| The following article is written from an Out of Universe perspective. |
Doctor Who is is an British science fiction media franchise created by Sydney Newman, Donald Wilson and C.E. Webber, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into various films, television series, video games, novels, and comic books.
Conception and Setting
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History and Production
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Television
Main Franchise
Ten television series make up the bulk of the Doctor Who franchise: Doctor Who, K9 and Company, Leftover, Rebel Zero, Panopticon, Cold Front, The Elysium, Doctor Who: The New Renegade, Doctor Who: Adventures and Doctor Who: The Time Meddlers. All series in total amount to 1,382* episodes across 87 seasons of television.
| Series | Seasons | Episodes | Originally Released | Country of Origin | Platform | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doctor Who | 56 | 1,107* | 23 November 1963 - present day | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | BBC Television Service |
| BBC1 | ||||||
| BBC One | ||||||
| 2 | K9 and Company | 1 | 1 | 28 December 1981 | BBC1 | |
| 3 | Leftover | 5 | 46 | 7 April 2001 - 19 December 2010 | BBC Two | |
| United States 🇺🇸 | BBC One | |||||
| 4 | Rebel Zero | 1 | 4 | 7 January 2006 - 28 January 2006 | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | BBC Three |
| 5 | Panopticon | 7 | 58 | 9 February 2008 - 27 July 2013 | BBC One | |
| 6 | Cold Front | 2 | 10 | 12 October 2012 - 17 May 2013 | United States 🇺🇸 | CBS |
| 7 | The Elysium | 5 | 52 | 31 May 2015 - 15 December 2019 | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | BBC One |
| 8 | Doctor Who: The New Renegade | 4 | 38* | 19 January 2020 - present day | United States 🇺🇸 | CBS All Access |
| Paramount+ | ||||||
| 9 | Doctor Who: Adventures | 5 | 60 | 6 April 2020 - 23 October 2023 | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | CBBC |
| 10 | Doctor Who: The Time Meddlers | 1 | 6* | 10 January 2023 - present day | BBC Three | |
| 11 | The World of Doctor Who | 1 | 8 | 5 October 2023 - 23 November 2023 | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | BBC One |
- (*) marks a television series that is currently airing and has an ever changing episode count that will need to be continually updated.
Doctor Who
- Main article: Doctor Who (TV Series)
Doctor Who is the original and flagship television series for the Doctor Who franchise. It debuted on the BBC Television Service on 23 November 1963. The series centres on a time traveller called "the Doctor", who is often depicted as coming from a race of beings known as Time Lords. They travel through space and time in a time machine they call the TARDIS.
This ship — which looks like a small, London police box on the outside — has nearly infinite dimensions on the inside. It has become such an iconic shape in British culture that it's currently the intellectual property of the BBC & Paramount Global rather than its actual makers, the Metropolitan Police Service.
While there has been an ever revolving number of cast members, as either Doctors or "Companions", the following have played the character of the Doctor, for at least one season of television:
- First Doctor - William Hartnell
- Second Doctor - Patrick Troughton
- Third Doctor - Jon Pertwee
- Fourth Doctor - Tom Baker
- Fifth Doctor - Peter Davison
- Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker
- Seventh Doctor - Sylvester McCoy
- Eighth Doctor - Richard Griffiths
- Ninth Doctor - Michael French
- Tenth Doctor - Richard E. Grant
- Eleventh Doctor - Anthony Head
- Twelfth Doctor - Paterson Joseph
- Thirteenth Doctor - David Suchet
- Fourteenth Doctor - Samantha Bond
- Fifteenth Doctor - Adjoa Andoh
- Sixteenth Doctor - Ace Bhatti
The series has been produced by a number of different television production studios over the years:
The series was produced by BBC Television from its inception in 1963 to 1998, when BBC Worldwide signed a co-production deal with Paramount Television. From 1998 to 2006, the series was produced by BBC Wales and Paramount Television. From 2006 to 2009, the series was produced by BBC Wales and CBS Paramount Television Studios. From 2009 to 2013, the series was produced by BBC Wales and CBS Television Studios. From 2013 to 2016, the series was produced by BBC Scotland and CBS Television Studios. From 2016 to 2020, the series was produced by BBC Studios Scotland and CBS Television Studios. From 2020 to 2023, the series was produced by BBC Studios Scotland and CBS Studios (now under the ownership of Paramount Global). From 2023, the series will be produced by WhoStudios — a joint-venture between BBC Studios and Paramount Global.
K9 and Company
- Main article: K9 and Company (TV Series)
K9 and Company was the first Doctor Who spin-off series, which was ultimately just a one-episode television pilot. It featured former series regulars Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist played by Elisabeth Sladen, and K-9, a robotic dog voiced by John Leeson. Both characters had been companions of the Fourth Doctor, but they had not appeared together before.
The main cast of the show was intended to be:
The single episode, A Girl's Best Friend, was broadcast by BBC1 as a Christmas special on 28 December 1981, but was not taken up for a continuing series, due to a change of management at BBC1.
Leftover
- Main article: Leftover (TV Series)
To be added.
