Doctor Who 

The adventures in time and space of the Doctor, a Time Lord who changes appearance and personality by regenerating when near death, and is joined by companions in battles against aliens and other megalomaniacs.

Creator:

Sydney Newman

Stars:

William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee

Top Rated TV #227 | 3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Tom Baker	...	Doctor Who 178 episodes, 1974-1984
William Hartnell	...	Dr. Who / ... 144 episodes, 1963-1984
Jon Pertwee	...	Doctor Who / ... 132 episodes, 1970-1984
Patrick Troughton	...	Dr. Who / ... 131 episodes, 1966-1985
Frazer Hines	...	Jamie / ... 117 episodes, 1966-1985
Nicholas Courtney	...	Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart / ... 109 episodes, 1965-1989
Pat Gorman	...	Guard / ... 104 episodes, 1964-1985
Elisabeth Sladen	...	Sarah Jane Smith 83 episodes, 1973-1984
Jacqueline Hill	...	Barbara Wright / ... 81 episodes, 1963-1980
William Russell	...	Ian Chesterton 78 episodes, 1963-1965
Katy Manning	...	Jo Grant 78 episodes, 1971-1984
John Scott Martin	...	Dalek / ... 76 episodes, 1965-1988
John Levene	...	Sergeant Benton / ... 74 episodes, 1967-1983

Storyline

Traveling across time and space, the immortal time-lord known as 'The Doctor' travels across the universe with his many companions and his loyal shape-shifting space-ship: The TARDIS. The Doctor faces many threats across many generations: from The Daleks, The Cybermen and his time-lord adversary The Master to the sinister Davros, creator of The Daleks.

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Plot Keywords:

doctor who | gunfight at the o.k. corral | doc holliday | reference to tombstone arizona | arizona territory | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

BBC [UK]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 September 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Doctor Who

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£4,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min (15 episodes) 25 min (679 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (1963-1987) Stereo (1988-1989)

Color:

Black and White (1963-1969) Color (1970-1989)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The series has become synonymous in the British media with low production values and "wobbly sets". Even the official obituary of Jon Pertwee on the BBC News featured reporter Nick Higham stating "the baddies were unconvincing, the sets and acting shaky". When he was cast in the 50th anniversary special, actor John Hurt said his only knowledge of the original series was that "all the scenery used to fall over". Shortly before she died, actress Ingrid Pitt said she missed "the shaky sets, the Marks and Spencers wardrobe, the cardboard walls, Bacofoil interiors and Domestos bottle spaceships" when she watched the 2005 revival of the series. Philip Hinchcliffe stated on the DVD commentary for "The Robots of Death" that he had "tried to take the scenery wobbling out" of Doctor Who during his period as producer (between 1975 and 1977) and "pay more attention to the design". However, he conceded that he had improved it in some stories more than others.

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Quotes

The Doctor: Well, well. The Rani. I can't say I think much about your outfit. Doesn't do a thing for you.
The Rani: Your regeneration isn't too appealing either.

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Crazy Credits

In a number of 1980s episodes, recurring villain The Master often first appeared in disguise. Actor Anthony Ainley was credited under a pseudonym on these occasions (usually an anagram of his own name) in order to preserve the element of surprise.

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Alternate Versions

The first episode of Doctor Who to air in the UK was in fact the second episode ever made. Like Star Trek, a first pilot was filmed but never shown. This version is fairly similar to the aired version, but contains a number of subtle differences. In particular, a different version of the theme tune is used, and the Doctor comes across as more of an anti-hero in this version.

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Connections

Referenced in The PoseidonGodofWater20 Show: Actual Version: 12th Doctor Revealed (2013)

User Reviews

Best Sci-Fi Show Ever!

Doctor Who was my childhood. This show was, and still is, awesome. Right from the start, it was set apart from sci-fi shows at the time. This show was originally intended to be educational. But all that changed one fateful day in 1963. Yes, that's right, I'm talking about... the Daleks.

These monsters were one of the few things from sci-fi that could illicit pure, unadulterated terror in me. Other monsters eventually cropped up over the years, like the Cybermen, Sontarans, Silurians, Sea Devils, the Master, the list goes on...

In short, there is a reason this show has spawned countless spin- offs, a TV movie, and has lasted for 50 years.

It is because it is a staple of British television. Even cancellation couldn't stop this gem.

After 16 years in development hell, barring the aforementioned movie, Doctor Who returned.