Series 1 (Doctor Who 2005)

Series 1 — 2005
Doctor:	Ninth Doctor
Companions:	Rose, Jack, Adam
Key crew
Executive producer(s):	Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, Mal Young
Producer(s):	Phil Collinson
Series details
Start date:	26 March 2005
End date:	18 June 2005
Premiere network:	BBC One
Typical episode length:	45'
More info
Main DWM coverage in issues:	336, 338, 342, 343, 345, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 363, 364, 463, 464
Main DWMSE coverage in issues:	11, 24
Key reference books about the season:	About Time 7
Confidential:	Series 1 (CON)
Action figures for this series
Behind the scenes video
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You may be looking for season 1 of the original series.

Series 1 of Doctor Who was the first series produced by BBC Wales. Comprised of thirteen episodes, it came nearly sixteen years after the previous season, though only nine years after the last episode. It starred Christopher Eccleston in his single season as the Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler. John Barrowman's Jack Harkness, who would go on to have profound impact on the shape and scope of the Doctor Who universe, also debuted this year.

Its head writer was Russell T Davies, and thus the series was the start of what fans colloquially refer to as the "RTD era". But credit for the series hardly belonged to RTD alone. The struggles to bring Doctor Who back to BBC One after such a long absence are the subject of several documentaries and behind-the-scenes explorations, all of which confirm that series one was the result of the struggles of several individuals apart from RTD himself — notably BBC execs Jane Tranter and Lorraine Heggessey and RTD's fellow executive producers, Julie Gardner and Mal Young.

Ultimately, the decision to make the series in Cardiff rather than London not only changed the face of Doctor Who, but also reshaped the British television industry. A then-sleepy satellite of the BBC was transformed by this series' success into a major hub of British television production. Series one was characterised not just by its unexpected success with the British public, but also by the teething problems inherent in filming a major, special-effects-heavy series in a country that, until then, had little experience with that kind of production.

Series 1 was unusually well-received. It won the National Television Award and BAFTA for "Best Drama Series", confirming its popular and critical success. Its BAFTA nomination was the first for the series since season 15 and the first ever for the programme in an "adult" category. Perhaps more importantly, it was the first time that a series of Doctor Who had actually won a BAFTA.Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper both won National Television Awards for "Favourite Actor" and "Favourite Actress". Writer Steven Moffat also began a three-year domination of the Hugo Award "Short Form Presentation" category by winning one for for his The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances two-parter.

Unlike the more recent series, series 1 was produced under a partnership deal with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was also the first whole series of Doctor Who to be broadcast on a national, commercial network in the United States, thanks to a late deal with the Sci-Fi Channel.

Overview

Series 1 introduced the Ninth Doctor, along with new companion Rose Tyler. It dealt with the words "Bad Wolf" being spread across time and space, which was the main arc of the series. This meme was seen in the majority of the episodes.

Series 1 also provided the first major information about the Last Great Time War. The Parting of the Ways featured the revived series' first regeneration. The season also introduced Jack Harkness and planted the seed for the spin-off Torchwood.

Cast

Recurring

• The Ninth Doctor - Christopher Eccleston
• Rose Tyler - Billie Piper
• Jack Harkness - John Barrowman
• Jackie Tyler - Camille Coduri
• Mickey Smith - Noel Clarke
• Adam Mitchell - Bruno Langley
• Lady Cassandra - Zoë Wanamaker
• Charles Dickens - Simon Callow
• Harriet Jones - Penelope Wilton
• Margaret Blaine - Annette Badland
• Pete Tyler - Shaun Dingwall
• Voice of Daleks - Nicholas Briggs
• The Tenth Doctor - David Tennant

Guest

• Clive Finch - Mark Benton
• Jabe - Yasmin Bannerman
• Gwyneth - Eve Myles
• Joseph Green - David Verrey
• Henry van Statten - Corey Johnson
• The Editor - Simon Pegg
• Jamie - Albert Valentine
• Nancy - Florence Hoath
• Doctor Constantine - Richard Wilson
• Lynda Moss - Jo Joyner
• Rodrick - Paterson Joseph

