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| {{title|"The Doctor"}}{{Infobox Individual | | {{title|"The Doctor"}} |
| |image= [[File:5Doctorsv2.jpg|250px]]
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| |individual name= "The Doctor"
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| |alias= [[Aliases of the Doctor|Full List of Aliases]]
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| |race= [[Gallifreyan]] ([[Time Lord]])
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| |home planet= [[Gallifrey]]
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| |appearances= [[The Doctor - List of Appearances|Full List of Appearances]]
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| |mentions= [[KAC]]: ''[[A Girl's Best Friend]]''<br />[[TW]]: ''[[Everything Changes]]'' (indirect)<br />[[TW]]: ''[[End of Days]]'' (indirect)<br />[[TW]]: ''[[Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang]]'' (indirect)<br />[[TW]]: ''[[Reset (TV story)|Reset]]'' (indirect)<br />[[TW]]: ''[[Fragments]]''<br />[[TW]]: ''[[Children of Earth: Day Four]]''<br />[[TW]]: ''[[Children of Earth: Day Five]]''<br />[[TW]]: ''[[Immortal Sins]]''<br />[[TW]]: ''[[The Blood Line]]''<br />[[SJA]]: ''[[Invasion of the Bane]]''<br />[[SJA]]: ''[[Revenge of the Slitheen]]'' (indirect)<br />[[SJA]]: ''[[The Last Sontaran]]''<br />[[SJA]]: ''[[The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith]]''<br />[[SJA]]: ''[[The Eternity Trap]]''<br />[[SJA]]: ''[[Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith]]''<br />[[SJA]]: ''[[Sky (TV story)|Sky]]''<br />[[K9TV]]: ''[[The Bounty Hunter]]'' (possible reference)
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| |actor= <ul><li>[[William Hartnell]]</li><li>[[Patrick Troughton]]</li><li>[[Jon Pertwee]]</li><li>[[Tom Baker]]</li><li>[[Peter Davison]]</li><li>[[Richard Hurndall]]<li>[[Colin Baker]]</li><li>[[Sylvester McCoy]]</li><li>[[Paul McGann]]</li><li>[[Christopher Eccleston]]</li><li>[[David Tennant]]</li><li>[[Matt Smith]]</li></ul>}}
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| {{doctors}}
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| '''"The Doctor"''' is the alias adopted by a [[renegade Time Lord]] from [[Gallifrey]] who journeys through [[time]] and [[space]] with various [[companion]]s in [[The Doctor's TARDIS|his obsolete and stolen Type 40 TARDIS]].
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| Though largely a believer in [[Pacifism|non-violent]] conflict resolution, he was also, on occasion, a great warrior. Indeed, [[Gamma Forest|some]] civilisations in the [[universe]] translated the word ''doctor'' as ''warrior'', ([[DW]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War]]'') whilst others saw him as a compassionate benefactor, worthy of their admiration and assistance. ([[DW]]: ''[[Last of the Time Lords]]'', ''[[The Wedding of River Song]]'')
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| Numerous good deeds aside, however, he was indisputably responsible for billions of deaths, many of which arose from his conclusion to the [[Last Great Time War]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]'') He was virtually the only [[Time Lord]] survivor of that great conflict with the [[Dalek]]s, largely because it was he alone who ended it by obliterating both races. ([[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
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| From the latter years of his [[first Doctor|first incarnation]] onward, he had a pronounced affinity for [[Earth]] and the [[human]] race. After departing Gallifrey, he voluntarily chose to spend time on the planet ([[DW]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child]]'', [[BFA]]: ''[[Summer (audio story)|Summer]]'', ''[[The Haunting of Thomas Brewster]]'') and even owned [[Smithwood Manor|property in Kent]]. ([[DWM]]: ''[[Fellow Travellers]]'', [[PDA]]: ''[[Verdigris (novel)|Verdigris]]'', [[NA]]: ''[[Warlock (novel)|Warlock]]'', ''[[Warchild]]'', ''[[The Dying Days]]'', [[EDA]]: ''[[Mad Dogs and Englishmen]]'' and several others) Even before the destruction of [[Gallifrey]], the Doctor spent much more time on Earth than on his own homeworld.
