Doctor Who is a well-known British science fiction television show produced by the BBC campaign. The plot tells of the adventures of a mysterious extraterrestrial wanderer who travels through different times and spaces, known as Doctor (Timelord).
Doctor Who (the English name of the series) is not only one of the most popular shows in the world, but also the longest in the genre of science fiction. In addition, one cannot fail to note its influence on the mass culture of Britain, where the production of the series continues to this day.
From the early history of the "Doctor"
The first appearance of the show took place on the British television channel BBC, the release date of "Doctor Who" is November 23, 1963. At first, the series was planned to be shown in the broadcasting network for a family audience, for which about 26 seasons were shot. A little later it became clear that the broadcast of the show ceased to bring the desired ratings. After lengthy negotiations, the creators decided to suspend filming continued, while there was no official announcement of the end of the series.
In 1989, the television movie About Doctor Who, which became a joint product of BBC, Universal Pictures, and several other international companies, was released. The movie rental in Britain ended in great success, which, unfortunately, could not be said about the West. As a result, plans to create a sequel to the series were again delayed.
The story of Doctor Who laid the foundation for various licensed media products that continued to be released over the following years. As for the series, the BBC decided to take up its continuation only in 2003.
The fate of the show these days
After resuming filming, the release date of Doctor Who was set for March 26, 2005. The role of the chief executive producer went to the writer Russell T. Davis. The first episode of the official sequel was called "Rose."
After high ratings and reviews on the Doctor Who series, the creators decided to extend the show for 6 seasons. In addition to this, several special issues for Christmas were filmed every year. The new “Doctor” is a direct continuation of the classic seasons that have been released since 1963.
Doctor Who?
The personality of the protagonist of the series has always been and remains a big mystery. It is known that he is a rather eccentric representative of the alien race of the Timelords (Time Lords), who is engaged in wandering through different times and spaces, solves global problems and helps restore justice.
The doctor has the ability to regenerate and can live 13 lives. His old-fashioned time machine, known as the abbreviation TARDIS, resembles a model of a British police booth of the 60s. It is also noteworthy that inside it is much more spacious than outside.
At first, the character Doctor Who seemed irritable and a bit sinister. However, over the following seasons it was possible to observe changes in his character for the better - he became softer and more compassionate.
Modern timelord
To date, the role of the Doctor has been embodied on the screen by twelve actors. Very soon, this fall, it is planned to launch a new season with another regeneration and a new actor. The role of the Doctor Who this time went to the woman, which is the canonical confirmation of the theory of the sexlessness of the protagonist. Throughout the series, the creators made various hints that the Doctor was different from other Time Lords. It is possible that the thirteenth reincarnation will be far from the last life of the hero, and the series will continue its history.
List of actors embodying the role of the Doctor
All twelve times Doctor Who regenerated into men. This regularity was considered an unwritten rule, since, being a native of an alien race, the hero could have been of an unknown gender at all (as was mentioned more than once in the series). The last, thirteenth form, for the first time in the history of the show will become a woman.
List of all the actors who have ever starred in Doctor Who:
- William Hartnell (Regeneration No. 1);
- Patrick Trauton (Regeneration No. 2);
- John Sacrifices (Regeneration No. 3)
- Tom Baker (regeneration number 4);
- Peter Davison (Regeneration No. 5);
- Colin Baker (regeneration No. 6);
- Sylvester McCoy (Regeneration No. 7);
- Paul McGann (Regeneration No. 8);
- Christopher Eccleston (Regeneration No. 9);
- David Tennant (Regeneration No. 10);
- Matt Smith (Regeneration No. 11);
- Peter Capaldi (Regeneration No. 12);
- Jody Whittaker (Regeneration No. 13).
About satellites
The doctor does not like to travel alone, so he almost always takes company with him. Three people can be at the same time, sometimes less, but never more. The only episode of the classic era of the series in which Doctor Who had to act alone is called Deadly Assassin ("Ruthless Killer").
Usually satellites are a kind of mixture of various characters and traits with which the viewer could identify his own nature. Their main purpose in the series is to create additional dynamics and development for the plot. Satellites can ask Doctors about unusual places and creatures, as well as involuntarily create situations and problems that then have to be solved. The doctor constantly gets acquainted with new partners and breaks up with previous ones. Sometimes they decide to return home or stay in a new interesting place, sometimes they fall in love and choose their new love instead of traveling. Someone from the satellites may even die.
An interesting fact: the creators of "Doctor Who" from season 1 tried to adhere to the unwritten taboo on the emergence of a romantic relationship between the Doctor and his companions. Despite this, some characters still fell in love with Timelord, though without any bright and open manifestations of feelings. Most of the screen kisses were due to certain plot twists.
Alien creatures
At the beginning of the journey, the creators deliberately avoided the clichés of the "bug-eyed monsters" typical of science fiction. Nevertheless, the Doctor Who genre implied the appearance of various alien monsters, which very soon turned into regular "guests" of the series.
With the release of the continuation of the show, in 2005, the producers announced the gradual return of classic images. So, in the episodes of the 1st season of “Doctor Who,” the audience again met with autons and distant ones, in the episodes of the 2nd season - with the cybermen, in the episodes of the 3rd season - with the Master, in the episodes of the 4th season - with Sontarans and Davros. There were new creatures, among which the Crying Angels, Uda, and Silence stand out most.
Doctor Who Awards and Reviews
The series received its first recognition in 1975, when the award went to the team of scriptwriters for season 11. In 1996, the BBC television celebrated the 60th anniversary of broadcasting. At this event, "Doctor" was noted as "The Most Favorite and Popular Drama."
Due to the large number of positive reviews about Doctor Who, the series appeared on the list of "100 Great British Television Programs", taking it an honorable third place. In 2005, SFX magazine called the show the cult television series of British television in the category "Science Fiction and Fantasy Genre." In addition, there were several more lists compiled by various popular publications, in which the Doctor occupied high places.
The revived show received more accolades and awards than the classic one. With each subsequent season, ratings and positive reviews about the Doctor Who series set new television records. The show was repeatedly nominated for a number of prestigious British and American awards, among which were the BAFTA, People's Choice Awards and ScreamAwards. Not only the entire series was awarded with awards, but also individual episodes that became cult: The Empty Child, The Girl in the Fireplace, The Waters of Mars, " Don't Blink "(Blink) and others.