Classic era: 23 November 1963 – 6 December 1989
Revived era: 26 March 2005 – present
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC since 1963. The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called "the Doctor", an extraterrestrial being, to all appearances human, from the planet Gallifrey. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Accompanied by a number of companions, the Doctor combats a variety of foes while working to save civilizations and help people in need.
The show is a significant part of British popular culture, and elsewhere it has gained a cult following. It has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series. The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. There was an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a backdoor pilot, in the form of a television film titled Doctor Who. The programme was relaunched in 2005, and since then has been produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff. Doctor Who has also spawned numerous spin-offs, including comic books, films, novels, audio dramas, and the television series Torchwood (2006–2011), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011), K-9 (2009–2010), and Class (2016), and has been the subject of many parodies and references in popular culture.
Thirteen actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation, a plot device in which a Time Lord "transforms" into a new body when the current one is too badly harmed to heal normally. Each actor's portrayal is unique, but all represent stages in the life of the same character, and together, they form a single lifetime with a single narrative. The time-travelling feature of the plot means that different incarnations of the Doctor occasionally meet. The Doctor is currently portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa, who took on the role after David Tennant (who previously played the Tenth Doctor) returned as the Fourteenth Doctor for the show's 60th anniversary following Jodie Whittaker's departure in 2022.
Storyline[]
Doctor Who follows the adventures of the title character, a rogue Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who goes by the name "the Doctor". The Doctor fled Gallifrey in a stolen TARDIS ("Time and Relative Dimension in Space"), a time machine that travels by materializing into and dematerializing out of the time vortex. The TARDIS has a vast interior but appears smaller on the outside, and is equipped with a "chameleon circuit" intended to make the machine take on the appearance of local objects as a disguise; due to a malfunction, the Doctor's TARDIS remains fixed as a blue British police box.
Across time and space, the Doctor's many incarnations often find events that pique their curiosity and try to prevent evil forces from harming innocent people or changing history, using only ingenuity and minimal resources, such as the versatile sonic screwdriver. The Doctor rarely travels alone and often brings one or more companions to share these adventures. These companions are usually humans, owing to the Doctor's fascination with planet Earth, which also leads to frequent collaborations with the international military task force UNIT when the Earth is threatened. The Doctor is centuries old and, as a Time Lord, has the ability to regenerate in case of mortal damage to the body, taking on a new appearance and personality. The Doctor has gained numerous reoccurring enemies during their travels, including the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Master, another renegade Time Lord.
Also See[]
TV Show Intro[]
Sound Effects Used[]
Original Series (1963-1989)[]
- BBC Records, Air Raid, World War II - Heavy Explosions (I)
- BBC Records, Atomic Reactor Runs Wild (Heard in "The Hand Of Fear".)
- BBC Records, The Central Control Room In Exillon City (Heard once in "Death to the Daleks".)
- BBC Records, Cloning And Minituarisation Process (Heard once in "The Invisible Enemy".)
- BBC Records, Crashes - Glass Crash
- BBC Records, The Dalek Control Room (Heard once in "Death to the Daleks".)
- BBC Records, Dalek Gun (3 Blasts) (Heard once in "Genesis of the Daleks".)
- BBC Records, Dalek Hatching Tanks On Skaros (Heard once in "Death to the Daleks".)
- BBC Records, Dematerialzer Gun (Heard once in "The Invasion Of Time".)
- BBC Records, Distillation Chamber (Heard once in "The Talons Of Weng Chi'ang".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Alarm - From 'The Keeper Of Traken' (Heard once in "The Keeper Of Traken".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Cloister Bell In The Tardis - From 'Logopolis' (Heard once in "Logopolis".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Dodecahedron Energy Beams - From 'Meglos' (Heard once in "Meglos".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Earth Shuttle Arriving On Argolis - From 'The Leisure Hive' (Heard once in "The Leisure Hive".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Electric Storm - From 'The Keeper Of Traken' (Heard once in "The Keeper Of Traken".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Flock Of Bats - From 'State Of Decay' (Heard once in "State of Decay".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Laboratory Descends, Gaztak Spaceship Takes Off - From 'Meglos' (Heard once in "Meglos".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Marsh Men - From 'Full Circle' (Heard once in "Full Circle".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - The Master's Tardis Lands - From 'Logopolis' (Heard once in "Logopolis".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - The Master's Tardis Takes Off - From 'Logopolis' (Heard once in "Logopolis".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Planet Exterior Atmosphere On Argolis - From 'The Leisure Hive' (Heard once in "The Leisure Hive".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Respirator Room Background In Spaceship - From 'Warriors' Gate' (Heard once in "Warriors' Gate".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Tardis 'Into Time Slip' - From 'Logopolis' (Heard once in "Logopolis".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Tardis 'Out Of Time Slip' - From 'Logopolis' (Heard once in "Logopolis".)
- BBC Records, Dr. Who (Sound Effects From The 1980 Series) - Time Winds - From 'Warriors Gate' (Heard once in "Warriors' Gate".)
