Doctor Who: A Beginner's Guide

No, his name isn't “Doctor Who.” There are several theories as to what his name actually is, and the canon tends to be a bit vague on the subject. In the early days of Doctor Who, the general consensus was that the Doctor's name is so difficult to pronounce, that he no longer bothers trying to tell his companions what it is. On the other hand, Doctor Who's latest writer, Steven Moffat, has made the Doctor's name a great and terrible secret. Supposedly, finding out the name will cause some crazy stuff to happen – certainly, Moffat's version is a lot more enticing. Either way, this strange alien calls himself “The Doctor.” It all started towards the beginning of the series, back in '63. He posed as an actual doctor, and the title stuck.

This “Doctor” is an alien from the far-off planet called Gallifrey. He is the last of a race of beings known as the Time Lords. They look like humans – although, as the Doctor often says, it's the opposite, “[humans] look Timelord. Timelords were here first.” Unlike humans, Timelords have the ability to regenerate. Simply put, when a Timelord gets damaged to the point of dying, they morph into a new body. There is a catch, however – the body they regenerate into is completely random. A boy can regenerate into a man, a man can regenerate into a woman, etc. Originally, this wasn't part of the show's mechanic, but when the first Doctor, William Hartnell, fell ill, the writers scrambled to find a way to keep the show going without losing its main character. So far, the Doctor has been through ten regenerations. The eleventh Doctor is played by Matt Smith. After a terrible war on Gallifrey, known as the Time War, the Doctor escaped, destroying his race and the evil Daleks in the process. Nowadays, he spends his life gallivanting through space and time in his TARDIS for no other reason than because he can. He never means to save the world or help out, but if he lands in the middle of a sticky situation, he usually lends a hand.

This is that famous blue box that the Doctor uses for his travels through space and time. The name stands for “Time and Relative Dimensions in Space.” This contraction was made up by the Doctor's first companion, Susan Foreman. As anyone who has ever walked (or stumbled) into the TARDIS has pointed out, “it's bigger on the inside” – much bigger, in fact. What looks like a small police box, is actually a gigantic spaceship, complete with a library and a pool. As far as its iconic image, the police box, goes... that was actually a mistake. A properly-operational TARDIS is supposed to automatically disguise itself wherever it goes. In ancient Rome, it would turn into a pillar, in prehistoric times, it would become a rock. Unfortunately, the Doctor's TARDIS broke. It landed in 60s London, disguised itself as a police box, and has been stuck that way ever since.

Time travel gets lonely. As such, every incarnation of the Doctor has chosen – or inadvertently taken aboard – a companion. Usually, the companion is a young woman, but this rule isn't set in stone. Together, the Doctor and his companion travel through time and space, exploring the universe and all of its crazy, endless wonders. From a writing standpoint, the companions are meant to help the viewer get into the show easier. The Doctor explains everything in detail to his companion and vicariously to the audience.

This race has a strange and complicated history, but it boils down to this: they are a genetically-engineered race of octopus-looking beings who ride around in battle armor and relentlessly kill everyone and everything. They have no emotions, so nothing stops them from killing in cold blood. The Doctor has supposedly destroyed them many times, but each time, these crafty mollusks find a way to come back and wreak more havoc.