The Doctor was a renegade Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who, as a voluntary exile from his homeworld fought injustice where he found it. Alone among the Time Lords, he survived the Last Great Time War with the Daleks, though they returned shortly before his tenth regeneration. Throughout his life, he had a particular association and affinity with the planet Earth and its Humans.
The 'regeneration' process allows a Time Lord who is old or mortally wounded to undergo a transformation into a new physical form and a somewhat different personality. The process has been used ten times to introduce a new actor for the role of the main character of the programme, the Doctor.
The 'regeneration' process allows a Time Lord who is old or mortally wounded to undergo a transformation into a new physical form and a somewhat different personality. The process has been used ten times to introduce a new actor for the role of the main character of the programme, the Doctor.
The Doctor's Incarnations
Through the power of regeneration, the Doctor's personality and outer form has greatly changed over time, although all his incarnations are essentially the same person. He continues to be a heroic figure, fighting the evils of the universe wherever he finds them, even if his values and motives are sometimes alien to Humankind. To date, the Doctor has had eleven incarnations:
The First Doctor (Actor William Hartnell) was a somewhat unreadable, guarded figure, irascible, protective of young women who reminded him of his grand-daughter Susan, a brilliant but often short-tempered scientist and a keen strategist. Though far from invulnerable, he usually ran rings around lesser intellects.
The Second Doctor (Actor Patrick Troughton) was warm and wise, a sort of 'cosmic hobo', often as frightened of the alien menaces he faced as those around him. Often overtaken by events, he improvised his way out of trouble — but he also had a manipulative streak about him, too.
The Third Doctor (Actor Jon Pertwee) cut more of a dashing figure than his predecessors, a dandy with a penchant for gadgets and martial arts, particularly Venusian aikido. His difficult relationship with the Brigadier softened to an easy mutual trust. He had a personal arch-enemy, the Master. Due to his exile by his own people, he spent most of his life on Earth.
The Fourth Doctor (Actor Tom Baker) was something of a cross between Willy Wonka and the Mad Hatter, rarely without his signature scarf of incredible length. He was perhaps the most eccentric incarnation and progressed from bohemian vagabond to manic scatterbrain to a more mature and sombre figure.
The Fifth Doctor (Actor Peter Davison) had a fondness for cricket. He was somewhat more nervous and less sure of himself than the two previous Doctors, though all the more heroic because of it. Like the Second Doctor, he often found himself backed into a corner and had to figure out a way back once more.
The Sixth Doctor (Actor Colin Baker), grandiose and eloquent, sported a multi-hued wardrobe that looked as if designed by Christian Lacroix, had a manic personality and an acerbic wit which could shade into moral passion. He loved a good quote and rarely got caught off-guard by an enemy.
The Seventh Doctor (Actor Sylvester McCoy), his voice touched by a Scottish burr, combined the vagabond nature of the Second and Fourth Doctors with the scientific brilliance of the First and Third incarnations. Armed with a keenly tactical mind, his personality deepened and darkened. He seemed, often, a demi-god walking amongst lesser beings, letting his companions know little, an avenging angel driven to eradicate evil at any cost. Of all the Doctors, he had arguably the most complex personality.
The Eighth Doctor (Actor Paul McGann) showed a romantic and sensitive side not evident in the previous Doctors. More morally flexible than his predecessor, this Doctor suffered bouts of amnesia, first after his initial regeneration and again after the first destruction of Gallifrey following the War with the Enemy.
The Ninth Doctor (Actor Christopher Eccleston), now a survivor of the Last Great Time War, displayed much of the playfulness of the Fourth and early Seventh Doctors, but also displayed a pragmatism which could at times appear callous. This Doctor also seemed very conscious of the effects his actions had on those around him. His attire was also considerably more conservative and less conspicuous than those of his predecessors and his accent and attitude more working class.
The Tenth Doctor (Actor David Tennant) showed a manic personality, and bit of an eccentric crackpot, a cross between the Fourth Doctor and the Ninth, with hints of the Seventh with the style of the Fifth and a fondness for Human pop culture reference. He had a serious side to him, but quite often his more playful traits would counter the serious unless in great danger. At times he could also show various other traits, such as ruthlessness and emotion.
The Eleventh Doctor (Actor Matt Smith) was the most youthful looking incarnation of the Doctor. Far more outwardly alien than his predecessor, he was quite smug about his abilities and exhibited a renewed youthful enthusiasm for adventure. He possessed keen observational skills, as well as a penchant for making deductions in the manner of Sherlock Holmes, a skill he encouraged in his companions.
