[Raymond Cusick]].<ref name="cusick">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21563344|title=Doctor Who Dalek designer Ray Cusick dies after illness|publisher=BBC|date=24 February 2013|accessdate=27 October 2013}}</ref> The Daleks' début in the programme's second serial, ''[[The Daleks]]'' (1963–64), made both the Daleks and  ''Doctor Who'' very popular. A Dalek appeared on a postage stamp celebrating British popular culture in 1999, photographed by [[Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon|Lord Snowdon]]. In the new series, Daleks come in a range of colours; the colour of a Dalek denotes its role within the species.

In the 2012 episode "Asylum of the Daleks", every generation of the Dalek species made an appearance.<ref>{{cite news |title=Every generation of The Daleks returning to 'Doctor Who' |url=http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/302328-every-generation-of-the-daleks-returning-to-doctor-who/ |work=[[BANG Showbiz]]|date=2 April 2012 |accessdate=3 April 2012 | location=England}}</ref>

====Cybermen====
{{Main|Cyberman}}

Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's [[Counter-Earth|twin planet]] Mondas that began to implant more and more artificial parts into their bodies. This led to the race becoming coldly logical and calculating [[cyborg]]s, with emotions usually only shown when naked aggression was called for. With the demise of Mondas, they acquired Telos as their new home planet. They continue to be a recurring 'monster' within the ''Doctor Who'' franchise.

The 2006 series introduced a totally new variation of Cybermen. These Cybus Cybermen were created in a [[parallel universe (fiction)|parallel universe]] by the mad inventor John Lumic; he was attempting to preserve the life of a human by transplanting their brains into powerful metal bodies, sending them orders using a mobile phone network and inhibiting their emotions with an electronic chip. In November 2012, [[Neil Gaiman]] confirmed that the Cybermen would feature in an upcoming series 7 episode he has written.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who/23423/doctor-who-neil-gaiman-talks-cybermen | title=Doctor Who: Neil Gaiman on making the Cybermen scary again | publisher=Den of Geek | date=13 November 2012 | accessdate=22 January 2013}}</ref> This episode, "[[Nightmare in Silver]]", was broadcast in 2013.

====The Master====
{{Main|Master (Doctor Who)}}
The Master is the Doctor's [[archenemy]], a renegade [[Time Lord]] who desires to rule the universe. Conceived as "[[Professor Moriarty]] to the Doctor's [[Sherlock Holmes]]",<ref>''Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition'' No. 2, 5 September 2002, [subtitled ''The Complete Third Doctor''], p. 14.</ref> the character first appeared in 1971. As with the Doctor, the role has been portrayed by several actors, since the Master is a Time Lord as well and able to regenerate; the first of these actors was [[Roger Delgado]], who continued in the role until his death in 1973. The Master was briefly played by [[Peter Pratt]] and [[Geoffrey Beevers]] until [[Anthony Ainley]] took over and continued to play the character until Doctor Who's hiatus in 1989. The Master returned in the 1996 television movie of ''[[Doctor Who (1996 film)|Doctor Who]]'', and was played by American actor [[Eric Roberts]].

The Master has appeared in the revived series, portrayed for one episode by [[Derek Jacobi]] before the character regenerated, and otherwise [[John Simm]] since then.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/news/090728_news_02 |title=Doctor Who&nbsp;— John Simm returns as the Master |publisher=BBC |date=27 July 2009 |accessdate=23 November 2009}}{{dead link|date=February 2013}}</ref>

==Music==
{{See also|List of Doctor Who composers}}

===Theme music===
{{Main|Doctor Who theme music}}
{{Listen|filename=Doctor Who theme excerpt.ogg|title=Doctor Who theme excerpt|description=An excerpt from the original (1963) classic theme music to ''Doctor Who''}}

The [[Doctor Who theme music]] was one of the first [[electronic music]] signature tunes for television, and after five decades remains one of the most easily recognised. It has been often called both memorable and frightening, priming the viewer for what was to follow. During the 1970s, the ''[[Radio Times]]'', the BBC's own [[listings magazine]], announced that a child's mother said the theme music terrified her son. The ''Radio Times'' was apologetic, but the theme music remained.

The original theme was composed by [[Ron Grainer]] and realised by [[Delia Derbyshire]] of the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]], with assistance from [[Dick Mills]]. The various parts were built up using [[musique concrète]] techniques, by creating [[tape loop]]s of an individually struck piano string and individual test [[oscillation|oscillators]] and filters. The Derbyshire arrangement served, with minor edits, as the theme tune up to the end of [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 17 (1979–80)|Season 17]] (1979–80). It is widely regarded as a significant and innovative piece of electronic music, recorded well before the availability of commercial synthesisers or multitrack mixers. Each note was individually created by cutting, splicing, speeding up and slowing down segments of [[Magnetic tape sound recording|analogue tape]] containing recordings of a single plucked string, [[white noise]], and the simple [[harmonic]] waveforms of [[Tone generator|test-tone oscillators]], intended for calibrating equipment and rooms, not creating music. New techniques were invented to allow [[mixing (music)|mixing]] of the music, as this was before the era of multitrack tape machines. On hearing the finished result, Grainer was amazed, and famously asked, "Did I write that?".

A different arrangement was recorded by [[Peter Howell]] for [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 18 (1980–81)|Season 18]] (1980), which was in turn replaced by [[Dominic Glynn]]'s arrangement for the season-long serial ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' in [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 23 (1986)|Season 23]] (1986). [[Keff McCulloch]] provided the new arrangement for the [[Seventh Doctor]]'s era which lasted from [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 24 (1987)|Season 24]] (1987) until the series' suspension in 1989. American composer [[John Debney]] created a new arrangement of [[Ron Grainer]]'s original theme for ''[[Doctor Who (film)|Doctor Who]]'' in 1996. For the return of the series in 2005, [[Murray Gold]] provided a new arrangement which featured [[sampling (music)|samples]] from the 1963 original with further elements added; in the 2005 Christmas episode "[[The Christmas Invasion]]", Gold introduced a modified closing credits arrangement that was used up until the conclusion of the 2007 series.

A new arrangement of the theme, once again by Gold, was introduced in the 2007 Christmas special episode, "[[Voyage of the Damned (Doctor Who)|Voyage of the Damned]]"; Gold returned as composer for the 2010 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/01/murray-gold-returns.html |title=Murray Gold Returns |date=3 January 2010 |work=Doctor Who News Page}}</ref> He was responsible for a new version of the theme which was reported to have had a hostile reception from some viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/7603262/Doctor-Who-nasty-new-theme-tune-angers-fans.html|title=Doctor Who: 'nasty' new theme tune angers fans|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=18 April 2010|accessdate=20 May 2010}}</ref> In 2011, the theme tune charted at number 228 of radio station Classic FM's Hall of Fame, a survey of classical music tastes. A revised version of Gold's 2010 arrangement had its debut over the opening titles of the 2012 Christmas Special ''[[The Snowmen]]'', and a further revision of the arrangement was made for the 50th Anniversary special "[[The Day of the Doctor]]" in November 2013.

