The changing face of Doctor Who.

In the autumn of 1963 a TV show began that would have wide-ranging effects on a huge portion of the public. It would scare, amuse, thrill and anger generations to come, as each one introduced their daughters and sons to the sci-fi behemoth that is Doctor Who. Back then you’d have needed a decent TV aerial to pick up the black and white broadcast. Whilst the Doctor has changed, the need for a decent aerial still remains, and it falls to Steve Unett Aerials, a TV Aerial repair Gloucester based company, to keep us connected.

The Early Doctors

It all began with William Hartnell, an older actor who made the role his own. A sort of space Father Christmas was his basis for the character before he was replaced by the puckish Patrick Troughton. Troughton brought a more playful, humour-filled character that became the model, rather than Hartnell’s patriarchal yet kindly time traveller. Troughton’s approach can be summed up in one exchange with the Doctor who replaced him, the debonair Jon Pertwee. With a beaming smile he says, “Oh, I see you’ve changed the decor,” which immediately turns to scorn as he adds, “I don’t like it!” before wandering off to play with the controls.

Tom Baker and the Eighties

Tom Baker followed Pertwee and is often seen as the best, but his era also led into some leaner years, as tight budgets and the arrival of Star Wars changed perceptions. Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy all brought new things through the 1980s. The show came back with a big-budget TV film starring Paul McGann in 1996, but a new series was not to be.

The Modern Era

The show returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston, followed by David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker. David Tennant briefly returned as the Fourteenth Doctor for the show’s 60th anniversary in 2023, before Ncuti Gatwa took over as the Fifteenth Doctor. That’s a lot of Doctors, especially if you count John Hurt’s War Doctor too!