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| == Name ==
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| The Doctor's true name remained unknown to all but a very few individuals, such as [[Samantha Jones]] and [[River Song]]. ([[EDA]]: ''[[Vanderdeken's Children]]'', [[DW]]: ''[[Forest of the Dead]]'') His real name was not used by the Time Lords, even in the formal setting of legal trials. ([[DW]]: ''[[The War Games]]'', ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'', ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'') The title "Doctor" was not undeserved as he ''did'' hold a doctorate of some sort ([[DW]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor]]''), had formally studied medicine on at least [[19th century]] [[Earth]], ([[DW]]: ''[[The Moonbase]]''), and frequently displayed detailed medical knowledge. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Ark]]'', ''[[Frontios (TV story)|Frontios]]'', ''[[The Empty Child]]'', ''[[New Earth (TV story)|New Earth]]'', ''[[The Time of Angels]]'', ''[[The Curse of the Black Spot]]'' and many others) At least some versions of his [[sonic screwdriver]] could perform medical scans. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Empty Child]]'', ''[[A Good Man Goes to War]]'')
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| The Doctor claimed to hold doctorates in at least medicine and cheesemaking. ([[DW]]: ''[[The God Complex]]'') According to [[Pompeii]]an [[soothsayer]]s, his name was written in the stars of the [[Medusa Cascade]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Fires of Pompeii]]'') Members of an unidentified race of pan-dimensional beings also knew the Doctor's real name at one point. ([[BBCR]]: ''[[The Last Voyage]]''). According to [[the Master]], he had assumed the name to reflect his constant need to make other people better. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Sound of Drums]]'')
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| In one story, he had taken the moniker after his first contact with [[human]]s. Colonists on the medical/penal colony of [[Iwa]] began calling him "Doctor" after his arrival. He failed to correct them. After they left the planet, "the Doctor" simply kept the name he had been given by the humans. ([[TN]]: ''[[Frayed]]'') [[River Song]] believed, however, that the Doctor had influenced the etymology of the noun ''doctor'', and was, in several languages, the original source of the word. ([[DW]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War]]'')
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| According to [[Dorium Maldovar]] and [[the Silence]], the oldest and most dangerous question in the universe was "Doctor Who?" The Doctor's true name was apparently the answer, but his need to hide it is unknown. Dorium claimed the Doctor had been running from the Question all his life, but why he had to flee from his own name is a mystery. According to the Silence, "Silence must fall when the Question is asked" but it is unknown what this meant. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song]]'') At some point River Song learned his name, but the Doctor claimed there was only one time he could ever reveal it. ([[DW]]: ''[[Forest of the Dead]]'')
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| :''For a longer discussion of the mystery of the Doctor's true name and of his other aliases, see [[Aliases of the Doctor]].''
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| == Age ==
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| The Doctor's age was a matter of great confusion, largely caused by his own statements. Immediately after his sixth [[regeneration]], his [[seventh Doctor|seventh self]] claimed to be 953. ([[DW]]: ''[[Time and the Rani]]'') The [[Tenth Doctor]] later claimed to be 903. ([[DW]]: ''[[Voyage of the Damned]]''), and, at least prior to leaving [[Amy Pond|Amy]] and [[Rory Williams|Rory]] behind, ([[DW]]: ''[[The God Complex]]'') the [[Eleventh Doctor]] maintained an age less than his seventh incarnation. ([[DW]]: ''[[Flesh and Stone]]'', ''[[The Impossible Astronaut]]'')
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| [[Romana I]] once caught him "rounding down" his age, ([[DW]]: ''[[The Ribos Operation]]'') while the [[Eighth Doctor]] once flatly admitted that he didn't necessarily use the same definition of the word ''year'' each time he gave his age to someone. ([[BFA]]: ''[[Orbis (audio story)|Orbis]]'')
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| :''A [[The Doctor's age|more detailed discussion of this topic]] is available.''
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| == Family ==
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| ==== Before the Time War ====
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| The Doctor's familial relations were at best unclear. According to one account, the Doctor was one of the forty-five cousins created by the [[Loom]] of the [[House of Lungbarrow]] on Gallifrey. When the House disowned him, he said he had "other families." ([[NA]]: ''[[Lungbarrow]]'') However, the [[Eighth Doctor]] once let it be understood that he was born to a human mother. ([[DW]]: [[Doctor Who (1996)|''Doctor Who'']]) Later, the [[Tenth Doctor]] appeared to be serious when he told [[Martha Jones]] he had once had a brother ([[DW]]: ''[[Smith and Jones]]'') — an impossible relationship if all Time Lords were "[[Loom]]ed" rather than born biologically.
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| According to some sources, the Doctor's father was a renegade Time Lord named [[Daniel Joyce|Ulysses]]. His mother was a human from the late [[19th century]], [[Penelope Gate]]. ([[PDA]]: ''[[The Infinity Doctors]]'', [[EDA]]: ''[[The Gallifrey Chronicles]]'')
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| The Eighth Doctor told [[Grace Holloway]] he had a father. ([[DW]]: [[Doctor Who (1996)|''Doctor Who'']]) The [[Tenth Doctor]] told [[Sally Sparrow]] he had had several weddings, ([[DW]]: ''[[Blink]]'') and [[Ood Sigma]] that one of them was to [[Elizabeth I]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'') An earlier incarnation had also been wed, ([[MA]]: ''[[Cold Fusion]]'') probably to [[Patience]]. ([[PDA]]: ''[[The Infinity Doctors]]'') One brother was [[Irving Braxiatel]] ([[BNA]]: ''[[Tears of the Oracle]]''). The Doctor had more than one child. ([[DW]]: ''[[Fear Her]]'', ''[[The Doctor's Daughter]]'') These children were "sons or daughters, or both." ([[PDA]]: ''[[The Eleventh Tiger]]'')
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| He had a granddaughter, Susan Foreman and two other grandchildren, [[John and Gillian]]. ([[TVC]]: ''[[The Klepton Parasites]]'')
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| At one point, the Doctor became the adoptive father of a female Time Lord named [[Miranda Dawkins]], whom his [[Eighth Doctor|eighth incarnation]] reared until her mid-teens. ([[EDA]]: ''[[Father Time (novel)|Father Time]]'') Miranda later gave birth to a daughter, [[Zezanne]], and died while trying to protect the Doctor ([[EDA]]: ''[[Sometime Never...]]'').