Versions of the "Doctor Who Theme" have also been released as pop music over the years. In the early 1970s, Jon Pertwee, who had played the Third Doctor, recorded a version of the Doctor Who theme with spoken lyrics, titled, "Who Is the Doctor".<ref group=note>Often mistitled "I am the Doctor" on YouTube uploads. Originally released as 7" vinyl single, plain sleeve, December 1972 on label Purple PUR III</ref> In 1978 a disco version of the theme was released in the UK, Denmark and Australia by the group Mankind, which reached number 24 in the UK charts. In 1988 the band The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (later known as [[The KLF]]) released the single "[[Doctorin' the Tardis]]" under the name The Timelords, which reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 2 in Australia; this version incorporated several other songs, including "Rock and Roll Part 2" by [[Gary Glitter]] (who recorded vocals for some of the CD-single remix versions of "Doctorin' the Tardis").<ref name="guardianmusic">{{cite news |url=http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/07/doctor_who_a_musical_force.html |title=Doctor Who: a musical force? |accessdate=7 July 2008 |last=Peel |first=Ian |date=7 July 2008 |work=The Guardian  |publisher=blog | location=London}}</ref> Others who have covered or reinterpreted the theme include [[Orbital (band)|Orbital]],<ref name="guardianmusic" /> [[Pink Floyd]],<ref name="guardianmusic" /> the Australian string ensemble [[FourPlay Electric String Quartet|Fourplay]], New Zealand punk band [[Blam Blam Blam]], [[The Pogues]], [[Thin Lizzy]], [[Dub Syndicate]], and the comedians [[Bill Bailey]] and [[Mitch Benn]], and it and obsessive fans were satirised on ''[[The Chaser's War on Everything]]''. The theme tune has also appeared on many compilation CDs and has made its way into mobile phone ring tones. Fans have also produced and distributed their own remixes of the theme. In January 2011 the Mankind version was released as a [[music download|digital download]] on the album ''Gallifrey And Beyond''.

===Incidental music===
{{Main|List of music featured on Doctor Who}}
{{See also|List of Doctor Who music releases}}
Most of the innovative incidental music for ''Doctor Who'' has been specially commissioned from freelance composers, although in the early years some episodes also used [[Royalty free music|stock music]], as well as occasional excerpts from original recordings or [[cover version]]s of songs by popular music acts such as [[The Beatles]] and [[The Beach Boys]]. Since its 2005 return, the series has featured occasional use of excerpts of pop music from the 1970s to the 2000s.

The incidental music for the first ''Doctor Who'' adventure, ''An Unearthly Child'', was written by [[Norman Kay (composer)|Norman Kay]]. Many of the stories of the [[William Hartnell]] period were scored by electronic music pioneer [[Tristram Cary]], whose ''Doctor Who'' credits include ''The Daleks'', ''[[Marco Polo (Doctor Who)|Marco Polo]]'', ''The Daleks' Master Plan'', ''The Gunfighters'' and ''[[The Mutants]]''. Other composers in this early period included [[Richard Rodney Bennett]], [[Carey Blyton]] and [[Geoffrey Burgon]].

The most frequent musical contributor during the first 15 years was [[Dudley Simpson]], who is also well known for his theme and incidental music for ''[[Blake's 7]]'', and for his haunting theme music and score for the original 1970s version of ''[[The Tomorrow People]]''. Simpson's first ''Doctor Who'' score was ''[[Planet of Giants]]'' (1964) and he went on to write music for many adventures of the 1960s and 1970s, including most of the stories of the Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker periods, ending with ''[[The Horns of Nimon]]'' (1979). He also made a [[cameo appearance]] in ''The Talons of Weng-Chiang'' (as a [[Music hall]] conductor).

In 1980 starting with the serial ''[[The Leisure Hive]]'' the task of creating incidental music was assigned to the Radiophonic Workshop. [[Paddy Kingsland]] and [[Peter Howell]] contributed many scores in this period and other contributors included [[Roger Limb]], [[Malcolm Clarke]] and [[Jonathan Gibbs (composer)|Jonathan Gibbs]].

The Radiophonic Workshop was dropped after 1986's ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' series, and [[Keff McCulloch]] took over as the series' main composer until the end of its run, with [[Dominic Glynn]] and [[Mark Ayres]] also contributing scores.

All the incidental music for the 2005 revived series has been composed by [[Murray Gold]] and [[Ben Foster (orchestrator)|Ben Foster]] and has been performed by the [[BBC National Orchestra of Wales]] from the 2005 Christmas episode "[[The Christmas Invasion]]" onwards. A concert featuring the orchestra performing music from the first two series took place on 19 November 2006 to raise money for Children in Need. David Tennant hosted the event, introducing the different sections of the concert. Murray Gold and [[Russell T Davies]] answered questions during the interval and [[Dalek]]s and [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] appeared whilst music from their stories was played. The concert aired on [[BBC Red Button|BBCi]] on Christmas Day 2006. A [[Doctor Who Prom (2008)|Doctor Who Prom]] was celebrated on 27 July 2008 in the [[Royal Albert Hall]] as part of the annual [[BBC Proms]]. The BBC Philharmonic and the [[London Philharmonic Choir]] performed Murray Gold's compositions for the series, conducted by Ben Foster, as well as a selection of classics based on the theme of space and time. The event was presented by [[Freema Agyeman]] and guest-presented by various other stars of the show with numerous monsters participating in the proceedings. It also featured the specially filmed mini-episode "[[Music of the Spheres (Doctor Who)|Music of the Spheres]]", written by Russell T Davies and starring David Tennant.<ref>{{cite web
| date = 27 July 2008
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2008/whatson/2707.shtml
| title = BBC Prom 27 July 2008
|publisher=BBC
| accessdate =29 September 2008
}}</ref>

Six soundtrack releases have been released since 2005. The [[Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack|first]] featured tracks from the first two series,<ref>{{cite web
| date = 17 July 2006
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/07/17/33953.shtml
| title = Who soundtrack soon
|publisher=BBC
| accessdate =4 August 2006
}}{{dead link|date=July 2011}}<br />{{cite web
| date = 1 November 2006
| url = http://www.silvascreen.co.uk/news.htm
| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061212205542/http://www.silvascreen.co.uk/news.htm
| archivedate = 12 December 2006
| title = Silva Screen announces Doctor Who CD release date
| publisher = silvascreen.co.uk
| accessdate =4 December 2006
}}</ref> the [[Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 3|second]] and [[Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 4|third]] featured music from the third and fourth series respectively. The [[Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 4: The Specials|fourth]] was released on 4 October 2010 as a two disc special edition and contained music from the 2008–2010 specials (''[[The Next Doctor]]'' to ''[[The End of Time|End of Time Part 2]]'').<ref>{{cite web|title=DOCTOR WHO – SERIES 4 Murray Gold|url=http://silvascreenmusic.greedbag.com/buy/doctor-who-series-3/|publisher=Silva Screen Music|accessdate=6 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=DOCTOR WHO: SERIES 4-THE SPECIALS Murray Gold|url=http://silvascreenmusic.greedbag.com/buy/doctor-who-series-4-the-specials-0/|publisher=Silva Screen Music|accessdate=6 September 2013}}</ref> The [[Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 5|soundtrack for Series 5]] was released on 8 November 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor Who Series 5 Original TV Soundtrack (Music CD)|url=http://www.bbcshop.com/doctor-who/doctor-who-series-5-original-tv-soundtrack-music-cd/invt/silcd1345|publisher=|publisher=BBC|accessdate=6 September 2013}}</ref> In February 2011, a soundtrack was released for the 2010 Christmas Special: "A Christmas Carol",<ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (Soundtrack)|url=http://www.bbcshop.com/doctor-who/doctor-who-a-christmas-carol-soundtrack/invt/silcd1360|publisher=BBC|accessdate=6 September 2013}}</ref> and in December 2011 the [[Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 6|soundtrack for Series 6]] was released, both by Silva Screen Records.<ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor Who: Series 6 (Soundtrack)|url=http://www.bbcshop.com/soundtracks/doctor-who-series-6-soundtrack/invt/silcd1375|publisher=BBC|accessdate=6 September 2013}}</ref>

