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The history of Doctor Who—a long-running British television series about a time-traveling, shapeshifting alien known as a Time Lord—is quite the storied one. It debuted in 1963, got canceled in 1989, was revived ever so briefly in 1996, made a triumphant return in 2005, and now continues to enthrall audiences to this very day in 2024, as Ncuti Gatwa leads the series as the first Black iteration of the title character.
For the uninitiated, these iterations are a major part of the charm of Doctor Who: Every so often, the character regenerates, taking on a new form played by a totally new actor—well, usually, but more on that later. In this article, we'll run down all the main Doctor Who regenerations, detailing who played them, who they shared their adventures with, and even some appropriately themed Doctor Who audiobooks that allow you to dive right into the adventures of whichever Doctor most strikes your fancy. Allons-y!
The First Doctor
William Hartnell was the original Doctor. Over the course of his run, he was joined by a variety of companions, including his granddaughter, Susan; humans from Earth's future, such as the pilot Steven and the orphan Vicki; and humans from Earth's past, such as the Trojan girl Katarina. Recognizable by his all-black ensemble and long gray hair, this Doctor could be quite the curmudgeon, but he loosened up a bit as time went on (Well, whatever "time" may mean to a time traveler...)
Read by original cast members William Russell and Carole Ann Ford, along with acclaimed Who writer John Dorney, The First Doctor Box Set includes two exciting new stories about the original Doctor. From ancient Babylon to an alien utopia, our intrepid band of time travelers certainly has their work cut out for them!
The Second Doctor
After Hartnell's health issues forced him to bow out, Patrick Troughton stepped up to become the new Doctor, along with multiple companions, and, I am so sorry, but it must be said: the worst haircut ever sported by any Doctor. Beyond the bowl cut, Two was notably the first Doctor to confront the Ice Warriors, Martian reptiles who would go on to become allies to future Doctors.
Based on an excellent episode from the show, The Dominators follows the Second Doctor as he and his companions try to save the extreme pacifists of the planet Dulkis as an alien invasion looms. In a sweet nod, this listen is narrated by Patrick Troughton's son, Michael.
The Third Doctor
Unlike the other Doctors, Three, played by Jon Pertwee, spent most of his time stuck on Earth after his fellow Time Lords shut down the TARDIS, the phone-booth-shaped vehicle he uses to travel through time. His best-known companion is Sarah Jane Smith, a journalist who later got her own spin-off show, The Sarah Jane Adventures.
While on Earth, the Doctor finds out that a hostile alien race plans to go back in time and change all of history to their liking. The only way to stop them? Find and protect one of the Doctor's greatest enemies, the Master. Read by one of the actors who originally portrayed the Master himself, Geoffrey Beevers, Harvest of Time is an original adventure about one of the original Doctors.
The Fourth Doctor
Instantly recognizable by his whimsy and oversized scarf, Tom Baker's Doctor is one of the most popular, and he remained on the show for longer than any other actor to date. His somewhat moody iteration of the character was joined by his previous incarnation's companion, the ever-popular Sarah Jane.
If you're looking for Doctor Who stories expertly read by Doctor Who actors, The Nest Cottage Chronicles is an excellent place to start. None other than Tom Baker and a full cast perform this collection of 15 stories featuring peculiar aliens and an even stranger appearance from another incarnation of the Doctor.
The Fifth Doctor
Peter Davison plays Five, who dandily dresses like Raffles the Amateur Cracksman. In addition to his human and alien companions, he befriended a robot named Kamelion, who ended up dying horribly—a fact the real-life cast and crew were actually pretty happy about, since they could never get the thing to work properly.
Based on one of the Fifth Doctor's television storylines, Time-Flight is fittingly narrated by Peter Davison himself. In it, we follow the Doctor and his companions as they look into the mysterious disappearance of a Concorde jet by re-creating the jet's last known movements. Where they end up, not even the Doctor can predict.
The Sixth Doctor
Colin Baker's brightly dressed Doctor unfortunately has the dubious distinction of being one of the shortest-lived regenerations in the show's history. This was due both to the character's unpopularity (fans considered this iteration far less likable than previous Doctors) and behind-the-scenes shenanigans at BBC. His companions were Peri Brown, a college student, and Mel Bush, a computer technician.
Even though Six appeared in very few episodes, he has gotten the chance to star in other media, including Doctor Who audiobooks like the riveting River of Death. Read by Peri herself, Nicola Bryant, this adventure takes Six all the way back to 19th-century America and a treacherous journey through the Grand Canyon to find the missing TARDIS.
The Seventh Doctor
Seven was played by Sylvester McCoy, whose version of the Doctor veered between showy curiosity and deep reticence. Though many modern fans enjoy Seven's adventures, he was much less appreciated at the time the show aired, and so McCoy's tenure didn't last much longer than Colin Baker's before the show was canceled altogether.
Human Nature follows companion Benny (played on the show by Lisa Bowerman, who also narrates) taking a holiday on the eve of the First World War. Her relaxation is interrupted by the Doctor, but not the one she knows, and now she has to fight off an alien invasion alone. But it turns out a housemaster at a local military school might end up playing more of a role than either of them anticipated.