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| The Doctor also had a great-grandson named [[Alex Campbell|Alex]], the son of Susan and [[David Campbell]]. ([[BFA]]: ''[[An Earthly Child]]'') He went on several adventures with the [[Eighth Doctor]] and backpacked around the [[Earth]] with [[Lucie Miller]]. ([[BFA]]: ''[[Lucie Miller]]') Susan and David also had adopted children, [[Barbara Campbell|Barbara]], [[Ian Campbell|Ian]] and [[David Campbell Junior|David]] ([[EDA]]: ''[[Legacy of the Daleks]]'') —meaning that the Doctor was an adoptive great-grandfather as well as a biological one. ''
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| All of these family members were believed lost to the [[Ninth Doctor]], along with the rest of his race. ([[DW]]: ''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]'') Most were likely exterminated at his own hand at the conclusion of the [[Last Great Time War]], though some had died, or at least gone missing, earlier. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Tomb of the Cybermen]]'', ''[[The Curse of Fenric]]''; [[BFA]]: ''[[To the Death]]'')
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| ==== After the Time War ====
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| Genetic material from the Doctor in his tenth incarnation was used to create a daughter, [[Jenny (The Doctor's Daughter)|Jenny]]. Although initially spurning her, he soon considered Jenny his daughter and invited her to travel with him in the TARDIS. Before she could join him, however, she was shot. The Doctor believed Jenny to have died, although unknown to him, she underwent a partial regeneration after his departure and survived, at which point she set out on her own life of adventure. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Doctor's Daughter]]'')
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| When the Earth was relocated to the [[Medusa Cascade]], a [[Meta-Crisis Tenth Doctor|clone of the Doctor]] was created; this clone later was exiled by the Doctor to [[Pete's World]]. Technically, the clone can be considered a relative of the Doctor's. Also, [[Sarah Jane Smith]] referred to the Doctor's companions as his family saying, "You act like such a lonely man, but you've got the biggest family on Earth!" ([[DW]]: ''[[Journey's End]]'')
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| The [[Eleventh Doctor]] married [[River Song]], making [[Amy Pond]] and [[Rory Williams]] his mother- and father-in-law. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song]]'')
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| === Marriages ===
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| During an encounter with [[Ood Sigma]], the [[Tenth Doctor]] claimed to have married 'Good Queen Bess', or [[Elizabeth I]], a decision that didn't end well and led to her declaring him an enemy ([[DW]]: ''[[The Shakespeare Code]]'', ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'', ''[[The Beast Below]]''). This does not appear to be the Doctor's only marriage, as he remarked to [[Sally Sparrow]] about being "rubbish at weddings, especially my own." ([[DW]]: ''[[Blink]]'') In his [[Eleventh Doctor|eleventh incarnation]], the Doctor accidentally became engaged to [[Marilyn Monroe]], and married her the same night in what he later claimed was not a real chapel. ([[DW]]: ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]]'')
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| It was hinted throughout the appearances of [[River Song]] that she and the Doctor had a physical relationship somewhere in her past and his future relative to the Eleventh Doctor's encounter with [[the Silence]] in [[Florida]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[Silence in the Library]]'' / ''[[Forest of the Dead]]'', ''[[The Time of Angels]]'' / ''[[Flesh and Stone]]'', ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'' / ''[[The Big Bang]]'', ''[[Day of the Moon]]'')
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| A [[Tesselecta]] version of him married her in an alternate timeline shortly before his "death". Later in their individual timelines, they spoke as if they considered themselves husband and wife. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song]]'')
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| == Languages ==
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| The Doctor spoke five billion languages, ([[DW]]: ''[[The Parting of the Ways]]'') though he was likely assisted by the TARDIS' telepathic [[translation circuit]]s. His native language was probably [[Gallifreyan (language)|Modern Gallifreyan]], but he seemed to prefer speaking British English, ([[DW]]: ''[[The Mind Robber]]'') always with an accent that on Earth was similar to accents used in the British Isles. ([[DW]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child]]'', ''[[The Power of the Daleks]]'', ''[[Spearhead from Space]]'', ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'', ''[[Castrovalva (TV story)|Castrovalva]]'', ''et al''.) This accent changed from incarnation to incarnation. For example, the Doctor's [[Seventh Doctor|seventh incarnation]] spoke with an accent similar to one used in [[Scotland]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[Time and the Rani]]'') Both [[Rose Tyler]] and [[Harriet Jones]] noted the accent of his [[Ninth Doctor|ninth self]] sounded like it came from "the north" or was "a northern accent", referring to the north of England. ([[DW]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'', ''[[World War Three]]'') [[American]] [[Grace Holloway]] once told a [[San Francisco|San Franciscan]] [[police]]man that the [[Eighth Doctor]] was "[[English]]". ([[DW]]: ''[[Doctor Who (1996)|Doctor Who]]'')
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| He could read and write [[Gallifreyan (language)|Old High Gallifreyan]], ([[DW]]: ''[[The Time of Angels]]'') an unusual skill even among Time Lords. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Five Doctors]]'') He spoke the language of the [[Judoon]], ([[DW]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth]]'') [[Delphon]] (a language "spoken" using only eyebrow movements), ([[DW]]: ''[[Spearhead from Space]]'') several [[China|Chinese]] languages, ([[DW]]: ''[[The Mind of Evil]]'', ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'') Ancient Martian, ([[DW]]: ''[[The Waters of Mars]]'') [[Tritovore]], ([[DW]]: ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'') and either [[Celtic]] or [[Wales|Welsh]], ([[DW]]: ''[[The Fires of Pompeii]]'') and knew at least some [[Sycoraxic]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'') He did not seem to understand [[France|French]] in his [[Second Doctor|second incarnation]], ([[DW]]: ''[[The War Games]]'') but later became fluent in it across several periods of French history. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Girl in the Fireplace]]'') He also spoke "[[baby (language)|baby]]" ([[DW]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War]]'', ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]])'' and "[[cat]]". ([[DW]]: ''[[The Lodger (TV story)|The Lodger]]'')
