Doctor Who has changed a lot since it first began in 1963, and one of the easiest ways to spot this change comes right in the opening lines for the First Doctor and the Ninth. Doctor Who has had an incredible legacy stretching over more than 60 years. In that time, the show has grown from a small British serial drama about time and space travel, to the longest running sci-fi show on TV. However, just because its roots go back to the 1960s, it hasn’t stopped the show from evolving over time.
Thanks to unique mechanics such as the ability for the main character to regenerate, the show has been able to transform itself as the star and title character has changed form and face over a dozen times. With each new regeneration, the Doctor has to find themselves, and settle into the role of this universal protector who constantly finds themselves in the middle of trouble and triumph. And despite sharing a name, each new Doctor brings a distinct new focus to the show.
“What Are You Doing Here” Shows How The Doctor Didn’t Start As A Friendly Character
William Hartnell’s Doctor Was A Grumpy Old Man
November 1963 introduced the world to William Hartnell as the mysterious figure known only as the Doctor. However, it was much less a world stage and more of a national broadcast through the British Broadcasting Corporation, or BBC. Despite the limitations, the show managed to capture an entire world inside a small blue police box, and excite and invigorate viewers everywhere. At the onset of the show, the audience is introduced to an unusual young woman first, Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter, who appears to be at odds with her peers in school.
A short time later, this odd young woman walks into what appears to be a scrapyard, being closely tracked by two teachers from the school who have concerns about the young woman. They follow her into a police box, and no sooner are they transported to a vast cavernous control room, than they meet an elderly man who greets them harshly with the above line. At this point, the doctor could be described as short-tempered, frustrated, and unwilling to interact with apparent intruders.
“Run” Highlights How Modern Doctor Who Is More Of An Action TV Show
NuWho Updated The Formula In Several Ways
More than 40 years later, in 2005, the show was revived under the careful leadership of the visionary showrunner, Russell T Davies. In the hot seat playing the Doctor, the incredibly talented Christopher Eccleston held that privileged position. Once again, the show begins following a young woman, this time a shop worker, who seems entirely disinterested in her mundane life, and longs for something more. Rose is then followed by a group of mysterious living shop mannequins, before she bumps into a man who she noticed a short time earlier, and he grabs her hand, delivering the simple but emphatic instruction, “Run!”
Between the two introductions, it’s clear that the tone is different, and aside from anything that could be tied to the time and equipment, the 2005 Doctor Who was much more lively and action heavy. Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor was positively gleeful, even as he was running for his life from killer plastic. The reality is that each iteration of the Doctor has to bring their own trademark to the role and find their Doctor, but it also highlights something else significant as these contrasting Doctor’s come and go.
The More Doctor Who Changes, The More It Stays The Same
Doctor Who Sticks To Tradition Despite Decades Of History
The reality is that Doctor Who has always been multi-faceted, just like its leading character. Despite a slower drama-focused story kicking off the show in 1963, the series quickly picked up the pace and introduced high-intensity, action-packed adventures. The Doctor took on a vast variety of aliens and monsters across time and space, and while his primary mood was one of tedious frustration, he had a softer side.
On the other hand, Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor may have led with a giant grin and exuberant laughter, but over the course of his time on the show, signs of the crochety old man appeared. The Ninth Doctor was haunted by his past, but he was also fiercely protective of his friends, and could be incredibly rude and brash at times. Ultimately, while Doctor Who changes over time, the show always maintains a central core that makes it feel like one enormous ongoing adventure, and, in the words of the Ninth Doctor himself, that is simply “Fantastic.”
