History Analysis / DoctorWho

It has to be remembered that, during its most successful periods, the show has had a ''huge'' UK level of popularity, well above stereotypical "cult TV" or SF genre audiences. Current audience figures as of Peter Capaldi's tenure are regularly about 5 to 7 million an episode (with about 8 million for Christmas specials), often putting it within the top twenty broadcasts of the week, equivalent in US terms to something like 30 million viewers based on proportion of the population - some episodes from the classic series have clocked more than that, with "City of Death" getting an average of 14.5 million, although {{ITV}} was suffering from a strike at the time, and there were only three channels back then. It is beaten consistently in the UK only by {{Talent Show}}s and major sporting events (though "Journey's End" trounced Wimbledon), and often holds its own against {{Soap Opera}}s (though this wasn't the case in the waning days of the classic series in the late 1980s when it was constantly beaten by Series/CoronationStreet). It is probably the only non Talent Show or Soap Opera to regularly have spoilers (accurate or not) appear in the [[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers mass market tabloid press]].

The Doctor has been played by thirteen different actors in the TV series to date.[[labelnote:1]]That sound you heard was all the hardcore ''Who''-fans going "Actually..." Some of the more knowledgeable ones can tell you which Doctors were played by more than one actor.[[/labelnote]] That's them in the picture at the top of the main page, along with Thirteenth Doctor Creator/JodieWhittaker, who officially takes over from Twelfth Doctor Creator/PeterCapaldi in the 2017 Christmas Special.

Stands for ''Time And Relative Dimension In Space'' (but not [[AC:[[RecycledInSpace In Space!]]]])[[labelnote:2]]or, alternatively, Time And Relative ''Dimensions'' In Space[[/labelnote]] A combination CoolShip, LivingShip, SapientShip, [[AllegedCar Alleged Ship]], TimeMachine and BiggerOnTheInside (the trope-namer for that last one), who as well as having TimeTravel abilities and the power to traverse the universe, can do pretty much anything. In a subversion, while the TARDIS is a product of Time Lord über-tech, it was gradually revealed as old, obsolete, and barely functional. It's gotten worse since then--like the alien equivalent of a jalopy held together with duct tape--though it's still light years ahead of all other such technology currently known to exist. The [[MostWonderfulSound TARDIS dematerialisation noise]] is the distorted sound of a door key being scraped along the bass strings of a piano. This sound effect, dating back to the very first serial in the sixties, is still used as of today, and still gives millions an inevitable chill through their spines ''whenever'' they hear it.

It's most common for the Doctor to have one companion along at a time, though periods with two (standard formula for the First and Second Doctors, and briefly the Fourth Doctor) or even three companions (Susan, Barbara and Ian - or Nyssa, Tegan and Adric) are not unknown. Older Doctors usually referred to their companions as "friends" or "assistants"; recent Doctors, in a bit of AscendedFanon, tend to use "companion".

It's BiggerOnTheInside (to this day, nobody knows exactly ''how'' big other than "ridiculously huge") and has the exterior appearance (because the chameleon circuit broke in the first episode) of a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_box police box]][[labelnote:3]]The Doctor's tried to fix it a couple of times, but eventually gave up - the in-story reason being that they'd grown fond of the police box appearance[[/labelnote]]. That appearance has become so iconic of the show that when the BBC trademarked the TARDIS in 1996, the British police took them to court over it and ''lost!''

In anniversaries, the different regenerations will often meet, and sometimes outside of anniversaries. The records for most times returning are the First (''The Three Doctors'', ''The Five Doctors'', 2017 Christmas Special) and Second Doctors (''The Three Doctors'', ''The Five Doctors'', ''The Two Doctors'') in canon, and the Fifth Doctor overall (''The Five Doctors'', ''Dimensions in Time'', ''Time & Time Again'', ''Cold Fusion'', ''The Eight Doctors'', ''Happy Deathday'', ''The Sirens of Time'', ''Time Crash'', ''The Four Doctors'', ''The Light at the End'').

The Doctor detests Torchwood on general principle (the feeling is mutual--the Doctor is specifically named in Torchwood's charter as its first alien enemy known), though Captain Jack, former companion and leader of Torchwood 3 [[labelnote:5]]until ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'', when he takes command of a kind of resistance movement of the same name[[/labelnote]], has been doing his best to change the Doctor's mind. The Doctor's relations with UNIT are much more cordial--they've even ''worked'' for UNIT, as a scientific advisor, for much of their third incarnation and occasionally since then--though they have little patience with its bureaucracy, established procedures, and chains of command, just as they did with their own people's.