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| == Connections with Earth ==
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| Although the Doctor visited many worlds, the planet Earth was the one for which he had the closest affinity. He displayed immense knowledge of and interest in Earth history. He was either an observer of or an active participant in countless major events in its history. ([[DW]]: ''[[Marco Polo (TV story)|Marco Polo]]'', ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'', ''[[The Crusade]]'', ''[[The Romans]]'', ''[[The Time Meddler]]'', et al.) As noted earlier, he found himself exiled to Earth during his third incarnation, very much against his wishes. In this time he worked with [[UNIT]] and later was a good friend to former colleagues such as [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]], [[John Benton|Sergeant Benton]], [[Mike Yates]], [[Liz Shaw]], [[Jo Grant]], [[Sarah Jane Smith]] and [[Harry Sullivan]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[Spearhead from Space]]'', ''[[Terror of the Autons]]'', ''[[The Ark in Space]]'')
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| He seemed to particularly like [[Great Britain]]. When [[Angus Goodman]] asked him if he was British, he replied he wasn't, but thanked Gus for the compliment. ([[DWM]]: ''[[4-Dimensional Vistas]]'') He considered himself British soon after his regeneration into his [[Eighth Doctor|eighth incarnation]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[Doctor Who (1996)|Doctor Who]]'') Toward the end of his [[Tenth Doctor|tenth incarnation]], when asked if he "was British or something", the Doctor responded that he was "something". ([[DW]]: ''[[Dreamland (TV story)|Dreamland]]'')
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| His incarnations spoke in accents based upon different regions of the United Kingdom, most notably his [[Seventh Doctor|seventh incarnation]] (who had a [[Scotland|Scottish]] accent) and his ninth, whose accent resembled that of the north of England - though he tried to pass it off by claiming "lots of planets have a North!" ([[DW]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'') His [[Tenth Doctor|tenth incarnation]] once adopted a convincing Scottish accent as part of a disguise, ([[DW]]: ''[[Tooth and Claw (TV story)|Tooth and Claw]]'') though he was also known to briefly adopt an American one ([[DW]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'', ''[[Dreamland (TV story)|Dreamland]]'')
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| The vast majority of the Doctor's known companions were humans hailing from various points in the planet's history, with a strong bias towards the [[20th century|20th]] and [[21st century|21st centuries]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child]]'', ''[[The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve]]'', ''[[The War Machines]]'', ''[[The Wheel in Space]]'', ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'', ''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]'', ''[[School Reunion]]'', et al.) His [[Ninth Doctor|ninth]] and [[Tenth Doctor|tenth incarnations]] developed a network of friends and former companions at one point referred to as the Doctor's Secret Army or the [[Children of Time]]. Thanks to their knowledge of him, they were able to summon him at a time of desperate need when he was unable to find Earth. This allowed him to arrive to save the day with his companion of the moment, [[Donna Noble]]. This threat, [[Davros|Davros']] [[New Dalek Empire]], required the combined power of the Doctor and all of the companions and friends of his Secret Army to defeat. Among them were [[Sarah Jane Smith]] (who referred to his companions as his family), her computer [[Mr Smith]], her robotic dog [[K9 Mark IV|K9]], and her son [[Luke Smith]]; [[Captain Jack Harkness]] and his [[Torchwood Three|Torchwood team]]; [[Harriet Jones]] (who sacrificed herself to help summon him); Donna Noble, [[Sylvia Noble|her mother]], and [[Wilfred Mott|grandfather]] who helped summon the Doctor; [[Martha Jones]] who was given a job at [[UNIT]] after she left the Doctor; [[Mickey Smith]], who had briefly travelled with him; and [[Rose Tyler]] and [[Jackie Tyler|her mother Jackie]] who showed up to help from [[Pete's World]] (the parallel world they were living on). Also, [[Meta-Crisis Tenth Doctor|a clone of the Doctor]] was created that played a role in this crisis, but was left behind on Pete's World with Rose to live out a normal, human life. ([[DW]]: ''[[School Reunion]]'', ''[[Rise of the Cybermen]]'' / ''[[The Age of Steel]]'', ''[[Doomsday]]'', ''[[The Stolen Earth]]'' / ''[[Journey's End]]'', [[TW]]: ''[[Reset (TV story)|Reset]]'')
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| The general populace of Earth remained oblivious to the Doctor's ongoing efforts to protect the planet, and unaware of his existence. There were exceptions to this, however. During the [[Sycorax]] invasion, Prime Minister [[Harriet Jones]] made a public appeal over the UK airwaves for the Doctor to intervene. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'') The [[Tenth Doctor]] appeared on international television to light the Olympic flame at the 2012 London Games, though he was never identified. ([[DW]]: ''[[Fear Her]]'') By the early 21st century, the Doctor had also become something of a cult figure, with at least one group, [[LINDA]], following his exploits, ([[DW]]: ''[[Love & Monsters]]'', ''[[Time Crash]]'') and conspiracy theorists dedicating websites to solving the "Who is the Doctor?" mystery. ([[DW]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'', ''[[World War Three]]'', et al) At some time after [[2059]], due to the Doctor altering history, a media website ran a story about "The Mythical Doctor" and his involvement in the [[Bowie Base One]] incident on [[Mars]] and his rescue of two of its crewmembers. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Waters of Mars]]'')
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| Perhaps the widest knowledge of the Doctor came during the [[The Year That Never Was]], when [[Martha Jones]] travelled around Earth, spreading tales of the Doctor and generating a groundswell of faith in him that facilitated the defeat of [[the Master]]; this timeline, however, was ultimately negated and forgotten by all but a few individuals. ([[DW]]: ''[[Last of the Time Lords]]'')
