Photos: As Jodie Whittaker becomes the first lady Dr Who, here's a refresher

William Hartnell

William Hartnell was the first to star as the Doctor in the BBC sci-fi series from 1963 to 1966. He was known for acting in numerous British films such as Carry on Sergeant and Piccadilly Third Stop.

However, Hartnell’s deteriorating health made it impossible for him to continue working as Dr Who, and he eventually left the show in 1966.

Patrick Troughton

Patrick Troughton succeeded Hartnell as the next Dr Who and was, in fact, directly recommended for the role by Hartnell himself. Troughton continued to be on the show until 1969, and moulded the character in a very different way than Hartnell.

A character actor, Troughton returned to the show three times after formally leaving the show, thereby making him the only actor to portray Doctor as many times even after officially disassociating with the series.

Jon Pertwee

Between 1970-74, Jon Pertwee took over the role of the Time Lord and continued to through the next five seasons. Pertwee’s tenure marked the era of colour and hence, he became the first doctor to be seen in colour.



Tom Baker

The Fourth Doctor was Tom Baker, who ended up playing the role for the longest time and became one of the most popular actors to play the lead. He added a quirky touch to Dr Who’s character, thanks to his distinctive voice and sense of dressing.

Peter Davison

Colin Baker

Baker’s shoes were then filled by Peter Davison, who served for three years as the Fifth Doctor. In 1984, he left the show to be succeeded by Colin Baker whose tenure as the protagonist was marked by an 18-month interruption.

Sylvester McCoy

In 1986, Baker finally left to make way for Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy.

McCoy added a touch of humour and his portrayal was distinguished thanks to his Scottish accent and manner of speech. The Seventh Doctor was played by Peter McGann, whose tenure as Dr Who was the most short-lived.

Christopher Eccleston

In 2005, the series was revived and Christopher Eccleston played the ninth incarnation of Dr Who. However, the British actor decided to quit the series just after the first episode.

David Tennant

Eccleston was succeeded by David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Tennant is a theatre actor who is known for starring in numerous stage and film productions such as How to Train Your Dragon, The Catherine Tate Show and Duck Tales. He finally left the show in by 2009 to be succeeded by Matt Smith.

Matt Smith

Peter Capaldi

In 2013, Peter Capaldi was announced to play Dr Who, replacing Smith. Capaldi’s hawkish features added a maturity to Dr Who that lent an interesting touch to the character. In 2017, it was announced that the tenth series will be Capaldi’s last.

Jodie Whittaker

He has been replaced by 35-year-old actress Jodie Whittaker, who has been named the Thirteenth Doctor. Whittaker becomes the first woman to play the lead and will be part of the show that will be aired this Christmas on BBC. She has starred in other TV shows such as Black Mirror, Broadchurch and The Night Watch.