One of TV’s most enduring and endearing characters, Doctor Who made his first appearance on November 23, 1963. 

“a new Saturday-afternoon television series of adventures in time and space”
Radio Times

The first episode, Unearthly Child, introduced the world to the time traveling Gallifreyan and his companions. Over the decades the doctor would change bodies and personalities while companions would come and go. With each change, the show would take on a new energy and provide new timey-wimy adventures. To date there have been 14 Doctors. The first eleven were featured in this 50th Anniversary in 2013 set from the Royal Mail. Design firm GBH handled design duties. 

The Doctors by number

First Doctor: William Hartnell (November 1963 – October 1966)
Crotchety, eccentric, not always truthful with his companions, came to care deeply for them. Set the pattern for later companions.
“There must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.”  

 

Second Doctor: Patrick Troughton (November 1966 – June 1969)
Impish humour, sense of adventure, bit of a clown persona to hide a sharp intellect.
“Life depends on change, and renewal.”  

 

Third Doctor: Jon Pertwee (January 1970 – June 1974)
Energetic, James Bond feel with lots of gadgets. Bonus, had the incredible Sarah Jane Smith as one of the all time best companions. 
“A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting.”  

 

Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker (December 1974 – March 1981)
This era is often referred to as the Golden Age of Doctor Who. Strong companions helped make his character an interesting study in mercurial genius.  
“There’s no point in being grown up if you can’t be childish sometimes.”  

 

Fifth Doctor: Peter Davison (January 1982 – March 1984)
Youngest Doctor at the time. More like the weird uncle everyone loves to hang out with. Curious about the universe and never ending adventures it offers.
“You know how it is – you put things off for a day, and next thing you know, it’s a hundred years later.”  

 

Sixth Doctor: Colin Baker (March 1984 – December 1986)
Sadly underrated. Much potential for this Doctor and Colin Baker’s portrayal is at times borderline insane. BBC cut short his tenure, which signaled the slow painful death of the series. 
“This is a situation that requires tact and finesse. Fortunately, I am blessed with both!”  

 

Seventh Doctor: Sylvester McCoy (September 1987 – December 1989)
The show was canceled in 1989 and was off air (as a series) until 2005, when the BBC brought it back with a bang. McCoy’s tenure was marred by some awful production decisions by John Nathan-Turner, who, I always felt never understood the show. The excessive use, or misuse, of a music background made the show maddening to watch. This was a darker, secretive Doctor. Lost potential with this character. 
“You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies”   

 

Eighth Doctor: Paul McGann (May 1996)
McGann appeared in a one off TV movie in an attempt to bring back the character and cater more to the US market. Although McGann’s character lived on in audio stories, very successfully, the tv show was considered a failure. It lacked the eccentric charm of the previous Doctors and was felt to be too Americanised. Critics apparently liked the show, but long time Who fans panned it and it failed to generate excitement among potential new viewers. The audible stories, from Big Finish, really flesh out this version. 
“I love humans. Always seeing patterns in things that aren’t there.”  

 

Ninth Doctor: Christopher Eccleston (March 2005 – June 2005)
The new Doctor returned to the formula that made the series such a success. The Doctor was brilliant, irascible (at times), complex and thoroughly eccentric. Eccleston was an immediate hit and the series was back with a new sense of adventure.   
“Time travel is like visiting Paris. You can’t just read the guidebook. You’ve got to throw yourself in! Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers! Or is that just me?”

 

Tenth Doctor: David Tennant (December 2005 – January 2010)
Considered the best Doctor. Combines many characteristics of the previous – fun loving, inquisitive, eccentric but deeply damaged from his role in the Time Wars. Wants vengeance but companions help him recover. 
“Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don’t turn your back, don’t look away, and don’t blink. Good luck.”  

 

Eleventh Doctor: Matt Smith (April 2010 – December 2013)
This incarnation wants to forget the pain of the previous life. He’s adventurous, silly and passionate.
“Everything’s got to end sometime. Otherwise, nothing would ever get started.”

These versions of Doctor Who appeared after the 50th anniversary series was released: 

Twelfth Doctor: Peter Capaldi (August 2014 – December 2017)
LOL. Capaldi was a classic rock and roll doctor. 

I haven’t had the chance to see the 13th and 14th Doctors. But they sure have stirred up a lot of idiot fanboys who take things far too personally. 

Thirteenth Doctor: Jodie Whittaker (October 2018 – October 2022)

Fourteenth Doctor: Ncuti Gatwa (December 2023 – present)

And not part of the official number but still important were these versions:

Valeyard: Michael Jayston (1986)
I’ve never quite figured out what to do with this version. It doesn’t really fit in the hierarchy and feels like a story left untold. Thoroughly unlikeable.  

The War Doctor: John Hurt (November 2013)
John Hurt’s portrayal was a one of a kind. Committed, damaged and resigning himself to the bitterness of war. Will do what is needed, but leaves his future self deeply scarred. An amazing portrait.

The Fugitive Doctor: Jo Martin (January 2020 – October 2022)
Haven’t had a chance to see this version. But Jo Martin as the Doctor? I’m all in!

 

No Doctor Who write up is complete without a nod to the Tardis.  

For those not in the know, the Tardis is a battered old police box (1960s era) that is the Doctor’s home. It’s bigger on the inside than the outside. A running joke throughout the years is how the Tardis’ chameleon circuit is stuck and won’t let the Tardis change shapes to disguise itself. It’s as iconic as the Doctor.  

 

And of course the Doctor’s foes and odd ood. 

Dalek
The oldest foes. Appeared with the first Doctor and have plagued him and humanity since. Their only desire is to take over the universe and enslave everything and everyone. Never quite works out. Also called angry pepper pots.
“You will obey the Daleks or you will be exterminated.”  

 

The Ood
Okay not an enemy. A strange, telepathic, two brained humanoid that first appeared under David Tennant’s watch. Enigmatic. Previously enslaved by humans until the Doctor puts an end to it. 
“The Doctor: Ood, tell me, does “the circle” mean anything to you?
The Ood: The circle must be broken.
Donna: Whoa, that is creepy.
The Doctor: But what is it? What is the circle?
The Ood: The circle must be broken.
The Doctor: Why?
The Ood: So that we can sing.”  

 

Weeping Angel
Tennant’s doctor introduced one of the scariest monsters since the arrival of the Daleks. They are an ancient race who came to earth to feed of human’s time energy. Think time vampires.
This episode also gave us one of the most absurd explanations of time:
“People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.”

 

Cybermen
They made their first appearance in 1966 and proved to be a chilling version of humans who have given up their human existence to survive. Think of them as the precursor to the Borg from Star Trek. Logic over humanity. 
“Emotions have tormented you all of your life. Now you will be set free. This is your liberation.”

This Doctor Who series included a souvenir sheets, FDCs and prestige packs.