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| The Doctor established friendships with many well-known humans throughout history, including: [[William Shakespeare]], for whom he transcribed the first folio of ''[[Hamlet]]'' ([[DW]]: ''[[City of Death]]'') and shared an adventure; ([[DW]]: ''[[The Shakespeare Code]]'') [[Winston Churchill]]; ([[DW]]: ''[[Victory of the Daleks]]'') [[Frank Sinatra]]; ([[DW]]: ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]]'') [[Vincent Van Gogh]]; ([[DW]]: ''[[Vincent and the Doctor]]'') [[Mary Shelley]]; ([[BFA]]: ''[[The Company of Friends]]'')and Sir [[Isaac Newton]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Pirate Planet]]'') He was married to Marilyn Monroe and claimed to know the real [[Santa Claus]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]]'')
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| == Influence ==
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| The Doctor belonged to the [[Prydonian Chapter]], the most important chapter of Time Lord society. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'') He had a profound influence on many worlds and was written into their histories ([[DW]]: ''[[Forest of the Dead]]''); as a result, he has been the recipient of many honours including being made a noble of [[Draconia]] ([[DW]]: ''[[Frontier in Space]]'') and a knight of the [[British Empire]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[Tooth and Claw (TV story)|Tooth and Claw]]'')
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| Having broken the Time Lords' [[non-interference policy]], in his [[Second Doctor|second incarnation]] he was put on trial as a [[Renegade Time Lord|renegade]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The War Games]]'') Subsequently, for a time, he acted as agent of the Time Lords' [[Celestial Intervention Agency]] before the beginning of his sentence on [[20th century]] [[Earth]]. ([[PDA]]: ''[[Players (novel)|Players]]'', ''[[World Game]]'') Following his defeat of [[Omega]], which saved Gallifrey, he was granted a pardon and given his freedom. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Three Doctors]]'')
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| In his [[Fourth Doctor|fourth incarnation]], as part of a ploy to outwit invaders of Gallifrey, he was a candidate for the position of [[Lord President]] of the [[High Council]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Invasion of Time]]'') In his [[Fifth Doctor|fifth incarnation]], he was put on trial again for recklessness. ([[DWM]]: ''[[The Stockbridge Horror]]'') He was later given the title of Lord President by Councillor [[Flavia]], against his wishes. He pretended to accept the office but ran away in his [[the Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Five Doctors]]'') Prior to the Doctor's trial during his [[Sixth Doctor|sixth incarnation]], he was deposed in absentia and put on trial for breaking the non-interference policy and, later in the same trial, for [[genocide]]. The validity of the trial was called into question when it was discovered that it had been orchestrated by an evil future manifestation of the Doctor, [[the Valeyard]], and mooted. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'')
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| == Biographical summary ==
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| :''For more detailed biographical information see articles for individual incarnations. For information on the Doctor's earliest life, see [[First Doctor]].''
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| The Doctor left Gallifrey and became a hero who fought evil and injustice across the [[universe]] in violation of the Time Lords' [[non-interference policy]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The War Games]]'') Technically, he explored only with the intention of experiencing the wonders of the universe and having fun, but frequently became embroiled in machinations and crises that ended with him defeating the foe and saving the planet he was visiting. He travelled with many [[companion]]s, beginning with his granddaughter, [[Susan Foreman]], who also came from Gallifrey. ([[DW]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child]]'', ''[[The Sensorites]]'', ''[[Gridlock]]'')
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| Eventually, he was called to account for his crimes against the Time Lords during his second incarnation. His punishment was a forced regeneration and exile to Earth, as well as the loss of his knowledge of how to control the TARDIS. ([[DW]]: ''[[The War Games]]'') This knowledge was restored to him after he helped to defeat [[Omega]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Three Doctors]]'')
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| The Doctor fought in the Last Great Time War between the Time Lords and the [[Dalek]]s. He was ultimately responsible for ending the war, likely with the action which resulted in the obliteration of Gallifrey, as well as the supposed extinction of both races, apart from the Doctor himself. ([[DW]]: ''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]'') The Doctor defeated the Time Lords by sealing them in a Time Lock ([[IDW]]: ''[[Don't Step on the Grass]]''). They escaped with the help of [[the Master]], but the Doctor re-imprisoned them, along with the Master, within the Time Lock. ([[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
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| :''For details on the Last Great Time War and its survivors, see the separate [[Last Great Time War|article]].''
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| ==== The Doctor's incarnations ====
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| Through the power of [[regeneration]], the Doctor's personality and outer form greatly changed over time, although all his incarnations were essentially the same person. He continued to be a heroic figure, fighting the evils of the universe wherever he found them, even if his values and motives were often alien to humankind. So far, the Doctor is known to have had eleven incarnations: ([[DW]]: ''[[The Tenth Planet]]'', ''[[The Power of the Daleks]]'', ''[[The Five Doctors]]'', ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
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| * The '''[[First Doctor]]''' was an unreadable, guarded figure. This Doctor was often irascible. He was protective of young women who reminded him of his granddaughter, Susan. He was a brilliant, often short-tempered scientist and keen strategist.
