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<div style="border:1px solid; background-color:#ffdead;"> <div style="background-color:#000000; font color:#ffffff; margin-right:40px; margin-left:40px; line-height:1.5;"> <font color="#ffffff"> <big> For anyone wondering when I'll turn this page into something deserving the title "Wikipedia User Page", the answer is when I get the time. </big> </font> </div>
{{featured article}}
{{infobox television |
| show_name =Doctor Who
| image = [[Image:Doctor Who logo TRB.jpg|300px]]<!-- FAIR USE of Dw2005logo.png: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Doctor_Who_logo_TRB.jpg for rationale -->
| caption = Current ''Doctor Who'' series logo
| format = [[Science Fiction]]<br>[[Drama]]
| picture_format = [[405-line]] black & white (1963–1967)<br>[[576i|625-line]] black & white (1968–1969)<br>[[PAL]] 625-line colour (1970–1989)<br>720x576 [[16:9]] (2005–present)
| runtime = 25 min. (1963–1984, 1986–1989)<br>45 min. (1985, 2005–present)<br>various other lengths
| country = {{UK}}
| network = [[BBC One]]
| first_aired = '''Original Series:'''<br />[[November 23]], [[1963]]
| last_aired = [[December 6]], [[1989]]<br />'''Television Movie:'''<br />[[May 12]], [[1996]]<br />'''Current Series:'''<br />[[March 26]], [[2005]] – present
| creator = [[Sydney Newman]]<br>[[C. E. Webber]]<br>[[Donald Wilson (writer and producer)|Donald Wilson]]
| starring = '''[[List of actors who have played the Doctor|Various Doctors]]'''<br>[[David Tennant]] <br />'''[[:Category:Doctor Who companions|Various companions]]'''<br>[[Freema Agyeman]]
| num_episodes = 724 (as of [[25 December]], [[2006]])
| list_episodes = List of Doctor Who serials
| opentheme= [[Doctor Who theme music]]
| endtheme= [[Doctor Who theme music]]
| imdb_id= 0056751
| tv_com_id = 355
|}}
{{portalpar|Doctor Who}}
'''''Doctor Who''''' is a long-running [[United Kingdom|British]] [[science fiction on television|science fiction television]] programme (and [[Doctor Who (1996)|1996 television movie]]) produced by the [[BBC]] about the adventures of a mysterious [[time travel|time-traveller]] known as "[[Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor]]", who explores time and space with his companions, solving problems and righting wrongs.
<div style="background-color:#ffa500; margin-right:60px; margin-left:60px; margin-top:20px;"> <font color="blue"> <center> <big> [[Special:Contributions/E%3DMC%5E2|My Contributions]] – [[User talk:E=MC^2|My talk]] – [[Special:Emailuser/E%3DMC%5E2|E-mail me]] – [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:E%3DMC%5E2&action=edit§ion=new Leave me a message] – [http://kohl.wikimedia.org/~kate/cgi-bin/count_edits.cgi?user=E%3DMC%5E2&dbname=enwiki My total number of edits]
The programme is listed in the [[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]] as the longest-running science fiction television series in the world<ref>{{cite news
Current Projects I am involved with:
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5390372.stm
| title=Dr Who 'longest-running sci-fi'
| publisher=[[BBC News]]
| date=[[2006-09-28]]
| accessdate=2006-09-30
}}</ref><!-- NOTE: Changed based on Guinness Book of Records - see talk page--> and is also a significant part of British [[popular culture]].<ref>{{cite journal
| date= [[2006-09-14]]
| title = The end of Olde Englande: A lament for Blighty
| journal = [[The Economist]]
| volume =
| issue =
| pages =
| url = http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7912946
| accessdate = 2006-09-18
| }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| title=ICONS. A Portrait of England
| url=http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/doctor-who
| accessdate=2007-11-10
| }}</ref> 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 Britain and elsewhere, the show has become a [[cult television]] favourite on a par with ''[[Star Trek]]'' and has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series. It has received [[#Awards|recognition]] from critics and the public as one of the finest British television programmes, including a [[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA Award]] for Best Drama Series in 2006.
<font color="blue"> <center> <big> [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Judaism|WikiProject Judaism]] – [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Stub Sorting|WikiProject Stub Sorting]]
The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. A [[Doctor Who (1996)|television movie]] was made in 1996, and the programme was successfully [[History of Doctor Who#The 2000s|relaunched]] in 2005, produced in-house by [[BBC Wales]]. Some development money for the new series is contributed by the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC), which is credited as a co-producer, although they do not have creative input into the show.
</big> </center> </font> </big> </center> </font> </div>
The relaunch of the programme has seen Christmas Day special episodes broadcast between series, the most recent being ''[[The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who)|The Runaway Bride]]''. [[List of Doctor Who serials#Series 3 (2007)|Series three]] of the programme, starring [[David Tennant]] as the Doctor and [[Freema Agyeman]] as his [[:Category:Doctor Who companions|companion]] [[Martha Jones]], will follow in spring 2007 on [[BBC One]]. The series has also spawned three spin-off series - [[Torchwood]],[[Sarah Jane Adventures]] and [[K9 Adventures]] and one unsold pilot [[K9 and Company]].
<div style="margin-right:5px;"> {{wstress3d|1|235|<big> <center> My current stress level </center> </big>}} </div>
==History==
[[Image:Dwdiamn.gif|180px|thumb|right|A multicoloured variant of the familiar ''Doctor Who'' "diamond" logo which was used in the show's titles from Seasons 11 to 17. This version was widely used on merchandise for years afterward.]]<!-- FAIR USE of Dwdiamn.gif: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Dwdiamn.gif for rationale -->
<Hello. I am user [[wikibooks:User:E=MC^2|E=MC^2]] on [[wikibooks:Main Page|Wikibooks]] , and [[m:User:E=MC^2|E=MC^2]] on [[m:Main Page|meta]]. <s> I have decided to quit before I get into any major conflicts and end my involvement with Wikipedia. </s> I can't bring myself to leave forever, I'm too addicted!
{{main|History of Doctor Who}}
''Doctor Who'' first appeared on BBC television at 5:15 p.m. ([[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]) on [[23 November]] [[1963]]. The programme was born out of discussions and plans that had been going on for a year. The [[BBC television drama|Head of Drama]], [[Sydney Newman]] was mainly responsible for developing it, with contributions by the Head of the Script Department (later Head of Serials), [[Donald Wilson (writer and producer)|Donald Wilson]], staff writer [[C. E. Webber|C. E. 'Bunny' Webber]], writer [[Anthony Coburn]], [[script editor|story editor]] [[David Whitaker]] and initial [[Television producer|producer]], [[Verity Lambert]]. The series' distinctive, haunting title theme was composed by [[Ron Grainer]] and realised by [[Delia Derbyshire]] of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
==Wiki-Philosophies==
The BBC drama department's Serials division produced the programme for twenty-six series, broadcast on [[BBC One]]. Viewing numbers that had fallen (though comparably increased at some points), a decline in the public perception of the show and a less prominent transmission slot saw production suspended in 1989 by [[Jonathan Powell]], Controller of BBC One. Although it was for all intents and purposes cancelled (series co-star [[Sophie Aldred]] said in the documentary ''Doctor Who: More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS'' that she was told it was cancelled), the BBC maintained the series was merely "on hiatus" and insisted the show would return.
*I am an [[inclusionist]]. Every book by an important author and all books considered important deserve their own [[Wikipedia]] article. Would you like it if someone grouped you up with others, not giving you individual attention or ignored you like [[m:mergist|mergists]] or [[m:deletionists|deletionists]] want to do?
*I believe that [[WP:RFA|admin status]] is fine just the way it is. We do not need stricter or more lenient criteria at this time. (However, with more and more users becoming long term contributors, we may need more stringent rules.)