==Viewership==
{{Main|Doctor Who fandom}}

===United Kingdom===
[[File:Dr Who (316350537).jpg|right|thumb|upright|The image of the [[TARDIS]] is iconic in British popular culture.]]
Premiering the day after the [[John F. Kennedy assassination]], the first episode of ''Doctor Who'' was repeated with the second episode the following week. ''Doctor Who'' has always appeared initially on the BBC's mainstream BBC One channel, where it is regarded as a family show, drawing audiences of many millions of viewers; episodes are now repeated on [[BBC Three]]. The programme's popularity has waxed and waned over the decades, with three notable periods of high ratings.<ref name="ratings chart">{{cite news |first=Matt |last=Hilton |title=Doctor Who&nbsp;— Top Chart Placing&nbsp;– 1963–2008 |url=http://www.gallifreyone.com/picview.php?ret=news&sub=news&id=season4_final_4.jpg |work=Doctor Who News Page |publisher=[[Outpost Gallifrey]] |date=16 July 2008 |accessdate=16 July 2008 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2010}};{{cite web |url=http://www.gallifreyone.com/picview.php?ret=news&sub=news&id=2007_ratings.jpg |title=Doctor Who Top Ratings: 1963–2007 |accessdate=17 July 2008 |last=Matt |first=Hilton |date=11 January 2008 |work=Doctor Who News Page |publisher=[[Outpost Gallifrey]]|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080315003100/http://www.gallifreyone.com/picview.php?ret=news&sub=news&id=2007_ratings.jpg |archivedate = 15 March 2008}}</ref> The first of these was the "[[Dalekmania]]" period (circa 1964–1965), when the popularity of the Daleks regularly brought ''Doctor Who'' ratings of between 9 and 14&nbsp;million, even for stories which did not feature them.<ref name="ratings chart" /><ref>{{cite news
| first = Douglas | last = Marlborough
| title = Dead, but they won't lie down
| url = http://www.cuttingsarchive.org.uk/news_mag/1960s/cuttings/dead.htm
| format = Reprint, hosted on Doctor Who Cuttings Archive
|work=Daily Mail
| location = London
| date = 28 December 1964
| accessdate =16 July 2008
 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2010}}</ref> The second was the late 1970s, when Tom Baker occasionally drew audiences of over 12&nbsp;million.<ref name="ratings chart" /> During the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] network strike of 1979, viewership peaked at 16&nbsp;million.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} Figures remained respectable into the 1980s, but fell noticeably after the programme's 23rd series was postponed in 1985 and the show was off the air for 18 months. Its late 1980s performance of three to five million viewers was seen as poor at the time and was, according to the BBC Board of Control, a leading cause of the programme's 1989 suspension. Some fans considered this disingenuous, since the programme was scheduled against the soap opera ''[[Coronation Street]]'', the most popular show at the time. After the series' revival in 2005 (the third notable period of high ratings), it has consistently had high viewership levels for the evening on which the episode is broadcast.<ref name="ratings chart" /> The BBC One broadcast of "[[Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose]]", the first episode of the 2005 revival, drew an average audience of 10.81&nbsp;million, third highest for BBC One that week and seventh across all channels.<ref name="ratings chart" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barb.co.uk/viewingsummary/weekreports.cfm?report=weeklyterrestrial&requesttimeout=500 |title=Weekly Viewing Summary: Terrestrial Top 30&nbsp;– Week ending 6 July 2008 |accessdate=16 July 2008 |work=[[Broadcasters' Audience Research Board]] |date=16 July 2008 }}{{dead link|date=February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallifreyone.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?id=EkEykpAEuAeSoAAghE&tmpl=newsrss&style=feedstyle |title=Journey's End: Officially Number One |accessdate=16 July 2008 |last=Hilton |first=Matt |date=16 July 2008 |work=Doctor Who News Page |publisher=[[Outpost Gallifrey]]}}</ref> The current revival also garners the highest audience [[Appreciation Index]] of any drama on television.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://blogs.thestage.co.uk/tvtoday/2007/11/these-scifi-people-vote/ | title=These sci-fi people vote | last=Wright |first=Mark |authorlink=Mark Wright (writer) | work=[[The Stage]] | date=1 November 2007 | accessdate=9 April 2009}}</ref>

===International===
New Zealand was the first country outside the United Kingdom to screen ''Doctor Who'', beginning in September 1964, and continued to screen the series for many years, including the new series from 2005. In Canada, the series debuted in January 1965, but the CBC only aired the first 26 episodes. [[TVOntario]] picked up the show in 1976 beginning with ''[[The Three Doctors (Doctor Who)|The Three Doctors]]'' and aired each series (several years late) through to series 24 in 1991. From 1979 to 1981, TVO airings were bookended by science-fiction writer [[Judith Merril]] who would introduce the episode and then, after the episode concluded, try to place it in an educational context in keeping with TVO's status as an educational channel. Its airing of ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'' was cancelled as a result of accusations that the story was [[racism|racist]]; the story was later broadcast in the 1990s on cable station YTV. CBC began showing the series again in 2005. The series moved to the Canadian cable channel [[Space (TV channel)|Space]] in 2009.

In Latin America, the original series&nbsp;— known as ''Doctor Misterio''&nbsp;– was shown in Venezuela from 1967; Mexico (Canal 13) from 1968, then later syndicated from 1979; and Chile from 1969.

In Australia, it has been exclusively first run since January 1965 on the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]'s ABC TV (later [[ABC1]]), and periodically repeated—including screening all available episodes for the show's 40th anniversary in 2003. Repeats have also been shown on the subscription television channel [[UK.TV]]<ref name="Doctor Who UKTV">{{cite web|title=Doctor Who|url=http://uktv.co.uk/watch/homepage/sid/6833|publisher=[[UKTV]]|accessdate=6 February 2013}}</ref> and more recently on the Australian SciFi channel. The station also broadcast the first run of the revived series, on ABC1, with repeats on [[ABC2]]. UK.TV also shows repeats of the revived series. ABC also provided partial funding for the 20th anniversary special episode ''The Five Doctors''.

The series also has a fan base in the [[Doctor Who in Canada and the United States|United States, where it was shown]] in [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]] from the 1970s to the 1990s, particularly on [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] stations.

Only four episodes have ever had their premiere showings on channels other than BBC One. The 1983 20th anniversary special ''[[The Five Doctors]]'' had its début on 23 November (the actual date of the anniversary) on a number of PBS stations two days prior to its BBC One broadcast. The 1988 story ''[[Silver Nemesis]]'' was broadcast with all three episodes airing back to back on [[Television New Zealand|TVNZ]] in New Zealand in November, after the first episode had been shown in the UK but before the final two instalments had aired there. Finally, the 1996 television film premièred on 12 May 1996 on [[CITV-TV|CITV]] in Edmonton, Canada, 15 days before the BBC One showing, and two days before it aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in the United States.

