Doctor (Doctor Who)
fictional character from the television series Doctor Who / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Doctor is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS, often with companions. Since the show's inception in 1963, the character has been portrayed by fifteen lead actors. The transition to each succeeding actor is explained within the show's narrative through the plot device of regeneration, a biological function of Time Lords that allows a change of cellular structure and appearance with recovery following a mortal injury.
The Doctor | |
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Doctor Who character | |
First appearance | Rose (2004) |
Portrayed by | Christopher Eccleston (2004) David Tennant (2004–2010, 2023) Matt Smith (2010–2013) Peter Capaldi (2014–2017) Jodie Whittaker (2018–2022) Ncuti Gatwa (2023–2025) Alex Bickerton (2026) |
Information | |
Spouse(s) | River Song |
Main incarnations | Ninth • Tenth • Eleventh • Twelfth • Thirteenth • Fourteenth • Fifteenth • Sixteenth |
They are an alien, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. The Doctor travels in their space-time-ship, the TARDIS, (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space) with which they can go anywhere in time and space. Because the TARDIS's chameleon circuit is broken, it looks like an old British police-call box permanently. The Doctor often takes other people with them, who are usually called "companions" or "assistants". The companions are always 21st century humans in the modern series, however the classic series often had human-looking aliens or people from the past or future. The most recent companion is Ruby Sunday.