==Existence is…==
While in-house production had ceased, the BBC was hopeful of finding an independent production company to re-launch the show. [[Philip Segal]], a British [[expatriate]] who worked for [[Columbia Pictures]]' television arm in the [[United States]], approached the BBC about such a venture. Segal's negotiations eventually led to a [[television movie]]. [[Doctor Who (1996)|The ''Doctor Who'' television movie]] was broadcast on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox Network]] in 1996 as a co-production between Fox, [[Universal Studios|Universal Pictures]], the [[BBC]], and [[BBC Worldwide]]. Although the film was successful in the UK (with 9.1 million viewers), it was less so in the [[United States]] and did not lead to a series.
*[[The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything]]:
*"6 by 9."
*"42."
*"That's it. That's all there is."
==Things to do==
[[Doctor Who spin-offs|Licensed]] media such as novels and audio plays provided new stories, but as a television programme ''Doctor Who'' remained dormant until 2003. In September of that year, BBC Television announced the in-house production of a new series after several years of unsuccessful attempts by BBC Worldwide to find backing for a feature film version. The new incarnation of the series is executively-produced by writer [[Russell T. Davies]] and [[BBC Wales]] Head of Drama / [[BBC Television]] Controller of Drama Commissioning [[Julie Gardner]].
*Expand:
**[[Exodus (novel)|Exodus]]
The new series debuted with the episode ''[[Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose]]'' on BBC One on [[26 March]] [[2005]] and the show has since been sold to many other countries (see [[#Viewership|Viewership]]). Due to an initial lack of interest by [[United States]] networks, it only debuted on the [[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci Fi Channel]] on [[17 March]] [[2006]], one year after the Canadian and UK showings. The BBC subsequently commissioned two more series and Christmas specials. [[List of Doctor Who serials#Series 2 (2006)|Series 2]] has finished its run in the UK and was followed by ''The Runaway Bride'' in December. [[List of Doctor Who serials#Series 2 (2006)|Series 2]] began airing in the US on the [[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci-Fi Channel]] on [[29 September]] [[2006]], followed by the CBC on [[9 October]].
*Create:
**[[My name is Asher Lev]]
==Format==
**[[In the Beginning (book)|In the Beginning]]
''Doctor Who'' originally ran for [[List of Doctor Who serials|26 seasons]] on BBC1, from [[November 23]], [[1963]] until [[December 6]], [[1989]]. During the original run, each weekly episode formed part of a story (or "[[Serial#Film|serial]]") — usually of four to six parts in earlier years and three to four in later years. Three notable exceptions were the epic ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan]]'' (1965–66), which aired in 12 episodes (plus an earlier one-episode teaser, ''[[Mission to the Unknown]]'', featuring none of the regular cast); the 10-episode serial ''[[The War Games]]'' (1969) and ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' which ran for 14 episodes (containing four stories often referred to by individual titles, and connected by framing sequences) during [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 23 (1986)|Season 23]] (1986). Occasionally serials were loosely connected by a storyline, such as [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 16 (1978–79)|Season 16's]] quest for [[the Key to Time]].
**[[The Promise]]
{{DualLicenseWithCC-BySA-Dual}}
The programme was intended to be educational and for family viewing on the early Saturday evening schedule. Initially, it alternated stories set in the past, which would teach younger audience members about history, with stories set either in the future or in outer space to teach them about science. This was also reflected in the Doctor's original companions, one of whom was a science teacher and another a history teacher.
{{MultiLicenseMinorPD}}
However, science fiction stories came to dominate the programme and the "historicals", which were not popular with the production team, were dropped after ''[[The Highlanders (Doctor Who)|The Highlanders]]'' (1967). While the show continued to use historical settings, they were generally used as a backdrop for science fiction tales, with one exception: ''[[Black Orchid (Doctor Who)|Black Orchid]]'' (1982) set in 1920s Britain.
The early stories were more serial-like in nature, with the narrative of one story flowing into the next, and each episode having its own title, although produced as distinct stories with their own production codes. Following ''[[The Gunfighters]]'' (1966), however, each serial was given its own title, with the individual parts simply being assigned episode numbers. What to name these earlier stories is often [[Doctor Who story title controversy|a subject of fan debate]].
Writers during the original run included [[Terry Nation]], [[Henry Lincoln]], [[Douglas Adams]], [[Robert Holmes (scriptwriter)|Robert Holmes]], [[Terrance Dicks]], [[Dennis Spooner]], [[Eric Saward]], [[Malcolm Hulke]], [[Christopher H. Bidmead]], [[Stephen Gallagher]], [[Brian Hayles]], [[Chris Boucher]], [[Marc Platt]] and [[Ben Aaronovitch]].
The serial format changed for the 2005 revival, with each series consisting of thirteen 45-minute, self-contained episodes (60 minutes with adverts on commercial channels overseas). This includes three two-parters and a loose story arc per season whose elements are brought together in the season finale. Like the original serial format, two-part episodes have separate titles.
Over 700 ''Doctor Who'' instalments have been televised since 1963, ranging from 25-minute episodes (the most common format), to 45-minute episodes (for a single season in 1985 and the revival), to two feature-length productions (1983's ''[[The Five Doctors]]'' and the [[Doctor Who (1996)|1996 television movie]]), to the two 60-minute Christmas specials produced for the revival. ''Doctor Who'', having already completed 724 episodes, will surpass the number of individual instalments of the ''[[Star Trek]]'' franchise (726 episodes over five programmes) during the 2007 series.
The current series is filmed in 576i25 [[Betacam#Digital Beta|DigiBeta]] widescreen format and then [[filmizing|filmised]] to give a 25p image in post-production using a Snell and Wilcox Alchemist Platinum.
==Public consciousness==
The programme rapidly became a national institution, the subject of countless jokes, newspaper mentions and other popular culture references. Many renowned actors asked for or were offered and accepted [[Celebrity appearances in Doctor Who|guest starring roles]] in various stories.
However, with popularity came controversy over the show's suitability for children. The moral campaigner [[Mary Whitehouse]] made a series of complaints to the BBC in the 1970s over its sometimes frightening or gory content. Ironically, her actions made the programme even more popular, especially with children. [[John Nathan-Turner]], who produced the series during the 1980s, was heard to say that he looked forward to Whitehouse's comments, as the show's ratings would increase soon after she had made them. During the 1970s, the ''[[Radio Times]]'', the BBC's listings magazine, announced that a child's mother said the theme music terrified her son. The ''Radio Times'' was apologetic, but the theme music remained.
There were more complaints about the programme's content than its music. During [[Jon Pertwee]]'s [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 8 (1971)|second season]] as the Doctor, in the serial ''[[Terror of the Autons]]'' (1971), images of murderous plastic dolls, daffodils killing unsuspecting victims and blank-featured android policemen marked the apex of the show's ability to frighten children. Other notable moments in that decade included the Doctor apparently being drowned by Chancellor Goth in ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'' (1976), and the allegedly negative portrayal of Chinese people in ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'' (1977).
It has been said that watching ''Doctor Who'' from a position of safety "[[behind the sofa]]" (as the ''Doctor Who'' exhibition at the [[Museum of the Moving Image]] in London was titled) and peering cautiously out to see if the frightening part was over is one of the great shared experiences of British childhood. The phrase has become a common phrase in association with the programme and occasionally elsewhere.