As of 1 January 2013, the revived series has been, or is currently, broadcast weekly in more than 50 countries,<ref>{{cite news |first=Gavin |last=O'Connor |title=How the Daleks invaded Earth |url= http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/13/how-the-daleks-invaded-earth-91466-21331115/ |work=[[Wales on Sunday]] |date=13 July 2008 |accessdate=17 July 2008 }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=August 2013}} including the following:

''Doctor Who'' is one of the five top grossing titles for [[BBC Worldwide]], the BBC's commercial arm.<ref>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Sweney |title=Profits grow at BBC Worldwide |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/08/bbc.television2 |work=The Guardian |date=8 July 2008 |accessdate=8 July 2008 | location=London}}</ref> BBC Worldwide CEO [[John Smith (BBC executive)|John Smith]]<!--Yes, really--> has said that ''Doctor Who'' is one of a small number of "Superbrands" which Worldwide will promote heavily.<ref>{{cite news |first=Gavin |last=O'Connor |title=Daleks speak to all nations |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/13/daleks-speak-to-all-nations-91466-21331585/ |work=[[Wales on Sunday]] |date=13 July 2008 |accessdate=13 July 2008 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080715043335/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/13/daleks-speak-to-all-nations-91466-21331585/|archivedate=15 July 2008}}</ref>

A special logo has been designed for the Japanese broadcast with the [[katakana]] "ドクター・フー" ([[Romanization of Japanese|romanised]] as ''Dokutā Fū'').<ref>{{cite web
|title=Turning Japanese
|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/06/30/33368.shtml
|date=30 June 2006|publisher=BBC|accessdate=27 October 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070706081439/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/06/30/33368.shtml|archivedate=6 July 2007}}</ref> The series has apparently "mystified" viewers in Japan where it has been broadcast in a late evening time slot, leading to some not realising it is a family show.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Clements | first = Jonathan
| authorlink = Jonathan Clements
| title = Anime Pulse: Soundalikes
| magazine = [[Neo (magazine)|NEO]]
| issue = 30
| page = 20
|date=March 2007}}</ref>

For the Canadian broadcast, Christopher Eccleston recorded special video introductions for each episode (including a trivia question as part of a viewer contest) and excerpts from the ''Doctor Who Confidential'' documentary were played over the closing credits; for the broadcast of "[[The Christmas Invasion]]" on 26 December 2005, [[Billie Piper]] recorded a special video introduction. CBC began airing series two on 9 October 2006 at 20:00 E/P (20:30 in Newfoundland and Labrador), shortly after that day's [[Canadian Football League|CFL]] double header on [[Thanksgiving (Canada)|Thanksgiving]] in most of the country.

Series three began broadcasting on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2007. It began broadcasting on CBC on 18 June 2007 followed by the second Christmas special, "[[The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who)|The Runaway Bride]]" at midnight,<ref name="RB">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/doctorwho/ |title=Canada: Runaway Bride and Series Three on CBC |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=9 June 2007}}{{dead link|date=February 2013}}</ref> and the Sci Fi Channel began on 6 July 2007 starting with the second Christmas special at 8:00&nbsp;pm E/P followed by the first episode.<ref name="S3">{{cite web |deadurl=yes |url=http://www.scifi.com/schedulebot/index.php3?date=6%20July%202007&feed_req= |title=Sci Fi on Air Schedule |publisher=Scifi.com |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070611211201/http://www.scifi.com/schedulebot/index.php3? |archivedate=11 June 2007}}</ref>

Series four aired in the United States on the Sci Fi Channel (now known as [[Syfy]]), beginning in April 2008.<ref name="S4USA">{{cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-doctorwhoseason4scifi,0,6573489.story| title='Doctor Who' series 4, 'Sarah Jane' Travel to Sci Fi|work=Zap2it|accessdate=4 February 2008}}</ref> It aired on CBC beginning 19 September 2008, although the CBC did not air the ''Voyage of the Damned'' special.<ref name="s4Canada">{{cite web|url=http://www.dwin.org/article.php?sid=242|title=Series Four Starts 19 September on CBC|publisher=dwin.org|accessdate=22 May 2008}}{{dead link|date=February 2013}}</ref> The Canadian cable network [[Space (TV channel)|Space]] broadcast "The Next Doctor" (in March 2009) and all subsequent series and specials.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacecast.com/shows/doctorwho.aspx|title=Doctor Who: The Next Doctor|publisher=Spacecast.com|accessdate=5 March 2009}}{{dead link|date=July 2011}}</ref>

===DVD and video===
{{Main|List of Doctor Who DVD releases}}
A wide selection of serials are available from BBC Video on DVD, on sale in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States. Every fully extant serial has been released on VHS, and BBC Worldwide continues to regularly [[List of Doctor Who DVD releases|release serials on DVD]]. The 2005 series is also available in its entirety on [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]] for the [[PlayStation Portable]]. Eight original series serials have been released on [[Laserdisc]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timelash.com/tardis/list.asp?laserdisc |title=BBC classic series laserdiscs @ The TARDIS Library (Doctor Who books, DVDs, videos & audios) |publisher=Timelash.com |accessdate=30 July 2011}}</ref> and many have also been released on [[Betamax]]tape and [[Video 2000]]. One episode of Doctor Who [[The Infinite Quest]] was released on [[VCD]]. So far only the new series from 2009 onwards are available on [[Blu-ray]]. The 1970 classic series story ''[[Spearhead from Space]]'' was released on Blu-ray in July 2013. Many early releases have been re-released on special edition with more bonus features.

==Adaptations and other appearances==

===''Doctor Who'' films===
{{Main|Dr. Who (Dalek films)}}
There are two ''Doctor Who'' feature films: ''[[Dr. Who and the Daleks]]'', released in 1965 and ''[[Daleks&nbsp;– Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.]]'' in 1966. Both are retellings of existing television stories (specifically, the first two Dalek serials, ''[[The Daleks]]'' and ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'' respectively) with a larger budget and alterations to the series concept.

In these films, [[Peter Cushing]] plays a human scientist<ref name=Tele1>{{cite news|title=Matt Smith is the eleventh, and youngest, actor to play Doctor Who|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/celebritynews/4124547/Matt-Smith-is-the-eleventh-and-youngest-actor-to-play-Doctor-Who.html?image=4|work=News|publisher=The Daily Telegraph (online)|accessdate=15 June 2011|location=London|date=5 January 2009}}</ref> named "Dr. Who", who travels with his granddaughter and niece and other companions in a time machine he has invented. The [[Dr. Who (Dalek films)#Other appearances|Cushing version]] of the character reappears in both comic strips and a short story, the latter attempting to reconcile the film continuity with that of the series.

In addition, several planned films were proposed, including a sequel, ''The Chase'', loosely based on the [[The Chase (Doctor Who)|original series story]], for the Cushing Doctor, plus [[List of unmade Doctor Who serials and films#Proposed films|many attempted television movie and big screen productions]] to revive the original ''Doctor Who'', after the original series was cancelled.

Paul McGann starred in [[Doctor Who (film)|the only television film]] as the eighth incarnation of the Doctor. After the film, he continued the role in audio books and was confirmed as the eighth incarnation through flashback footage and a mini episode in the 2005 revival, effectively linking the two series and the television movie.

In 2011, [[David Yates]] announced that he had started work with the BBC on a ''Doctor Who'' film, a project that would take three or more years to complete. Yates indicated that the film would take a different approach to ''Doctor Who'',<ref name="VarietyWhoFilm">{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118046098|title=Yates to direct bigscreen 'Doctor Who'|last=Dawtrey|first=Adam|date=14 November 2011|work=Variety|accessdate=14 November 2011}}</ref> although the current ''Doctor Who'' showrunner [[Steven Moffat]] stated later that any such film would not be a reboot of the series and a film should be made by the BBC team and star the current TV Doctor.<ref name="DigitalSpyWhoFilm">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/s7/doctor-who/news/a354022/doctor-who-movie-will-not-be-a-reboot-says-steven-moffat.html|title='Doctor Who' Movie Will Not Be A Reboot Says Moffat|last=Sperling|first=Daniel|date=2 December 2011|work=Digital Spy|accessdate=2 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.metro.co.uk/film/883654-doctor-who-movie-will-star-matt-smith-if-it-gets-made-says-steven-moffat |title=Doctor Who movie will star Matt Smith if it gets made, says Steven Moffat |work=Metro |accessdate=2 December 2011}}</ref>

===Spin-offs===
{{Main|Doctor Who spin-offs}}
''Doctor Who'' has appeared on stage numerous times. In the early 1970s, [[Trevor Martin]] played the role in ''[[Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday]]''. In the late 1980s, Jon Pertwee and Colin Baker both played the Doctor at different times during the run of a play titled ''[[Doctor Who&nbsp;– The Ultimate Adventure]]''. For two performances, while Pertwee was ill, [[David Banks (actor)|David Banks]] (better known for playing [[Cyberman|Cybermen]]) played the Doctor. Other original plays have been staged as amateur productions, with other actors playing the Doctor, while [[Terry Nation]] wrote ''[[The Curse of the Daleks]]'', a stage play mounted in the late 1960s, but without the Doctor.

