On April 23, 1963, Canadian-born Sydney Newman had been recruited to produce ideas for an upcoming tv pilot. Two months later, the BBC British Broadcasting Company) also recruited David Whitaker to create Doctor Who, a new concept in science fiction. On September 27, the great 55 year old, William Hartnell was chosen for the main role of the Doctor. His companions were, Susan( Carole Ann Ford), Ian (William Russell), and Barbara (played by the late Jacqueline Hill). On October 4, the pilot was screened by its creators, Sydney Newman and Donald Wilson. On its broadcast date, Doctor Who was overshadowed by the assassination of President Kennedy, but was rebroadcast on November 30 becoming the hit it was destined to be for 26 years!
On October 8, 1966,after playing the part of the Doctor for 3 years, William Hartnell left the show due to poor health. The concept of regeneration was introduced in Hartnell's final episode and the show continued with Patrick Troughton in Hartnell's place. Patrick had the role of the Doctor for 3 years as well, before turning it over to Jon Pertwee, we learned the Doctor was a Timelord who ran away from his hum drum life on Gallifrey. Jon Pertwee played the Doctor exiled to Earth with the TARDIS no functional for several years. After several years the Doctor was freed from earth and set about the universe again but not without showing the viewers a James Bond type Doctor who worked with UNIT(United Nations Intelligence Taskforce). After 5 years the role of the Doctor was turned over to Tom Baker. Tom is the Doctor most fans are familiar with, but since he had the role the longest(7 years and one month!) it's easy to see why thats so. Tom left the role and Peter Davidson came in 1981. Peter is the youngest of the actors to portray the Doctor. In 1984 Peter released the role to Colin Baker. But unfortunately, in 1986 the BBC fired Colin from his role, turning the character over to Sylvester McCoy. Sylvester stayed with the role until 1989 when the BBC pulled the plug on Doctor Who.
The Doctor didn't end there though, Virgin Books began a Doctor Who: The New Adventures line of novels with Seventh Doctor still roaming the universe. The books proved so popular they began a Missing Adventures line of novels for the earlier Doctor's. One New Adventure Novel(Blood Harvest) crossed over into a Missing Adventures novel(Goth Opera with the 5th Doctor)that launched the Missing adventures line. The Doctor Who novel line is now under the control of BBC Books, but a companion created for the 7th Doctors' stories(Bernice "Benny" Summerfield) continues at Big Finish Books. There are audio dramas of the Doctors, his foes and more out from BBV and there are many videoes out that have used the actors of Doctor Who in the same vein as their old role and beyond! Panini publishes a monthly Doctor Who magazine that has been around for atleast 20 years!!
In 1996, in a joint venture between the BBC and Fox Television in America, the Doctor returned as a new Doctor, played by Paul McGann(but not before Sylvester McCoy was in the movie to regenerate). The movie didn't jumpstart a new tv series, but McGann did return to the role of the Doctor for Big Finish with season 3 of the audios just coming out.
While its a while off yet there is the beginnings of a new Doctor Who tv series starting in 2005, Christopher has been assigned the role of the Doctor yet.And there there is an animated Doctor Who story on the BBC website, the Scream of Shalka, with the Doctor being voiced by Richard E. Grant.
There is 13 new stories coming with a Ninth Doctor, the original Doctors'in various mediums are still coming out in novels, in audios and comics, the Doctor and his trusty TARDIS roams the universe, always ready to be devoured by us fans.
