Doctor Who hit our screens back on the 23rd of November in 1963. The show was developed mainly by the head of Drama at the BBC at that time, Sydney Newman. The series title theme track was composed by Ron Grainer which went on to become as famous as the show itself.
The first ever Doctor was played by William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. At first William was not sure about accepting the part of Doctor Who but it was the then director Waris Hussein which convinced him he was ideal for the role. This role and his character gained him the highest profile in his career and how he is best remembered.
When Hartnell left the continued survival of the show depended on audiences accepting another actor and that actor was Patrick Troughton. He took over from Hartnel in 1966 and played the doctor until 1969. Again his role as the doctor is what he is most widely known for. After leaving in 1969 he came back and reappeared in episodes in 1973, 1983 and 1985. Unfortunately many episodes which he appreared in were wiped by the BBC for economic and space-saving reasons.
Troughton found the schedule playing Doctor Who's very gruelling so decided to leave the series in 1969, after three years in the role. He was also worried about being typecast. Jon Pertwee replaced Patrick and played the Doctor until 1974. He was a popular choice and also famous for playing Worzel Gummidge from 1979 to 1987.
Next up came Tom Baker who was my particular favourite at the time. He made the character his own with his eccentric style of dress and speech and his trademark long scarf. This role made him instantly recognisable and he soon became a very popular doctor. His stint lasted 7 years until in 1981 when Peter Davidson took over. Because Tom Baker became typecast he took the advice from previous actors who has played doctor who and only stayed for 3 years.
The sixth doctor saw Colin Baker take over the role. He played the role for a short two years. His character was boisterous and 'larger than life' but this didn't do down so well with audiences and he took a lot of the blame for the shows steady decline in viewing figures at this time. Sylvester McCoy took over from Colin in 1987 and played the doctor until the series ended in 1989. It was thought at the time that the show was past its sell by date.
Paul McGann played the eighth doctor in the 1996 television movie. The movie was a joint venture between the BBC, Universal Studios and the Fox Broadcasting Network. The plan was to create a new TV series if the movie proved successful. The movie did quite well in the UK, but ratings were very low in the America. Due to this Fox decidened not to create another series and around that time Universal could not find another network interested in airing a new Doctor Who series. So that was the end of Doctor who until a new series was produced in 2005.
The series came back with a bang with Christopher Eccleston as the ninth doctor. He only played the role for only one series until he released a statement via the BBC saying that he had decided to leave the role after just one series because like previous actors before him he feared becoming typecast. The show benefited from the advancement of special effects and was a complete success.
Next up was David Tennant who fitted into the doctors shoes very nicely and placed the role for 5 years. This was a childhood dream for David and he lapped up the role and attention that went with it. He was a very popular doctor and in 2007 he was voted the "coolest character" on UK television in a Radio Times survey.
Matt Smith took over in 2010 and is still currently playing the role. Today the show is listed in the Gusiness Book of records as the longest running science fiction show in the world. This is down to the shows overall ratings; book and DVD sales and iTunes traffic including illegal downloads. For a long time the show has been recognised for its imaginative stories and special effects and now is a significant part of British popular culture.
Film fans will love the Doctor Who Experience Cardiff. Brit Movies Tours is a Uk based film tour company offering London Film Museum tours and much more.
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