A pilot episode ("[[A Girl's Best Friend]]") for a potential spinoff series, ''[[K-9 and Company]]'', was aired in 1981 with [[Elisabeth Sladen]] reprising her role as companion [[Sarah Jane Smith]] and [[John Leeson]] as the voice of [[K-9 (Doctor Who)|K-9]], but was not picked up as a regular series.

Concept art for an animated ''Doctor Who'' series was produced by animation company [[Nelvana]] in the 1980s, but the series was not produced.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Lofficier  | first = Jean-Marc
| authorlink = Jean-Marc Lofficier
| title = The Nth Doctor
| publisher = [[Virgin Publishing]]
| location = London
| year = 1997
| page = 9
| isbn = 0-426-20499-9 }}<br />{{cite video
|people     = Bailey, Shaun (Producer); Kalangis, Johnny (Director)
|date      = 2004
|title      = The Planet of the Doctor, Part 6: Doctor Who & Culture II
|url        = http://www.cbc.ca/planetofthedoctor/videos.html#
|format     = [[QuickTime]] or [[Windows Media]]
|medium     = Documentary
|publisher  = [[CBC Television]]
|location   = Toronto
|accessdate =9 April 2009
}}{{dead link|date=July 2011}}<br />{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/planetofthedoctor/tb_gallery.html|title=Planet of the Doctor|accessdate=9 April 2009|work=[[CBC Television]]|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080430203208/http://www.cbc.ca/planetofthedoctor/tb_gallery.html |archivedate = 30 April 2008}}</ref>

Following the success of the 2005 series produced by Russell T Davies, the BBC commissioned Davies to produce a 13-part spin-off series titled ''[[Torchwood]]'' (an [[anagram]] of "Doctor Who"), set in modern-day [[Cardiff]] and investigating alien activities and crime. The series debuted on [[BBC Three]] on 22 October 2006.<ref>{{cite book |title=Inside the Hub |last=Walker |first=Stephen James |authorlink=Stephen James Walker |year=2007 |publisher=[[Telos Publishing]] |location=Tolworth, Surrey |isbn=978-1-84583-013-7 |page=101}}</ref> [[John Barrowman]] reprised his role of [[Jack Harkness]] from the 2005 series of ''Doctor Who''.<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4349120.stm
| title=Doctor Who spin-off made in Wales
|publisher=BBC News
|date=17 October 2005
| accessdate=24 April 2006
}}</ref> Two other actresses who appeared in Doctor Who also star in the series; [[Eve Myles]] as [[Gwen Cooper]], who also played the similarly named servant girl Gwyneth in the 2005 ''Doctor Who'' episode "[[The Unquiet Dead]]",<ref>{{cite web
| date =24 February 2006
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/02/24/29846.shtml
| archiveurl =http://www.webcitation.org/5QSmqr0PU
| archivedate =20 July 2007
| title =Team Torchwood
|publisher=BBC
| accessdate =24 April 2006
}}</ref> and [[Naoko Mori]] who reprised her role as [[Toshiko Sato]] first seen in "[[Aliens of London]]". A second series of ''Torchwood'' aired in 2008; for three episodes, the cast was joined by Freema Agyeman reprising her ''Doctor Who'' role of [[Martha Jones]]. A third series was broadcast from 6 to 10 July 2009, and consisted of a single five-part story called ''Children of Earth'' which was set largely in London. A fourth series, [[Torchwood: Miracle Day]] jointly produced by BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and the American entertainment company Starz debuted in 2011. The series was predominantly set in the United States, though Wales remained part of the show's setting.

''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'', starring [[Elisabeth Sladen]] who reprised her role as investigative journalist [[Sarah Jane Smith]], was developed by [[CBBC]]; a special aired on New Year's Day 2007 and a full series began on 24 September 2007.<ref>{{cite press release
| title =Russell T Davies creates new series for CBBC, starring Doctor Who's Sarah Jane Smith
|publisher=BBC
|date=14 September 2006
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/09_september/14/sarah.shtml
| accessdate =14 September 2006 }}</ref> A second series followed in 2008, notable for (as noted above) featuring the return of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. A third in 2009 featured a crossover appearance from the main show by [[David Tennant]] as the Tenth Doctor. In 2010, a further such appearance featured [[Matt Smith (actor)|Matt Smith]] as the Eleventh Doctor alongside former companion actress [[Katy Manning]] reprising her role as [[Jo Grant]]. A final, three-story fifth series was transmitted in autumn 2011&nbsp;– uncompleted due to the death of Elisabeth Sladen in early 2011.

An animated serial, ''[[The Infinite Quest]]'', aired alongside the 2007 series of ''Doctor Who'' as part of the children's television series ''[[Totally Doctor Who]]''. The serial featured the voices of series regulars David Tennant and [[Freema Agyeman]] but is not considered part of the 2007 series.<ref name="cartoon_bbc">{{cite news
|title=Who's a Toon?
|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2007/01/26/40315.shtml
|date=26 January 2007
|accessdate=26 January 2007
|work=BBC ''Doctor Who'' website
}}{{dead link|date=July 2011}}</ref> A second animated serial, ''[[Dreamland (Doctor Who)|Dreamland]]'', aired in six parts on the [[BBC Red Button]] service, and the official ''Doctor Who'' website in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8300002.stm|title=Wire star set for Dr Who cartoon|date=9 October 2009|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=6 January 2010}}</ref>

Numerous other spin-off series have been created not by the BBC but by the respective owners of the characters and concepts. Such spin-offs include the novel and audio drama series ''[[Faction Paradox]]'', ''[[Iris Wildthyme]]'' and ''[[Bernice Summerfield]]''; as well as the made-for-video series ''[[P.R.O.B.E.]]''; the Australian-produced television series ''[[K-9 (TV series)|K-9]]'', which aired a 26-episode first season on [[Disney XD (UK & Ireland)|Disney XD]];<ref>{{cite news
| date=25 April 2006
| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4939144.stm
| title =Doctor Who dog K9 gets spin-off
|publisher=BBC News
| accessdate =26 July 2006}}</ref> and the audio spin-off ''Counter-Measures''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bigfinish.com/news/New-Doctor-Who-Spin-off-Counter-Measures|title=New Doctor Who Spin off&nbsp;... Counter-Measures|publisher=[[Big Finish Productions|Big Finish]]|date=20 October 2011|accessdate=26 October 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20111022061150/http://www.bigfinish.com/news/New-Doctor-Who-Spin-off-Counter-Measures|archivedate=22 October 2011}}</ref>