Rebel Zero
- Main article: Rebel Zero (Mini-Series)
To be added.
Panopticon
- Main article: Panopticon (TV Series)
Panopticon was a Doctor Who television spin-off series centred around The Rogue and the Time Lords and continued the "Gallifrey arc" that was the main focus of seasons 41, 42 and 43 of Doctor Who. The series was created by Tony Redston, Gary Russell, Marc Platt and Ira Steven Behr. It was originally ran by Marc Platt for its first two series, before Ira Steven Behr ran its third, and Ronald D. Moore ran the remaining four series. It ran for seven series between 2008 and 2013 and had a total of 58 episodes.
Panopticon centres around the events surrounding the Rogue as Lord President of Gallifrey. The show also showcases the political exploits surrounding the Bannermen and the Vex, as well as the rise to power of former Lord President, Gregori.
The main cast for the series included:
- The Rogue - Timothy Dalton
- Will Adams - David Tennant
- Gregori - Peter Capaldi
- Cordale/Phaedra - Emma Caulfield
- The Rani - Siobhan Redmond
- Zenla - Juliet Landau
- Leela - Louise Jameson
- Kendara - Karen Gillan
- Francis - Christopher Biggins
- Frances - Claire Bloom
- Fassile - Alexander Siddig
- Gordra - Graham McTavish
- Rodan - Miranda Raison
- Ohila - Clare Higgins
- Orthena - Katarina Olsson
- Fen Do'nel - Tucker Smallwood
- Francs - John Paton
- Belinda - Eleanor Matsuura
- Voice of K-9 - John Leeson
The series was produced by BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and CBS Television Studios, with the majority of the production taking place in Wales. With several exterior scenes were shot in Spain.
Cold Front
- Main article: Cold Front (TV Series)
Cold Front was a Doctor Who television spin-off anthology series. Created due to Doctor Who being taken off of the air between Doctor Who: Endgame and Doctor Who: Genesis. It was produced by CBS Television Studios in cooperation with BBC Worldwide and BBC Wales for it's two seasons.
Franchise executive, Ira Steven Behr had decided to make a Doctor Who type show to fill in the void that was left due to it's hiatus, Behr had commissioned Chris Carter to come up with a idea for the show. Which featured episodes that told standalone stories within the existing Doctor Who universe.
The main cast for the series included:
- Alfred Lawson - Patrick Stewart
- Hame Armstrong - Jessica Capshaw
- Cordale - Emma Caulfield
- Donald Harcourt - Robert Duncan McNeill
- The Master - Jason Isaacs
- Professor Susan Flemyng - Julie Walters
- The Monk - Toby Jones
- Gemma Legato - Emer Kenny
- Varn - Hannah Cheesman
- Rost - Rachael Taylor
- The Rani - Siobhan Redmond
The series was mainly produced in the United States with CBS Television Studios leading the production. But, a handful of episodes were still filmed in the United Kingdom such as the two episodes that tied into fellow spin off, Panopticon which was produced in cooperation with the Panopticon production team.
Because of the production mainly taking place in the United States, all ten episodes aired in the United States one day before it's United Kingdom air date.
The Elysium
- Main article: The Elysium (TV Series)
The Elysium logo
The Elysium was a Doctor Who television spin-off series centred around the decedents of the Time Lords who survived the Battle of Earth, in Panopticon's series finale, Doctor. It was produced by Left Bank Pictures for the BBC Studios, CBS Television Studios and Netflix.
The series was created by Doctor Who showrunners, Ronald D. Moore and Jane Espenson, with the latter going on to showrun the series, later to be joined by Toni Graphia.
The main cast for the series included:
The series ran for 5 seasons and a total of 52 episodes. It received some criticism for its tenuous links to Doctor Who, in its earliest seasons, before the series crossed over with Doctor Who in the 2017 story, False Prophets, where Doctor Who companion, Raleigh Baker-Mitchell, was introduced into the series, to strengthen its ties with Doctor Who. The show was popular with international audiences being distributed entirely through Netflix, outside of the United Kingdom and United States, branded as a "Netflix Original Series".
Doctor Who: The New Renegade
- Main article: Doctor Who: The New Renegade (TV Series)
Doctor Who: The New Renegade logo
Doctor Who: The New Renegade is a Doctor Who television spin-off series centred around the Eleventh Doctor travelling in the TARDIS in-between the events of Season 43 of Doctor Who and Doctor Who: Revelation. The show was aimed to be for a more adult oriented audience. It was produced by CBS Television Studios and BBC Studios in Toronto, Canada.
The series was created by Chris Carter who acted as showrunner for the first two seasons of the show. For season three, it was announced at ODWC 2021 that Mike Flanagan is to take over as showrunner.
The main cast for the series includes:
The series was initially greenlit by CBS to rival Paramount's film Doctor Who: Until the World Ends. With them bringing Anthony Head back as the Eleventh Doctor for a new CBS All Access series. For the second season, the show became a Paramount+ original outside of the UK. In the UK, the series aired on BBC One simultaneously with it's release on CBS All Access and later on Paramount+.
