The fourteenth series of Doctor Who is now only two weeks away, dropping on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ at midnight on May 11.
And fans couldn’t be more thrilled: “A new era of Doctor Who has begun,” commented one under the new series’ trailer.
“The show looks beautiful this season!!” said another. “Best trailer we’ve had in a while too, mad props to the editors!”
Ready to rock through time? 🌀🔥 #DoctorWho premieres on @BBCiPlayer in the UK 11th May and @DisneyPlus 10th May where available pic.twitter.com/ygn67yoesU
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) March 31, 2024
Fans had already enjoyed a glimpse of Ncuti Gatwa – the Scottish actor, best-known for playing Eric Effiong in Sex Education – as the Doctor in a Christmas special which the Standard described as “a belter”.
“By the end, I was champing at the bit to see more of both Gatwa and Gibson,” it said. “They’re both live wires, with charisma to burn; a welcome jolt of energy for a show that’s sixty years young.”
David Tennant returned to play the Doctor for three stand alone 60th anniversary episodes which aired last November. This reappearance made him both the tenth Doctor, and the fourteenth – no, we don’t fully understand Doctor Who maths either.
So, with Gatwa gearing up to play the beloved Time Lord, here we break down the list of actors who have come before him. And, for more on the Doctors, find our ranking of who played the time traveller best here.
So who has played Doctor Who before?
The first season of Doctor Who was originally broadcast on the BBC on November 23, 1963 and starred William Hartnell.
Since then, 13 people have played Doctor Who – including Gatwa.
In order of appearance, here are all the actors who have played the iconic Time Lord over the decades:
- William Hartnell, 1963 – 1966
- Patrick Troughton, 1966 – 1969
- John Pertwee, 1970 – 1974
- Tom Baker, 1974 – 1981
- Peter Davidson, 1981 – 1984
- Colin Baker, 1984 – 1986
- Sylvester McCoy, 1987 – 1989
- Paul McGann, 1996
- Christopher Eccleston, 2005
- David Tennant, 2005 – 2010
- Matt Smith, 2010 – 2013
- Peter Capaldi, 2013 – 2017
- Jodie Whittaker, 2017 – 2022
- David Tennant, three episodes, 2023
- Ncuti Gatwa, 2024 –
There have also been a few extra “unofficial” Doctors throughout the years.
John Hurt played a version known as The War Doctor in a series of 2013 specials while Jo Martin played a previously unknown version of The Doctor in series 12, who was known as the Fugitive Doctor.
Peter Cushing also played the part in two films produced in the 1960s: Dr. Who And The Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 AD.