A BBC audience research survey conducted in 1972 found that by their own definition of "any act(s) which may cause physical and / or psychological injury, hurt or death to persons, animals or property, whether intentional or accidental," ''Doctor Who'' was the most violent of all the drama programmes the corporation then produced.<ref name="times-violence">{{cite news|title=Violence is not really Dr Who's cup of tea|publisher=[[The Times]]|first=Philip|last=Howard|date=[[1972-01-29]]|accessdate=2007-01-17|pages=2}}</ref> The same report found that 3% of the surveyed audience regarded the show as "very unsuitable" for family viewing.<ref name="times-audience">{{cite news|title=The Times Diary - Points of view|publisher=[[The Times]]|date=[[1972-01-27]]|accessdate=2007-01-17|pages=16}}</ref> However, responding to the findings of the survey in ''[[The Times]]'' newspaper, journalist [[Philip Howard]] maintained that: "to compare the violence of ''Dr Who'', sired by a horse-laugh out of a nightmare, with the more realistic violence of other television series, where actors who look like human beings bleed paint that looks like blood, is like comparing [[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]] with the property market in London: both are fantasies, but one is meant to be taken seriously."<ref name="times-violence"/>
The image of the [[TARDIS]] has become firmly linked to the show in the public's conciousness. In 1996, the BBC applied for a [[trademark]] to use the TARDIS' blue [[police box]] design in merchandising associated with ''Doctor Who''. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm/t-find/t-find-number?detailsrequested=C&trademark=2104259 |title=Case details for Trade Mark 2104259 |accessdate=2007-01-17 |publisher=[[United Kingdom Patent Office|UK Patent Office]] }}</ref> In 1998, the Metropolitan Police filed an objection to the trademark claim; in 2002 the [[United Kingdom Patent Office|Patent Office]] ruled in favor of the BBC,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm/t-decisionmaking/t-challenge/t-challenge-decision-results/t-challenge-decision-results-bl?BL_Number=O/336/02 |title=Trade mark decision |accessdate=2007-01-17 |work=[[United Kingdom Patent Office|UK Patent Office]] website }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patent.gov.uk/tm//legal/decisions/2002/o33602.pdf |title=IN THE MATTER OF Application No. 2104259 by The British Broadcasting Corporation to register a series of three marks in Classes 9, 16, 25 and 41 AND IN THE MATTER OF Opposition thereto under No. 48452 by The Metropolitan Police Authority |accessdate=2007-01-17 |last=Knight |first=Mike |format=[[PDF]] |publisher=[[United Kingdom Patent Office|UK Patent Office]]}}</ref> indicating that the police box image was more associated with ''Doctor Who'' than with the police.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2352743.stm |title=BBC wins police Tardis case |accessdate=2007-01-17 |date=[[2002-10-23]] |work=[[BBC News]] }}</ref>
==The Doctor==
{{main|Doctor (Doctor Who)}}
[[Image:10dr19.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The ten faces of the Doctor. <small>Clockwise from top-left: [[William Hartnell]], [[Patrick Troughton]], [[Jon Pertwee]], [[Tom Baker]], [[Peter Davison]], [[Colin Baker]], [[Sylvester McCoy]], [[Paul McGann]], [[Christopher Eccleston]] and [[David Tennant]]</small>]]<!-- FAIR USE of 10dr19.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10dr19.jpg for rationale -->
The character of the Doctor was initially shrouded in mystery. All that was known about him in the programme's early days was that he was an eccentric alien traveller of great intelligence who battled injustice while exploring time and space in an unreliable old time machine called the [[TARDIS]]. The TARDIS is much larger on the inside than on the outside and, due to a chronic malfunction, stuck in the shape of a 1950s-style British [[police box]].
However, not only did the initially irascible and slightly sinister Doctor quickly mellow into a more compassionate figure, it was eventually revealed that he had been "on the run" from his own people, the [[Time Lord]]s of the planet [[Gallifrey]].
Like all Time Lords, the Doctor has the ability to "[[Doctor (Doctor Who)#Regeneration|regenerate]]" his body when near death, allowing for the convenient recasting of the lead actor. A Time Lord can regenerate twelve times, with a total of thirteen Doctors. The Doctor has gone through this process and its resulting after-effects on nine occasions, with each of his incarnations having his own quirks and abilities:
#[[First Doctor]], played by [[William Hartnell]] (1963–1966)
#[[Second Doctor]], played by [[Patrick Troughton]] (1966–1969)
#[[Third Doctor]], played by [[Jon Pertwee]] (1970–1974)
#[[Fourth Doctor]], played by [[Tom Baker]] (1974–1981)
#[[Fifth Doctor]], played by [[Peter Davison]] (1981–1984)
#[[Sixth Doctor]], played by [[Colin Baker]] (1984–1986)
#[[Seventh Doctor]], played by [[Sylvester McCoy]] (1987–1989, 1996)
#[[Eighth Doctor]], played by [[Paul McGann]] (1996)
#[[Ninth Doctor]], played by [[Christopher Eccleston]] (2005)
#[[Tenth Doctor]], played by [[David Tennant]] (2005–present)
Other actors have also played the Doctor, though rarely more than once (see the [[list of actors who have played the Doctor]] for details).
Despite these shifts in personality, the Doctor has always remained an intensely curious and highly moral adventurer, who would rather solve problems with his wits than through violence.
Throughout the programme's long history certain controversial revelations about the Doctor have been made. For example, in ''[[The Brain of Morbius]]'' (1976), it was hinted that the [[First Doctor]] may not have been the Doctor's first incarnation (although the other faces depicted may have been incarnations of the Time Lord Morbius); throughout the [[Seventh Doctor]]'s era it was hinted that the Doctor was more than just an ordinary Time Lord, and in the 1996 television movie it was revealed that the Doctor is actually half-human on his mother's side. The very first episode, ''[[An Unearthly Child]]'' revealed that the [[First Doctor|Doctor]] has a granddaughter, [[Susan Foreman]], and in ''[[Fear Her]]'' (2006), it was revealed that he was once a father. The 2005 series revealed that the [[Ninth Doctor]] had become the last known surviving Time Lord, and his planet had been destroyed.
==Companions==
[[Image:Marthajones.jpg|180px|thumb|[[Freema Agyeman]] appears as the Doctor's newest companion, [[Martha Jones]].]]<!-- FAIR USE of Marthajones.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marthajones.jpg for rationale -->
The Doctor almost always shares his adventures with up to three [[:Category:Doctor Who companions|companions]] (the only exception in the original series being ''The Deadly Assassin'', in which he travels alone). The idea of the companion is to provide a [[audience surrogate|surrogate]] with whom the audience can identify and to further the story by asking questions and getting into trouble. The Doctor regularly gains new companions and loses old ones; sometimes they return home or find new causes — or loves — on worlds they have visited. Some have even died during the course of the series.
There are some disputes as to the definition of a companion, but fans mostly agree that at least thirty (including [[K-9 (Doctor Who)|K-9]] Marks I and II) meet the criteria for "companion" status in the television series, with [[list of Doctor Who spin-off companions|others being established in the various spin-offs]]. For further details, see the notes in [[List of Doctor Who supporting characters]].
"Companion" is more generally used as a technical term in fandom; the press normally refers to them either as companions or assistants. The series does not apply the term consistently to those travelling with the Doctor, with him just as often introducing them simply as his friends. In the 2005 series, the [[Ninth Doctor]] states he "employed [[Rose Tyler|Rose]] [Tyler] as his companion" and then was promptly asked if it was sexual.
Despite the fact that the majority of the Doctor's companions are young, attractive females, the production team for the 1963–1989 series maintained a longstanding taboo against any overt romantic involvement in the TARDIS: for example, [[Peter Davison]], as the [[Fifth Doctor]], was not allowed to put his arm around either [[Sarah Sutton]] ([[Nyssa of Traken|Nyssa]]) or [[Janet Fielding]] ([[Tegan Jovanka|Tegan]]), although he did put his arm around [[Peri Brown|Peri]] in his last serial, ''[[The Caves of Androzani]]''. However, that has not prevented fans from speculating about possible romantic involvements, most notably between the [[Fourth Doctor]] and the Time Lady [[Romana]] (whose actors, [[Tom Baker]] and [[Lalla Ward]], shared a romance and brief marriage). The taboo was controversially broken in the 1996 television movie when the [[Eighth Doctor]] was shown kissing companion [[Grace Holloway]]. The 2005 series played with this idea by having various characters think that the Ninth Doctor and Rose (played by [[Billie Piper]]) were a couple, which they vehemently denied (see also [[Doctor (Doctor Who)#The Doctor and romance|"The Doctor and romance"]]).