Those aspects of the show that would normally be set by the series creator--style, tone, mythology--are largely the province of (in the original series) the producer and script editor, or nowadays the ''showrunner'' who fills both roles, and who may or may not write episodes. Over its fifty years, the show has seen several producers and script editors, each of whom has left his or her mark for better or for worse. Moreso than individual Doctors (whose tenures usually featured more than one creative redirection), mentioning a particular producer or script editor is the most common shorthand for a particular tone or style of ''Doctor Who''. ''Every'' showrunner is, for ''some'' fan, [[ScapegoatCreator the one]] who ruined it forever. Possibly even Creator/VerityLambert and Creator/SydneyNewman, who co-''created'' the show.

The original theme recording was used, with various edits and mixes (including the introduction of an "electronic scream" at the beginning of the closing theme in the 1970s, a version of which has been used on all subsequent versions) until 1980, when a totally [[EvolvingMusic new recording]] was made by Radiophonic Workshop member Peter Howell. Subsequent remixes were provided by Dominic Glynn, Keff [=McCulloch=], John Debney (who arranged the theme for the American TV movie) and David Arnold (who arranged the theme for Big Finish's Eighth Doctor adventures). All of the themes since the show returned have been arranged by Murray Gold, with the first (Series 1-3) remixing the original recording with orchestral and electronic embellishments, and was extended for the start of Series 2 to include a tribute to the 'Middle Eight' section of the original theme. Another version was recorded for Series 4, this one with more of a rock-n-roll feel (electric guitar, bass and drumkit). This theme was remixed for the four specials that transitioned from Ten to Eleven with an orchestral backing. There's a rather different one for Series 5, featuring electronic instruments in a more central position as well as a strong brass sound at the beginning.

[[http://www.youtube.com/user/DarthJedi2005#g/c/13B12073A834A439 A playlist of all thirty-one (so far!) versions of the opening theme officially used as a title theme for the television show.]]

The TARDIS and the Doctor's recurring enemy the Daleks have become British cultural icons and it is fair to suggest that the overwhelming majority of Britons would instantly recognize both. It is, in fact, difficult to over-state the extent to which ''Doctor Who'', ostensibly a slightly daft children-oriented sci-fi show, has become a part of the British cultural landscape. It casts as much a shadow over British culture, as one Anthropology Professor put it, as ''Franchise/StarTrek'' casts over American culture; more so, in fact, as while acknowledged fans of ''Franchise/StarTrek'' are still rather consistently made fun of by mainstream culture, ''Doctor Who'' is beloved by Britons of all ages and demographics. Including, as it happens, [[UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen Her Majesty the Queen]].

!!"The Doctor"[[labelnote:?]]Not his real name. Hardly anyone knows his real name.[[/labelnote]]

The Doctor ([[IAmNotShazam not "Doctor Who"]]), a HumanAlien who [[TimeTravel travels through time]] and [[WalkingTheEarth space]]. He started off as an AntiHero (or even AntiVillain) but soon settled into the [[KnightErrant hero role]]. He usually (though not always) functions as the series' moral center.

One of the key abilities of the Doctor, which has helped the show's longevity to a huge degree, is his ability to "regenerate." When faced with imminent death, he transforms into a basically different person, with an entirely new appearance and altered personality -- but the same memories as the previous incarnation. These moments, of which eleven have actually been seen on screen so far (the Second Doctor regenerated off-screen), are usually as big and dramatic as they sound. This makes him the TropeNamer for TheNthDoctor.

The Doctor has been played by thirteen different actors in the TV series to date. [[labelnote:1]]That sound you heard was all the hardcore ''Who''-fans going "Actually..." Some of the more knowledgeable ones can tell you which Doctors were played by more than one actor.[[/labelnote]] That's them in the picture at the top of the main page.

The last Doctor of the first cycle, the eleventh incarnation, was played by Creator/MattSmith. This form's persona was of an eccentric scatter-brained old professor in a young man's body. After being granted a new regeneration cycle, he regenerated into the twelfth incarnation, played by Creator/PeterCapaldi, during the 2013 Christmas Special.

In anniversaries, the different regenerations will often meet, and sometimes outside of anniversaries. The records for most times returning are the Second Doctor in canon (''The Three Doctors'', ''The Five Doctors'', ''The Two Doctors'') and the Fifth Doctor overall (''The Five Doctors'', ''Dimensions in Time'', ''Time & Time Again'', ''Cold Fusion'', ''The Eight Doctors'', ''Happy Deathday'', ''The Sirens of Time'', ''Time Crash'', ''The Four Doctors'', ''The Light at the End'').

The importance of this device is that it's the Doctor's primary tool and that it is not a weapon, but something designed to mend or alter. This plays directly into his overall persona as a technical pacifist. The revival and its spinoffs have introduced a variety of other sonic devices used by the Doctor and/or others as well, such as Sarah Jane Smith's sonic lipstick and Captain Jack Harkness's sonic blaster. Series 9 featured sonic ''sunglasses'' for the Twelfth Doctor, which reflected his CharacterDevelopment into less of a GrumpyOldMan.

