The A to Z of 'Doctor Who'
As a new feature to the site, every day I will be adding a new letter to this page so remember to come back daily to check it out!
A is for:
AMY POND
The 11th Doctor's feisty, beautiful and strong-headed companion played by Karen Gillan. Amy was born in Leadworth, England and she met the Doctor as a little girl, however the pair never met again until the night before her wedding when he Doctor appeared and rushed her off in his TARDIS. Amy married her partner Rory Williams and now the pair are loyal members on board the Doctor's Police Box and take part in all his crazy adventures!
B is for:
BAKER, TOM
The Fourth Doctor and perhaps the most famous. The goggle-eyed Time Lord who had a love for Jelly Babies and long scarfs captured the true essence and mania of the Doctor and his heritage. Tom Baker may be an old man now, but for many, he's still the crazy and wonderful Gallifreyan.
C is for:
CYBERMEN
The Cybermen are one of the Doctor's most persistent and feared cyborgs who terrorize the innocent. The Cybermen originated from the planet Mondas; Earth's twin planet. These cold-hearted machines lack any emotion and are designed to destroy. Armed with a deadly laser gun plus having the advantage of a human brain, the Cybermen are cunning and deadly. They are also my favourite 'Who' villains!
D is for:
DAVROS
Probably the infamous villain of the all. Davros; the mad scientist from the planet Skaro is the creator of the Daleks; the Doctor's arch-enemies. Davros is horrifically scarred and damaged causing him to be bound in a mobile life-support chair, which later became the exterior shell for the Daleks. Davros is a sinister and foul creation whose works have troubled and hunted the Doctor for generations.
E is for:
ECCLESTON, CHRISTOPHER
He may have only had one series at the Doctor, but Christoper Eccleston was the first Doctor of the 'new' generation series. Eccleston's Ninth Doctor sported a trench-coat and a Salford accent, and showed that magical blend of comedy and fear. His Doctor was feisty but friendly and his wonderful companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) was a breath of fresh air too. So although his run was short, nobody can deny that the 9th Doctor was a really great one.
F is for:
FACE OF BOE
The Face of Boe is certainly a peculiar 'Who' character and his placement and contribution in the show is frequently debated. SPOILERS! - It was suggested the the Face of Boe was actually Captain Jack Harness (John Barrowman) in the episode 'The Last of the Time Lords'. Boe's first appearance was in the 'new' series with the Ninth Doctor.
G is for:
GALLIFREY
Gallifrey is a planet located in the constellation of Kasterborous and is the home ofThe Doctor and the Time Lords. Gallifrey suffered at the hands of a brutal war which left the planet in ruins and forced The Doctor to leave and travel alone making him the last of his race. Gallifrey is also home to The Doctor's nemesis and also Time Lord, The Master. The planet has become much more apparent in the newer series' of the show (2005 - Onwards).
H is for:
HARTNELL, WILLIAM
William Hartnell's First Doctor is what started the show and helped gain it popularity. Hartnell played the two-hearted Time Lord from 1963 until 1966 in which he was forced to leave the show due to health problems. Hartnell's Doctor is one of the most celebrated amongst 'Who' fans and his contribution to the show will never be forgotten and always cherished.
I is for:
IRONSIDE DALEK
Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor had a close encounter with this particular Dalek in Mark Gatiss' 'Victory of the Daleks'. The Ironside Dalek was supposedly created by Professor Bracewell to contribute to World War II under the command of Winston Churchill, however, this Dalek may have appeared as a soldier but underneath it's exterior lived a typical Dalek hell-bent on reeking havoc. "WOULD YOU CARE FOR SOME TEA!?"
J is for:
JUDOON
The Judoon are a galactic police force whose methods are brutal and are not afraid to force the law upon anyone or anything, however they cannot enforce the law on human species so human-orientated crime is not their jurisdiction. There are fairly new characters to the show, first appearing in the episode 'Smith and Jones' (Series 3, episode 1) in 2007.
K is for:
K-9
The Fourth Doctor's trusty companion who has appeared numerous times throughout the programme's history. K-9 is now the star of his own television spin-off show. Originally, K-9 was placed into the show in order to gain further popularity with younger viewers, but it seems all 'Doctor Who' fans had a soft-spot for the wonderful robotic dog. "AFFIRMATIVE!"
L is for:
LUKE SMITH
Sarah Jane Smith's adopted son who has appeared in various 'Doctor Who' episodes but is most famous for his consistent role in the spin-off show 'The Sarah Jane Adventures'. Luke is of alien species made from thousands of different DNA sources. He possesses superhuman intelligence but uses a teenage facade to disguise his identity.
M is for:
MOFFAT, STEVEN
Steven Moffat is the current chief writer and showrunner whose passion for the show is unavoidable and his writing talents have spawned some of the most memorable 'Doctor Who' episodes of recent years including 'The Empty Child'/'The Doctor Dances', 'The Girl in the Fireplace' and 'Blink'. Moffat took over from Russell T. Davies for the arrival of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor.
