The Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the title character in the long-running BBC science fiction television programme "Doctor Who". Since the show's inception in 1963, the character has been portrayed by thirteen lead actors. In the programme, "the Doctor" is the alias assumed by a centuries-old alien—a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey—who travels through space and time in the TARDIS, frequently with companions. The transition to each succeeding actor is explained within the show's narrative through the plot device of "regeneration", a biological function of the Time Lord race that allows a change of cellular structure and appearance with recovery following a potentially fatal injury.
Tenth Doctor
As the face of the "Doctor Who" franchise for 2005–10, the Tenth Doctor appears extensively in "Doctor Who" spin-off media; in the majority of these series, the character simply takes after the place of the Ninth Doctor, and in turn is replaced by the Eleventh following the debut of the 2010 series. Novels featuring the Tenth Doctor are all published by BBC Books. The character appears in New Series Adventures novels spanning from "The Stone Rose" (April 2006) to "The Krillitane Storm" (September 2009). A number "Decide Your Destiny" novels were published between July 2007 and March 2008, as well as five books published as a part of Quick Reads Initiative, a government-sponsored adult literacy project. BBC Children's Books released their own 10-part series, "The Darksmith Legacy", supported by an interactive tie-in website. Additionally, short stories are frequently published in "Doctor Who Magazine", "The Doctor Who Storybook" series (2007–10 editions), the BBC website, and annuals and suchlike; one example being the story "The Lodger" by Gareth Roberts, later adapted into an Eleventh Doctor television episode of the same name. National newspapers "The Daily Telegraph" and "The Sunday Times" have each published one Christmas-themed Tenth Doctor short story. Additionally, the Tenth Doctor appears in a novelisation of his "The Sarah Jane Adventures" crossover appearance. The Tenth Doctor also appears extensively in comic books, replacing the Ninth Doctor in those published in "Doctor Who Magazine", and the younger-audience "Doctor Who Adventures" and "". American comic book publisher initially published a 2008 Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones miniseries between January and June 2006. This was later followed by a truly ongoing Tenth Doctor series in July 2009, set during the 2008–2010 specials and lasting sixteen issues before relaunching with the Eleventh Doctor. In stories set after "Journey's End", the Doctor is accompanied by numerous one-off and recurring companions who do not feature in the television series.