Previous companions have reappeared in the series, usually for anniversary specials. One former companion, [[Sarah Jane Smith]] (played by [[Elisabeth Sladen]]), together with the robotic dog [[K-9 (Doctor Who)|K-9]], appeared in [[School Reunion (Doctor Who)|an episode]] of the 2006 series more than twenty years after their last appearances in the 20th Anniversary story ''[[The Five Doctors]]'' (1983).
[[Freema Agyeman]] will play [[Martha Jones]], the Doctor's next companion after Donna.<ref>{{cite press release | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/07_july/05/agyeman2.shtml | title = Freema Agyeman confirmed as new companion to Doctor Who | publisher = BBC |date= [[2006-07-05]]|accessdate = 2006-07-05}}</ref> Apart from her name, the casting of family members and the information that she will be a medical student, no details are currently available about her character. She did not appear in [[The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who)|the 2006 Christmas special]].
==Adversaries==
:''See also: [[List of Doctor Who monsters and aliens]], [[List of Doctor Who villains]]''
[[Image:Daleknew.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[Dalek]]s are perhaps the best-known adversaries faced by the Doctor.]]<!-- FAIR USE of Daleknew.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Daleknew.jpg for rationale -->
When Sydney Newman commissioned the series, he specifically did not want to perpetuate the cliché of the "bug-eyed monster" of science fiction. However, [[list of Doctor Who monsters and aliens|monsters]] were a staple of ''Doctor Who'' almost from the beginning and were popular with audiences.
Notable adversaries of the Doctor include the [[Auton]]s, the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]], the [[Sontaran]]s, the [[Sea Devil]]s, the [[Ice Warrior]]s, the [[Yeti (Doctor Who)|Yeti]], the [[Silurian (Doctor Who)|Silurians]], the [[Slitheen]] and [[Master (Doctor Who)|the Master]], a rival Time Lord with a thirst for universal conquest. Of all the monsters and villains, the ones that most secured the series' place in the public's imagination were the [[Dalek]]s. The Daleks are lethal mutants in tank-like mechanical armour from the planet [[Skaro]]. Their chief role in the great scheme of things, as they frequently remark in their instantly recognisable metallic voices, is to "Exterminate!", even destroying the [[Time Lords]] in the often described but never shown [[Time War (Doctor Who)|Time War]]. [[Davros]], the Daleks' creator, also became a recurring villain after he was introduced.
The Daleks were created by writer [[Terry Nation]] (who intended them as an [[allegory]] of the [[Nazism|Nazis]]) and BBC designer [[Raymond Cusick]]. The Daleks' debut in the programme's second serial, ''[[The Daleks]]'' (1963–64), caused a tremendous reaction in the viewing figures and the public, putting ''Doctor Who'' on the cultural map. A Dalek even appeared on a postage stamp celebrating British popular culture in 1999, photographed by [[Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon|Lord Snowdon]].
==Music==
{{main|Doctor Who theme music}}
{{sample box start variation 2|Audio sample composed by Ron Grainer:}}
{{Listen|filename=Doctor Who theme excerpt.ogg|title=Doctor Who theme excerpt|description=An excerpt from the theme music to ''Doctor Who''}}
{{sample box end}}
The original 1963 arrangement of the ''Doctor Who'' theme, as composed by Ron Grainer and realised by [[Delia Derbyshire]] at the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]], is widely regarded as a significant and innovative piece of electronic music, working from tape loops of an individually struck piano string and individual test [[oscillator]]s and filters. The Derbyshire arrangement served, with minor edits, as the theme tune up to the end of [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 17 (1979-80)|Season 17]] (1979–80).
A more modern and dynamic arrangement was composed by [[Peter Howell]] for [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 18 (1980-81)|Season 18]] (1980), which was in turn replaced by [[Dominic Glynn]]'s arrangement for Season 23's ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' (1986). [[Keff McCulloch]] provided the new arrangement for the [[Seventh Doctor]]'s era which lasted from [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 24 (1987)|Season 24]] (1987) until the series' suspension in 1989. For the new series in 2005, [[Murray Gold]] provided a new arrangement which featured samples from the 1963 original with further elements added.
In the early 1970s, [[Jon Pertwee]], who had played the [[Third Doctor]], recorded a version of the ''Doctor Who Theme'' with spoken lyrics, titled, "Who Is The Doctor". In 1988 the band [[The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu]] (later known as [[The KLF]]) released the single "[[Doctorin' the Tardis]]" under the name [[The Timelords]], which reached No. 1 in the UK. Others who have covered or reinterpreted the theme include [[Orbital (band)|Orbital]], the Australian string ensemble [[Fourplay Electric String Quartet|Fourplay]], [[The Pogues]], [[Pink Floyd]] and the comedians [[Bill Bailey]] and [[Mitch Benn]], and satirised on ''[[The Chaser's War on Everything]]''. The theme tune has also appeared on many compilation CDs and has made its way into [[mobile phone]] ring tones. Fans have also produced and distributed their own remixes of the theme.
A [[Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack|soundtrack CD of Gold's music]] for the new series was released on [[4 December]] [[2006]] by Silva Screen Records.<ref>{{cite web
| year = [[2006]]-[[07-17]]
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/07/17/33953.shtml
| title = Who soundtrack soon
| publisher = [[bbc.co.uk]]
| accessdate = 2006-08-04
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|year =[[2006]]-[[11-01]]
| url = http://www.silvascreen.co.uk/news.htm
| title = Silva Screen announces Doctor Who CD release date
| published = [[silvascreen.co.uk]]
| accessdate = 2006-12-04
}}</ref>.
==Viewership==
[[Image:3doctardis.jpg|right|thumb|180px|The image of the [[TARDIS]] is iconic in British popular culture.]]<!-- FAIR USE of 3doctardis.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:3doctardis.jpg for rationale -->
''Doctor Who'' has always appeared on the BBC's mainstream [[BBC One]] channel, drawing audiences of many millions of viewers. It was most popular in the late 1970s, with audiences frequently as high as 12 million. During the [[ITV]] network strike of 1979, viewership peaked at 16 million. No first-run episode of ''Doctor Who'' has ever drawn fewer than three million viewers on BBC One, although its late 1980s performance of three to five million viewers was seen as poor at the time, and was according to the BBC Board of Control, a leading cause of the programme's 1989 suspension. Some fans considered this disingenuous, since the programme was scheduled against the [[soap opera]] ''[[Coronation Street]]'', the most popular show at the time. The BBC One broadcast of ''[[Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose]]'', the first episode of the 2005 revival, drew an average audience of 10.81 million, third highest for BBC One that week and seventh across all channels. The 2005 series had an average audience of 7.95 million viewers, and the 2006 series achieved an average audience of about 7.71 million in the context of declining year-to-year viewership for all television channels. The episode ''[[Rise of the Cybermen]]'' managed sixth place in the charts across the week with 9.22 million viewers.<ref>{{cite journal
| last = Spilsbury
| first = Tom
|date= [[2006-09-13]] cover date
| title = Public Image
| journal = [[Doctor Who Magazine]]
| issue = 373
| pages = 8
}}</ref> The all-time highest chart placing for an episode of ''Doctor Who'' is fifth, for episode two of ''[[The Ark in Space]]'' in 1975.
The programme also gained a [[Doctor Who in Australia|strong following in Australia]], possibly as a result of the close connection between the BBC and Australia's major public broadcaster, the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]. The latest repeat of the classic series in Australia ran from September 2003 to February 2006, and the revived series has also been shown on [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] and [[UK.TV]].
The series also has a fan base in the [[United States]], where it was shown in syndication from the 1970s to the 1990s, particularly on [[PBS]] stations (see [[Doctor Who in America]]). [[New Zealand]] was the first country outside the UK to screen ''Doctor Who'' beginning in September 1964, and continued to screen the series for many years, including the new series from 2005. In [[Canada]], the series debuted in January 1965, but the CBC only aired the first twenty-six episodes. [[TVOntario]] picked up the show in the 1976 beginning with ''[[Inferno (Doctor Who)|Inferno]]'' and aired it through to Season 24 in 1991. TVO's schedule ran several years behind the BBC's throughout this period. In the 1970s TVO airings were bookended by a host who would introduce the episode and then, after the episode concluded, try to place it in an educational context in keeping with TVO's status as an educational channel. The airing of ''[[The Talons of Weng Chiang]]'' resulted in controversy for TVOntario as a result of accusations that the story was [[racism|racist]]. Consequently the story was not rebroadcast. CBC began showing the series again in 2005.
