Interlude: Doctor... Who?
In 1963, the Avalonian Broadcasting Company was in dire need of fresh material to appeal to young adults. The television age was in it's zenith and ABC's control of the Empire's television waves was beginning to fracture. A group of science fiction artists within the Empire converged upon Yorkshire in the Fall of 1962 to conceive a new television program that they hoped would have a legacy to be envied.
From this, famous artists such as Stanley Kubrick and Rod Serling from the American Commonwealths, united with others such as Sydney Newman and C.E. Webber, whom designed the basis of the show Doctor Who. This show drew from the science fiction dramatics of Kubrick and Serling's experiences, with a mixture of humor and educational value.
Immediately, a casting call went snooping for people to play The Doctor, an alien from a far off planet called Gallifrey. They casted Gregory Peck, whom had been a notable Yankee actor, playing the stern father of two children in the 1962 film "To Kill A Mockingbird". Peck had been reluctant to assume position as The Doctor, but was convinced by the producers to do so.
The first episode of Doctor Who aired on November 23, 1963 to audiences all over the Empire. The show was an instant hit, and Peck would serve as the Doctor through the 1960s, before leaving the show in 1969. Thus entered the idea of "regeneration", where the Doctor could change his shape or form at certain points, wether it be by death or by willing himself to do so. The First Doctor's death came as a shock to audiences everywhere on the last episode of Series Six of the show, where Peck's Doctor regenerated after suffering serious injuries in a battle with Daleks in the streets of New Cambridge.
Peck's stern, almost father-like Doctor was replaced by Vincent Price, another Yankee whose personality worked with that of Peck's, giving the Doctor a reputation of being a stern, sometimes overbearing kind of guy, who worked towards good morality. Unlike Peck, Price's doctor was much darker and more of the anti-hero. His Doctor was notably unpopular, and Price left the show in 1973, serving four series as the Doctor. His Doctor was exiled from Gallifrey by the Time Lords and declared a criminal.
He was replaced by yet another Yankee -- Gene Wilder. Wilder's Doctor was known for his whimsy and much more light-hearted spirit. In show, it was explained that the Doctor "got tired of being a crusty old man" all the time, and he had a new lease on life on Earth. Wilder's Doctor was extremely popular, and he served a record 9 series before retiring from the show in 1982.
The show hired on Tom Baker, an English actor to play the Fourth Doctor. He served until 1985, when he left for greener pastures. However, his Doctor is one of the most fondly remembered along side Wilder. Baker's Doctor's personality was a bit less whimsical than Wilder, but none the less, he was a crackshot of humor and a fair share of drama as well.
In 1985, The show brought on the young Paul McGann to play the Fifth Doctor. He played The Doctor for 7 series before leaving the show in 1992. The show's popularity began to wane in this time, leading to the poor performance of the 90s under the Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker. The older Baker was a step away from the string of youngish actors. The show was temporarily put on hiatus in 1994 after poor ratings lead to Baker's premature leave.
However, the show was revitalized in 1999 by ABC, whose fans were demanding the restart of Doctor Who. They brought on Christopher Eccleston, who served as The Doctor for 10 years, before leaving in 2009. The Seventh Doctor is fondly remembered as being a brooding, yet happy man, especially after the Time War, which was later explained during the reign of the Ninth Doctor.
The Eighth Doctor, David Tennant, was from 2009 to 2013, when he left despite his unwillingness to do so. His contract with ABC had expired and the negotiations were going nowhere. Tennant left sadly from his favorite television show, and they picked a replacement.
Harry Potter star Emma Watson would play The Doctor, the first woman to do so. The Ninth Doctor was a banner of feminism in the television world as, in the words of David Tennant, "She kicked arse and took names, something that many Doctors were reluctant to do. She had a craving to know answers about the Time War that she hadn't gotten yet."
Watson continues to play the Doctor, and ABC has extended her contract until 2017, meaning she will be our time-traveling alien for some time to come.
Doctor Who has entered popular culture as one of the symbols of Avalon's influence, and is expected to remain a popular culture symbol through the 21st century.