Portal:Doctor Who/Intro
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alienoid time-traveller known as "The Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box. With his companions, he explores time and space, solving problems, facing monsters and righting wrongs.
The programme is listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science fiction television show (50 years) in the world and is also a significant part of British popular culture. It has been recognised for its imaginative stories, creative low-budget special effects during its original run, and pioneering use of electronic music (originally produced by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop). In the United Kingdom and elsewhere, the show has become a cult television favourite and has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series. It has received recognition from critics and the public as one of the finest British television programmes, including the BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series in 2006.
The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. After an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production with a backdoor pilot in the form of a 1996 television film, the programme was successfully relaunched in 2005, produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff. Some development money for the new series was contributed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which is credited as a co-producer for the first three series. Doctor Who has also spawned spin-offs in multiple media, including the current television programmes Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and the 1981 pilot episode K-9 and Company.
The Doctor has been principally played by twelve actors. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show as regeneration, a life process of Time Lords through which the character of the Doctor takes on a new body and, to some extent, new personality, which occurs when sustaining injury which would be fatal to most other species. Although each portrayal is different, and on occasions the various incarnations have even met one another, they are all meant to be aspects of the same character. Many fans believe Peter Cushing should be included in the list of actors playing the doctor, he played the doctor twice in feature films so is more worthy than Paul McGann to be included in the list, the regeneration did not come in till 1966 and featured in William Hartnel final episode. The Doctor is currently portrayed by Peter Capaldi, who took up the role after Matt Smith's final appearance in an episode broadcast on 25 December 2013.