Editing Doctor Who (section)

====Changes of appearance====
Producers introduced the concept of [[Regeneration (Doctor Who)|regeneration]] to permit the recasting of the main character. This was prompted by the poor health of the original star, [[William Hartnell]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 May 2021 |title=The reasons why each Doctor Who actor quit |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a854678/doctor-who-actors-quit-david-tennant-matt-smith/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |website=Digital Spy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Meszaros |first=E. L. |date=21 January 2021 |title=Doctor Who: Why First Doctor William Hartnell Left the Series |url=https://www.cbr.com/doctor-who-why-william-hartnell-left-series/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |website=CBR}}</ref> The term "regeneration" was not conceived until the Doctor's third on-screen regeneration; Hartnell's Doctor merely described undergoing a "renewal", and the Second Doctor underwent a "change of appearance".<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Doctor Who Transcripts – The Power of the Daleks |url=http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/4-3.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201190540/http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/4-3.htm |archive-date=1 December 2016 |access-date=27 January 2017 |website=chakoteya.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Doctor Who Transcripts – The War Games |url=http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/6-7.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202025218/http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/6-7.htm |archive-date=2 February 2017 |access-date=27 January 2017 |website=chakoteya.net}}</ref> The device has allowed for the recasting of the actor various times in the show's history, as well as the depiction of alternative Doctors either from the Doctor's relative past or future.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Moffat |first=Steven |title=The Day of The Doctor |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

The serials ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'' (1976) and ''[[Mawdryn Undead]]'' (1983) established that a Time Lord can only regenerate 12 times, for a total of 13 incarnations.<ref name="507joke"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bryce |first=Evangeline |date=9 December 2022 |title=Doctor Who: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Regeneration |url=https://gamerant.com/doctor-who-regeneration-facts-lore-trivia/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |website=Game Rant}}</ref> This line became stuck in the public consciousness despite not often being repeated and was recognised by producers of the show as a plot obstacle for when the show finally had to regenerate the Doctor a thirteenth time.<ref name="507joke">{{Cite web |title=Interview – Russell T. Davies talks about That Sarah Jane Adventures line |url=http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/10/26/interview-russell-t-davies-talks-about-that-sarah-jane-adventures-line/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231070415/http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/10/26/interview-russell-t-davies-talks-about-that-sarah-jane-adventures-line/ |archive-date=31 December 2010 |access-date=5 August 2013 |publisher=sfx.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Darren |date=26 November 2013 |title=Steven Moffat on 'Doctor numbers' and the regeneration limit |work=Doctor Who |url=http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/steven-moffat-on-doctor-numbers-and-the-regeneration-limit |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128055027/http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/steven-moffat-on-doctor-numbers-and-the-regeneration-limit |archive-date=28 November 2013 |access-date=26 November 2013}}</ref> The episode "[[The Time of the Doctor]]" (2013) depicted the Doctor acquiring a new cycle of regenerations, starting from the [[Twelfth Doctor]], due to the [[Eleventh Doctor]] being the product of the Doctor's twelfth regeneration from his original set.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Norman |first=Dalton |date=19 March 2023 |title=Doctor Who: How Many Times Can A Time Lord Regenerate? |url=https://screenrant.com/doctor-who-how-many-time-lord-regeneration/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |website=ScreenRant}}</ref><!--A note explaining this can go here, but it would be best not to digress into an explanation of the circumstances of a particular regeneration in the paragraph which introduces the general concept-->

Although the idea of casting a woman as the Doctor had been suggested by the show's writers several times, including by Newman in 1986 and Davies in 2008, until 2017, all official depictions were played by men.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Horn |first=Marc |date=10 October 2010 |title=How Doctor Who nearly became the Time Lady |work=Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/8052694/How-Doctor-Who-nearly-became-the-Time-Lady.html |url-status=live |access-date=17 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719002341/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/8052694/How-Doctor-Who-nearly-became-the-Time-Lady.html |archive-date=19 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nichols |first=Sam |date=18 December 2008 |title=Could Catherine Zeta-Jones be the next Doctor Who |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/dec/18/could-catherine-zeta-jones-be-next-doctor-who |url-status=live |access-date=17 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615061049/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/dec/18/could-catherine-zeta-jones-be-next-doctor-who |archive-date=15 June 2017}}</ref> [[Jodie Whittaker]] took over the role as the [[Thirteenth Doctor]] at the end of the 2017 Christmas special and is the first woman to be cast as the character.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Turner |first=Camilla |date=16 July 2017 |title=Doctor Who: Jodie Whittaker is to replace Peter Capaldi in the Time Lord regeneration game |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/07/16/doctor-jodie-whittaker-replace-peter-capaldi-time-lord-regeneration/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718015944/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/07/16/doctor-jodie-whittaker-replace-peter-capaldi-time-lord-regeneration/ |archive-date=18 July 2018}}</ref> The show introduced the Time Lords' ability to change sex on regeneration in earlier episodes, first in dialogue, then with [[Michelle Gomez]]'s version of [[The Master (Doctor Who)|the Master]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oxman |first=Demaris |date=16 April 2022 |title=Doctor Who: Why Missy Is The Best Incarnation Of The Master |url=https://gamerant.com/doctor-who-missy-best-incarnation-the-master/ |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=Game Rant}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gladman |first=Andrew |date=14 June 2023 |title=Doctor Who: Did Sacha Dhawan's Master Actually Come Before Missy? |url=https://www.cbr.com/doctor-who-sacha-dhawan-master-before-missy/ |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=CBR}}</ref> and [[T'Nia Miller]]'s version of the General.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 October 2020 |title=Bly Manor star T'Nia Miller says Doctor Who was a "hard job" |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a34403458/haunting-of-bly-manor-tnia-miller-doctor-who/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |website=Digital Spy}}</ref>

