First Doctor

The First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor William Hartnell.

Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. At the end of life, the Doctor can regenerate his body; as a result, his physical appearance and personality change.

Hartnell's Doctor is the Doctor's "original" form. The rejuvenation, initially referred to as a "renewal," was introduced when Hartnell needed to leave the series, and consequently has extended the life of the show for many years.

His original companions were his granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford) and her schoolteachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill).

Hartnell reprised the role once, in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors (1973), although due to his failing health the story was written so he would not have to appear very extensively. The character occasionally appeared in the series after Hartnell's death, most prominently in 1983's The Five Doctors where he was portrayed by Richard Hurndall, and two episodes in 2017, "The Doctor Falls" and the Christmas special, "Twice Upon a Time", portrayed by David Bradley.