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| * The '''[[Second Doctor]]''', in contrast to his preceding incarnation, was warm and wise. He was as surprised and frightened of alien menaces as those who faced them with him. He had a knack for manipulation and deception. He loved tootling on his recorder, and carried around a 500-year diary. He wore a big fur coat that dwarfed him, tying it closed with twine. He initially also wore a strange hat, but soon discarded it.
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| * The '''[[Third Doctor]]''' was more of a dashing figure than his predecessors, described by his first incarnation as a "dandy". ([[DW]]: ''[[The Three Doctors]]'') He had a penchant for inventing gadgets and was skilled at martial arts, particularly [[Venusian aikido]]. His initially difficult relationship with [[the Brigadier]] softened to an easy, mutual trust during his [[exile on Earth]]. His also displayed great affection for his female companions, particularly [[Jo Grant]] and [[Sarah Jane Smith]].
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| * The '''[[Fourth Doctor]]''' was more eccentric than his previous incarnations, and was the first incarnation to appear "young". Rarely without his very long [[The Doctor's scarf|scarf]], he travelled with several individuals. He always carried [[jelly baby|jelly babies]] in his pockets, using them as bluffs, gifts and distractions - and occasionally snacks. ([[DW]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'', ''[[The Face of Evil]]'', ''[[The Invisible Enemy]]'', ''[[The Ribos Operation]]'', ''[[Full Circle]]'', ''[[Logopolis (TV story)|Logopolis]]'') Although he retained his fondness for earth ([[DW]]: ''[[The Stones of Blood]]''), he ended his regular association with [[UNIT]] almost immediately upon his regeneration and only occasionally returned to the planet.
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| * The '''[[Fifth Doctor]]''' was fond of cricket and wearing a stick of celery on his lapel. This energetic, compassionate Doctor was nervous after a difficult regeneration, but like his previous incarnations, when he found himself in a corner, used improvisation as the best way out. He occasionally wore glasses, even though he didn't need them ([[DW]]: ''[[Time Crash]]'').
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| * The '''[[Sixth Doctor]]''' was a grandiose and eloquent incarnation. He sported a parti-coloured wardrobe that looked as if it were designed by [[Wikipedia:Christian Lacroix|Christian Lacroix]], often commented upon. His manic personality and acerbic wit could shade into moral passion. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Twin Dilemma]]'', ''[[Attack of the Cybermen]]'') He was also capable of violent action, more so than his predecessors. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Twin Dilemma]]'', ''[[The Two Doctors]]'')
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| * The '''[[Seventh Doctor]]''' had a voice touched by a [[Scottish]] burr. A keen strategist, scientist and, especially early in his incarnation, light hearted, this incarnation was a plotter of the highest order. Embracing the complexities of time travel and his ability to manipulate and plan for the future, he fully embraced his role of Time Lord, even if it meant risking alienating his companion. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Curse of Fenric]]'')
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| * The '''[[Eighth Doctor]]''' showed a romantic and sensitive side not displayed by previous Doctors. More morally flexible than his immediate predecessor, the Eighth Doctor suffered from bouts of amnesia, first after his regeneration and again after the first destruction of Gallifrey, following [[the War]] with [[the Enemy]]. Unlike other Doctors, the Eighth spent his travels crossing between parallel universes and amidst time paradoxes.
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| * The '''[[Ninth Doctor]]''' was a survivor of the Last Great Time War. He displayed much of the playfulness of his previous incarnations, but was emotionally and psychologically scarred by War and his role in it, which sometimes resulted in a detachment that was interpreted by some as being cruel. ([[DW]]: ''[[The End of the World (TV story)|The End of the World]]'', ''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]'')
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| * The '''[[Tenth Doctor]]''' had a manic personality. He had a fondness for [[human]] pop culture references. However, memories of the Time War were still something he lived with. While he had a bright, playful side, he was frequently ruthless. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'', ''[[Tooth and Claw (TV story)|Tooth and Claw]]'', ''[[School Reunion]]'') He also had a romantic side that resulted in him falling in love with one companion, though he was unable to express this himself, ([[DW]]: ''[[Journey's End]]'', et al) and experiencing romance on occasion, including with historic figures [[Madame de Pompadour]] ([[DW]]: ''[[The Girl in the Fireplace]]'') and [[Queen Elizabeth I]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
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| * The '''[[Eleventh Doctor]]''' was smug about his abilities and exhibited a renewed youthful enthusiasm for adventure. He had keen observational skills, an obsession with seeming trivia, and a calm personality which would quickly turn frantically angry and ruthless when events demanded. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour]]'', ''[[The Beast Below]]'') He frequently referred to himself as being old, showing his age on more than a few occasions. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Big Bang]]'', ''[[The Impossible Astronaut]]'', ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]'')