It's BiggerOnTheInside (to this day, nobody knows exactly ''how'' big other than "ridiculously huge") and has the exterior appearance (because the chameleon circuit broke in the first episode) of a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_box police box]][[labelnote:3]]The Doctor's tried to fix it a couple of times, but eventually gave up - the in-story reason being that he'd grown fond of the police box appearance[[/labelnote]]. That appearance has become so iconic of the show that when the BBC trademarked the TARDIS in 1996, the British police took them to court over it and ''lost!''

And, oh yes, the TARDIS is actually a living being who loves the Doctor, considers most of his companions strays, takes the Doctor where he is needed (whether he wants to go there or not) and answers to the name Sexy. How do we know this? In the episode "The Doctor's Wife", the Doctor is able to carry on a conversation with her for once.

The Doctor is rarely alone in his travels. For the purposes of {{Exposition}} and for [[AudienceSurrogate someone the audience can identify with]], he has had a large number of companions (''mostly'' non-romantic, though Fanfic disagrees). In the show's very early days, he just traveled with his granddaughter and two of her high school teachers--who, in the very first episode, he actually kidnapped in a HeKnowsTooMuch scenario. The idea was that the companions would be the "point-of-view" characters for the audience at home, in contrast to the mysterious, anti-heroic Doctor. Even as the Doctor became more identifiable and less of a curmudgeon, the companion remains the human element to tie him down, especially post-revival. They also give him someone to talk to. In ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E3TheDeadlyAssassin The Deadly Assassin]]'', the lone serial without a companion (other than ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E2MissionToTheUnknown Mission to the Unknown]]'', which didn't feature the Doctor) the writers found it difficult to explain what he was thinking. In-universe, he claims that he's "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E1TheEleventhHour lonely]]", while others have [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E9TheFamilyOfBlood surmised the same]] and that he "[[Recap/DoctorWho2006CSTheRunawayBride needs someone to stop him]]" from making drastic and, sometimes, awful decisions to rectify situations.

Companions are predominantly human, [[ParentService young, female, and attractive]]. In the early episodes there would also be a companion who was young, male, and heroic. Sometimes they are humanoid aliens, or, famously, a robot dog. They have joined and left the TARDIS for various reasons. The Doctor reserves the right to kick a companion out of the TARDIS for bad behaviour (''The Long Game'' is the only episode in which he has done it so far), or to take on a new companion even over the objections of present companions. Classic Series companions tended to have few or no ties to their homes (and often lose such ties, like in ''The Evil of the Daleks''), and--anniversary specials aside--did not cross paths with the Doctor after leaving the TARDIS[[labelnote:4]]unless the companion in question is Sarah Jane Smith, who did indeed return in the RTD era episode "School Reunion" and was a mite ticked about being ignored for thirty years[[/labelnote]]. Revival series companions don't divide their lives as neatly: They continue to interact with their families while away with the Doctor, and with the Doctor before.

Further on the topic of romance: Due to ''Doctor Who's'' origins as a children's series, the idea of romance between the Doctor and his companions often receives push-back from fans, even though hints have existed as early as 1973 when Jo Grant left the Third Doctor. It has become more overt in the modern era as companions such as Rose Tyler and Martha Jones unambiguously fall in love with the Doctor, with the Doctor fighting against returning the favour. Rose was the first companion to say the words "I love you" to the Doctor directly. River Song was the first companion established to not only marry the Doctor, and the first associate of his to indicate sexual relations with the Time Lord (though most of their relationship is not depicted onscreen). Most recently, the Doctor and Clara Oswald's relationship, which ended with Series 9 in 2015, pushed things to a new level -- their relationship was beyond platonic yet was not (as far as was seen on screen) sexual in any way, challenging current attitudes towards depiction of romance on television.

The Doctor detests Torchwood on general principle (the feeling is mutual--the Doctor is specifically named in Torchwood's charter as its first alien enemy known), though Captain Jack, former companion and leader of Torchwood 3 [[labelnote:5]]until ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'', when he takes command of a kind of resistance movement of the same name[[/labelnote]], has been doing his best to change the Doctor's mind. The Doctor's relations with UNIT are much more cordial--he's even ''worked'' for UNIT, as a scientific advisor, for much of his third incarnation and occasionally since then--though he has little patience with its bureaucracy, established procedures, and chains of command, just as he did with his own people's.

''Doctor Who'' serials vary wildly in its style and tone, depending on writers and executive producers. Serials and episodes range from comedic to gothic or nihilistic, and the ScienceFiction goes all over the place on MohsScaleOfSciFiHardness. Officially there have been 224 serials aired to date, counting season 24's ''The Trial of a Time Lord'' as one arc, and not counting the abandoned ''Shada''. Wiki/ThatOtherWiki has them all numbered at the bottom of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_(Doctor_Who) this page]]. Since the series returned in 2005 there have also been 5 canonical mini-episodes broadcast as of March 2011, each lasting no more than 8 minutes, aired as charity specials or during special events. Making matters even more confusing, BBC Radio has also produced or co-produced a number of audio-only ''Doctor Who'' serials since 1985.