Only four episodes have ever had their premiere showings on channels other than BBC One. The 1983 twentieth anniversary special ''[[The Five Doctors]]'' had its debut on [[November 23]] (the actual date of the anniversary) on the [[Chicago]] [[PBS]] station [[WTTW-TV|WTTW]] in the United States and various other PBS members two days prior to its BBC One broadcast. The 1988 story ''[[Silver Nemesis]]'' was broadcast with all three episodes edited together in compilation form on [[TVNZ]] in New Zealand in November, after the first episode had been shown in the UK but before the final two instalments had aired there. Finally, the 1996 television movie premiered on [[May 12]] on [[CITV-TV|CITV]] in [[Edmonton, Alberta|Edmonton]], Canada, fifteen days before the BBC One showing, and two days before it aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in the USA.
A wide selection of serials is available from BBC Video on [[VHS]] and [[DVD]], on sale in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. Every fully extant serial has been released on VHS, and BBC Worldwide continues to regularly release serials on DVD. The 2005 series is also available in its entirety on [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]] for the [[Playstation Portable]]
As of October 2006, the new series has been, or is currently, broadcast weekly in [[Australia]] ([[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]), [[Belgium]] ([[Één TV Station|één]]), [[Brazil]] ([[People+Arts]]), [[Canada]] (in English on CBC and in French on [[Ztélé]]), [[Denmark]] ([[Danmarks Radio]]), [[Finland]] ([[Yleisradio|TV2]]), [[France]] ([[France 4]]), [[Hong Kong]] ([[Asia Television Limited|ATV World]]), [[Hungary]] ([[RTL Klub]]-owned COOL TV), [[Israel]] ([[Yes Weekend]]), [[Italy]] ([[Jimmy (Italian television channel)|Jimmy]]), [[Japan]] ([[BS-2]], a channel of [[NHK]]), [[Malaysia]] ([[Astro (satellite TV)|Astro Network]]), the [[Netherlands]] ([[Nederland 3|NED 3]]), [[New Zealand]] ([[Prime Television New Zealand|Prime TV]]), [[Norway]] ([[Norsk Rikskringkasting|NRK]]), [[Poland]] ([[TVP 1]]), [[Portugal]] ([[People+Arts]]), [[Russia]] ([[STS TV]]), [[Spain]] and [[Latin America]] ([[People+Arts]]), [[South Korea]] ([[Korean Broadcasting System|KBS]]), the [[United States]] ([[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci Fi Channel]] and [[BBC America]]), [[Greece]] ([[Skai TV]]), [[Style UK]] (part of [[Showtime Arabia]]) for the [[Middle East]], [[North Africa]], and the [[Levant]] territories. The series has also been sold to, but not yet shown in, [[Germany]] ([[Pro 7]]), [[Sweden]] ([[Sveriges Television|SVT]]) and [[Romania]] ([[Televiziunea Română|TVR]]). A special logo has been designed for the Japanese broadcast with the [[katakana]] "ドクター・フー".<ref>{{cite web
|title=Turning Japanese
|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/06/30/33368.shtml
|date=[[30 June]] [[2006]]}}</ref>.
The 2005 series episodes aired in Canada a couple of weeks after their UK broadcast, a situation made possible by the [[2004-05 NHL lockout|cancellation of the 2004-2005 National Hockey League season]] which left vast gaps in CBC's schedule. For the Canadian broadcasts, Christopher Eccleston recorded special video introductions for each episode (including a trivia question as part of a viewer contest) and excerpts from the ''Doctor Who Confidential'' documentary were played over the closing credits; for the broadcast of ''The Christmas Invasion'' on [[December 26]] [[2005]], [[Billie Piper]] recorded a special video introduction. [[CBC Television]] began airing the 2006 series on [[October 9]] [[2006]] at 8:00 p.m. local (8:30 NT), shortly after that day's [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL) [[Thanksgiving (Canada)|Thanksgiving]] doubleheader in much of the country. The first series is currently being rebroadcast late Tuesday nights/early Wednesday mornings at midnight. Old episodes of ''Doctor Who'' are shown nightly on the Canadian station [[BBC Kids]].
Series 2 is currently being broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States, starting with ''The Christmas Invasion'' on [[29 September]] [[2006]]. Series 1 is also being repeated in the US, this time on [[BBC America]]. The re-run began on [[November 21]], [[2006]].
Series 1 is currently being broadcast on [[BBC Entertainment]] in Asia.
===Fandom===
{{main|Doctor Who fandom}}
{{Unreferencedsect|date=December 2006}}
''Doctor Who'' has amassed a large number of fans from all over the world. For example, ''The Doctor Who Forum'' at the website [[Outpost Gallifrey]] is ranked within the top 300 most active message boards on the Internet<ref>{{cite web
| title=BigBoards.com
| url=http://www.big-boards.com/highlight/1036/
| accessdate=2007-01-01
| }}</ref>. The series is more a mainstream part of [[popular culture]] in its native UK, where it is regarded as a family show and is shown on the main public service broadcasting channel, [[BBC One]].
The term Whovian, (similar to [[Trekkie]] for [[Star Trek]]) is used by the press to refer to ''Doctor Who'' fans, although the term is not often used by fans themselves.
Celebrity fans include comedians [[Jon Culshaw]], [[David Walliams]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.davidwalliams.com/drwho.htm |title=Doctor Who |accessdate=2006-12-20 |work=davidwalliams.com }}</ref>, [[Mitch Benn]], [[Peter Kay]], [[Mark Gatiss]], [[Stewart Lee]] and [[Matt Lucas]], cricketers [[Mike Gatting]] and [[Graham Gooch]], actors [[David Hewlett]] and [[Eric McCormack]]<ref>{{cite news
|first = Neil
|last = Sean
|title = War on Terror: In It to Win It?
|url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,213663,00.html
|format = near bottom of page
|work = [[Fox & Friends]]
|publisher = [[Fox News Channel|Fox News]]
|date= [[2006-09-13]]
|accessdate = 2006-09-13
}}</ref>, singer and actress [[Toyah Willcox]], [[Cedric Bixler-Zavala]] of [[the Mars Volta]], singer [[Meat Loaf]],<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/meat%20loaf%20to%20hit%20the%20tardis_1005162
| title = MEAT LOAF TO HIT THE TARDIS?
| accessdate = 2006-08-16
|date= 2006-08-13
| work = contactmusic.com
}}</ref> Simpsons creator [[Matt Groening]], graphic novelist and fantasy writer [[Neil Gaiman]], horror novelist [[Brian Keene]], and science-fiction writer and critic [[Harlan Ellison]]. [[William Rees-Mogg]], editor of ''[[The Times]]'' newspaper from 1967 until 1981, publicly declared his enjoyment of ''Doctor Who'' on an edition of the BBC's current affairs series ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]'' in 1980.<ref name="moggfan">{{cite news|title=Personal Choice|first=Emlyn|last=Williams|authorlink=Emlyn Williams|publisher=[[The Times]]|date=[[1980-11-22]]|accessdate=2007-01-16|pages=9}}</ref> Prompted by this, the actor and dramatist [[Emlyn Williams]] admitted in the pages of ''The Times'' that he too was a keen follower of the series.<ref name="moggfan"/>
==List of episodes and serials==
{{main|List of Doctor Who serials}}
==Missing episodes==
{{main|Doctor Who missing episodes}}
[[Image:10thplanet.jpg|thumb|180px|right|The First Doctor (William Hartnell) collapses prior to his regeneration. (From the surviving clip of ''The Tenth Planet'', episode 4.)]]<!-- FAIR USE of 10thplanet.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:10thplanet.jpg for rationale -->
Between about 1967 and 1978, large amounts of older material stored in the BBC's video tape and film libraries were destroyed or [[Wiping (magnetic tape)|wiped]]. This included many old episodes of ''Doctor Who'', mostly stories featuring the first two Doctors — [[William Hartnell]] and [[Patrick Troughton]]. Archives are complete from the programme's move to colour television (starting from [[Jon Pertwee]]'s time as the Doctor), although a few Pertwee episodes have required substantial restoration; a handful have only been recovered in black and white and several only survive as [[NTSC]] copies recovered from North America. In all, [[List of incomplete Doctor Who serials|108]] of 253 episodes produced during the first six years of the programme are not held in the BBC's archives.
