Dr Who Actors
Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction show on the television. So far there have been ten actors playing the Doctor. Who were these people, why were they chosen and what did they do in their reign as our favourite Time Lord?
William Hartnell was the first Doctor, playing the role from 1963 to 1966. The first Doctor was an old man, and the TV shows were recorded live because of technical challenges with editing programs then. Frequently Hartnell would forget his lines and other actors would help him remember them.
Unlike other sci-fi shows, Doctor Who wasn’t all about the special effects. It was more about the dialogue and that acting, where the characters felt human and real to the point that you were concerned for what happened to them and cared for them.
The first episode to air in 1963 was called An Unearthly Child, where the Doctor travels back to the prehistoric age to discover cavemen who had forgotten how to make fire.
This first year also introduced the Daleks, one of the most popular of the Doctor’s many enemies. In fact, the Daleks were so popular that any time the shows ratings dropped, the producers would quickly air a Dalek episode to get their audience back.
And then in 1966, William Hartnell hung up the mantle of the Doctor. His final episode, The Tenth Planet, introduced the Cybermen to the world. At the end of this episode, the famous regeneration took place, where the Doctor dies and takes on a different body. It’s through this premise that Doctor Who has survived so long with so many actors.
Patrick Troughton was the next Doctor, reigning from 1966 to 1969. He brought more comedy to the role and was often described as a hobo clown. To ensure audience acceptance and ratings, the first episode he starred in, The Power of The Daleks, brought the Daleks back once more.
Troughton’s Doctor was well known for this recorder, which he’d sit and play at the oddest of moments. Being so different to Hartnell, the audience struggled to accept him, but they did eventually.
In his final episode, The War Games, the Doctor must call the Time Lords to help him save Earth. The Doctor however, is on the run from the Time Lords for stealing a TARDIS and interfering with other races. He is brought to trial and found guilty of interference.
So his fellow Time Lords decide on a punishment for him. Many of the abilities of his TARDIS are disabled and he is sent to 20th Century Earth. They force him to use one of his generations and when he refuses to choose his new body, they choose one for him. This punishment was remarkably convenient for the show as it mean the budget was dramatically reduced due to it being based in the modern day.
In 1970, Jon Pertwee became the Doctor, stuck on Earth helping UNIT (Unite Nations Intelligence Taskforce) to save the planet. Reigning until 1974 he brought a very different feel to Doctor Who. His Doctor was much more physical and flamboyant, playing a very British dandy, reflected in his outfit. He had many toys, including his car Bessy and the Sonic Screwdriver. This versatile device, looking like a tire pressure gauge, became iconic of Doctor Who and many a child has wished for their own.
His last episode, in 1974, was The Planet Of The Spiders where he is battling alien space spiders. After defeating their queen, he is a shattered man, and the regeneration sequence begins.
Tom Baker, 1974 to 1981 then appears as the Doctor. He was the longest running Doctor for one main reason – he was an excellent Doctor. He worse a forty two foot scarf and offered aliens Jelly Babies to distract them so he could think.
A much goofier doctor, he captured the hearts of many a fan, become “the Doctor” as far as many are concerned. The arguments still rage today comparing him to others.
Baker’s last episode, Logopolis, seems him searching for a chameleon circuit for his TARDIS. Running into his arch enemy, The Master, the Doctor saves the day, but in doing so, sacrifices his own life.
Dr Who Actors
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