===Charity episodes===
In 1983, coinciding with the series' 20th anniversary, a charity special titled ''[[The Five Doctors]]'' was produced in aid of Children in Need, featuring three of the first five Doctors, a new actor to replace the deceased William Hartnell, and unused footage to represent Tom Baker.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Five Doctors Serial 6K|url=http://www.drwhoguide.com/who_6k.htm|publisher=drwhoguide.com|accessdate=24 October 2013}}</ref> This was a full-length, 90-minute film, the longest single episode of ''Doctor Who'' produced to date (the television movie ran slightly longer on broadcast where it included commercial breaks).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gallifreyone.com/episode.php?id=6k|title=The Five Doctors|publisher=Outpost Gallifrey|author=Shaun Lyon ''et al.''|date=31 March 2007|accessdate=24 October 2013|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080503123320/http://www.gallifreyone.com/episode.php?id=6k|archivedate=3 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/6k.html|title=The Five Doctors|publisher=A Brief History of Time Travel|last=Sullivan|first=Shannon|date=7 August 2007|accessdate=24 October 2013}}</ref>

In 1993, for the franchise's 30th anniversary, another charity special, titled ''[[Dimensions in Time]]'' was produced for Children in Need, featuring all of the surviving actors who played the Doctor and a number of previous companions. It also featured a crossover with the soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]'', the action taking place in the latter's [[Albert Square]] location and around [[Greenwich]]. The special was one of several special 3D programmes the BBC produced at the time, using a 3D system that made use of the [[Pulfrich effect]] requiring glasses with one darkened lens; the picture would look normal to those viewers who watched without the glasses.

In 1999, another special, ''[[Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death]]'', was made for [[Comic Relief]] and later released on VHS. An affectionate [[parody]] of the television series, it was split into four segments, mimicking the traditional serial format, complete with [[cliffhanger]]s, and running down the same corridor several times when being chased (the version released on video was split into only two episodes). In the story, the Doctor ([[Rowan Atkinson]]) encounters both [[Master (Doctor Who)|the Master]] ([[Jonathan Pryce]]) and the [[Dalek]]s. During the special the Doctor is forced to regenerate several times, with his subsequent incarnations played by, in order, [[Richard E. Grant]], [[Jim Broadbent]], [[Hugh Grant]] and [[Joanna Lumley]]. The script was written by [[Steven Moffat]], later to be head writer and executive producer to the revived series.<ref name=RTDgone/>

Since the return of ''Doctor Who'' in 2005, the franchise has produced two original "mini-episodes" to support Children in Need. The first, aired in November 2005, was an [[Doctor Who: Children in Need|untitled seven-minute scene]] which introduced [[David Tennant]] as the [[Tenth Doctor]]. It was followed in November 2007 by "[[Time Crash]]", a 7-minute scene which featured the Tenth Doctor meeting the [[Fifth Doctor]] (played once again by [[Peter Davison]]).

A set of two mini-episodes, titled [[Space / Time|"Space" and "Time"]] respectively, were produced to support [[Comic Relief]]. They were aired during the [[Comic Relief#2011 event|Comic Relief 2011 event]].<ref name="comicrelief2011">{{cite web| url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a306899/moffat-reveals-who-comic-relief-plot.html| title=Doctor Who For Comic Relief&nbsp;– Exclusive| publisher=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]]| date=2 March 2011| accessdate=6 March 2011}}</ref>

During 2011 [[Children in Need]], an exclusively-filmed segment showed the Doctor addressing the viewer, attempting to persuade them to purchase items of his clothing, which were going up for auction for Children in Need. The 2012 edition of CiN featured the mini-episode ''The Great Detective''.

===Spoofs and cultural references===
{{Main|Doctor Who spoofs}}
''Doctor Who'' has been satirised and spoofed on many occasions by comedians including [[Spike Milligan]] (a Dalek invades his bathroom&nbsp;— Milligan, naked, hurls a soap sponge at it) and [[Lenny Henry]]. [[Jon Culshaw]] frequently impersonates the Fourth Doctor in the [[BBC]] ''[[Dead Ringers (comedy)|Dead Ringers]]'' series.<ref name="Dead Ringers meets Doctor Who">{{cite video |people=Mark Perry, Kevin Connelly and Phil Cornwell |year=2005 |title=Dead Ringers meets Doctor Who – Comedy Greats – BBC|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35uYgSYXtfA|publisher=BBC |location= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate= |time=0:00–1:30 |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= |ref= }}</ref> [[Doctor Who fandom|''Doctor Who'' fandom]] has also been lampooned on programs such as ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', ''[[The Chaser's War on Everything]]'', ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', ''[[Family Guy]]'', ''[[American Dad!]]'', ''[[Futurama]]'', ''[[South Park]]'',
''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]'' as Inspector Spacetime, ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]''.

The Doctor in his fourth incarnation has been represented on several episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]''<ref name="Fourth Doctor The Simpsons">{{cite video |date= 26 November 1995|title=Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming|publisher=[[20th Century Fox Television]]|time= 11:29}}</ref> and [[Matt Groening]]'s other animated series ''[[Futurama]]''.<ref name="Fourth Doctor Futurama">{{cite video |date= 4 August 2011|title=Möbius Dick|publisher=[[20th Century Fox Television]]|time= 20:20}}</ref><ref name="Fourth Doctor Futurama 2">{{cite video |date= 28 July 2011|title=All the Presidents' Heads|publisher=[[20th Century Fox Television]]|time= 15:50}}</ref>

There have also been many references to ''Doctor Who'' in popular culture and other science fiction, including ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' ("[[The Neutral Zone (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Neutral Zone]]")<ref>{{cite web|url=http://anamericanviewofbritishsciencefiction.com/2012/04/23/random-doctor-who-references-in-american-tv-shows/ |title=Random Doctor Who References in American TV Shows |publisher=An American View of British Science Fiction |date=23 April 2012 |accessdate=27 August 2013}}</ref> and ''[[Leverage (TV series)|Leverage]]''. In the [[Channel 4]] series ''[[Queer as Folk (UK TV series)|Queer As Folk]]'' (created by later ''Doctor Who'' executive producer Russell T Davies), the character of Vince was portrayed as an avid ''Doctor Who'' fan, with references appearing many times throughout in the form of clips from the programme. In a similar manner, the character of Oliver on ''[[Coupling]]'' (created and written by current show runner [[Steven Moffat]]) is portrayed as a ''Doctor Who'' collector and enthusiast.
References to ''Doctor Who'' have also appeared in the young adult fantasy novels ''[[Brisingr]]''<ref>{{cite book
| last = Paolini | first = Christopher
| authorlink = Christopher Paolini
| title = Brisingr (Hardcover)
| edition = 1st
| date = 20 September 2008
| publisher = [[Alfred A. Knopf]]
| location = New York
| isbn = 0-375-82672-6
| pages = 204, 761
| chapter = Shadows of the Past
| quote = 'Bending over, Eragon read, ''Adrift upon the sea of time, the lonely god wanders from shore to distant shore, upholding the laws of the stars above.''{{'}} and in acknowledgments 'Also, for those who understood the reference to a 'lonely god' when Eragon and Arya sitting around the campfire, my only excuse is that the Doctor can travel everywhere, even alternate realities. Hey, I'm a fan too!'}}</ref> and ''[[High Wizardry]]'',<ref>{{cite web
| date =25 March 2005
| url =http://www.youngwizards.com/ErrantryWiki/index.php/Man_In_The_Bar%2C_the
| title =Man in the Bar, the
| work =The Errantry Concordance
| publisher =[[Diane Duane]]
| accessdate =5 July 2007
}}</ref> the video game ''[[Rock Band (video game)|Rock Band]]'',<ref>{{cite web
| date =20 November 2007
| url = http://www.flickr.com/photos/zerolives/2051074285/
| title =Doctor who Love in Rock Band
| work = flickr
| publisher =zerolives
| accessdate =24 December 2007
}}</ref> the soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]'',<ref>{{cite news
| first = Sarah | last = Nathan
| title = From Square to eternity
| url = http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article539976.ece
|work=The Sun
| location = London
| date = 4 December 2007
| accessdate =7 May 2009
 }}</ref> the [[Adult Swim]] comedy show ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episodes "[[Blue Harvest (Family Guy)|Blue Harvest]]" and "[[420 (Family Guy)|420]]", and the game [[RuneScape]].