Some episodes have been returned to the BBC from the archives of other countries who bought copies for broadcast, or by private individuals who got them by various means. Early colour videotape recordings made off-air by fans have also been retrieved, as well as excerpts filmed off the television screen onto 8 mm [[cine film]] and clips that were shown on other programmes. Audio versions of all of the lost episodes exist from home viewers who made tape recordings of the show.
In addition to these, there are photographs made by photographer [[John Cura]], who was hired by the BBC to document the filming of many of their most popular programmes during the 1950s and 1960s, including ''Doctor Who''. These have been used in fan reconstructions of the serials. These amateur reconstructions have been tolerated by the BBC, provided they are not sold for profit and are distributed as low quality VHS copies.
[[Image:Anim_doczoe.jpg|left|thumb|Screenshot of the<br>animated reconstruction<br>of ''[[The Invasion (Doctor Who)|The Invasion]]'']]<!-- FAIR USE of Anim_doczoe.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Anim_doczoe.jpg for rationale -->
One of the most sought-after lost episodes is Part Four of the last William Hartnell serial, ''[[The Tenth Planet]]'' (1966), which ends with the [[First Doctor]] transforming into the [[Second Doctor|Second]]. The only portion of this in existence, barring a few poor quality silent 8 mm clips, is the few seconds of the regeneration scene, thanks to it having been shown on the children's magazine show ''[[Blue Peter]]''. With the approval of the BBC, efforts are now under way to restore as many of the episodes as possible from the extant material.
Starting in the early 1990s, the BBC began to release audio recordings of missing serials on cassette and compact disc, with linking narration provided by former series actors. "Official" reconstructions have also been released by the BBC on VHS, on [[MP3]] [[CD-ROM]] and as a special feature on a DVD. The BBC, in conjunction with animation studio [[Cosgrove Hall]] has reconstructed the missing Episodes 1 and 4 of ''[[The Invasion (Doctor Who)|The Invasion]]'' (1968) in animated form, using remastered audio tracks and the comprehensive stage notes for the original filming, for the serial's DVD release in November 2006.
In April 2006, the long running BBC children's television magazine ''[[Blue Peter]]'' launched a challenge to find these missing episodes with the promise of a full scale [[Dalek]] model.<ref>{{cite web
| year =April 2006
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/content/articles/2006/04/19/doctor_who_feature.shtml
| title =Blue Peter — Missing Doctor Who tapes
| publisher =[[bbc.co.uk]]
| accessdate =2006-04-24
}}</ref>
{{-}}
==Adaptations and other appearances==
===Spin-offs===
{{main|Doctor Who spin-offs}}
''Doctor Who'' has appeared on stage numerous times. In the early 1970s, [[Trevor Martin]] played the role in ''[[Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday]]'' which also featured former companion actress [[Wendy Padbury]] (Pertwee's Doctor made a cameo appearance via film). In the early 1990s, Jon Pertwee and Colin Baker both played the Doctor at different times during the run of a musical play entitled ''[[Doctor Who - The Ultimate Adventure]]''. For two performances while Pertwee was ill, [[David Banks]] (best known for playing various [[Cyberman|Cybermen]]) played the Doctor. Other original plays have been staged as amateur productions, with other actors playing the Doctor, while [[Terry Nation]] wrote ''[[The Curse of the Daleks]]'', a stage play mounted in the late 1960s, but without the Doctor.
The Doctor has also appeared in two cinema films: ''[[Dr. Who and the Daleks]]'' in 1965 and ''[[Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD]]'' in 1966. Both were essentially retellings of existing stories on the big screen, with a larger budget and numerous alterations to the series concept. In these films, [[Peter Cushing]] played a human scientist named [[Dr. Who (Dalek films)|Dr. Who]], who travelled with his two granddaughters and other companions in a time machine he invented. Due to this and numerous other changes (not to mention the storylines that duplicated televised episodes), the movies are not regarded as part of the ongoing continuity of the series, although the Cushing version of the character would reappear in both comic strip and literary form, the latter attempting to reconcile the film continuity with that of the series.
A pilot episode for a potential spin-off series, ''[[K-9 and Company]]'', was aired in 1981 with [[Elisabeth Sladen]] reprising her role as companion [[Sarah Jane Smith]] and [[John Leeson]] as the voice of [[K-9 (Doctor Who)|K-9]], but was not picked up as a regular series.
''Doctor Who'' books have been published from the mid-sixties through to the present day. The Doctor has also appeared in many audio plays and in webcasts.
Following the success of the 2005 series produced by Russell T. Davies, the BBC commissioned Davies to produce a 13-part spin-off series titled ''[[Torchwood]]'' (an [[anagram]] of "Doctor Who"), set in modern-day Wales and investigating alien activities and crime. The series debuted on [[BBC Three]] on [[22 October]] [[2006]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/whatson/prog_parse.cgi?FILENAME=20061022/20061022_2150_2075_8189_50 Torchwood programme information], BBC Three listings. Retrieved on [[October 15]], [[2006]].</ref> [[John Barrowman]] reprises his role of [[Jack Harkness]] from the 2005 series of ''Doctor Who''. It was shot in Summer and Autumn 2006.<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4349120.stm
| title=Doctor Who spin-off made in Wales
| publisher=[[BBC News]]
|date=[[2005-10-17]]
| accessdate=2006-04-24
}}</ref> [[Eve Myles]], who was in the 2005 ''Doctor Who'' episode ''[[The Unquiet Dead]]'', also stars.<ref>{{cite web
| year =[[2006-02-24]]
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/02/24/29846.shtml
| title =Team Torchwood
| publisher =[[bbc.co.uk]]
| accessdate =2006-04-24
}}</ref>
A new K-9 children's series, ''[[K-9 Adventures]]'', is being produced, but not by the BBC.<ref>{{cite web
| year =[[2006-04-26]]
| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4939144.stm
| title =Doctor Who dog K9 gets spin-off
| publisher =[[BBC News]]
| accessdate =2006-07-26
}}</ref>
''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'', starring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, has been developed by [[CBBC]]; a special aired on New Year's Day 2007, and a full series to follow later in the year.<ref>{{cite press release
| title =Russell T Davies creates new series for CBBC, starring Doctor Who's Sarah Jane Smith
| publisher =[[BBC]]
|date=[[2006-09-14]]
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/09_september/14/sarah.shtml
| accessdate =2006-09-14 }}</ref>
===Charity episodes===
[[Image:Curseoffataldeath.jpg|thumb|180px|right|[[Rowan Atkinson]] as the Doctor and [[Julia Sawalha]] as Emma in the [[parody]] ''[[Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death|The Curse of Fatal Death]]'']]<!-- FAIR USE of Curseoffataldeath.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Curseoffataldeath.jpg for rationale -->
In 1993, coinciding with the series' 30th anniversary, a charity special entitled ''[[Dimensions in Time]]'' was produced in aid of Children in Need, featuring all of the surviving actors who played the Doctor and a number of previous companions. Not taken seriously by many, the story had the [[Rani (Doctor Who)|Rani]] opening a hole in time, cycling the Doctor and his companions through his previous incarnations and menacing them with monsters from the show's past. It also featured a crossover with the soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]'', the action taking place in the latter's [[Albert Square]] ___location and around [[Greenwich]], including the ''[[Cutty Sark]]''. The special was one of several special 3D programmes the BBC produced at the time, using a 3D system that made use of the [[Pulfrich effect]] requiring glasses with one darkened lens; the picture would look perfectly normal to those viewers who watched without the glasses.
