rapwsRiiis blend into its surroundings but was stuck as a 1950s-era British police call box. Five episodes in, faced the , who would become his most long-standing foes, extraterres­ trials resembling big metal pepper pots with one plunger-like hand and a goal that doubled as their favorite word: "Exterminate!" When Hartnell's declining health forced him off the series, Who's writers introduced their concept of "regener­ ation," which allowed the Doctor, a member of a human-looking alien race called the Time Lords, to trans­ form into a different being. So in 1966, Hartnell's Doctor collapsed and woke up a newer, younger man, portrayed by mop-topped Patrick Troughton. "I remember realizing that somebody else was playing the Doctor and complaining to my dad that that wasn't the Doctor," recalls current executive producer , who'd been watching the series since it began—when he was just 2 years old. "It was seeing that show that made me want to know what went on behind the scenes." Troughton turned into the dash­ lia'ft mltlmlmlm Ooctor Who is cool. ing Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee, the Ill S OTTIGIcM. Mainstream,even.Rndfor first to appear in color), who in turn the first time in the show's 49-year history, it's on the became the utterly bananas Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker, in an impossibly cover of Tv GUIDE MRGRZINE. What took so long? Turns out it long striped scarf) and so on. The one just needed a little help from its fans. By RUBRSJ DRRMINIO constant besides the TARDIS and the HORDES OF WHOVIANS, as they're not kidding. Who's had a long, inevitable traveling companions: called, voted for the British sci-fi series strange trip on the way to the excit­ The Doctor was open-minded and to win our third Fan Favorites cover ing place it's in now. tolerant. And crackers. "Essentially poll—galvanizing support through Let's go back in time, shall we? the show is about a madman fighting countless blog posts, message-board DoctorWho debuted in Britain on aliens with a plunger, a toaster and comments and tweets. The consen­ November 23,1963, the day after the some orangutan fur who saves the sus was it's about time Kennedy assassination. The First world by default or mistake and [is] (beloved back home in the U.K.) got Doctor, played by wiz­ cleverer than everyone the props it deserves in the States. ened DOCTOR WHO: else," Smith says. And that the fans love , with Einstein-esque "That's got a universal who currently plays the show's titular hair and a frock coat, Tuesday, 12/25,9/8c, appeal, I suppose." time and space traveler known only barked pedantically at BBC AMERICA "It's sort of scientifi­ iTunes Time-Life Television cally impossible to as the Doctor ("Doctor whol" Get his three companions : ©BBCAMERICA, counted on that when @bbcdoctorwho get bored with him," it?). "That's amazing!" Smith shouts (two schoolteachers they began syndicating says showrunner on the road to a shoot in Wales, be­ and his granddaughter) while hold­ the Pertwee years Stateside in 1972, Steven Moffat. "He fore turning serious. "Thank you to gets a real shake-up ing his lapels. though the show didn't find a more every few years. everyone who voted, because this is Together they traversed the uni­ permanent American home until PBS We've had 11 Doctors a huge, huge accolade. Fans mustn't verse battling baddies in the Doctor's picked up Baker's episodes in 1978— in the time they've underestimate their role in the emer­ signature ride, the TARDIS, which where it played as a cult series. By had, what, six gence of the show in America." He's James Bonds?" could theoretically change shape to 1985, Who was shedding much of its

TVGUIDE.COM | 15 F5N F5V5Ri1IS scheduled to include the stars. "They Not that she has too much to worry began lining up at 4:30am just to meet about. "She is absolutely the Doctor's other fans," says BBC America general equal," says executive producer Caro­ manager Perry Simon. "Matt, Karen line Skinner, "and as feisty as he is." and Arthur were making a surprise Says Coleman, "She's delicious, fun, Straight appearance, but the fans didn't know flirtatious and very wry." that!" Adds Smith: "It sounded like a When the season resumes this football stadium." spring, Clara and the Doctor will em­ Talk "It's a real, proper love" the fans bark on eight new adventures that have, says Jenna-Louise Coleman, Moffat assures will be wild—and wireless who plays the Doctor's latest compan­ wildly different. "All big, movie-poster ion, Clara Oswin. Coleman ideas," he says. The Cybermen (see actually debuted in this fall's premiere "Doctor's Manual," below) will return as Oswin Oswald, a brainiac techie with a different design in an episode Samsung trapped inside a . How one penned by graphic novelist Neil GALAXY ^H woman becomes the other will pre­ Gaiman. Then comes a new docu­ sumably be answered in the Decem­ mentary, An Adventure in Space and ber 25 Christmas episode, which is set Time, for the show's 50th anniversary. in Victorian . The Doctor's As for the actual celebration, "We've been sulking there since losing Amy got huge plans," hints Moffat, "but and Rory to the Weeping Angels (his I'm not telling you what they are." new greatest foe) in the fall finale. Not even the fans? Old friends serpent lady Madame "The best thing you can do for Vastra (Neve Mcintosh), her butt- your fans is to keep your show on kicking lady's maid Jenny (Catrin the air," he says. "What the fans Stewart) and stumpy alien Com­ most want is what we're getting right mander Strax () will help now: Doctor Who is a huge main­ him save the city from the villainous stream hit, not the totally obscure Doctor Simeon (Richard E. Grant) thing that only the initiated can un­ and his hordes of evil snowmen that derstand." And for Doctor devotees, U.K. audience, and the BBC put the feed on human fear, including Clara's. that's absolutely fantastic. show on hiatus in 1989. ESsEfcWJ, 1R§ SHOW IS SBOiiT R MSDMSN Whovians waited seven years for RGffliNS RLJENS win R poBtflB, R TORSIER a poorly received TV-movie, and DOCTOR'S MRNURL then...nothing. "There was a sense 2N5 S5ME ORSNGURN FDR." -MATT SMITH Matt Smith explains Who's who and what's what ^TD 30-DAY PLAN of defending Doctor Who. It was the (John Barrowman; see page 32), added "Bow ties are cool." He landed on • TARDIS (AKA THE • DALEKS PSYCHIC PAPER NO-CONTRACT underdog," says Matt Hills, author of a modern edge. "Fans-turned-show- BBC America that April, with com­ DOCTOR'S RIDE) "Psychopathic aliens "It's a piece of paper, "It stands for Time and in tanks. They fly; they like a little wallet, in Fan Cultures and Triumph ofthe runners want the show to be the very panions Amy () and Rory UNLIMITED Time Lords. "The show wasn't some­ best it can," says Hills. "They remem­ (Arthur Darvill) and new showrunner Relative Dimension in have suckers the Doctor's left pock­ Space. It looks like a blue that can suck *" et. When he presents TALK TEXT DATA-411 thing you could talk about," says ber when it wasn't as brilliant as it Moffat (who'd been on the writing police telephone box, your soul and it to you, it will tell Lynne M. Thomas, coeditor of the should have been, and they strive not team since Eccleston's run). The sea- , you whatever he which were infamous in your mind. They SAME PHONES. SAME NETWORKS. England. It's bigger on the are the definition i wants it to tell you. anthology Chicks Dig Time Lords. to repeat past mistakes." son premiere was the network's HALF THE COST. "People would tilt their heads and be The new Who was a hit and Syfy highest rated telecast ever, attracting inside than on the outside. of evil in the For instance, if I were to present it to you like, 'What's that? Star TrekV " brought it Stateside a year later. BBC 1.2 million viewers. Starting with the And it is a living organic Doctor's world." being that can travel TIME WAR and I wanted you to Then, in 2005, the BBC resurrected America took over in 2009, just as 2010 Christmas special, BBC America anywhere." "The Great War between believe that I was the Doctor Who full tilt, with diehard fan Tenth Doctor was fin­ began airing the show on the same the Time Lords and the editor of TV GUIDE MAGA­ ^ Russell T Davies (who had created ishing his run. "Doctor Who conven­ day as in the U.K., which cut down Daleks, during which the ZINE, that's what it would Nationwide coverage on America's best Queer as Folk) at the controls. Leather- tions went from 800 people—the on pirating and helped drive had to wipe out his make you believe." and most dependable networks own people; he is now the SONIC SCREWDRIVER jacketed Christopher same 800 people for years—to sud­ season's opening numbers even •TETHERING TO ANOTHER DEVICE SI PROHIBITED. OTHER LIMITATIONS APPLY. last of the Time Lords." (AKA THE DOCTOR'S WirelessRefer to, Incthe. TermAll sright ansd reserved Condition. s<*y o fTh Service stylizee adt SiraightTalk.com spiral logo an,d ©201 Straigh2 TracFont Talke ar e Eccleston brought acting cred and denly exploding to 3,000 people," higher (1.3 million). Then there were CYBERMEN WEAPON) artrademarke basesd o ofn TracFon the esaving Wirelesss compariso, Inc. "Haln off th foue rcost majo" anr dcarriers "Save' onlin oveer S95publishe0 ad year " the catchphrase "Fantastic!" while recalls Thomas. "It was wonderful." the downloads: Doctor Who was the "The race of emotionless "A screwdriver that emits talkprice,s text for, individuadata anld contrac 411t servic planse anpland, th excludine Straighg tth Talek cost Wireless osf phones 30-day. UnlimitePlan featuresd , warriors from the future sonic waves that can ma­ coverage and limitations vary. A month equals 30 days. Source: Carriers'websites his teenage Rose, played On January 1, 2010, Tennant's top TV purchase of 2011 on iTunes, aNavigation"s of Jun*e Beta 201,2 Androi. Googled ,Marke Androidt an,d Gmail YouTub, Google are Talk trademark, Googlse of Maps Googl,e Googl Inc.e Th Mape s by pop star , attracted the Doctor blew up, and out of the beating Modern Family and Dexter. who convert human parts nipulate anything into any Android robot si reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google into silvery metallic peo­ shape. It's very good on Attributioand usend Licenseaccordin.g Al tol othe termrs trademarks described, niservic the Creativmarkse an Commond trades 3.0/(CO) ^gtSt kiddies. Their occasional partner, flames came Smith, the franchise's Fans crammed a Tumblr- ple and want to take over locks, but it doesn't work names referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Vi^^ lusty swinger (men, women, most popular Time Lord—despite sponsored Doctor Who event at this the world." on wood, sadly." aliens...) Captain Jack Harkness the tweed suit and the motto year's Comic-Con that wasn't even Only at . 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