Doctor Who: Adventures
- Main article: Doctor Who: Adventures (TV Series)
Doctor Who: Adventures logo
Doctor Who: Adventures is a Doctor Who television spin-off series centred around the Fourteenth Doctor, Erin Stevenson and Kyle Harrison travelling in the TARDIS in a show aimed for younger audiences. It was produced by CBS Eye Animation Productions and BBC Studios.
Then franchise executive, Jane Espenson gave the task of creating and showrunning the show to Phil Ford.
The main cast for the series includes:
The series was announced at ODWC 2019 where Samantha Bond, Montserrat Lombard and William Moseley made an announced appearance to announce the show alongside Jane Espenson as a CBBC and CBS All Access series. For the show second season, the show in the US was first aired on Nickelodeon before getting a release on Paramount+.
Doctor Who: The Time Meddlers
- Main article: Doctor Who: The Time Meddlers (TV Series)
Doctor Who: The Time Meddlers logo
Doctor Who: The Time Meddlers is a Doctor Who television spinoff comedy series. It centres around the character of The Monk, recently reintroduced in Doctor Who played by Jo Brand, and a group of "time meddlers", travelling through time and space.
The cast includes:
- The Monk - Jo Brand
- Eric - Ray Fearon
- Astrid - Sally Bretton
- Glala - Adrian Lukis
- Ruksana - Nina Wadia
Doctor Who: The Time Meddlers was the first show to be produced under WhoStudios with recording for the first season of the show taking place in June and July 2022 at WhoStudios - the Lambert Centre in Manchester.
The World of Doctor Who
- Main article: The World of Doctor Who (TV Series)
The World of Doctor Who was a Doctor Who television spinoff series. It was produced by WhoStudios for BBC One and Paramount+. It starred Adjoa Andoh, reprising her role as the Toymaker from The Other World.
Foreign Adaptations
To be added.
| Series | Seasons | Episodes | Originally Released | Country of Origin | Platform | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dokter Wie | 3 | 30 | 11 October 2018 - 26 May 2022 | Netherlands 🇳🇱 | NPO 1 |
| 2 | Doctor Misterio | 2 | 20* | 15 January 2019 - present | Spain 🇪🇸 | La 1 |
| SkyShowtime | ||||||
| 3 | Doctor Who: Through Time and Space | 3 | 35* | 9 June 2019 - present | Poland 🇵🇱 | TVN |
| BBC Four | ||||||
| 4 | Mysteriet Doktorn | 3 | 30 | 16 August 2019 - 23 June 2023 | Sweden 🇸🇪 | SVT1 |
- (*) marks a television series that is currently airing and has an ever changing episode count that will need to be continually updated.
Dokter Wie
- Main article: Dokter Wie (TV Series)
To be added.
Doctor Misterio
- Main article: Doctor Misterio (TV Series)
To be added.
Doctor Who: Through Time and Space
- Main article: Doctor Who: Through Time and Space (TV Series)
To be added.
Mysteriet Doktorn
- Main article: Mysteriet Doktorn (TV Series)
To be added.
Films
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Additional Programming
Mini-Episodes
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Aftershows
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| Series | Narrator(s) / Presenter(s) | Seasons | Episodes | Originally Released | Platform | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | After Who | Jo Whiley (2004-06, 2014-16) | 21 | 202 | 11 September 2004 - 12 March 2016 | BBC Three[1] |
| Zoe Ball (2007-11) | ||||||
| Rufus Hound (2011-13) | ||||||
| 2 | Doctor Who Extra | Nicholas Briggs | 2 | 33 | 11 September 2016 - 1 January 2018 | BBC iPlayer |
| 3 | Doctor Who: The Fan Show | Rufus Hound | — | 24 | 18 March 2018 - 25 November 2018 | |
| 4 | Doctor Who Weekly | Nicholas Briggs (2018-present) | 159* | 3 December 2018 - present | YouTube | |
| Toby Hadoke (2018-present) | ||||||
| Rufus Hound (2018-present) | ||||||
| Jenna Russell (2019-23) | ||||||
| Hugh Quarshie (2021-present) | ||||||
| Juno Dawson (2023-present) | ||||||
- (*) marks a television series that is currently airing and has an ever changing episode count that will need to be continually updated.
After Who
- Main article: After Who (TV Series)
To be added.
Doctor Who Extra
- Main article: Doctor Who Extra (Web Series)
To be added.
Doctor Who: The Fan Show
- Main article: Doctor Who: The Fan Show (Web Series)
To be added.
Doctor Who Weekly
- Main article: Doctor Who Weekly (Web Series)
To be added.
Merchandise
To be added.
Branding
Logo
Although Doctor Who had featured an on-screen logo since it's inception in 1963, it wasn't until 1975 that a franchise logo was adopted. Up until this point, it was extremely common for different pieces of Doctor Who media to use a wild variety of original logos. Below are the primary variations of the overall brand logos for the Doctor Who franchise:
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1975-1980
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1980-1987
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1987-1991
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1991-1998
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1998-2003
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2003-2007
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2007-2013
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2013-2018
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2018
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2019-2020
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2020-present
Corporate Ownership
To be added.