In 1999, another special, ''[[Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death]]'', was made for [[Red Nose Day]] and later released on [[VHS]]. An affectionate [[parody]] of the television series, it was split into four segments, mimicking the traditional serial format, complete with [[cliffhanger]]s. (The version released on [[video]] was split into only two episodes.) In the story, the Doctor ([[Rowan Atkinson]]) encounters both [[Master (Doctor Who)|the Master]] ([[Jonathan Pryce]]) and the [[Dalek]]s. During the special the Doctor is forced to regenerate several times, with his subsequent incarnations played by, in order, [[Richard E. Grant]], [[Jim Broadbent]], [[Hugh Grant]], and [[Joanna Lumley]]. The script was written by comedy writer [[Steven Moffat]], who contributed two scripts to the 2005 series and one for the 2006 series.
As noted above, on [[November 18]], [[2005]], an untitled [[Doctor Who: Children in Need|7-minute "mini-episode"]], set in the immediate aftermath of ''[[The Parting of the Ways]]'' and leading directly into ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'', was shown as part of the Children in Need [[telethon]].
===Spoofs===
{{main|Doctor Who spoofs}}
''Doctor Who'' has been satirised and spoofed on many occasions by comedians including [[Spike Milligan]] and [[Lenny Henry]]. [[Doctor Who fandom|''Doctor Who'' fandom]] has also been lampooned on programmes such as ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' and ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''.
[[Image:Simpsons Doctor Who.jpg|thumb|right|150px|The [[Fourth Doctor]] on ''[[The Simpsons]]'']]<!-- FAIR USE of Simpsons Doctor Who.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Simpsons_Doctor_Who.jpg for rationale -->
The Doctor in his fourth incarnation (the one most Americans associate the Doctor with) has been represented on several episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', starting with the episode "[[Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming]]".
[[Jon Culshaw]] frequently impersonates the Fourth Doctor in the BBC ''[[Dead Ringers (comedy)|Dead Ringers]]'' series. Culshaw's "Doctor" has telephoned four of the "real" Doctors — Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy — in character as the Fourth Doctor. In the 2005 ''Dead Ringers'' Christmas special, broadcast shortly before ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'', Culshaw impersonated both the Fourth and Tenth Doctors, while the Second, Seventh and Ninth Doctors were impersonated by [[Mark Perry (impressionist)|Mark Perry]], [[Kevin Connelly]] and [[Phil Cornwell]], respectively.
Less a spoof and more of a [[pastiche]] is the character of Professor Gamble, a renegade from the [[Time Variance Authority]], appeared in [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[Power Man and Iron Fist]]'' #79 and ''[[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]] Annual'' #22. His enemies include the rogue robots known as the Incinerators. Professor Gamble was created by [[Jo Duffy]], [[Kerry Gammill]], and [[Ricardo Villamonte]].<ref>{{cite web
| year =[[2004-09-26]]
| url =http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/jagamble.htm
| title =Professor Justin Alphone Gamble
| publisher =The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
| accessdate =2006-06-22
}}</ref>
In the comic ''[[Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man]] #10''—in a storyline dealing with time-travel and alternate universes—the words “[[Bad Wolf]]” can be seen written on the wall.
There have also been many references to ''Doctor Who'' in popular culture and other science fiction franchises, including ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' ("[[The Neutral Zone (TNG episode)|The Neutral Zone]]", among others).
===Merchandise===
{{main|Doctor Who merchandise}}
Since its beginnings, ''Doctor Who'' has generated many hundreds of products related to the show, from [[toy]]s and [[game]]s to collectible [[picture card]]s and [[postage stamp]]s. These include [[board game]]s, [[card game]]s, [[gamebook]]s, [[computer game]]s and [[action figure]]s.
Many games have been released that feature the [[Dalek]]s. See [[Dalek#Computer games|Dalek computer games]].
==Awards==
Although ''Doctor Who'' was fondly regarded during its original 1963–1989 run, it received little critical recognition at the time. In 1975, [[List of Doctor Who serials#Season 11 (1973–74)|Season 11]] of the series won a Writers' Guild of Great Britain award for Best Writing in a Children's Serial. In 1996, BBC television held the "Auntie Awards" as the culmination of their "TV60" season, celebrating sixty years of BBC television broadcasting, where ''Doctor Who'' was voted as the "Best Popular Drama" the corporation had ever produced, ahead of such ratings heavyweights as ''[[EastEnders]]'' and ''[[Casualty (television)|Casualty]]''. In 2000, ''Doctor Who'' was ranked third in a list of the [[100 Greatest British Television Programmes]] of the twentieth century, produced by the [[British Film Institute]] and voted on by industry professionals. In 2005, the series came first in a survey by [[SFX magazine]] of "The Greatest UK Science Fiction and Fantasy Television Series Ever". Also, in the 100 Greatest Kids' Shows (a [[Channel 4]] countdown in 2001), the 1963–1989 run was placed at number eight.
The revived series has received particular recognition from critics and the public. In 2005, at the [[National Television Awards]] (voted on by members of the British public), ''Doctor Who'' won "Most Popular Drama", Christopher Eccleston won "Most Popular Actor" and Billie Piper won "Most Popular Actress". The series and Piper repeated their wins at the 2006 National Television Awards, and David Tennant won "Most Popular Actor".<ref>{{cite news
| title = Dr Who scores TV awards hat-trick
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6104048.stm
| work = [[BBC News]]
| publisher = [[bbc.co.uk]]
|date= [[2006-10-31]]
| accessdate = 2006-10-31
}}</ref> A scene from ''[[The Doctor Dances]]'' won "Golden Moment" in the BBC's "2005 TV Moments" awards,<ref>{{cite web
| year =December 2005
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/tvmoments/winners.shtml
| title =2005 TV Moments
| publisher =[[bbc.co.uk]]
| accessdate =2006-04-24
}}</ref> and ''Doctor Who'' swept all the categories in [[BBC.co.uk]]'s online "Best of Drama" poll in both 2005<ref>{{cite web
| year =December 2005
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/bestof2005/
| title =Drama Best of 2005
| publisher =[[bbc.co.uk]]
| accessdate =2006-04-24
}}</ref> and 2006.<ref>{{cite web
| year =January 2007
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/bestof2006/
| title =Drama Best of 2006
| publisher =[[bbc.co.uk]]
| accessdate =2007-01-16
}}</ref> The programme also won the ''[[Broadcast magazine|Broadcast Magazine]]'' Award for Best Drama.<ref>{{cite web
| year =[[2006-01-26]]
| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/01/26/29141.shtml
| title =Doctor Who wins Broadcast Award
| publisher = [[bbc.co.uk]]
| accessdate =2006-04-24
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| year =2006
| url =http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/awards/content_frames.asp?content=winners
| title =2006 Winners
| publisher =[[Broadcast magazine|Broadcast Magazine]]
| accessdate =2006-04-24
}}</ref> Eccleston was awarded the TV Quick and TV Choice award for Best Actor in 2005; in the same awards in 2006 Tennant won Best Actor, Piper won Best Actress and ''Doctor Who'' won Best-Loved Drama.<ref>{{cite news
|title = Street is best soap at TV awards
|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4218078.stm
|work = [[BBC News]]
|date= [[2005-09-06]]
|accessdate = 2006-09-05
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title = Doctor Who lands three TV awards
|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5314890.stm
|work = [[BBC News]]
|date= [[2006-09-05]]
|accessdate = 2006-09-05
}}</ref>
''Doctor Who'' was nominated in the Best Drama Series category at the 2006 [[Royal Television Society]] awards,<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1714821,00.html