The Eighth Doctor
Doctor Who was briefly revived with Paul McGann, who appeared for a single episode in 1996, in the title role. Friendlier and more outgoing than many of his predecessors, Eight won enough fans to earn multiple appearances in other media, including the audiobook described below. His sole companion was cardiologist Grace Holloway, a different kind of doctor.
Few places are as inhospitable as Antarctica—and that's before a group of mysterious creatures starts attacking the explorers and scientists based there. Can the Doctor get to the bottom of things while safeguarding the explorers' quest to find a lost continent?
The Ninth Doctor
The New Who era officially kicked off in 2005. Christopher Eccleston depicted Nine as someone struggling with unresolved trauma and resultant mental health issues who, as a result, sometimes struggled to connect with others. But one person he most certainly did connect with was Captain Jack Harkness, an endearing conman who became so popular that he received his own spin-off series, Torchwood.
Ninth Doctor Novels is a collection of three full-length stories that take Nine and his companion, Rose, all throughout history, always with some deadly and/or alien threat to contend with. Following the trend of other Doctor Who audiobooks, these ones are read by actors from the show: Nicholas Briggs and Camille Coduri.
The 10th Doctor
Of all the actors who played the Doctor, David Tennant probably has the most enthusiastic fanbase. He also has some of the most memorable companions, including Rose Tyler and the headstrong Martha Jones, notably the first Black woman to join the Doctor on his travels. Together, they took fans on plenty of rollicking adventures and taught us all to fear the Weeping Angels.
Read by the ever-talented Tennant, The Feast of the Drowned kicks off strong with the sinking of a ship. When the ghost of a dead sailor begins to haunt companion Rose, begging for help, she and the Doctor must act quickly to find out how the ship sank, who was responsible, and what terrible fate is in store for the drowned men.
The 11th Doctor
Matt Smith is another one of the more popular contemporary Doctor Who actors. Eleven can be touchy and irritable at times, but he is always well-dressed in tweed jackets, bow ties, and the occasional (very cool) fez. Eleven's companions include Amy Pond, who once thought the Doctor was her imaginary friend; Amy's husband, Rory; and River Song, an archaeology professor whose mysterious origins were slowly revealed over many episodes.
Eleventh Doctor Tales features more than a dozen original stories. Numerous performers come together to deliver this collection, with narrative talent including reprisals from Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill, who played Rory.
The 12th Doctor
Peter Capaldi effortlessly picked up where Matt Smith left off. Twelve was much less temperamental than his predecessor, but could be quite aloof in his demeanor. Reflecting the change in mood also meant a return to a darker, more simplistic costume choice. In addition to appearing on Doctor Who, Capaldi also made an appearance on the short-lived spin-off series, Class, about the recurring Doctor Who setting, Coal Hill Academy.
Seemingly disparate places and events converge in Silhouette, a mystery story featuring Twelve and his enigmatic companion, Clara Oswald. Dan Starkey, the voice of Doctor Who‘s lovable Sontaran Strax, narrates.
The 13th Doctor
The concept of Doctor Who taking on a female form had been floated for years before finally becoming reality in 2018. Jodie Whittaker's version of the character had a far more warm and welcoming vibe than Capaldi's did and also the best use of suspenders to date. Her companions included Yaz Khan, a police officer, and Dan Lewis, a volunteer at a food bank.
The Witchfinders is read by Sophie Aldred, who played Ace, a companion to the Seventh Doctor, in the late 1980s. This listen is a novelization of one of the TV episodes, which took Thirteen and friends all the way back to a witch hunt in 17th-century Scotland. What starts as an ordinary demonstration of human intolerance swiftly involves zombies, aliens, and other dangers that only a Time Lord can tackle.
The 14th Doctor
Up until 14, the Doctor had been played by a new actor with every regeneration. But this time around marked a major departure, with the 14th Doctor being portrayed once again by fan-favorite David Tennant. In addition to bringing back the old cast of companions, this iteration was the first to state explicitly on-screen that the Doctor is nonbinary, though the concept previously came up in a comic book featuring Thirteen.
The Doctor has returned, and they are once again dragging companion Donna into trouble. This time, the pair is stuck on an abandoned spaceship that is not quite as abandoned as they might like. Bonnie Langford, who played companion Mel Bush to previous Doctors, skillfully narrates.
The 15th Doctor
And so, we finally come to Ncuti Gatwa, the current Doctor and the first actor of color to play the role. First appearing alongside Fourteen in the prior season, he now goes on his own adventures with Ruby Sunday, who joins him in the midst of searching for her birth mother. Though still new to the franchise, Fifteen is already among the most fashionable, charismatic, and fun of all the Doctors.
The Church on Ruby Road is the official novelization of Fifteen's first full-length episode appearance. It is told from Ruby's perspective as she struggles to pursue her goals and live a meaningful life—and to know what any of that even means for her. Angela Wynter, who portrays Ruby's grandmother on the show, reads it with warmth and heart.
Eileen Gonzalez is a freelance writer from Connecticut. She has a master's degree in communications and years of experience writing about pop culture. She contributes to Book Riot, Foreword Reviews, and Popverse.
