Doctor Who is one of Britain’s longest running television series. The science-fiction show first premiered on BBC in 1963. The original series ran for 33 years, ending with a movie in 1996. The BBC later produced a revival series, which has been running since 2005.
Doctor Who follows the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called ‘the Doctor’. The Doctor is a Time Lord who ran away from their home, Gallifrey, in a stolen TARDIS. A TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension(s) in Space) is a time travelling spaceship, which appears in the shape of a British police box. The Doctor (often accompanied by a companion) travels through the universe to save lives and battle nefarious foes.
These are the actors who have starred as the Doctor, in chronological order of appearance:
Original Series
- First Doctor: William Hartness (season 1 - 4, 1963 - 1966)
- Second Doctor: Patrick Troughton (season 4 - 6 & 22, 1966 - 1969)
- Third Doctor: John Pertwee (season 7 - 11, 1970 - 1974)
- Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker (season 12 - 18, 1974 - 1981)
- Fifth Doctor: Peter Davidson (season 19 - 21, 1981 - 1984)
- Sixth Doctor: Colin Baker (season 21 - 23, 1984 - 1986)
- Seventh Doctor: Sylvester McCoy (season 24 - 26 & movie, 1987 - 1996)
- Eighth Doctor: Paul McGann (movie, 1996)
Revival Series
- Ninth Doctor: Christopher Eccleston (season 1, 2005)
- Tenth Doctor: David Tennant (season 2 - 4, 2005 - 2010)
- Eleventh Doctor: Matt Smith (season 5 - 7, 2010 - 2013)
- Twelfth Doctor: Peter Capaldi (season 8 - 10, 2013 - 2017)
- Thirteenth Doctor: Jodie Whittaker (season 10 - 13, 2017 - 2022)
- Fourteenth Doctor: Ncuti Gatwa (season 14 - 15, 2023 - present)
There have also been actors who guest starred as various incarnations of the Doctor, including John Hurt as the War Doctor and Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor.
Over the years, Doctor Who has become a core part of British pop culture. The series also has a cult following in a number of international markets. In addition to the television series, there have also been a number of television specials, movies, comic books and spin-off series, such as Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
In 2023, a historic deal between the BBC and Disney was made, as Disney handles international distribution. The show will still air on the BBC and BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, and the BBC maintains the rights to the intellectual property.
The list below includes where to watch series and movies in the Doctor Who universe chronologically. Our guide includes the latest streaming information across every popular service in the U.K.