N is for:
NANOGENES
Nanogenes are a minuscule sub-atomic robot capable of healing human wounds which appear as a series of glowing orbs. The Nanogenes appear in 'The Empty Child'/'The Doctor Dances' in which they escaped from Captain Jack Harkness' ambulance ship and attached themselves to a deceased child causing him to return to life but he is now 'empty'. Everything he touches becomes a representation of him. Ultimately though, the Nanogenes are good and provide help for those in need.
O is for:
OOD
The Ood are a slave-race of squid-faced humanoids from the distant future (circa 42nd Century). The Ood first appear in Series 2 in the episodes 'The Impossible Planet'/'The Satan Pit' in which the seemingly peaceful aliens are possessed by the spirit of the 'Beast' causing them to defy their masters and reek havoc. The Ood have telepathic abilities and use an circular device as a speech translator. The Ood are actually a peaceful race who wish no harm to others and the audience learn this throughout the show.
P is for:
PRISONER ZERO
Prisoner Zero first appears in Matt Smith's first outing as the Eleventh Doctor, 'The Eleventh Hour'. Prisoner Zero was a captive of the Atraxi extra-dimension prison but was able to escape into a universe opening which presented itself as a crack in Amelia's bedroom wall. The creature can appear to be numerous lifeforms (Human, Alien ect.) when actually it is only one large specimen that has multiple limbs and orifices.
Q is for:
QUARK
The Quarks are a robotic species that appeared in the serial episodes, 'The Dominators' (1969) starring the Second Doctor. The Quarks' bodies can be altered; each arm can present a claw and their heads can be divided into four in order to further detect movement and heat. They also communicate through high pitch sounds and frequencies.
R is for:
ROSE TYLER
Rose Tyler jumped on board the TARDIS with the Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor in 2005 and stayed there until the end of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor's first series ended. Rose has a sense for adventure, an endearing love for her crazy Time Lord friend and a passion for chips. Billie Piper's extraordinary performance as Rose lit up the 'new' series of the show and quickly became a new favourite amongst fans, myself included. Rose is frequently funny, heart-warming and also heart-breaking. Her departure was truly harrowing. Rose is my all time favourite 'Who' companion.
S is for:
SONIC SCREWDRIVER
The Sonic Screwdriver is the Doctor's trusty portable tool that can be used to activate, unlock, and even defend against numerous obstacles and creatures. Most commonly, the Doctor uses the Sonic Screwdriver to pick locks and gain access to virtually anywhere. The Sonic Screwdriver also changes throughout the show - each Doctor receives a new design. The Sonic Screwdriver is one of the most iconic items in the world of 'Doctor Who'.
T is for:
TARDIS
The TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension(s) in Space) is the Doctor's ultimate gadget; it's his Time Machine that allows him to travel to any time in the past, present or future and to any planet or location in all of space and time. The TARDIS is famous for being "bigger on the inside"; it's cunningly disguised as a 1960s Police Telephone Box when actually it's the most incredible and powerful machine in existence. The TARDIS defines the Doctor and it's the most crucial cog in his manic arsenal.
U is for:
UNIT
UNIT (Unified Intelligence Taskforce) is a military organisation that appears in 'Doctor Who', 'Torchwood' and 'The Sarah Jane Adventures'. UNIT are part of the United Nations and are in place to fight extraterristial invaders and paranormal threats and defend the Earth.
V is for:
VASHTA NERADA
The Vashta Nerada are carnivorous beings that swarm across every planet. Their name means "The shadows that melt the flesh'". The Vashta Nerada are microscopic beings who were able to inhabit spaceman suits and walk in a zombie-like fashion. The characters appeared in Steven Moffat's two parter episode for the Tenth Doctor, 'Silence in the Library'/'Forest of the Dead'.
W is for:
WEEPING ANGELS
The Weeping Angels are another creation from Steven Moffat that first appeared in his episode 'Blink'. The Weeping Angels are only active once you look away from them - when this happens, they come alive and pursue you, but, if you look at them and then blink, they consume your life's energy by forcing you back through time. They are one of the scariest villains in the show and appear in some of the most loved episodes of the 'new' generation series.
X is for:
XOANON
Xoanon is a super-computer that appeared in the episode 'The Face of Evil' (1977) featuring the Fourth Doctor. Xoanon was originally created by The Doctor as a form of artificial intelligence, however he forgot to remove his personality print from the computer causing multiple personalities to be formed, which many were based on himself. The computer gained a nickname due to the havoc and destruction it caused; many folk called it "The Evil One".
Y is for:
YANA
Professor Yana is a human identity created by The Master when using the Chameleon Arch to escape the last great Time War. Professor Yana appears in the episode 'Utopia' starring the Tenth Doctor and is played by Sir Derek Jacobi (who actually used to play The Master).
Z is for:
ZYGON
The Zygons are an alien race who have shape-shifting abilities. They first appeared in the serial episodes 'Terror of the Zygons' alongside the Fourth Doctor. The Zygon can morph into any being as long as the being is still alive. David Tennant has stated that the Zygons are has favourite 'Doctor Who' monster.
