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.
Doctor Who merchandise
Published by MMG, this collectible card game involved players building a deck of cards from their collection and playing that deck against each other. The object of the game was to remove the opponent's six Time cards before they removed yours. This would be accomplished by attacking the other player using cards representing the various Doctors, Assistants and monsters that had appeared in the original 26 series of Doctor Who.
Featuring Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant as The Doctor. This fortnightly magazine and trading card game partwork from GE Fabbri lasted over four years, with five sets of cards being released within that time. The first set, "Exterminator", featured 275 cards including characters from both the first and second series, as well as the 2005 Christmas special. The second set, "Annihilator", included 100 cards featuring characters from the second series and the 2006 Christmas special. The third set, "Invader", included 225 cards featuring characters from the third series. The fourth set, "Ultimate Monsters", included 225 cards and was the first set to venture back into Classic Who, featuring monsters and villains featured with all ten doctors. The fifth and final set, "Devestator", included 250 cards featuring characters from the 2007 Christmas special and the fourth series. In addition to these 1075 cards, a further 31 cards were produced – an exclusive 18 card "Daleks vs. Cybermen" mini-set, issued with issue 18; an exclusive 10 card "Sarah Jane Adventures" mini-set, issued with issue #62; the 'Dalek Blaster' bonus card, issued with the Invader launch issue; the 'Psychic Paper' bonus card, issued with the very first issue; and 'Super Rose', the ultimate "Gold" card, found in only 1 in every 1000 packs of cards.
Featuring David Tennant as The Doctor. This collection, which included characters from all four series, the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Christmas specials, as well as "Planet Of The Dead" and "The Waters Of Mars", was released in late 2009 as a replacement for the discontinued Battles In Time range. These cards were considerably less expensive, giving them a wider market for fans. The set also included limited edition cards of all ten doctors.
Featuring Matt Smith as The Doctor. Now issued by BBC magazines, this card collection is an up-to-date revamp of the Battles in Time series. The test set, released in the South East region in April 2010, featured 90 cards including characters from all five series of the show. The official set, containing 375 cards featuring characters from series five, will be released in April 2011 nationwide.