TARDIS

A Beginner’s Guide to Doctor Who

In a stylised graphic, different versions of the Doctor, played by David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa, stand in front of a maze. The TARDIS is at the centre of the maze, with the Toymaker, the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler in the maze

Who is the Doctor?

You probably know the basics. The Doctor is an alien who appears human, but is in fact a Time Lord. This means they have two hearts and can cheat death by regenerating, a process which involves changing their body and personality.

The Doctor travels around in the TARDIS, a spaceship whose name stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. This enables the Doctor to travel anywhere in the universe, including – you guessed it – across time.

Four unanswered questions about the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials

The Doctor, played by David Tennant, leans out of the TARDIS with a look of shock on his face

Doctor Who returns in November, with three hour-long specials to celebrate 60 years of campiness across space and time.  

David Tennant (Good Omens) and Catherine Tate (The Catherine Tate Show) are back as the Doctor and companion Donna Noble. The Doctor first met Donna when she materialised in front of him in a wedding dress, and she quickly became a fan favourite. Her no-nonsense attitude and refusal to be impressed with the Doctor’s tight suits wowed viewers, who crowned her their favourite companion in a 2022 Radio Times poll.