History Retool / DoctorWho

* The all-but-abandonment of "pure historicals" (episodes with no science fiction elements other than the Doctor and his TARDIS himself) and their replacement with much rarer "pseudohistoricals" (stories where the Doctor will travel back in time to fight an alien) was an early attempt at this, as historicals were proving much less popular with audiences than the PeopleInRubberSuits. The first story to contain pseudohistorical elements was [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E8TheChase "The Chase"]] (which contained a short WackyWaysideTribe sequence involving Daleks on the ''Mary Celeste''), and the first true pseudohistorical was [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E9TheTimeMeddler "The Time Meddler"]] — the reveal that it was another time traveller causing the mayhem was a shocking twist to an audience expecting a CostumeDrama with HornyVikings, [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny but pretty much expected now]]. The last pure historical of this era was [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E4TheHighlanders "The Highlanders"]], although the Peter Davison story [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E5BlackOrchid "Black Orchid"]] also fits the strict definition of this story type.

** Tennant: Much more romantic and gentle than Eccleston's Doctor, but also much more brutal and ruthless (from his first episode: "No second chances. I'm that sort of a man."). Feel of the show remains much the same as with Eccleston due to his extremely short tenure, but takes the focus back onto the Doctor rather than on the companions, and deals with constant themes of morality, loneliness and [[ShootTheDog Shooting The Dog]]. First Doctor whose seasons turn out to constitute a MythArc in the end.
** Smith: Very similar to Tennant's Doctor, but more childish and less moody. With no prior cast members involved and a new showrunner, the mood changes to a "cosmic fairy tale" theme with a much stronger focus on {{Time Paradox}}es than ever before, and incorporating strong elements of SexComedy. Horror episodes are significantly more common during this period, and MythologyGags to the Classic series, purposefully avoided before, become thick on the ground. We also see more alien worlds — they're still HumanAliens, of course.
** Capaldi: Another CharacterCheck Doctor: A bonkers PragmaticHero marked by his CharacterDevelopment from GrumpyOldMan and DeadpanSnarker questioning his morality (Series 8) to CoolOldGuy in a partnership of equals with a long-tenured companion (Series 9) to professor/grandfather figure to a new one (Series 10). ''Most'' of the romantic hero elements are gone. Series 8 has him take more of a backseat to his companion than he'd done previously in the new series (she being retooled from her debut in Smith's final season), but he returns to the show's center afterward. Horror episodes and grisly content are common as the tone becomes melancholy and mature. The Doctor spends more time dealing with the fallout of his actions, [[WhatTheHellHero being chewed out by others]], and struggling with his needs for companionship and a MoralityChain [[WhoWantsToLiveForever when he will never have anyone forever]] than he used to. Human companions have lives outside of the TARDIS, and the first non-human companion of the revival is introduced. Pacing is notably slower, especially in Series 9, which is mostly multi-part stories. With this Doctor a throwback to those of the Classic Series (especially One, Three, Four, and Six), ContinuityPorn runs rampant. Like the Pertwee, Eccleston, and Tennant eras, mostly confined to Earth and human outposts.
** Whittaker: A much more idealistic figure than most of the new series Doctors at first, with emphasis on [[GenderBender her]] inspirational nature and belief in the good in all sentient creatures, but also more emotionally distant from her companions than before (Series 11), then as she struggles with emotional trauma, she becomes much moodier and emotionally withdrawn, more willing to let her anger show (Series 12). Maniacal alien villains become less common in favor of ObliviouslyEvil villains, WellIntentionedExtremist types, and HumansAreTheRealMonsters messages. Social justice, while occasionally showing up in the earlier series, becomes much more of a focus for the first time since the Seventh Doctor's tenure, with episodes critiquing racism, religious bigotry, laissez-faire capitalism, and sexism. While much LighterAndSofter, there are still several horror episodes. Continuity is significantly reduced in Series 11 as a way to gain new fans, with no returning characters, but makes a big return in Series 12, with the show's mythology key to its StoryArc (see below).

''Series/DoctorWho'' thrives on reinventing itself, often during the change between Doctors or showrunners. In chronological order:

''Series/DoctorWho'' thrives on this. In chronological order:

*** The Fourth Doctor's personality went (inorganically) through three different archetypes depending on who was producing his run, as each writer envisioned a different tone for the show. His first personality, during his GothicHorror-influenced era, was a CreepyCute NightmareFetishist ManChild who occasionally struggled with big moral decisions but was also very unpredictable, possessing BlueAndOrangeMorality. His second personality, during his LighterAndSofter-cum-DenserAndWackier era, was PlayedForLaughs — much more of a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} and also much more of a NiceGuy (dipping into FunPersonified at times), although also more of an AttentionWhore and more awkward to deal with. His third personality, when the show decided to get DarkerAndEdgier again, made him philosophical, [[ByronicHero Byronic]], dignified and quite morbid, developing some {{Chessmaster}} qualities and dispensing with a lot of the childlike aspects of his character. Broadly, his taste in hat colour indicates which personality he's going through at the time — a brown hat for [[CharacterizationTags goth!]]Four, a green hat for funny!Four and a red hat for old!Four.

