Doctor Who Timeline - Doctor Who

TIMELINE

The Doctor has been traveling through history and battling the evil forces of the universe for almost half a century. Take a look at some of the highlights of the show and the eleven actors who have helmed the TARDIS...

: First Doctor: William Hartnell (1963-1966); November 23, 1963 - Doctor Who premieres on BBC Television, but the first airing is overshadowed by U.S. President John F. Kennedy's death a day earlier. 55-year-old William Hartnell becomes the first actor to step into the TARDIS.

December 21, 1963 - The Daleks first appear in a series of episodes written by Terry Nation, resulting in what the British media referred to as "Dalekmania."

October 8, 1966 - The Cybermen make their first appearances on Doctor Who in a series of episodes titled "The Tenth Planet."

October 29, 1966 - William Hartnell ends his run as The Doctor, who is "regenerated" into a new physical form, played by actor Patrick Troughton.

: Second Doctor: Patrick Troughton (1966-1969); November 5, 1966 - Troughton appears in his first full episode as The Doctor.

December 17, 1966 - Frazer Hines joins the cast as Jamie McCrimmon, The Doctor's companion. He appears in 115 episodes, more than any other companion.

February 3, 1968 - Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart first appears in the Doctor Who story arc, The Web of Fear. The Brigadier works for the UNIT, an organization that fights extraterrestrial attacks.

June 21, 1969 - Troughton ends his role as Doctor Who in the final episode of the story arc, The War Games. The Doctor is exiled to Earth and regenerated as a new being, played by comic actor Jon Pertwee.

: Third Doctor: Jon Pertwee (1970-1974); January 3, 1970 - The Doctor Who story arc Spearhead From Space premieres and is the first episode produced in color.

January 2, 1971 - Roger Delgado appears as the first version of the character The Master in the series of episodes titled Terror of Autons.

1972 - Pertwee releases a vocal version of the program's famous theme song titled "Who is the Doctor?"

December 15, 1973 - Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen, joins the cast of Doctor Who. The character arguably becomes the most popular of Doctor Who companions.

June 8, 1974 - Pertwee's last episode as Doctor Who airs; Tom Baker takes over in the role, and his unique talents at scarf-wearing make him one of the most iconic Doctors.

: Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker (1974-1981); April 23, 1975 - William Hartnell, The First Doctor, dies of heart failure at age 67 in England.

1979 - During the late '70s, Doctor Who reached its prime with an average 12 million viewers an episode. Viewership peaked at 16 million during the 1979 network strike.

June 1980 - The BBC receives negative reaction from the public when it is announced that Doctor Who sidekick K9, a robotic dog, will be leaving the show to star in the show's first spinoff K9 and Company.

March 21, 1981 - Baker's last episode of Doctor Who airs; Peter Davison takes over, and at age 30, he is the youngest Doctor ever up until that point. Davison was already a star due to his previous role on All Creatures Great and Small.

: Fifth Doctor: Peter Davison (1981-1984); December 28, 1981 - The first episode of the K9 and Company premieres.

November 23, 1983 - To celebrate the show's 20th anniversary, the BBC airs The Five Doctors, a feature-length event with all five doctors reuniting. Actor Richard Hurndall replaces the late William Hartnell as The First Doctor.

March 16, 1984 - Davison ends his role as The Doctor, and Colin Baker takes over the TARDIS. Baker's Doctor becomes known for his love of cats, over-the-top, multi-colored wardrobe, and arrogant, outrageous persona.

: Sixth Doctor: Colin Baker (1984-1986); March 22, 1984 - Colin Baker's first full episode as the Doctor premieres. In the premiere, The Doctor attacks and nearly chokes his companion, Peri Brown, to death after regeneration.

November 1, 1986 - Mel, a popular companion played by actress Bonnie Langford, first appears in an episode of the story arc, Terror of the Vervoids.

December 9, 1986 - Colin Baker makes his final appearance in The Ultimate Foe.

: Seventh Doctor: Sylvester McCoy (1987-1996); September 7, 1987 - Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy takes over as The Seventh Doctor. He is known for wearing a white hat and brandishing an umbrella with a red question-mark-shaped handle. The season airs opposite the mega-popular ITV soap, Coronation Street, which causes audience erosion. The show is cancelled in 1989.

December 6, 1989 - The last episode of the original British Doctor Who's twenty-six season run on the BBC airs.

: Eighth Doctor: Paul McGann (1996); May 12, 1996 - Sylvester McCoy hands off the role of The Doctor to Paul McGann in the American co-production on Fox, which turned out to be a complete flop. However, McGann's work as the Doctor did not end, as he continued his work on several audio productions for the BBC.

May 20, 1996 - Jon Pertwee, The Third Doctor, dies of a heart attack at age 76 in Connecticut.

: Ninth Doctor: Christopher Eccleston (2005); September 26, 2003 - Russell T Davies, creator of the original Queer As Folk and lifelong Doctor Who fan, is announced as the creator of a new modern revival of the show.

March 26, 2005 - The new series premieres. The Ninth Doctor is played by Christopher Eccleston, a well-known character actor from film and television. The Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler, is played by former pop star Billie Piper.

March 30, 2005 - Just four days after the premiere, the BBC announces that Christopher Eccleston would no longer play The Doctor and that David Tennant was reportedly in talks to fill the role. Tennant's casting as the new Doctor is confirmed by BBC on April 16.

May 21, 2005 - "The Empty Child", the first Doctor Who episode written by Season Five showrunner Steven Moffat, premieres.

June 18, 2005 - In the episode "The Parting of the Ways," the Ninth Doctor dies and regenerates into the Tenth Doctor, played by Tennant.

: Tenth Doctor: David Tennant (2005-2010); December 25, 2005 - "The Christmas Invasion" becomes the first Doctor Who Christmas special and is the first full episode featuring David Tennant as The Doctor.

May 7, 2006 - Doctor Who wins three BAFTA TV Awards, including Best Drama Series.

October 22, 2006 - Torchwood, a Doctor Who spinoff featuring Captain Jack Harkness, premieres.

March 31, 2007 - Freema Agyeman becomes The Doctor's new companion, Dr. Martha Jones.

April 5, 2008 - Comedienne Catherine Tate joins the cast as the Doctor's companion, Donna Noble. Donna previously appeared in the Christmas special, "The Runaway Bride".

May 20, 2008 - Russell T Davies announces he's handing over the reins of Doctor Who to his critically acclaimed staff writer, Steven Moffat.

October 29, 2008 - David Tennant announces he's leaving Doctor Who.

January 3, 2009 - Relative unknown actor Matt Smith, who was a cast member on the BBC series Party Animals, is named The Eleventh Doctor. At 26, he replaces Peter Davison as the youngest Doctor.

May 29, 2009 - Actress Karen Gillan is unveiled as the companion to The Eleventh Doctor.

April 11, 2009 - "Planet of the Dead," the first of four final specials featuring David Tennant, premieres in the UK.

: Eleventh Doctor: Matt Smith (2010- ); Spring 2010 - The fifth season of the modern Doctor Who will premiere, featuring Matt Smith as The Doctor, Steven Moffat as head writer, and Piers Wenger as executive producer, replacing Julie Gardner.

TIMELINE

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