The above number 224 does not include the 2 Comic Relief mini-episodes aired in March 2011, the Children in Need episodes aired in 2005 and 2007, and the mini-episode produced for the 2009 Doctor Who at the Proms concert special, or ''Shada''. If you count ''Shada'' and ''Trial of a Time Lord'' as four, this makes 228. The mini episodes are rarely counted - if spinoffs are included, that's probably the only time you'll see them.

The original theme recording was used, with various edits and mixes (including the introduction of an "electronic scream" at the beginning of the closing theme in the 1970s, a version of which has been used on all subsequent versions) until 1980, when a totally [[EvolvingMusic new recording]] was made by Radiophonic Workshop member Peter Howell. Subsequent remixes were provided by Dominic Glynn, Keff [=McCulloch=], John Debney, (who arranged the theme for the American TV movie) and David Arnold (who arranged the theme for Big Finish's Eighth Doctor adventures). All of the themes since the show returned have been arranged by Murray Gold, with the first (Series 1-3) remixing the original recording with orchestral and electronic embellishments, and was extended for the start of Series 2 to include a tribute to the 'Middle Eight' section of the original theme. Another version was recorded for Series 4, this one with more of a rock-n-roll feel (electric guitar, bass and drumkit). This theme was remixed for the four specials that transitioned from Ten to Eleven with an orchestral backing. There's a rather different one for Series 5, featuring electronic instruments in a more central position as well as a strong brass sound at the beginning.

It has to be remembered that, during its most successful periods, the show has had a ''huge'' UK level of popularity, well above stereotypical "cult TV" or SF genre audiences. Current audience figures are regularly about 7 to 8 million an episode (with about 10 million for Christmas specials), often putting it within the top twenty or even ten broadcasts of the week, equivalent in US terms to something like 40 million viewers based on proportion of the population- some episodes from the classic series have clocked more than that, with "City of Death" getting an average of 14.5 million, although {{ITV}} was suffering from a strike at the time, and there were only three channels back then. It is beaten consistently in the UK only by {{Talent Show}}s and major sporting events (though "Journey's End" trounced Wimbledon), and often holds its own against {{Soap Opera}}s (though this wasn't the case in the waning days of the classic series in the late 1980s when it was constantly beaten by Series/CoronationStreet). It is probably the only non Talent Show or Soap Opera to regularly have spoilers (accurate or not) appear in the [[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers mass market tabloid press]].

The show, because of its heyday in the seventies and eighties, has resulted in children growing up and starting careers ''[[PromotedFanboy for the sole purpose of working on the show]]'': Creator/RussellTDavies started his screenwriting career with a (failed) submission to the BBC; Creator/DavidTennant has confessed that the show got him into acting; and Creator/StevenMoffat has joked that he applied to be the executive producer when he was seven. Other people on the show also work [[SoMyKidsCanWatch so their kids can see their parents]] in something that's not inappropriate, such as JohnSimm, known more for gritty dramas before taking the role of the Master[[labelnote:7]]Try not to think too hard about the fact that the apparently 'family-appropriate' role is a ''genocidal psychopath''[[/labelnote]]. Even if an actor wasn't a fan when he was a kid, it's almost certain their little kid will be.

''Doctor Who'' serials vary wildly in its style and tone, depending on writers and executive producers. Serials and episodes range from comedic to gothic or nihilistic, and the ScienceFiction goes all over the place on MohsScaleOfSciFiHardness. Officially there have been 224 serials aired to date, counting season 24's ''The Trial of a Time Lord'' as one arc, and not counting the abandoned ''Shada''. ThatOtherWiki has them all numbered at the bottom of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_(Doctor_Who) this page]]. Since the series returned in 2005 there have also been 5 canonical mini-episodes broadcast as of March 2011, each lasting no more than 8 minutes, aired as charity specials or during special events. Making matters even more confusing, BBC Radio has also produced or co-produced a number of audio-only ''Doctor Who'' serials since 1985.

It has to be remembered that, during its most successful periods, the show has had a ''huge'' UK level of popularity, well above stereotypical "cult TV" or SF genre audiences. Current audience figures are regularly about 7 to 8 million an episode (with about 10 million for Christmas specials), often putting it within the top twenty or even ten broadcasts of the week, equivalent in US terms to something like 40 million viewers based on proportion of the population- some episodes from the classic series have clocked more than that, with "City of Death" getting an average of 14.5 million, although {{ITV}} was suffering from a strike at the time, and there were only three channels back then. It is beaten consistently in the UK only by {{Talent Show}}s and major sporting events (though "Journey's End" trounced Wimbledon), and often holds its own against {{Soap Opera}}s (though this wasn't the case in the waning days of the classic series in the late 1980s when it was constantly beaten by Series/CoronationStreet). It is probably the only non Talent Show or Soap Opera to regularly have spoilers (accurate or not) appear in the [[BritishNewspapers mass market tabloid press]].

