Doctor Who fans are stunned as Christmas special breaks the FOURTH WALL in a surprise mid-credits scene

1. William Hartnell – 1963 to 1966

William Hartnell played the iconic Time Lord in his first incarnation, when he crash-landed on Earth with his granddaughter Susan after being 'exiled' from their planet Gallifrey.

Initially he was depicted as a stubborn old man, but later he was shown a softer side in his compassion as a grandfather and towards his companions.

The Doctor's first appearance was very different from modern episodes, with black and white filming and shaky effects.

Hartnell's time as a Doctor also saw the first appearances of the Daleks and the Cybermen, but years of travel took their toll on the aging Doctor and he collapsed in the TARDIS, leading to the second incarnation.

The First Doctor unfortunately suffered from ill health during filming, eventually forcing him to retire from acting. He died in 1975, aged 67.

2. Patrick Troughton – 1966 to 1969

Number two: Patrick Troughton played The Second Doctor from 1966-1969

Patrick Troughton's Doctor was in stark contrast to his predecessor and was outwardly scruffy and airy.

In the second incarnation, fans met new enemies such as the Great Intelligence and the Ice Warriors.

This time also saw the debut of classic series mainstay Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (or the Brigadier), as he met the Doctor in the tunnels of the London Underground.

The Second Doctor's time came to an end when the TARDIS landed in the middle of a war zone created by a race of alien warlords.

He was able to defeat the plot, but was forced to retreat for violating the laws of non-interference.

Troughton died in 1987 after a fatal heart attack.

3. Jon Pertwee – 1970 to 1974

Jon Pertwee took on the role of the Third Doctor from 1970 to 1974

Many contemporary fans will also know Pertwee from his role in Worzel Gummidge and his Doctor was more prone to action than his predecessors.

After his exile to Earth was lifted, he and his companions traveled to all corners of the universe, along with a meeting with journalist Sarah Jane Smith.

This era also marked the first ever multi-Doctor crossover, as the Third Doctor met his two previous personalities.

It saw the introduction of prehistoric villains The Silurians and The Autons, who appeared in the first episode of the 2005 reboot series.

Ultimately, Pertwee's Doctor recovered after a nasty encounter with The Green Death.

Unfortunately, Pertwee is no longer with us and passed away in 1996.

4. Tom Baker – 1974 to 1981

Tom Baker – with his iconic curly hair and striped scarf – was the Fourth Doctor

With his mass of curly hair and legendary striped scarf, Tom Baker was both the longest-serving Doctor of the Classical era and the most iconic, thanks in part to his partnership with Sarah Jane, played by the late Elizabeth Sladen.

Tom – now 84 – is also known to younger fans as the narrator of the comedy sketch series Little Britain.

5. Peter Davison – 1981 to 1984

Peter's Doctor was dressed as a cricketer and his personality tended towards indecisive

Peter's Doctor was dressed as a cricketer and his personality tended towards indecisive – although he had a vulnerable side.

Although the show's popularity waned during this time, the Doctor and his companion Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) are fondly remembered.

A heartbreaking scene also saw the series' first major death, as Adric died trying to prevent a space freighter from crashing on prehistoric Earth.

6. Colin Baker – 1984 to 1986

Colin's regeneration was played off-screen due to his abrupt axing from the show

Colin Baker's time as the sharp-tongued doctor was a turbulent one, with the actor being fired early as ratings plummeted, leading to a slightly awkward regeneration scene.

After the TARDIS was attacked by the evil Time Lady scientist The Rani, the Sixth Doctor was left injured and recovered, although his death was never played out on screen.

Furthermore, the Doctor was never reunited with his companion Peri (Nicola Bryant).

7. Sylvester McCoy – 1987 to 1989

The Doctor entered his seventh incarnation with his trademark cane and punctuation vest

The Doctor entered his seventh incarnation with his trademark cane and punctuation-marked vest, while Bonnie Langford, now EastEnders star, took on the role of giddy companion Mel Bush.

