Doctor (Doctor Who) facts for kids

The Doctor is the main character in the long-running BBC science fiction TV show Doctor Who.

The Doctor is an alien from the planet Gallifrey. This alien race is called Time Lords. The Doctor travels through space and time in a special ship called the TARDIS. TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. The TARDIS can go anywhere in time and space. Its "chameleon circuit" is broken, so it always looks like an old British police call box. The Doctor often takes other people along on these adventures. These people are usually called "companions" or "assistants". In the modern series, they are often humans from the 21st century. However, in the classic series, companions could be human-looking aliens or people from different times. The most recent companions are Yaz and Dan.

The Doctor's Story: Leaving Gallifrey

The Doctor did not want to stay on Gallifrey, their home planet. So, the Doctor "borrowed" an old Type 40 TARDIS. The Doctor and their granddaughter, Susan Foreman, left Gallifrey in this TARDIS.

They lived on Earth for a while in the 1960s. Susan even went to school there. Her teachers, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton, found the TARDIS. They then traveled with the Doctor for about two years. After their adventures, Barbara and Ian returned to Earth. Since then, the Doctor has often invited many other people to join their travels.

Time Lord Anatomy and Regeneration

As a Gallifreyan, the Doctor looks much like a human. But there are some key differences. One famous difference is that the Doctor has two hearts!

As a Time Lord, the Doctor can also regenerate. This happens if their body is badly hurt and they are about to die. During regeneration, the body heals and becomes new. This process changes the Doctor's appearance and personality. The regenerated person is still the same Doctor, with all the same memories. Their basic personality traits also stay the same. However, they look different and their personality changes a bit. Because of this, many different actors have played the Doctor. This has allowed the Doctor Who series to continue for nearly sixty years.

The Doctor's Incarnations and Actors

So far, the Doctor has regenerated twelve times. Each new "incarnation" has been played by a different actor.

1. First Doctor – William Hartnell (1963–1966)
2. Second Doctor – Patrick Troughton (1966–1969)
3. Third Doctor – Jon Pertwee (1970–1974)
4. Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker (1974–1981)
5. Fifth Doctor – Peter Davison (1981–1984)
6. Sixth Doctor – Colin Baker (1984–1986)
7. Seventh Doctor – Sylvester McCoy (1987–1989, 1996)
8. Eighth Doctor – Paul McGann (1996)
9. War Doctor – John Hurt (2013)
10. Ninth Doctor – Christopher Eccleston (2005)
11. Tenth Doctor – David Tennant (2005–2010)
12. Eleventh Doctor – Matt Smith (2010–2013)
13. Twelfth Doctor – Peter Capaldi (2013–2017)
14. Thirteenth Doctor – Jodie Whittaker (2017–present)

Other actors have played the Doctor in different types of media. These include theatre plays or parodies. However, these are not officially part of the main Doctor Who storyline. Some notable examples are:

• Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD – Peter Cushing (1965/1966)
• Scream of the Shalka and The Feast of the Stone – Richard E. Grant (2003)

Images for kids

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  The episode title screen of the first Doctor Who episode. It was shown on November 23, 1963.

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  The Doctor's calling card from the episode Remembrance of the Daleks.

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  The Doctor, as John Smith, draws his dreams of past selves in "Human Nature". (Left page: Tenth and Ninth; Right page, left to right, top to bottom: Fourth, Third, Second, Seventh, Eighth, First, Sixth, Fifth)

See also

In Spanish: El Doctor (Doctor Who) para niños