Along with countless books and semi-canonical audio/video releases, the show has three official television spin-offs: DarkerAndEdgier ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' ([[EveryoneIsBi bisexual]] alien hunters [[AliensInCardiff in Cardiff]]); the (somewhat) LighterAndSofter ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'' (beloved ex-companion and a handful of [[YouMeddlingKids Meddling Kids]] fight aliens in London); and ''Series/{{K9}}'' by Park Entertainment, which was filmed in Australia and [[ShortRunInPeru initially aired in Scandinavia]] in early 2010 before being broadcast on a UK cable network in the summer of 2010 and a terrestrial network there in the autumn; a US broadcast has yet to occur. It also falls into the LighterAndSofter category. A fourth spinoff, ''K-9 & Company'', was stillborn in 1981, only producing a pilot episode. A fifth, ''Rose Tyler: Earth Defence'', was actually given space in the BBC budget before the production team went back on the idea. There is also a behind the scenes documentary series called ''Series/DoctorWhoConfidential'' which has immediately followed every episode since "Rose" on BBC Three. An additional behind the scenes series, aimed more for children, was titled ''Series/TotallyDoctorWho'' and aired for two series; its primary claim to fame was broadcasting the first-ever ''animated'' Doctor Who serial for television, ''The Infinite Quest'', in 2007.

Airing in late 2016 [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2016/class-cast Class]] is a new spin off returning us to [[http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-04-04/doctor-who-and-the-history-of-coal-hill-school Coal Hill]] once more.

The show isn't formatted into serials since its return. It follows the more recent pattern of ''Series/TheXFiles'', ''Series/{{Buffy|the Vampire Slayer}}'', etc., of standalone episodes (sometimes with two-parters and even one three-parter) that develop a season-long (or longer!) arc.

Unfortunately, in the United States, the show isn't as widely popular and is often considered the [[SciFiGhetto territory of nerds]] and [[Creator/{{PBS}} public television]]. The 1996 movie was partially an attempt to gain enough American recognition to warrant an American co-produced revival of the series (which failed). Since its revival in 2005, the show ''has'' been acknowledged by the mainstream television press as among the best shows on television, and pulls consistently high ratings for a basic (when it was on SciFiChannel) and digital (now that it's on [[Creator/TheBBC BBC America]]) cable television show. In fact, "The Impossible Astronaut" is the highest rated BBC America programme ''in the network's history''. Since "A Christmas Carol" at Christmas 2010, the show now airs in the United States only a few hours after its original British airing (except for "The Almost People" and "A Good Man Goes To War", both delayed one week due to Memorial Day weekend). Compare this to the weeks or ''months'' of wait that SciFiChannel imposed on fans when they aired the first four revival series. Examples of the show's slow acceptance into American pop culture include the mentioning of the series on ''Series/TheLateLateShow with Craig Ferguson'' (being the only host on a US late night talk show that has talked to three of the Steven Moffat-era main cast, complete with making a song and having a miniature TARDIS prop), and the parody ''JustForFun/InspectorSpacetime'', which appeared as a ShowWithinAShow on the third season premiere of the sitcom ''Series/{{Community}}'', which has become a bit of meme here at TV Tropes (sadly, given ''Community'''s own low ratings and cult status, that isn't exactly a ''mainstream'' mention just yet).

Those aspects of the show that would normally be set by the series creator--style, tone, mythology--are largely the province of (in the original series) the producer and script editor, or nowadays the ''showrunner'' who fills both roles, and who may or may not write episodes. Over its fifty years, the show has seen several producers and script editors, each of whom has left his or her mark for better or for worse. Moreso than individual Doctors (whose tenures usually featured more than one creative redirection), mentioning a particular producer or script editor is the most common shorthand for a particular style or tone. ''Every'' showrunner is, for ''some'' fan, [[ScapegoatCreator the one]] who ruined it forever. Possibly even Creator/VerityLambert and Creator/SydneyNewman, who co-''created'' the show.

Those aspects of the show that would normally be set by the series creator--style, tone, mythology--are largely the province of the executive producer, or ''showrunner'', who may or may not write episodes. Over its fifty years, the show has seen several executive producers (producers in the old days), each of whom has left his or her mark for better or for worse. ''Every'' showrunner is, for ''some'' fan, [[ScapegoatCreator the one]] who ruined it forever. Possibly even Creator/VerityLambert and Creator/SydneyNewman, who co-''created'' the show.