- BBC Records, Dragon Ray Gun (Heard once in "The Talons Of Weng Chi'ang".)
- BBC Records, Fission Gun (Heard once in "Ark In Space".)
- BBC Records, Gallifreyan Staser (3 Blasts)
- BBC Records, Gallifreyan Staser Gun (Heard once in "The Deadly Assassin".)
- BBC Records, Inside Dr. Who's Mind (Heard once in "The Invisible Enemy".)
- BBC Records, The Interior Of Xoanon (Heard once in "Face Of Evil".)
- BBC Records, Kraal Disorientation Chamber (Heard once in "Android Invasion".)
- BBC Records, Metebelis III Atmosphere (Heard once in "Planet Of The Spiders".)
- BBC Records, Observation Screen Operates
- BBC Records, The Shrine Of The Sisterhood Of Karn (Heard once in "Dr. Who And The Brain Of Morbius".)
- BBC Records, Sonic Screwdriver
- BBC Records, Sontaran Gun (Heard once in "The Invasion Of Time".)
- BBC Records, Styre's Scouting Machine (Heard once in "The Destructors".)
- BBC Records, Sutekh Time Tunnel (Heard once in "Pyramid Of Mars".)
- BBC Records, Tardis Door Opens
- BBC Records, Tardis Interior (In Flight)
- BBC Records, Tardis Interior (Stationary)
- BBC Records, Tesh Gun (Heard once in "Face Of Evil".)
- BBC Records, Vardan Gun (Heard once in "The Invasion Of Time".)
- BBC Records, Wind-Mine Machine (Heard once in "Robots Of Death".)
- BBC Records, Zygon Spaceship Control Centre (Heard once in "Dr. Who And The Zygons".)
- BBC SCI FI - COMPUTER SOUNDS
- BBC SCI FI - K9 FIRING LASER (First heard in "The Invisible Enemy".)
- BBC SCI FI - LASER GUN, FIVE BURSTS
- BBC SCI FI - SEA OF MERCURY
- CINESOUND BOMB WHISTLE 01 (Heard once in "Genesis of the Daleks".)
- R-B SCI FI, CARTOON - GIDNEY AND CLOYD'S APPEARANCES
- SoundDogs, Sirens - Tanker Classic Emergency Siren - MCU - Siren Blast Thirteen Times, Sounds Similar To Old Model A Car Horns, But Lower & Louder, Aah Oooooh Gaaaag (Heard once in "The Claw of Axos".)
- Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, CAT - TOM CATS, FIGHTING, HISSING, GROWLING
- Sound Ideas, Technology, Computers - Electronic Signals. (Computer atmosphere.) 12 (Heard once in "The Dæmons".)
- Sound Ideas, Technology, Computers - Electronic Signals. (Computer atmosphere.) 13 (Heard once in "The Daleks' Master Plan".)
- Sound Ideas, WEATHER - THUNDER CRASH 02 (Heard in "The Greatest Show in The Galaxy".)
- Sound Ideas, WIND - SIBERIAN WIND, WEATHER (Heard throughout "The Tenth Planet".)
New Series (2005-Present)[]
- BBC SCI FI - TARDIS LAND
- BBC SCI FI - TARDIS TAKE OFF
- Hollywoodedge, Baby Crying Slowly PE144001
- Hollywoodedge, Baby Whines Cries Bre PE399201 (Heard once in "The Haunting of Villa Diodati".)
- Hollywoodedge, Baby Whines Cries Bre PE399207 (Heard twice in "The Haunting of Villa Diodati".)
- Hollywoodedge, Car Crash Small 1 Shor PE111901
- Hollywoodedge, Crowd Med Shock PE961301/Hollywoodedge, Crowd Reaction Shock PE142501 (Heard in a low pitch.)
- Hollywoodedge, Fart 1 Medium Fart Clo PE138901 (Heard in "Aliens of London".)
- Hollywoodedge, Giggling Two Childre PE131001/Hollywoodedge, Two Young Kids Giggle PE143501 (Heard once in "The Family of Blood".)
- Hollywoodedge, Laser Blasts CRT050601 (Heard in the 2005 episode "Dalek".)
- Hollywoodedge, Whoosh Eerie Jet Air SDT030902
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 12 (Heard once in "Resolution".)
- SKYWALKER, GUN - MG-42 MACHINE GUN SOUNDS (Heard in "Resolution".)
- Sound Ideas, HORSE - INTERIOR: WHINNY, ANIMAL 01
- Sound Ideas, HORSE - INTERIOR: WHINNY, ANIMAL 02
- Sound Ideas, HUMAN, BABY - CRYING (2nd and 3rd halves used for an offscreen baby when it cries in "The End of the World".)
- Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - SPACEY ZAP RICCO
- Sound Ideas, SCI FI - SPACE RICOCHET 05 (Used for the Daleks' gunsticks.)
- Sound Ideas, SIREN - 'WAIL' SIREN, POLICE, AMBULANCE, FIRE TRUCK 01
- Sound Ideas, SPACE, WHOOSH - FAST WHOOSH BY, SCI FI 09