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| An interesting aspect of the Doctor's personality was that he occasionally expressed a personal liking for particular incarnations, though this opinion depended on the incarnation making the assessment. The Doctor's tenth incarnation expressed a deep fondness for his fifth incarnation. ([[DW]]: ''[[Time Crash]]'') The Fifth Doctor was disliked by his immediate successor, ([[DW]]: ''[[The Twin Dilemma]]'') though this may have been due to his particularly traumatic regeneration. In another instance, the fourth made reference to the third, saying, "Some people liked it, but I prefer this one." ([[DW]]: ''[[The Brain of Morbius]]'') Immediately before his tenth regeneration, the Tenth Doctor stated, "I don't want to go". Immediately after his tenth regeneration, the Eleventh Doctor remarked upon his new nose, stating that "''I've had worse''" - probably a reference to his third incarnation, who was once described as a "long-shanked fellow with a mighty nose". ([[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]], [[The Time Warrior]]'')
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| ==== Regeneration ====
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| Due to the unique structure of Time Lord biology the Doctor had the ability to regenerate, to "cheat death". ([[DW]]: ''[[The Parting of the Ways]]'') A Time Lord was usually limited to twelve regenerations, making the "thirteenth Doctor" the last. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'', ''[[Doctor Who (1996)|Doctor Who]]'') Later, however, the Eleventh Doctor stated that he could change his appearance five hundred seven times. ([[SJA]]: ''[[Death of the Doctor]]'') It is unknown if this is something which had changed or if the Doctor was simply being sarcastic. The High Council of the Time Lords could influence regenerations, treating them as punishment ([[DW]]: ''[[The War Games]]'') and reward. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Five Doctors]]'', ''[[Utopia (TV story)|Utopia]]'') At least twice, enemies coveted the Doctor's future regenerations and tried to take them for their own. ([[Mawdryn]] in [[DW]]: ''[[Mawdryn Undead]]'' and [[the Master]] in ''[[Doctor Who (1996)|the 1996 TV movie]])''
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| The Doctor is known to have regenerated ten times, for a total of eleven incarnations. At one point during his life, the Tenth Doctor, following an attack by a Dalek, began to regenerate, but cancelled this by channelling the energy into [[The Doctor's hand|his severed hand]]; whether this counted as a full regeneration is unknown, though in his next incarnation the Doctor explicitly considered himself the eleventh. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Lodger (TV story)|The Lodger]]'')
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| The exact circumstances surrounding the Doctor's regenerations are known with the exception of his eighth. An event that occurred in one chronicle ([[DW]]: ''[[The Brain of Morbius]]'') implied the Doctor may have had more incarnations, but during a later incident during the Doctor's fifth incarnation, when asked by the First Doctor what regeneration he was up to, the Fifth Doctor answered, "Fourth," leading his first incarnation to exclaim, "Good heavens, so there are five of me now!" ([[DW]]: ''[[The Five Doctors]]'') As mentioned above, the Eleventh Doctor referred to himself directly as the eleventh on several occasions.
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| Further confusing the issue, the Eleventh Doctor not only died, but did so while his remaining regenerations were disabled. He was revived by [[Melody Pond]], who used her own remaining regenerations, so it is unclear not only if the Doctor was even capable of further regeneration, but also how many he had left. ([[DW]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler]]'')
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| The effect of regeneration on the Doctor in the time immediately following the event varied from incarnation to incarnation. In some cases the Doctor regained his faculties quickly, erratic behaviour notwithstanding. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Power of the Daleks]]'', ''[[The Twin Dilemma]]'', ''[[The Eleventh Hour]]'') On one occasion when the regenerative process was postponed for a long time, he was rendered amnesiac. ([[DW]]: ''[[Doctor Who (1996)|Doctor Who]]'') In most cases the Doctor was incapacitated for a period of time before ultimately recovering. ([[DW]]: ''[[Spearhead from Space]]'', ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'', ''[[Castrovalva (TV story)|Castrovalva]]'', ''[[Time and the Rani]]'', ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'') There was also a unique case where the Doctor (through will or the nature of his injury) was able to delay regeneration from setting in for an extended period of time - long enough to visit all of his past companions - though the resulting energy release was catastrophic for the TARDIS. ([[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]''; [[SJA]]: ''[[Death of the Doctor]]'')
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| ===== Causes =====
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| Details were known only about the cause of ten of the Doctor's full regenerative cycles, and a couple of "near-misses".