Further on the topic of romance: Due to ''Doctor Who's'' origins as a children's series, the idea of romance between the Doctor and his companions often receives push-back from fans, even though hints have existed as early as 1973 when Jo Grant left the Third Doctor. It has become more overt in the modern era as companions such as Rose Tyler and Martha Jones unambiguously fall in love with the Doctor, with the Doctor fighting against returning the favour. Rose was the first companion to say the words "I love you" to the Doctor directly. River Song was the first companion established to not only marry the Doctor, but is the first associate of his to indicate sexual relations with the Time Lord (though most of their relationship is not depicted onscreen). Most recently, the Doctor and Clara Oswald's relationship, which ended with Series 9 in 2015, pushed things to a new level -- their relationship was beyond platonic yet was not (as far as was seen on screen) sexual in any way, challenging current attitudes towards depiction of romance on television.

The importance of this device is that it's the Doctor's primary tool and that it is not a weapon, but something designed to mend or alter. This plays directly into his overall persona as a technical pacifist. The revival and its spinoffs have introduced a variety of other sonic devices used by the Doctor and/or others as well, such as Sara Jane Smith's sonic lipstick and Captain Jack Harkness's sonic blaster. Series 9 featured sonic ''sunglasses'' for the Twelfth Doctor, which reflected his CharacterDevelopment into less of a GrumpyOldMan.

Companions are predominantly human, [[ParentService young, female, and attractive]]. In the early episodes there would also be a companion who was young, male, and heroic. Sometimes they are humanoid aliens, or, famously, a robot dog. They have joined and left the TARDIS for various reasons. The Doctor reserves the right to kick a companion out of the TARDIS for bad behaviour (''The Long Game'' is the only episode in which he has done it so far), or to take on a new companion even over the objections of present companions. Classic Series companions tended to have few or no ties to their homes (and often lose such ties, like in ''The Evil of the Daleks''), and--anniversary specials aside--did not cross paths with the Doctor after leaving the TARDIS[[labelnote:4]]unless the companion in question is Sarah Jane Smith, who did indeed return in the RTD era episode "School Reunion" and was a mite ticked about being ignored for thirty years[[/labelnote]]. Revival series companions don't divide their lives as neatly: they continue to interact with their families while away with the Doctor, and with the Doctor before.

Further on the topic of romance: due to ''Doctor Who's'' origins as a children's series, the idea of romance between the Doctor and his companions often receives push-back from fans, even though hints have existed as early as 1973 when Jo Grant leaves the Third Doctor. It has become more overt in the modern era as companions such as Rose Tyler and Martha Jones unambiguously fall in love with the Doctor, with the Doctor fighting against returning the favour. Rose is the first companion to say the words "I love you" to the Doctor directly. Almost-companion River Song is established to not only marry the Doctor, but is the first associate of his to indicate sexual relations with the Time Lord. The Doctor and Clara Oswald's relationship, which ended with Series 9 in 2015, pushed things to a new level -- their relationship was beyond platonic yet was not (as far as was seen on screen) sexual in any way, challenging current attitudes towards depiction of romance on television.

!!!The sonic screwdriver

The importance of this device is that it's the Doctor's primary tool and that it is not a weapon, but something designed to mend or alter. This plays directly into his overall persona as a technical pacifist.

Further on the topic of romance: due to ''Doctor Who's'' origins as a children's series, the idea of romance between the Doctor and his companions often receives push-back from fans, even though hints have existed as early as 1973 when Jo Grant leaves the Third Doctor. It has become more overt in the modern era as companions such as Rose Tyler and Martha Jones unambiguously fall in love with the Doctor, with the Doctor fighting against returning the favour. Rose is the first companion to say the words "I love you" to the Doctor directly. Another companion, River Song, is established to not only marry the Doctor, but is the first on-screen companion to indicate sexual relations with the Time Lord. The current (as of 2015) pairing between the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald has pushed things to a new level as their relationship is beyond platonic yet is not (as far as shown on screen) sexual in any way, challenging current attitudes towards depiction of romance on television.

First used by the Second Doctor in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E6FuryFromTheDeep "Fury from the Deep"]], this has now become an iconic item carried by the Doctor and has had at least seven different versions to date, not counting future ones. Basically a fancy tube with a light in prop form, it has [[GreenLanternRing a wide variety of functions]] including opening ''most'' locked doors, accessing computer information and actually being a screwdriver. What it ''doesn't'' do is [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E5WorldWarThree triplicate the flammability of port]]. Neither does it [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E8SilenceInTheLibrary do wood]]. Yes this ''is'' [[{{irony}} ironic]].