However, McCoy's tenure in the TARDIS came to an abrupt end when the BBC axed the show in 1989.

8. Paul McGann – 1996 and 2013

After almost a decade off-screen, Doctor Who was brought back as a TV movie in an American co-production, with Paul McGann taking the lead role.

After almost a decade off screen, Doctor Who was brought back as a TV movie in an American co-production, with Paul McGann taking the lead role.

In this film, The Master (played here by Eric Roberts) attempted to steal the Doctor's remaining lives by opening the Eye of Harmony, the TARDIS, which nearly destroyed Earth.

Fortunately, the Doctor and his companion Dr. Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook) prevent the destruction of Earth, causing the Master to be sucked into the Eye.

It was in this film that fans saw their first glimpse of what a romance between the Doctor and his companion could look like, as they shared a fireworks-lit kiss in the final scenes that outraged fans at the time.

9. Christopher Eccleston – 2005

The Eighth Doctor was a man in a leather jacket with a northern accent, because 'many planets have a north!'

The series was an instant hit when Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) teamed up with Eccleston's version of The Doctor, this time a leather jacket-clad man with a northern accent, because 'many planets have a north!'

A drastic change for the series at this point was the absence of Gallifrey, which had been destroyed off-screen in a time war with the Daleks.

The Daleks took center stage in this new series with a terrifying golden appearance, and in an explosive finale, thousands of alien robots attempted to conquer a futuristic version of Earth led by their Emperor.

Sadly, Eccleston's tenure in the TARDIS was short-lived – largely due to reports of disagreements behind the scenes – but his regeneration proved epic, kissing Rose to absorb the TARDIS vortex and saving her life.

10. David Tennant – 2005 to 2010

Fan favorite David Tennant played the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010

Ask most Doctor Who fans, and they mainly mentioned David Tennant as their favorite Doctor, and fans became interested in his feelings for Rose Tyler.

It was also the birth of his famous collaboration with Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), which featured hilarious banter between 10 and companion.

Ten's departure also saw Russell T Davies step down as showrunner and in his final scenes the fan favorite said 'I don't want to go' alone in the TARDIS before bursting into regeneration, with over 11 million viewers struggling to to hold back. their tears.

11. Matt Smith – 2010 to 2013

Raggedy Man: Matt Smith played the Eleventh Doctor from 2010 to 2013

Matt, 27, became the youngest ever Doctor as he had big shoes to fill, while Stephen Moffatt took the reins of showrunning.

Known as the 'raggedy Doctor', fears were quickly dispelled as Eleven's cheerful character and signature bow tie won over fans in an instant, along with companion Amelia Pond.

He stepped down after four years after saying he had been in the role long enough.

12. Peter Capaldi – 2013 to 2017

Peter Capaldi played the Twelfth Doctor from 2013 to 2017

Fans felt the show returned to its classic roots during the Twelve era when Scottish actor Peter took on the role.

The character was erratic and prickly, but became more compassionate over time.

Fans began to enjoy the friendship between the older Doctor and his companion Clara (Jenna Coleman), while the show's very first gay companion was introduced in the form of Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie)

13. Jodie Whittaker – 2017 to 2022

Jodie Whittaker was the first female doctor

Jodie Whittaker took on the then controversial role of the very first female doctor.

The actress, 41, portrayed the eponymous Time Lord on screen for four years, quitting the sci-fi series in her final episode in October 2022. However, the show's role and script were criticized during her tenure.

Her departure was featured in the episode The Power Of The Doctor, which even featured a brief return of David Tennant.

14. Ncuti Gatwa – 2023 to present

Nucti Gatwa stars as the first black actor ever to play the Time Lord starting on Christmas Day (pictured in character)

Sex educator Ncuti Gatwa is making history as the first black actor ever to take on the role of the doctor.

He will take on the iconic role from Christmas Day after his first appearance in the 60th anniversary episode, which saw the Doctor 'bi-generated', meaning there were two versions at the same time.

He is about to cross paths with new companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) for the first time.