| title=RTS Programme Awards - Nominations
| publisher=[[The Guardian]]
|date=[[2006-02-21]]
| accessdate=2006-04-24
}}</ref> but lost to [[BBC Three]]'s medical drama ''[[Bodies (TV series)|Bodies]]''.<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4808172.stm
| title=Bleak House wins TV drama award
| publisher=[[BBC News]]
|date=[[2006-03-15]]
| accessdate=2006-04-24
}}</ref>
''Doctor Who'' also received several nominations for the 2006 [[Broadcasting Press Guild]] Awards: the programme for Best Drama, Eccleston for Best Actor (David Tennant was also nominated for ''[[Secret Smile]]''), Piper for Best Actress and Davies for Best Writer. However, it did not win any of these categories.<ref>{{cite web
| year =[[March 31]] [[2006]]
| url =http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/awards/2006.html
| title =Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 2006
| publisher =[[Broadcasting Press Guild]]
| accessdate =2006-04-24
}}</ref>
Several episodes of the 2005 series of ''Doctor Who'' were nominated for the [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form]]: ''[[Dalek (Doctor Who episode)|Dalek]]'', ''[[Father's Day (Doctor Who)|Father's Day]]'' and the double episode ''[[The Empty Child]]''/''[[The Doctor Dances]]''. At a ceremony at the Worldcon ([[64th World Science Fiction Convention|L.A. Con IV]]) in [[Los Angeles]] on [[27 August]] [[2006]], the Hugo was awarded to ''The Empty Child''/''The Doctor Dances''.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.locusmag.com/2006/News/08_HugoCampbellWinners.html
| title = Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners
| work = [[Locus (magazine)|Locus Online]]
| accessdate = 2006-08-27
|date= [[2006-08-26]]
}}</ref> ''Dalek'' and ''Father's Day'' came in second and third places respectively.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://cluebytwelve.net/Hugos2006/07_Dramatic_Short.htm
| title = Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
| work = 2006 Hugo Award & Campbell Award Winners
| accessdate = 2006-08-28
|date= [[2006-08-26]]
}}</ref>
The [[British Academy Television Awards]] (BAFTA) nominations, released on [[March 27]] [[2006]], revealed that ''Doctor Who'' had been shortlisted in the category of Best Drama Series. This is the highest-profile and most prestigious British television award for which the series has ever been nominated. ''Doctor Who'' was also nominated in several other categories in the BAFTA Craft Awards, including Best Writer ([[Russell T. Davies]]), Best Director ([[Joe Ahearne]]), and Break-through Talent (production designer [[Edward Thomas (designer)|Edward Thomas]]). However, it did not eventually win any of its categories at the Craft Awards.
On Sunday [[May 7]] [[2006]] the main BAFTA award winners were announced, and ''Doctor Who'' won both of the categories it was nominated for, the Best Drama Series and audience-voted Pioneer Award. Russell T. Davies also won the [[Dennis Potter]] Award for Outstanding Writing for Television.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4982648.stm
|title=Doctor Who is Bafta award winner
|publisher=[[BBC News]]
|date=[[2006-05-08]]
|accessdate=2006-05-08
}}</ref>
On [[April 22]] [[2006]], the programme won five categories (out of fourteen nominations) at the lower-profile [[BAFTA Cymru]] awards, given to programmes made in Wales. It won Best Drama Series, Drama Director ([[James Hawes]]), Costume, Make-up and Photography Direction. Russell T Davies also won the [[Sian Phillips]] Award for Outstanding Contribution to Network Television.<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4934216.stm
| title=Doctor leads Bafta Cymru winners
| publisher=[[BBC News]]
|date=[[2006-04-22]]
| accessdate=2006-04-24
}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[Lengths of science fiction film and television series]]
*[[Doctor Who chronology]]
*[[The Stranger (video series)|The Stranger]]
*[[Doctor Who in America]]
*[[Doctor Who in Australia]]
==Footnotes==
<div class="references-small">
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
<references/>
</div>
==References==
<div class="references-small">
* {{cite book
| author = [[David J. Howe|Howe, David J]] & [[Stephen James Walker|Walker, Stephen James]]
| year = 1998
| title = Doctor Who: The Television Companion
| edition = 1st ed.
| ___location = London
| publisher = [[BBC Books]]
| id = ISBN 978-0-563-40588-7
}}
* {{cite book
| author = Howe, David J & Walker, Stephen James
| year = 2003
| title = The Television Companion: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to DOCTOR WHO
| edition = 2nd ed.
| ___location = Surrey, UK
| publisher = [[Telos Publishing Ltd.]]
| id = ISBN 1-90388951-0
}}
</div>
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commonscat|Doctor Who}}
===Official sites===
{{seealso|Doctor Who tie-in websites}}
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho BBC ''Doctor Who'' website] including [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2006/04/01/30852.shtml trailer for series 2]
*[http://www.bbcamerica.com/genre/drama_mysteries/doctor_who/doctor_who.jsp BBC America ''Doctor Who'' website]
*[http://www.cbc.ca/doctorwho/ CBC ''Doctor Who'' website]
*[http://www.scifi.com/doctorwho SciFi Channel ''Doctor Who'' website]
*[http://www.uktv.co.uk/?uktv=standarditem.index&aID=575800 UKTV Gold ''Doctor Who'' website]
===''Doctor Who'' as a cultural icon===
*[http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/doctor-who ''Doctor Who'' at ICONS: a portrait of England]
===Reference sites===
====General information====
*[http://scifipedia.scifi.com/index.php/Doctor_Who Doctor Who] at [http://scifipedia.scifi.com/index.php/Main_Page Scifipedia]
*[http://www.monitorduty.com/mdarchives/2006/04/alan_kistlers_p_8.shtml Alan Kistler's Profiles on DOCTOR WHO]
*[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/454592/index.html British Film Institute Screen Online]
*[http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/D/htmlD/doctorwho/doctorwho.htm Encyclopedia of Television]
===''Doctor Who'' universe===
*[http://www.drwhoguide.com/ The ''Doctor Who'' Reference Guide] — synopses of virtually every television episode, novel, audio drama, comic strip and spin-off video based upon the series
*[http://www.whoniverse.org/ The Whoniverse] — a guide to the fictional aspects of ''Doctor Who''
* [http://www.lofficier.com/dwindex.html The Doctor Who Universal Databank] A somewhat unreliable A-to-Z Encyclopedia of the ''[[Whoniverse]]'', although only covering the 1963–1989 series.
*[http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Tardis Index File] Contains mostly in-universe information.
===Images===
*[http://www.shillpages.com/dw/dwia.htm Steve Hill's ''Doctor Who'' Image Archive]
*[http://www.throup.org.uk/doctor_who.php The Doctor Who Logo Collection]
===Production information===
*Internet Movie Database:
**{{imdb title|id=0056751|title=Doctor Who (1963–1989)}}
**{{imdb title|id=0116118|title=Doctor Who (1996)}}
**{{imdb title|id=0436992|title=Doctor Who (2005–?)}}
*[http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/ Doctor Who: A Brief History Of Time (Travel)] — a complete and exhaustive production history of ''Doctor Who''
*[http://www.doctorwholocations.org.uk/ Doctor Who Locations] — [[Google Earth]] compatible database of locations where episodes were filmed
===Miscellany===
*[http://www.cuttingsarchive.org.uk/ ''Doctor Who'' Cuttings Archive] — hosts a large number of press cuttings and articles from 1963 onwards.
===General fan sites===
*[http://www.gallifreyone.com Outpost Gallifrey] (see also [[Outpost Gallifrey]]) — a large ''Doctor Who'' news and information site with reviews, articles, and a discussion forum.
*[http://www.drwho-online.co.uk Doctor Who Online] — a large UK ''Doctor Who'' news site with reviews, articles, and a discussion forum.
===Links===
*[http://www.gallifreyone.com/webguide.php The ''Doctor Who'' Web Guide] — an index of ''Who''-related web sites
*[http://dmoz.org/Arts/Television/Programs/Science_Fiction_and_Fantasy/D/Doctor_Who/ DMOZ ''Doctor Who'' page]
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