Upon Whittaker's final appearance as the character in "[[The Power of the Doctor]]" on 23 October 2022, she regenerated into a form portrayed by [[David Tennant]], who was confirmed to be the [[Fourteenth Doctor]] and the first actor to play two incarnations, having previously played the [[Tenth Doctor]]. In the same year, [[Ncuti Gatwa]] was revealed to be portraying the [[Fifteenth Doctor]], making him the first black actor to headline the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/08/doctor-who-ncuti-gatwa-to-replace-jodie-whittaker-bbc-announces|title=Doctor Who: Ncuti Gatwa to replace Jodie Whittaker, BBC announces|author=Martin Belam|website=The Guardian|date=8 May 2022|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor Who trailer confirms when 60th anniversary specials and Ncuti Gatwa's first episode will air|first=Tasha|last=Hegarty|publisher=[[Digital Spy]]|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a41746448/doctor-who-trailer-air-date/|date=23 October 2022|access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Series lead !! Incarnation !! Tenure{{efn|The years shown cover the actor's tenure as the lead character only.}}
|-
| [[William Hartnell]] || [[First Doctor]] || 1963–1966
|-
| [[Patrick Troughton]] || [[Second Doctor]] || 1966–1969
|-
| [[Jon Pertwee]] || [[Third Doctor]] || 1970–1974
|-
| [[Tom Baker]] || [[Fourth Doctor]] || 1974–1981
|-
| [[Peter Davison]] || [[Fifth Doctor]] || 1982–1984<!--Do not change to 1981; as per WP:CONSENSUS of previous talk-page discussions, 1982 is when this Doctor became the lead.-->
|-
| [[Colin Baker]] || [[Sixth Doctor]] || 1984–1986
|-
| [[Sylvester McCoy]] || [[Seventh Doctor]] || 1987–1989<!--Do not change to 1996 without discussing it on the talk-page. 1987–1989 was when this Doctor was the lead. Even though he had a starring role in the movie, it was McGann's movie.-->
|-
| [[Paul McGann]] || [[Eighth Doctor]] || 1996
|-<!-- Please do not add John Hurt here -->
| [[Christopher Eccleston]] || [[Ninth Doctor]] || 2005
|-
| [[David Tennant]] || [[Tenth Doctor]] || 2005–2010
|-
| [[Matt Smith]] || [[Eleventh Doctor]] || 2010–2013
|-
| [[Peter Capaldi]] || [[Twelfth Doctor]] || 2014–2017<!--Do not change to 2013; as per WP:CONSENSUS of previous talk-page discussions, 2014 is when this Doctor became the lead.-->
|-
| [[Jodie Whittaker]] || [[Thirteenth Doctor]] || 2018–2022
|-
| David Tennant || [[Fourteenth Doctor]] || 2023
|-
| [[Ncuti Gatwa]] || [[Fifteenth Doctor]] || 2023–present
|}