Television stories

Episode Number	Title	Writer	Director	Notes
1	Rose	Russell T Davies	Keith Boak	First appearances of the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler, Jackie Tyler and Mickey Smith. Reintroduction of the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness.
2	The End of the World	Russell T Davies	Euros Lyn	First appearance of the Face of Boe and Cassandra. Introduction of the Bad Wolf meme. First mention of the Last Great Time War.
3	The Unquiet Dead	Mark Gatiss	Euros Lyn	Introduction of the Cardiff Rift. Eve Myles guest stars in a role other than Gwen Cooper.
4 & 5	Pt. 1: Aliens of London Pt. 2: World War Three	Russell T Davies	Keith Boak	First appearance of Toshiko Sato, Harriet Jones and the Slitheen (Raxacoricofallapatorians).
6	Dalek	Robert Shearman	Joe Ahearne	Reintroduction of the Daleks and first appearance of Adam Mitchell.
7	The Long Game	Russell T Davies	Brian Grant	Final appearance of Adam Mitchell. First time a companion is kicked out of the TARDIS.
8	Father's Day	Paul Cornell	Joe Ahearne	Introduction of Pete Tyler (Rose's father).
9 & 10	Pt. 1: The Empty Child Pt. 2: The Doctor Dances	Steven Moffat	James Hawes	First appearance of Jack Harkness.
11	Boom Town	Russell T Davies	Joe Ahearne	Reappearance of the Slitheen.
12 & 13	Pt. 1: Bad Wolf Pt. 2: The Parting of the Ways	Russell T Davies	Joe Ahearne	Final appearance of the Ninth Doctor portrayed by Christopher Eccleston and introduction of the Tenth Doctor portrayed by David Tennant; last regular appearance of Jack Harkness until Utopia. First mention of Torchwood. Reappearance of the Daleks. Resolution of the Bad Wolf arc.

Adaptations and merchandising

Home media

DVD

All episodes of series 1 were released in 2005.

name	Number and duration of episodes	R2 release date	R4 release date	R1 release date
Doctor Who: Volume 1 Rose The End of the World The Unquiet Dead	3 × 45 min.	16 May 2005	17 June 2005	7 November 2006
Doctor Who: Volume 2 Aliens of London / World War Three Dalek	3 × 45 min.	13 June 2005	3 August 2005	7 November 2006
Doctor Who: Volume 3 The Long Game Father's Day The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances	4 × 45 min.	1 August 2005	31 August 2005	7 November 2006
Doctor Who: Volume 4 Boom Town Bad Wolf/ The Parting of the Ways	3 × 45 min.	5 September 2005	6 October 2005	7 November 2006
Doctor Who: The Complete First Series Disc 1: Episodes 1-3 Disc 2: Episodes 4-6 Disc 3: Episodes 7-10 Disc 4: Episodes 11-13 Disc 5: Confidentials	13 × 45 min.	21 November 2005	8 December 2005	14 February 2006 (Canada) 4 July 2006 (US)

Novels

• The Clockwise Man
• The Monster Inside
• Winner Takes All
• The Deviant Strain
• Only Human
• The Stealer of Dreams

Stories set during this season

• PROSE The Beast of Babylon (Before and between TV: Rose)

Promotional trailers

For the series, several promotional trailers were created, utilising specially shot footage of the cast breaking the fourth wall and addressing viewers.

• The show's main trailer begins with an explosion rushing through a tunnel and the Doctor running. He enters the TARDIS and asks the viewer: "Do you want to come with me?" He walks around the console room, warning of the dangers that lie ahead, but promising "the trip of a lifetime." This promo uses an early arrangement of the Doctor Who theme that was replaced by a more upbeat arrangement for the series itself.
• Rose, in the console room, tells the viewer about the choice she had to make - working in a dull shop or chasing monsters. As the camera pulls back to show the Doctor standing behind her, she says, "What do you think?"
• Several short, wordless five-second "stings" were also produced. These showed closeups of the Doctor, Rose, the two together, and the TARDIS. No series logo or title is shown, with only a snippet of the Doctor Who theme or the TARDIS sound effect to identify the programme.

External links

• BBC website index for Series 1