Doctor Who

The adventures of The Doctor, a time-traveling humanoid alien known as a Time Lord. He explores the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient time-traveling spaceship. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, The Doctor faces a variety of foes while working to save civilizations, help ordinary people, and right many wrongs.

Doctor Who (1963-1989) is a British science fiction series created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson for BBC One. Its eccentric time-traveling alien, the Doctor, roams the universe in the TARDIS, a sentient ship disguised as a blue British police box. Across twenty-six seasons he is played by a succession of actors, including William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker and Peter Davison, while companions such as Jo Grant (Katy Manning) and Liz Shaw (Caroline John) travel with him. Each story is built around a fresh landing in a new era or world, where he confronts recurring foes like the Daleks, the Cybermen and the Master (Roger Delgado), often rescuing ordinary people from invasion or injustice. The format mixes historical adventures with alien invasions, giving the show a playful, inventive, sometimes uneven register that swings between suspense and whimsy. Its wide-open premise and mid-century British production sensibility make it a long-form adventure anthology for viewers who enjoy the wit of Quantum Leap and the wonder of Star Trek. Fans of those shows will find resonance in its episodic time travel and its lovable, eccentric hero.

Viewers broadly regard the long-running series as acclaimed, admiring its open-ended premise and memorable monsters while acknowledging uneven stretches across its many eras.

• Star Trek (1966)shared episodic time travel adventure with a rotating companion cast and a wandering protagonist
• Blake's 7shared episodic sci-fi adventure with recurring alien foes and a quirky mentor-like lead
• Quantum Leapshared time travel premise with eras visited through a mysterious vehicle

Created by

Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, Donald Wilson

Release Date

1963-11-23

Episode runtime

25 min

Rating

8.4 / 10 (728)

What is Doctor Who about?

A time-traveling alien called The Doctor roams the universe in a police box-shaped ship, rescuing ordinary people with a rotating cast of companions.

What is Doctor Who like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Doctor Who as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Doctor Who violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Doctor Who as mild.

What did critics think of Doctor Who?

Viewers broadly regard the long-running series as acclaimed, admiring its open-ended premise and memorable monsters while acknowledging uneven stretches across its many eras.

Which shows are like Doctor Who?

Shows with a similar feel include Star Trek (1966), Blake's 7, and Quantum Leap.

How long is Doctor Who?

Doctor Who: 26 seasons, 694 episodes.

Is Doctor Who still running?

No, Doctor Who has ended.