''Doctor Who'' has been a reference in several political cartoons, from a 1964 cartoon in the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' depicting [[Charles de Gaulle]] as a Dalek<ref>{{cite news
| first = Leslie Gilbert | last = Illingsworth
| title = The Degaullek (France's leader, General De Gaulle, is caricatured as a Dalek)
| url = http://www.cuttingsarchive.org.uk/news_mag/1960s/cuttings/degaulek.htm
| format = Reprint at the Doctor Who Cuttings Archive
|work=Daily Mail
| location = London
| date = 25 November 1964
| accessdate =16 July 2008
 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2010}}</ref> to a 2008 edition of ''[[This Modern World]]'' by [[Tom Tomorrow]] in which the Tenth Doctor informs an incredulous character from 2003 that the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] will nominate [[Barack Obama|an African-American]] as its presidential candidate.<ref>{{cite web
| date =10 June 2008
| url =http://action.credomobile.com/comics/2008/06/the_week_that_was.html
| title =This Modern World
| work =The Week that Was
| publisher =[[Tom Tomorrow]]
| accessdate =12 June 2008
 }}</ref>

The word "TARDIS" is an entry in the [[Shorter Oxford English Dictionary]]<ref>{{cite web
| date = 5 September 2002
| url = http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/wordfrom/shorter/?view=uk
| accessdate =15 May 2009
| title = The essence of the ''Oxford English Dictionary''
}}</ref> and the [[iOS]] dictionary.

As part of the 50th anniversary programmes, former [[Fifth Doctor]] Peter Davison created, wrote and co-starred in a parody ''[[The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot]]'' featuring cameos from several other formers Doctors, companions and people involved in the programme.<ref>"The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot", BBC, retrieved 23 November 2013</ref>

===Museums and exhibitions===
{{Main|Doctor Who exhibitions}}

There have been various exhibitions of ''Doctor Who'' in the United Kingdom, including the now closed exhibitions at:
* [[Lands End]] ([[Cornwall]])
* [[Blackpool]]
* [[Llangollen]]
* [[Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum|Kelvingrove Museum]], Glasgow
* [[Coventry Transport Museum]], [[Coventry]]
* [[Centre for life]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]
* [[Melbourne]], Australia (only international DW concert to be performed)
* Kensington Olympia Two, London

There is an exhibition open currently in Cardiff (the city where the series is filmed)<ref>http://www.doctorwhoexperience.com/</ref>

===Merchandise===
{{Main|Doctor Who merchandise}}

Since its beginnings, ''Doctor Who'' has generated hundreds of products related to the show, from toys and games to collectible picture cards and postage stamps. These include board games, card games, gamebooks, computer games, roleplaying games, action figures and a pinball game. Many games have been released that feature the Daleks, including [[Dalek#Computer games|Dalek computer games]].

===Audios===
The Doctor has also appeared in webcasts and in audio plays; among the latter were those produced by [[Big Finish Productions]], who were responsible for a [[List of Doctor Who audio plays by Big Finish|range of audio plays]] released on CD, as well as 2006's eight-part [[BBC 7]] series starring [[Paul McGann]]. Big Finish's productions began with the release of ''[[The Sirens of Time]]'' in July 1999. These audios feature Doctors 4–8. As well as this, Big Finish also release a range of other audio books read by both Doctors and Companions.

===Books===
{{See also|List of Doctor Who novelists}}

''Doctor Who'' books have been published from the mid-sixties through to the present day. From 1965 to 1991 the books published were primarily novelised adaptations of broadcast episodes; beginning in 1991 an extensive line of original fiction was launched, the [[Virgin New Adventures]] and [[Virgin Missing Adventures]]. Since the relaunch of the programme in 2005, a new range of novels have been published by [[BBC Books]], featuring the adventures of the Ninth, Tenth and 11th Doctors. Numerous non-fiction books about the series, including guidebooks and critical studies, have also been published, and a dedicated ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' with newsstand circulation has been published regularly since 1979. There is also a ''[[Doctor Who Adventures]]'' magazine published by the BBC.

See also:
* [[List of Doctor Who novelisations]]
* [[Eighth Doctor Adventures]]
* [[Past Doctor Adventures]]
* [[New Series Adventures (Doctor Who)|New Series Adventures]]

==Awards==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Doctor Who}}

In 1975, [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 11 (1973–74)|Season 11]] of the series won a Writers' Guild of Great Britain award for Best Writing in a Children's Serial. In 1996, BBC television held the "Auntie Awards" as the culmination of their "TV60" series, celebrating 60 years of BBC television broadcasting, where ''Doctor Who'' was voted as the "Best Popular Drama" the corporation had ever produced, ahead of such ratings heavyweights as ''[[EastEnders]]'' and ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]''.<ref name="auntieawards">{{cite news|title=Viewers spurn TV's golden age in poll of small screen classics as the BBC fetes its 60th birthday|first=Andrew|last=Culf|work=The Guardian|date=4 November 1996|page=4}}</ref> In 2000, ''Doctor Who'' was ranked third in a list of the [[100 Greatest British Television Programmes]] of the 20th century, produced by the [[British Film Institute]] and voted on by industry professionals.<ref name="tv100">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/911085.stm|title= Fawlty Towers tops TV hits|publisher=BBC News|date=5 September 2000|accessdate=18 March 2007}}</ref> In 2005, the series came first in a survey by [[SFX magazine]] of "The Greatest UK Science Fiction and Fantasy Television Series Ever". Also, in the 100 Greatest Kids' TV shows (a [[Channel 4]] countdown in 2001), the 1963–1989 run was placed at number eight.

The revived series has received recognition from critics and the public, across various awards ceremonies. It won five [[BAFTA TV Award]]s, including [[British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series|Best Drama Series]], the highest-profile and most prestigious British television award for which the series has ever been nominated.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4934216.stm
|title=Doctor leads Bafta Cymru winners
|publisher=BBC News
|date=22 April 2006
|accessdate=24 April 2006
}}</ref> It was very popular at the [[BAFTA Cymru|BAFTA Cymru Awards]], with 25 wins overall including Best Drama Series (twice), Best Screenplay/Screenwriter (thrice) and Best Actor.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7395593.stm|title= Bafta glory for Channel 4's Boy A|publisher=BBC News|date=12 May 2008|accessdate=13 May 2008}}</ref> It was also nominated for 7 [[Saturn Award]]s, winning the only [[Saturn Award for Best International Series|Best International Series]] in the ceremony's history. In 2009, ''Doctor Who'' was voted the 3rd greatest show of the 2000s by Channel 4, behind ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'' and ''[[The Apprentice (UK TV series)|The Apprentice]]''.<ref name="Top Gear takes decade's top show accolade">{{cite news|last=Cable|first=Simon|title=Top Gear takes decade's top show accolade|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1238374/Top-Gear-takes-decades-accolade.html#axzz2K9JY3jzU|accessdate=6 February 2013|newspaper=[[Daily Mail]]|date=26 December 2009}}</ref> The episode "[[Vincent and the Doctor]]" was [[short list|shortlisted]] for a Mind Award at the 2010 Mind Mental Health Media Awards for its "touching" portrayal of [[Vincent van Gogh]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mhmawards.org.uk/shortlist.html| title= Winners announced | publisher= [[Mind (charity)|Mind]]| accessdate=4 May 2011| quote= Dr Who&nbsp;– "Vincent and the Doctor" (BBC One/BBC Wales). [[Richard Curtis]] writes this touching episode of ''Dr Who'' about the mental health experiences of the great artist Vincent van Gogh.}}{{dead link|date=July 2011}}</ref>