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| * '''First Doctor:''' Weakened by [[Mondas]] as it drained [[Earth|Earth's]] energy, succumbing to old age. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Tenth Planet]]'')
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| * '''Second Doctor:''' Forced upon him by the [[Time Lord]]s, as part of his punishment for breaking the [[Laws of Time]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The War Games]]'')
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| * '''Third Doctor:''' [[Radiation]] poisoning from the [[Great One|Great One's]] web of [[Metebelis crystal]]s. ([[DW]]: ''[[Planet of the Spiders]]'')
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| * '''Fourth Doctor:''' Plummeted from the [[Pharos Project]] radio telescope. ([[DW]]: ''[[Logopolis (TV story)|Logopolis]]'')
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| * '''Fifth Doctor:''' Exposure to unrefined [[Spectrox]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Caves of Androzani]]'')
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| * '''Sixth Doctor:''' Injured in [[The Rani|the Rani's]] crash-landing of [[the Doctor's TARDIS|his TARDIS]] after being weakened from his battle with the [[Lamprey]]. ([[PDA]]: ''[[Spiral Scratch]]'', [[DW]]: ''[[Time and the Rani]]'')
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| * '''Seventh Doctor:''' Caught in crossfire in a gang war, with subsequent heart surgery ending his life. ([[DW]]: ''[[Doctor Who (1996)|Doctor Who]]'')
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| * '''Eighth Doctor:''' Unknown causes, but ostensibly had to do with the [[Last Great Time War]]. ([[IDW]]: ''[[The Forgotten]]'')
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| * '''Ninth Doctor:''' Removed the [[Time Vortex]]'s energy from [[Rose Tyler]], channelling it back into the [[heart of the TARDIS]]. His brief possession ruined his cellular structure. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Parting of the Ways]]'')
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| * '''Tenth Doctor:''' Absorbed the radiation from a vented nuclear bolt supply in order to spare [[Wilfred Mott]] from it. ([[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
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| In addition, the Eleventh Doctor was seen apparently beginning regeneration after being shot by [[River Song|the astronaut]] just prior to his death, ([[DW]]: ''[[The Impossible Astronaut]]'') but it was later learned this was the [[Teselecta]] impersonating him and simulating regeneration with the real, miniaturised Doctor inside. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song]]'')
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| The [[Tenth Doctor]] also had a brush with regeneration. He began, but did not finish, a genuine regenerative cycle after being shot by a [[Dalek]]. He used the regeneration to heal himself, but then siphoned off the rest of the cycle into [[the Doctor's hand|his extra hand]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth]]''/''[[Journey's End]]'')
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| == Behind the scenes ==
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| === "Doctor Who" ===
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| The use of the name "Doctor Who" when referring to the Doctor is disapproved of by most fans. Despite this, the ending credits for [[Doctor Who|the series]] gave his name as "Doctor Who" or "Dr. Who", from 1963 until 1980, when new [[producer]] [[John Nathan-Turner]] changed this policy, making his name in the end credits "the Doctor". This remained in place through the end of the original series in 1989. [[Executive Producer]] [[Russell T Davies]] used "Doctor Who" when the series returned in 2005, but [[Tenth Doctor]] actor [[David Tennant]] asked to change it back to "the Doctor" beginning in 2006. This tradition has continued into the [[Matt Smith]] era.
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| Throughout the franchise's history it has been common for media and cast members to refer to the character as "Dr. Who".
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| In the series, only one character, [[WOTAN]] in [[1966]]'s ''[[The War Machines]]'', has ever directly referred to him by this name. In the [[2005]] episode ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'', a website called "Who is Doctor Who?" is introduced, though the name is presented as a question put forward by a conspiracy theorist and no one actually uses the name in dialogue. A line of dialogue written for [[DW]]: ''[[The Empty Child]]'', but cut, would have had the Doctor himself use the name as part of a joke involving ''[[Star Trek]]'' (after being hailed as "Mr. Spock" by Rose, the Doctor was to have muttered, "I'd rather be Doctor Who than Star Trek").
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| Other media, [[1960s]] and early [[1970s]] [[Doctor Who annual|''Doctor Who'' annuals]], comics and [[Target Books]] (most notably the ''[[Doctor Who and the Zarbi]]'', not technically a Target Books novelisation, but reprinted by them) have called the Doctor "Doctor Who". Even then, dialogue between characters usually referred to him as "the Doctor".
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| :''Further in-universe references are considered at [[the "Doctor Who?" running joke]].''
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| === Casting ===
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| As of [[2011]], every actor to portray the Doctor has been male, white, and born in the [[United Kingdom]]. Despite the fact that the Doctor is not a native of Britain, or of Earth for that matter, every actor to play him so far has had a British accent, much in the way most aliens in the [[Star Trek]] franchise tend to speak with an American accent. The type of British accent has varied from one incarnation to the next. The earliest incarnations used RP, whereas more recent incarnations have had Estuary accents. The [[Ninth Doctor]] was unique in that he had a Northern accent, causing Rose to ask why an alien would have a Northern accent, to which he replied "Lots of planets have a north." ([[DW]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'') In recent years there has been speculation over whether Time Lords might be able to change races or even sexes when regenerating. While the former idea was first postulated by [[Tom Baker]] and never taken seriously, during the recent casting for the [[Eleventh Doctor]], at least one black actor ([[Paterson Joseph]]) was considered a leading contender ([http://www.tv.com/a-chat-with-paterson-joseph-survivors/webnews/38014.html "A Chat with Paterson Joseph"] on TV.com). Actors from the United States and Canada, (in one case Australia) have been rumoured as contenders for the role over the years. Actors considered for the role have varied widely in age, from their twenties to sixties. To date the oldest actor to be cast as the Doctor has been [[William Hartnell]], who was 55; the youngest has been [[Matt Smith]], who was 26 when cast. [[Jon Pertwee]] was 77 when he made his final official performance as the Doctor in a BBC Radio serial, making him the oldest actor to play the part in an officially licensed capacity until he was overtaken by [[Tom Baker]], who is presently continuing recording a series of Doctor Who audio dramas, aged 79. [[Peter Davison]], [[Colin Baker]], [[Sylvester McCoy]] and [[Paul McGann]], all in their fifties or sixties, continue to portray the Doctor in licensed audio dramas produced by [[Big Finish Productions]], with McGann also appearing in audio dramas produced by Big Finish for broadcast on BBC7 radio.
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| === Analogous characters ===
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| :''See [[Doctor Who pastiches#Pastiches of the Doctor|Pastiches of the Doctor]]''
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| == External links ==
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| * {{Imdb name|id=0009587|name=The Doctor}}
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| * [[Wikipedia:The Doctor (Doctor Who)|Original Wikipedia article]]
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| * [http://www.whoniverse.org/biography/gallifrey.php Detailed Biography of the Doctor]
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| * [[w:c:marvel:The Doctor (Earth-5556)|The Doctor]] at the [[w:c:marvel|Marvel Database]]
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| [[Category:Renegade Time Lords]] | | [[Category:Renegade Time Lords]] |