** Colin Baker: An attempted CharacterCheck, much DarkerAndEdgier Doctor; arrogant, violent and verbose. Stories attempt {{Deconstruction}}s of standard Doctor stories and begin to incorporate some engagement with the implications of time travel itself (which is usually just used as a device to get the Doctor into wherever the adventure will happen), like FutureMeScaresMe and TimeyWimeyBall. More stylised, crazy sets and costumes occur. The format changes to 45-minute episodes after it gets UnCancelled.

** Series 12 in 2020, however, introduced a StoryArc that destroyed Gallifrey and the Time Lords '''again''' and revealed in the SeasonFinale that the title character is not a native Gallifreyan but an ''infinitely''-regenerating "Timeless Child" from an unknown world, who became the progenitor of the Time Lord race against their will and lived ''numerous'' lives prior to becoming the First Doctor. With this came the introduction of the first proto-Doctor, played by Jo Martin as the second female and first non-Caucasian incarnation of the character.

* The personality of the First Doctor got this a couple of times due to EarlyInstallmentWeirdness. He was originally intended to be a [[TheTrickster Trickster]], the TokenEvilTeammate and constantly getting his friends into trouble, with either Ian or Barbara being TheHero depending on the story. However, it was decided that his character was too unlikeable for children, and the BottleEpisode [[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E3TheEdgeOfDestruction "The Edge of Destruction"]] was written quickly to serve as his HeelRealization, after which he became a much more helpful and warm character and quite often TheHero. His final ReTool was hinted at in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E6TheAztecs "The Aztecs"]] but hit full-force in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E8TheReignOfTerror "The Reign of Terror"]], and was for him to become a more comical character whose meddling would often get him into weird trouble [[HilarityEnsues with hilarious consequences]]. All of these alterations were carried over to every other Doctor.

** [=McCoy=]: A particularly impossibly wise Doctor who is sociopathic and manipulative, who also happens to be a cheery, funny vaudevillian. After some EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, starts focusing strongly on the companion's home life and personality, as well as continuing the trend of deconstructing the Doctor's relationship with the companion. Themes of social justice also crop up much more often than before, with the show tackling topics such as racism, social isolation, and Social Darwinism; one story is even a less-than-subtle critique of the UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher administration and homophobia in British society. The story moves in a more arc-based direction, but the show is cancelled here before the overarching plotline can be resolved.

** Tennant: Much more romantic and gentle than Eccleston's Doctor, but also much more brutal and ruthless. Feel of the show remains much the same as with Eccleston due to his extremely short tenure, but takes the focus back onto the Doctor rather than on the companions, and deals with constant themes of morality, loneliness and [[ShootTheDog Shooting The Dog]]. First Doctor whose seasons turn out to constitute a MythArc in the end.

** Series 13 in 2020, however, introduced a StoryArc that destroyed Gallifrey and the Time Lords '''again''' and revealed in the SeasonFinale that the title character is not a native Gallifreyan but an ''infinitely''-regenerating "Timeless Child" from an unknown world, who became the progenitor of the Time Lord race against their will and lived ''numerous'' lives prior to becoming the First Doctor. With this came the introduction of the first proto-Doctor, played by Jo Martin as the second female and first non-Caucasian incarnation of the character.

** Whittaker: A much more idealistic figure than most of the new series Doctors at first, with emphasis on [[GenderBender her]] inspirational nature and belief in the good in all sentient creatures, but also more emotionally distant from her companions than before (Series 11), then as she struggles with emotional trauma, she becomes much moodier and emotionally withdrawn, more willing to let her anger show (Series 12). Maniacal alien villains become less common in favor of ObliviouslyEvil villains, WellIntentionedExtremist types, and HumansAreTheRealMonsters messages. Social justice, while occasionally showing up in the earlier series, becomes much more of a focus for the first time since the Seventh Doctor's tenure, with episodes critiquing racism, religious bigotry, laissez-faire capitalism, and sexism. While much LighterAndSofter, there are still several horror episodes. Continuity is significantly reduced in Series 11 as a way to gain new fans, with no returning characters, but makes a big return in Series 12, with the show's mythology key to its StoryArc.

* The restoration of Gallifrey in the 2013 50th Anniversary Episode is also one of these. It almost immediately preceded the Eleventh Doctor's regeneration episode, and helped end a StoryArc that had been pushed as long as it could have been and now only served to hold the character back.