Since the beginning, the show has had a high number of [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath deaths which are unpleasant in many cases]] (the show has been mild on blood since it returned). However, sometimes the level of violence and gore can be downright brutal, ranging from stabbing to graphic dismemberments, impalements, blood squibs and implied decapitation. The show occasionally features difficult subject matter such as implied rape, racial hatred, genocide, drug use and very discreet references to child molestation. Sex references are also abound in the modern series, with a 2010 episode quite openly trying to have sex with the Doctor (He doesn't let her).

Further on the topic o romance: due to ''Doctor Who's'' origins as a children's series, the idea of romance between the Doctor and his companions often receives push-back from fans, even though hints have existed as early as 1973 when Jo Grant leaves the Third Doctor. It has become more overt in the modern era as companions such as Rose Tyler and Martha Jones unambiguously fall in love with the Doctor, with the Doctor fighting against returning the favour. Rose is the first companion to say the words "I love you" to the Doctor directly. Another companion, River Song, is established to not only marry the Doctor, but is the first on-screen companion to indicate sexual relations with the Time Lord. The current (as of 2015) pairing between the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald has pushed things to a new level as their relationship is beyond platonic yet is not (as far as shown on screen) sexual in any way, challenging current attitudes towards depiction of romance on television.

And, oh yes, the TARDIS is actually a living being who loves the Doctor, considers most of his companions strays, takes the Doctor where he is needed (whether he wants to go there of not) and answers to the name Sexy. How do we know this? In the episode "The Doctor's Wife" the Doctor is able to for once carry on a conversation with her.

Since the beginning, the show has had a high number of [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath deaths which are unpleasant in many cases]] (the show has been mild on blood since it returned). However, sometimes the level of violence and gore can be downright brutal, ranging from stabbing to graphic dismemberments, impalements, blood squibs and implied decapitation. The show occasionally features difficult subject matter such as implied rape, racial hatred, genocide, drug use and very discreet references to child molestation.

Those aspects of the show that would normally be set by the series creator--style, tone, mythology--are largely the province of the executive producer, or ''showrunner'', who may or may not write episodes. Over its forty years, the show has seen several executive producers (producers in the old days), each of whom has left his or her mark for better or for worse. ''Every'' showrunner is, for ''some'' fan, [[ScapegoatCreator the one]] who ruined it forever. Possibly even Creator/VerityLambert and Creator/SydneyNewman, who co-''created'' the show.

Unfortunately, in the United States, the show isn't as widely popular and is often considered the [[SciFiGhetto territory of nerds]] and [[Creator/{{PBS}} public television]]. The 1996 movie was partially an attempt to gain enough American recognition to warrant an American co-produced revival of the series (which failed). Since its revival in 2005, the show ''has'' been acknowledged by the mainstream television press as among the best shows on television, and pulls consistently high ratings for a basic (when it was on SciFiChannel) and digital (now that it's on [[Creator/TheBBC BBC America]]) cable television show. In fact, "The Impossible Astronaut" is the highest rated BBC America programme ''in the network's history''. Since "A Christmas Carol" at Christmas 2010, the show now airs in the United States only a few hours after its original British airing (except for "The Almost People" and "A Good Man Goes To War", both delayed one week due to Memorial Day weekend). Compare this to the weeks or ''months'' of wait that SciFiChannel imposed on fans when they aired the first four revival series. Examples of the show's slow acceptance into American pop culture include the mentioning of the series on ''TheLateLateShow with Craig Ferguson'' (being the only host on a US late night talk show that has talked to three of the Steven Moffat-era main cast, complete with making a song and having a miniature TARDIS prop), and the parody ''JustForFun/InspectorSpacetime'', which appeared as a ShowWithinAShow on the third season premiere of the sitcom ''Series/{{Community}}'', which has become a bit of meme here at TV Tropes (sadly, given ''Community'''s own low ratings and cult status, that isn't exactly a ''mainstream'' mention just yet).

That said, one of the most controversial discussions in fandom is whether ''Doctor Who'' is a (to quote a line from a newspaper article which used to explain the show's appeal on the blurbs of the {{novelization}}s) "the children's own program [[PeripheryDemographic that adults adore]]", a "family show" or a "[[DarkerAndEdgier dark and edgy]] show like ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined'' meets ''Series/TheXFiles'', at midnight in an unlit cellar! Constant death and misery! Pain! Lots of pain!" That ''Doctor Who'' can plausibly be described in ''all'' of these terms is a possible key to its long-term appeal. In the opinion of Creator/StevenMoffat it's fundamentally a children's programme that adults can appreciate; if an episode of ''Doctor Who'' isn't keeping kids entertained, it isn't doing its job properly. A large part of this disagreement is down to the fact that most American ''Who'' fans would have discovered the show as teens or adults, while many older Brits remember the show as a ubiquitous childhood favorite. An examination of broadcast schedules for the show around the world reveals the schism in its audience: in the UK, the show traditionally airs around the supper hour on Saturdays. In the US, Canada, and other countries the "classic" series is often shown late at night, and newer episodes often air in prime time, often at "late hours" such as 8 and 9 PM.