In addition to those actors who have headlined the series, others have portrayed versions of the Doctor in guest roles. Notably, in 2013, [[John Hurt]] guest-starred as a hitherto unknown incarnation of the Doctor known as the [[War Doctor]] in the run-up to the show's 50th-anniversary special "[[The Day of the Doctor]]".<ref name="HurtDoctor">{{Cite news |last=Hogan, Michael |date=18 May 2013 |title=Doctor Who: The Name of the Doctor, BBC One, review |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/10065201/Doctor-Who-The-Name-of-the-Doctor-BBC-One-review.html |url-status=live |access-date=22 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522023526/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/10065201/Doctor-Who-The-Name-of-the-Doctor-BBC-One-review.html |archive-date=22 May 2013}}</ref> He is shown in mini-episode "[[The Night of the Doctor]]" [[retroactive continuity|retroactively inserted]] into the show's fictional chronology between McGann's and Eccleston's Doctors, although his introduction was written so as not to disturb the established numerical naming of the Doctors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rigby, Sam |date=24 November 2013 |title='Doctor Who': Steven Moffat on regeneration limit |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a533505/doctor-who-steven-moffat-on-regeneration-limit.html?rss |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127012123/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a533505/doctor-who-steven-moffat-on-regeneration-limit.html?rss |archive-date=27 November 2013 |access-date=25 November 2013 |website=[[Digital Spy]]}}</ref> The show later introduced another such unknown past Doctor with [[Jo Martin]]'s recurring portrayal of the [[Fugitive Doctor]], beginning with "[[Fugitive of the Judoon]]" (2020).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blumberg |first=Arnold T. |date=28 January 2020 |title=Doctor Who: Jo Martin's Character and That Surprise Cameo Explained |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/doctor-who-jo-martin-character-john-barrowman-cameo-explained |access-date=24 January 2024 |website=IGN}}</ref> An example from the classic series comes from ''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' (1986), in which [[Michael Jayston]]'s character the [[Valeyard]] is described as an amalgamation of the darker sides of the Doctor's nature, somewhere between the twelfth and final incarnation.<ref>{{cite serial | title = ''Season 23.'' [[The Trial of a Time Lord]] | episode = Part Thirteen" "[[The Ultimate Foe|(The Ultimate Foe episode 1)]] | series = Doctor Who | credits = [[Robert Holmes (scriptwriter)|Robert Holmes]] (writer), [[Chris Clough]] (director), [[John Nathan-Turner]] (producer) | network = [[BBC]] | station = [[BBC1]] | airdate = 29 November 1986}}</ref> The most recent example is when [[Richard E. Grant]], who previously portrayed an alternate version of the Doctor known as the Shalka Doctor in the animated series [[Scream of the Shalka]] (2003), appeared as a hologram of a past Doctor in "[[Rogue (Doctor Who)|Rogue]]" (2024).<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2024 |title=Did Doctor Who just drop a canon-shattering reveal? |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-rogue-richard-e-grant-newsupdate/ |access-date=8 June 2024 |website=[[Radio Times]]}}</ref>

On rare occasions, [[List of actors who have played the Doctor|other actors have stood in for the lead]]. In "[[The Five Doctors]]", [[Richard Hurndall]] played the First Doctor due to William Hartnell's death in 1975;<ref name="EWReturn">{{Cite magazine |title='Doctor Who': Every former Doctor return appearance, ranked |url=https://ew.com/gallery/doctor-who-returning-doctors/ |access-date=30 January 2024 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> 34 years later [[David Bradley (English actor)|David Bradley]] similarly replaced Hartnell in "[[Twice Upon a Time (Doctor Who)|Twice Upon a Time]]".<ref name="Bradley">{{Cite web |last=Britt |first=Ryan |date=21 December 2017 |title=David Bradley Says the 1st 'Doctor Who' Makes Mistakes |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/39638-doctor-who-1st-david-bradley-christmas-special-william-hartnell |access-date=31 January 2024 |website=Inverse}}</ref> In ''[[Time and the Rani]]'', Sylvester McCoy briefly played the Sixth Doctor during the regeneration sequence, carrying on as the Seventh.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Megan |title=Doctor Who Star Reveals Scene They Regret Not Filming |url=https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/doctor-who-colin-baker-scene-regret-regeneration/ |access-date=31 January 2024 |website=ComicBook.com|date=17 September 2019 }}</ref> In other media, the Doctor has been played by various other actors, including [[Peter Cushing]] in [[Dr. Who (Dalek films)|two films]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Britt |first=Ryan |date=23 November 2023 |title=58 Years Ago, A Legendary Actor Turned a Sci-Fi Phenomenon Into a Canon-Breaking Curiosity |url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/doctor-who-peter-cushing-dalek-movies-1965 |access-date=31 January 2024 |website=Inverse}}</ref>

The casting of a new Doctor has often inspired debate and speculation. Common topics of focus include the Doctor's sex (prior to the casting of Whittaker, all official incarnations were male), race (all Doctors were white prior to the casting of Jo Martin in "Fugitive of the Judoon") and age (the youngest actor to be cast is Smith at 26, and the oldest are Capaldi and Hartnell, both 55).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kissell |first=Ted B. |date=5 August 2013 |title=The Depressing, Disappointing Maleness of Doctor Who's New Time Lord |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/08/the-depressing-disappointing-maleness-of-i-doctor-who-i-s-new-time-lord/278380/ |access-date=31 January 2024 |website=The Atlantic}}</ref><ref>[http://www.sundayworld.com/entertainment/tv/neil-gaiman-hopes-a-non-white-person-will-take-doctor-who-role-someday "Neil Gaiman hopes a non-white person will take Doctor Who role someday"], {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011005312/http://www.sundayworld.com/entertainment/tv/neil-gaiman-hopes-a-non-white-person-will-take-doctor-who-role-someday |date=11 October 2013 }} ''Sunday World'', 8 August 2013.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Matthew |date=9 December 2013 |title=Peter Capaldi explains why no one can be too old to play The Doctor |work=Blastr |publisher=[[Syfy]] |url=http://www.blastr.com/2013-12-9/peter-capaldi-explains-why-no-one-can-be-too-old-play-doctor |url-status=live |access-date=16 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504025525/http://www.blastr.com/2013-12-9/peter-capaldi-explains-why-no-one-can-be-too-old-play-doctor |archive-date=4 May 2016}}</ref>