It has won every year since 2006 (except in 2009) the Short Form of the [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form|Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation]], the oldest science fiction/fantasy award for films and series. The winning episodes were "[[The Empty Child]]"/"[[The Doctor Dances]]" (2006), "[[The Girl in the Fireplace]]" (2007), "[[Blink (Doctor Who)|Blink]]" (2008), "[[The Waters of Mars]]" (2010), "[[The Pandorica Opens]]"/"[[The Big Bang (Doctor Who)|The Big Bang]]" (2011), and "[[The Doctor's Wife]]".<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.locusmag.com/2006/News/08_HugoCampbellWinners.html
| title = Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners
| work = [[Locus (magazine)|Locus Online]]
| accessdate =27 August 2006
|date= 26 August 2006
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.thehugoawards.org/index.php?page_id=127
| title = 2007 Hugo Awards
| work = World Science Fiction Society
|date=1 September 2007
| accessdate =1 September 2007
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.thehugoawards.org/index.php?page_id=146
| title = 2008 Hugo Awards Announced
| work = World Science Fiction Society
|date=9 August 2008
| accessdate =15 August 2007
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.locusmag.com/News/2011/04/2011-hugo-and-campbell-awards-nominees/
| title = 2011 Hugo and Campbell Awards Nominees
| work = Locus Magazine
| date= 24 April 2011
| accessdate =24 April 2011
}}</ref> Doctor Who star Matt Smith won Best Actor in the [[17th National Television Awards|2012 National Television awards]] alongside Karen Gillan who won Best Actress. ''Doctor Who'' has been nominated for over 200 awards and has won over a hundred of them.

As a British series, the majority of its nominations and awards have been for national competitions such as the BAFTAs, but it has occasionally received nominations in mainstream American awards, most notably a nomination for "Favorite Sci-Fi Show" in the 2008 [[People's Choice Awards]] and the series has been nominated multiple times in the Spike [[Scream Awards]], with Smith winning Best Science Fiction Actor in 2011. The Canadian [[Constellation Awards]] have also recognised the series.

==See also==
{{Portal|Doctor Who|BBC|Science fiction}}
{{Wikipedia books|1=Doctor Who}}
* [[Doctor Who in Australia]]
* [[Doctor Who in Canada and the United States]]
* [[List of Doctor Who serials]]
* [[List of Doctor Who serials by setting]]
* [[List of Doctor Who universe creatures and aliens]]
* [[List of Doctor Who vehicles]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note|30em}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Cited texts===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last=Howe |first=David J. |authorlink=David J. Howe |coauthors=Mark Stammers and [[Stephen James Walker]]|title=Doctor Who: The Sixties |year=1992 |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |edition=paperback |location=London |isbn= 0-86369-707-0 }}
* {{Cite book|title=The Handbook: The First Doctor&nbsp;— The William Hartnell Years 1963–1966|first=David J.|last=Howe|coauthors=Mark Stammers, [[Stephen James Walker]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|location=London|year=1994|isbn=0-426-20430-1}}
* {{Cite book
| author =Howe, David J & [[Stephen James Walker|Walker, Stephen James]]
| year = 1998
| title = Doctor Who: The Television Companion
| edition = 1st
| location = London
| publisher = [[BBC Books]]
| isbn = 978-0-563-40588-7
 }}
* {{Cite book | author = Howe, David J & Walker, Stephen James
| year = 2003
| title = The Television Companion: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to DOCTOR WHO
| edition = 2nd
| location = Surrey, UK
| publisher = [[Telos Publishing Ltd.]]
| isbn = 1-903889-51-0}}
* {{Cite book|title=Doctor Who&nbsp;— The Legend|first=Justin|last=Richards|authorlink=Justin Richards|publisher=[[BBC Books]]|year=2003|edition=1st|location=London|isbn=0-563-48602-3}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* Matt Hills. ''Triumph of a Time Lord: Regenerating "Doctor Who" in the Twenty-First Century'' (I.B. Tauris, 2010) 261 pages. Discusses the revival of the BBC's Doctor Who in 2005 after it had been off the air as a regular series for more than 15 years; topics include the role of "fandom" in the sci-fi programme's return, and notions of "cult" and "mainstream" in television.
* Tabloid Bintang Indonesia, ''Doctor Who Pengganti Chalkzone''
* Majalah GADIS, ''Kenalan Bareng Doctor Who'', ''Ketemu Bareng 1st–11th Doctor''

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Doctor Who}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Doctor Who article.ogg|2011-01-02}}

===Official websites===
{{See also|Doctor Who tie-in websites}}
* {{BBC programme|b006q2x0}}
* [http://www.doctorwho.tv/ Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: Official BBC Worldwide Site – Doctor Who {{!}} Doctor Who]
* {{Bbc.co.uk|id=wales/southeast/sites/doctorwho|title=''Doctor Who'' (BBC South East Wales)}}
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/changingwho/ BBC: The Changing Face of Doctor Who]&nbsp;– many press cuttings and articles from 1963 onwards
* [http://doctorwho.bbcamerica.com/ BBC America ''Doctor Who'' website]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20090525094905/http://www.spacecast.com/shows/doctorwho.aspx? SPACE Channel ''Doctor Who'' website]

===Past official BBC websites===
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/ Doctor Who Series 4]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/archive.shtml Doctor Who Series 1, 2 & 3]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/ Doctor Who Classic Season 1&nbsp;– 1996 Movie]

===Reference websites===
{{TardisIndexFile}}
* [http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/ ''Doctor Who'': A Brief History Of Time (Travel)]&nbsp;– a production history of ''Doctor Who''
* [http://www.drwhoguide.com/ The ''Doctor Who'' Reference Guide]&nbsp;– synopses of every television episode, novel, audio drama, comic strip and spin-off video based on the series
* [http://www.drwho-online.co.uk/ ''Doctor Who'' Online]
* [http://www.gallifreybase.com/ Gallifrey Base]
* [http://gallifreybase.com/enwiki/w/index.php/Main_Page BroaDWcast&nbsp;– Doctor Who transmissions around the World]
* [http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/ Doctor Who TV]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056751/combined ''Doctor Who'' (1963) at] [[Internet Movie Database]]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116118/combined ''Doctor Who'' (1996) at] [[Internet Movie Database]]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436992/combined ''Doctor Who'' (2005) at] [[Internet Movie Database]]
* {{amg movie|174951}}
* {{tv.com show|doctor-who|Doctor Who (1963)}}
* {{tv.com show|doctor-who-2005|Doctor Who (2005)}}
<!-- additional sites added without discussion on the talk page will be reverted -->
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{{doctor-who}}
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{{Navboxes | title = Awards for ''Doctor Who'' | list =
{{BAFTA TV Award for Best Drama Series 1998–2009}}
{{Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form}}
{{Nebula Award for Best Script/Bradbury Award 2001–2020}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Television Presentation}}
}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2013}}

[[Category:Doctor Who| ]]
[[Category:1960s British television series]]
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