1.4. Classic Doctors

In 1963, the BBC launched a new science fiction TV series "Doctor Who," which was destined to become one of the most successful in television history. A popular actor, William Hartnell, was invited for the main role which he was playing during three years, the time that has made the​​ TV series very popular. However, the actor himself had a weak heart because of what the filming was often transferred, so the authors of the series had to think how to get out of that situation. When a new actor Sidney Newman came up that helped to continue the series till nowadays: approaching to the death the Time Lords can change their body. Thus, in 1966, the first regeneration of the Doctor was held and the next actor was Patrick Troughton.

The subsequent success of the series depended on whether the audience will accept a new actor, because everyone believed that Hartnell was the only "real" Doctor. Lloyd stopped at Troughton candidacy because he had a great experience. The second doctor was more friendly than the first, although the first Patrick wanted to make his character "hard capital" in pirate clothes. Troughton considered shooting mode in the "Doctor Who" being very debilitating and decided that it was high time to leave the series in 1969, after three years of playing the role. He was succeeded by John Pertwee.

Pertwee was pleasantly surprised when he knew about his new role. Before playing the Doctor Pertwee had not been very interested in the TV series, because it did not coincide with his habitual image. In comparison with William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton Pertwee played an active and inclined to action Doctor and who wore fashionable clothes. He was playing the Doctor during five seasons from 1970 to 1974. In early 1974, Pertwee announced that he ends to play the role of the Doctor, and the last time when he played the Doctor was in June, 1974.

In 1974, Baker took over the role of the Doctor from Jon Pertwee. At that time Baker worked in a building area, because there was no work on television. However, he quickly found his own style of playing the Doctor. His eccentric manner of speech and clothing, an especially long scarf, instantly made ​​him as a favourite among viewers. Baker played the Doctor for seven seasons in a row, what had not been done by other actors. The Doctor, played by Baker, is considered as the best in the history of the Doctor series. In the ranking of "Best Doctors", which is Doctor Who Magazine, he lost only twice the first position: for the first time it was in 1990, when Sylvester McCoy got it, and for the second in 2006, when it was David Tennant.

In 1981, Peter Davison signed a contract with the BBC for three years of performing the role of the Fifth Doctor. At the age of 29 he became the youngest actor who got the role of the Doctor. This record remained until 2010, when the shooting started 26-year-old Matt Smith. The involvement of such a high quality actor like Peter Davison was profitable for the TV series, and its creators even thought to extend the contract, but Davison refused because he was afraid that the audience would not accept him in other roles, if he stayed on the show.

Colin Baker's era of "Doctor Who" lasted 18 months, the time during which he starred in three seasons of the show, and in the theatrical production of "Doctor Who: The Big Adventure." In an interview in 1986, Baker said that he wanted to break the record of his namesake Tom Baker, but it was not so. In fact, Colin was the only actor who left the series not voluntary. In the same year the role of the Doctor moved to Sylvester McCoy.

McCoy took over the role from Colin Baker in 1987 and played it until 1989, when the series production stopped. The Seventh Doctor developed into a much more mysterious figure than any of his previous incarnations. He manipulated the people like the puppets, and always gave the impression that his motives were deeper than they had appeared at first sight. In general, McCoy was satisfied with this, because it allowed him to open himself as a dramatic actor. A distinctive feature of the Seventh Doctor was also the fact that McCoy was talking with his native Scottish accent. In 1990, the readers of "Doctor Who Magazine" recognized Sylvester McCoy's best doctors, giving him an advantage over the eternal leader, Tom Baker.

On January 10, 1996, it was announced that Paul McGann had the honour to play the Eighth Doctor in "Doctor Who." Paul McGann signed the contract, which obligated him to play the Eighth Doctor, if one of the TV stations took up shooting the series. The film was released on May 14, 1996, and if in the UK 9 million viewers watched it, in the U.S. the rating was very low. That is why, it was decided not to start shooting the series. All rights to the project were returned back to the BBC, and for nine years Paul McGann was the "current" Doctor until in 2005 he was replaced by Christopher Eccleston. Thus, Paul McGann’s period was the longest of the "current" Doctors, that he even overtook his predecessor, Sylvester McCoy, for 40 days.