** Davison: A subtle and human Doctor to contract with the previous LargeHam Doctor, whose sonic screwdriver is destroyed as a symbolic attack on some of the lazier Tom Baker writing. Show adds SoapOpera elements like a large rotating cast of companions and a bigger focus on the Doctor as a vulnerable and emotional figure (where Tom Baker had verged on InvincibleHero) and even going into soap-like scheduling for an ill-advised period. Horror is back on the table and {{Wham Episode}}s and ContinuityPorn are the name of the game (including a whole season of recurring monsters in the run-up to the anniversary special), and a companion gets killed off for the first time since William Hartnell.

** Whitaker: A much more idealistic figure than most of the new series doctors, with emphasis on [[GenderBender her]] inspirational nature and belief in the good in all sentient creatures. Maniacal alien villains become less common in favor of ObliviouslyEvil villains, WellIntentionedExtremist types, and HumansAreTheRealMonsters messages . Social justice, while occasionally showing up in the earlier series, becomes much more of a focus for the first time since the Seventh Doctor's tenure, with episodes critiquing racism, religious bigotry, lasseiz-faire capitalism, and sexism. While much LighterAndSofter, there are still several horror episodes. Continuity is significantly reduced as a way to gain new fans; no old characters showed up in Whitaker's first season.

* The [[LastOfHisKind wiping-out-from-all-of-existence of the Time Lords]] between the show's 1989 cancellation and its 2005 resurrection might also be considered a retool. Actually, the introduction of the Time Lords counts as a bit of retool in itself. Originally the Doctor simply came from a mysterious alien civilization, with no more details offered.

** Whitaker: A much more idealistic figure than most of the new series doctors, with emphasis on [[GenderBender her]] inspirational nature and belief in the good in all sentient creatures. Maniacal alien villains become less common in favor of ObliviouslyEvil villains, WellIntentionedExtremist types, and HumansAreTheRealMonsters messages . Social justice, while occasionally showing up in the earlier series, becomes much more of a focus for the first time since the Seventh Doctor's tenure, with episodes critiquing racism, religious bigotry, lasseiz-faire capitalism, and sexism. While much LighterAndSofter, there are still several horror episodes. Continuity is significantly reduced as a way to gain new fans; no old characters showed up in Whitaker's first season, and by 2019 the Daleks were the only villain to have returned.

** [=McCoy=]: A particularly impossibly wise Doctor who is sociopathic and manipulative, who also happens to be a cheery, funny vaudevillian. After some EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, starts focusing strongly on the companion's home life and personality, as well as continuing the trend of deconstructing the Doctor's relationship with the companion. The story moves in a more arc-based direction, but the show is cancelled here.

** Capaldi: Another CharacterCheck Doctor: A bonkers PragmaticHero marked by his CharacterDevelopment from GrumpyOldMan and DeadpanSnarker questioning his morality (Series 8) to CoolOldGuy in a partnership of equals with a long-tenured companion (Series 9) to professor/grandfather figure to a new one (Series 10). ''Most'' of the romantic hero elements are gone. Series 8 has him take more of a backseat to his companion than he'd done previously in the new series (she being retooled from her debut in Smith's final season), but he returns to the show's center afterward. Horror episodes and grisly content are common as the tone becomes melancholy and mature. The Doctor spends more time dealing with the fallout of his actions, [[WhatTheHellHero being chewed out by others]], and struggling with his needs for companionship and a MoralityChain [[WhoWantsToLiveForever when he will never have anyone forever]] than he used to. Human companions have lives outside of the TARDIS, and the first non-human companion of the revival is introduced. Pacing is notably slower, especially in Series 9, which is mostly multi-part stories. With this Doctor a throwback to those of the Classic Series (especially One, Three, Four, and Six), ContinuityPorn runs rampant. Like the Eccleston and Tennant eras, mostly confined to Earth and human outposts.
** Whitaker: A much more idealistic figure than most of the new series doctors, with emphasis on [[GenderBender her]] inspirational nature and belief in the good in all sentient creatures. Maniacal alien villains become less common in favor of ObliviouslyEvil villains, WellIntentionedExtremist types, and HumansAreTheRealMonsters messages . Social justice, while occasionally showing up in the earlier series, becomes much more of a focus, with episodes critiquing racism, religious bigotry, lasseiz-faire capitalism, and sexism. While much LighterAndSofter, there are still several horror episodes. Continuity is significantly reduced as a way to gain new fans; no old characters showed up in Whitaker's first season, and by 2019 the Daleks were the only villain to have returned.

** Whitaker: A much more idealistic figure than most of the new series doctors, with emphasis on [[GenderBender her]] inspirational nature and belief in the good in all sentient creatures. Maniacal alien villains become less common in favor of ObliviouslyEvil villains, WellIntentionedExtemist types, and HumansAreThRealMonsters messages . Social justice, while occasionally showing up in the earlier series, becomes much more of a focus, with episodes critiquing of racism, religious bigotry, lasseiz-faire capitalism, and sexism. While much LighterAndSofter, there are still several horror episodes. Continuity is significantly reduced as a way to gain new fans; no old characters showed up in Whitaker's first season, and by 2019 the Daleks were the only villain to have returned.