Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC since 1963. It was created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson. The show follows the adventures of the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being from a humanoid species called the Time Lords, who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a time-traveling spaceship that looks like a British police box on the outside but is much larger inside. The Doctor often travels with companions and works to save lives and fight injustice across the universe
. The character of the Doctor has been portrayed by fourteen actors since the show's inception, with the latest being Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor as of 2025. The series uses the concept of regeneration, where the Doctor's body renews itself into a new form when fatally injured, allowing different actors to play the role while maintaining continuity of the character's memories and personality traits. This device also allows the Doctor to change gender and ethnicity, with Jodie Whittaker being the first female Doctor (2017-2022) and Ncuti Gatwa the first black actor to headline the series
. The original series ran from 1963 to 1989, with a TV movie in 1996. The show was revived in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, followed by David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker, and now Ncuti Gatwa. The revived series shifted from multi-episode serials to mostly self- contained episodes with occasional story arcs. As of May 2025, there have been 890 episodes, making Doctor Who the longest-running science fiction TV program by episode count
. The show has a rich expanded universe including spin-offs like Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and is supported by a dedicated fanbase and extensive online resources such as the Tardis Wiki, which covers the series' lore and episodes in detail
. In summary, Doctor Who is a landmark British sci-fi series about a time- traveling alien hero known as the Doctor, who regenerates into new forms and adventures through time and space, fighting evil and protecting the innocent. It remains a significant cultural phenomenon with a vast episode catalog and ongoing production