Unfortunately, in the United States, the show isn't as widely popular and is often considered the [[SciFiGhetto territory of nerds]] and [[Creator/{{PBS}} public television]]. The 1996 movie was partially an attempt to gain enough American recognition to warrant an American co-produced revival of the series (which failed). Since its revival in 2005, the show ''has'' been acknowledged by the mainstream television press as among the best shows on television, and pulls consistently high ratings for a basic (when it was on SciFiChannel) and digital (now that it's on [[Creator/TheBBC BBC America]]) cable television show. In fact, "The Impossible Astronaut" is the highest rated BBC America programme ''in the network's history''. Since "A Christmas Carol" at Christmas 2010, the show now airs in the United States only a few hours after its original British airing (except for "The Almost People" and "A Good Man Goes To War", both delayed one week due to Memorial Day weekend). Compare this to the weeks or ''months'' of wait that SciFiChannel imposed on fans when they aired the first four revival series. Examples of the show's slow acceptance into American pop culture include the mentioning of the series on ''TheLateLateShow with Craig Ferguson'' (being the only host on a US late night talk show that has talked to three of the Steven Moffat-era main cast, complete with making a song and having a miniature TARDIS prop), and the parody ''InspectorSpacetime'', which appeared as a ShowWithinAShow on the third season premiere of the sitcom ''Series/{{Community}}'', which has become a bit of meme here at TV Tropes (sadly, given ''Community'''s own low ratings and cult status, that isn't exactly a ''mainstream'' mention just yet).

Secret (or, in some stories, not-so-secret) organizations designed to kick alien ass and/or aid the Doctor. UNIT, a Unified (originally United Nations) Intelligence Taskforce that deals specifically with alien or superscientific threats, was introduced in 1968. Torchwood, an organisation funded by the British royalty (as opposed to the government) with the specific aim of arming TheBritishEmpire with alien technology, was introduced in the 2005 Christmas special, ten months before the DarkerAndEdgier [[Series/{{Torchwood}} spinoff series]].

In TheSixties and TheSeventies, [[TheBBC BBC]] policy was to junk or overwrite the media of television programs that had already aired.[[labelnote:6]]Yes, this was short-sighted, but give them a bit of a break--1) the tapes they used were ''very'' expensive; 2) they didn't view such ephemera as having lasting cultural value (particularly true for black-and-white television after color was introduced; producers viewed extant black-and-white episodes as obsolete and unsalable); 3) there was no such thing as a "home video" secondary market; and 4) union performance contracts of the day only allowed for so many broadcasts of a programme.[[/labelnote]] The upshot is that, out of around 800 episodes filmed, 97 are lost, with William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton's eras being the most affected, though audio tapes of all missing episodes still exist from fans who made recordings of the show when it aired (the BBC has released most of these commercially on cassette and CD, and occasionally have also produced reconstructions of missing episodes for DVD using them). Every Jon Pertwee onwards episode still exists, though a number of them existed only in black and white despite being filmed in colour. The colour signal was eventually recolourised through various means for all of those stories.

Unfortunately, in the United States, the show isn't as widely popular and is often considered the [[SciFiGhetto territory of nerds]] and [[Creator/{{PBS}} public television]]. The 1996 movie was partially an attempt to gain enough American recognition to warrant an American co-produced revival of the series (which failed). Since its revival in 2005, the show ''has'' been acknowledged by the mainstream television press as among the best shows on television, and pulls consistently high ratings for a basic (when it was on SciFiChannel) and digital (now that it's on [[TheBBC BBC America]]) cable television show. In fact, "The Impossible Astronaut" is the highest rated BBC America programme ''in the network's history''. Since "A Christmas Carol" at Christmas 2010, the show now airs in the United States only a few hours after its original British airing (except for "The Almost People" and "A Good Man Goes To War", both delayed one week due to Memorial Day weekend). Compare this to the weeks or ''months'' of wait that SciFiChannel imposed on fans when they aired the first four revival series. Examples of the show's slow acceptance into American pop culture include the mentioning of the series on ''TheLateLateShow with Craig Ferguson'' (being the only host on a US late night talk show that has talked to three of the Steven Moffat-era main cast, complete with making a song and having a miniature TARDIS prop), and the parody ''InspectorSpacetime'', which appeared as a ShowWithinAShow on the third season premiere of the sitcom ''Series/{{Community}}'', which has become a bit of meme here at TV Tropes (sadly, given ''Community'''s own low ratings and cult status, that isn't exactly a ''mainstream'' mention just yet).

The last Doctor, the eleventh incarnation, was played by Creator/MattSmith. This form's persona was of an eccentric scatter-brained old professor in a young man's body. He regenerated into the twelfth incarnation, played by Creator/PeterCapaldi, during the 2013 Christmas Special.