History Creator / WilliamHartnell

Was played by Creator/DavidBradley in the 2013 BasedOnATrueStory BBC Drama ''Film/AnAdventureInSpaceAndTime'', who would later portray the First Doctor onscreen in [[Recap/DoctorWho2017CSTwiceUponATime 2017]] and [[Recap/DoctorWho2022CENThePowerOfTheDoctor 2022]], as well as in ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho''. Beforehand, Richard Hurndall filled in for the late Hartnell in 1983's [[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors "The Five Doctors"]].

->''"The moment this brilliant young producer Miss Verity Lambert started telling me about ''Doctor Who'', I was hooked. I remember telling her, This is going to run for five years. And look what's happened!"''

His sadly increasing infirmity led to the creative team finding a new way to continue the show; since the Doctor was an [[HumanAlien alien]], who was to say what he might or might not be able to do? He might even [[TheNthDoctor turn into]] a completely different person... and thus was born Regeneration, by means of which a television series that started in 1963 is still airing today. He reprised the role of the Doctor once more, in the serial [[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E1TheThreeDoctors "The Three Doctors"]], filmed in 1972; with his health in serious decline, he had to appear only in pre-recorded inserts, and read all his dialogue from cue cards, but still managed to deliver a spiky putdown of Creator/PatrickTroughton (who he had personally suggested as a worthy successor) and prior ''Will Any Gentleman...?'' co-star Pertwee; "So, you're my replacements, hmm? A dandy and a clown!" His spot in the serial would mark not only his final appearance in the role of the First Doctor, but his final acting appearance period.

Was played by Creator/DavidBradley in the 2013 BasedOnATrueStory BBC Drama ''Film/AnAdventureInSpaceAndTime'', who would later portray the First Doctor onscreen in 2017 and 2022, as well as in ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho''. Beforehand, Richard Hurndall filled in for the late Hartnell in 1983's [[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors "The Five Doctors"]].

[[caption-width-right:300:He is the Doctor. The original, you might say.]]

[[caption-width-right:300:The original Doctor in his usual grounds.]]
->''"The moment this brilliant young producer Miss Verity Lambert started telling me about Doctor Who, I was hooked. I remember telling her, This is going to run for five years. And look what's happened!"''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wh3.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The original Doctor in his usual grounds.]]

Was played by Creator/DavidBradley in the 2013 BasedOnATrueStory BBC Drama ''Film/AnAdventureInSpaceAndTime''.

William Henry Hartnell was a British actor born on 8 January 1908, remembered primarily as [[TheNthDoctor the First Doctor]] from ''Series/DoctorWho'' -- although when he took the role, nobody knew there would be a [[Creator/PatrickTroughton Second Doctor]], let alone a [[Creator/PeterCapaldi Twelfth]], or even [[Creator/JodieWhittaker a female Doctor]].

Prior to becoming a national icon, he had primarily played military types (such as the eponymous Sergeant in ''Film/CarryOnSergeant'') and sinister hoods -- he turned in a memorably creepy performance in ''Literature/BrightonRock'', where he was overshadowed by Creator/RichardAttenborough's turn as VillainProtagonist Pinky. Hartnell also appeared with Creator/PeterSellers in 1959 film ''Literature/TheMouseThatRoared'', again as a sergeant. It was supposedly his frustration with [[TypeCasting constantly having been offered nothing but "tough guy" roles]] that drove him to accept [[PlayingAgainstType his fateful role as the Doctor]].

His sadly increasing infirmity led to the creative team finding a new way to continue the show; since the Doctor was an [[HumanAlien alien]], who was to say what he might or might not be able to do? He might even [[TheNthDoctor turn into]] a completely different person... and thus was born Regeneration, by means of which a television series that started in 1963 is still airing today. He reprised the role of the Doctor once more, in the serial [[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E1TheThreeDoctors "The Three Doctors"]], filmed in 1972; with his health in serious decline, he had to appear only in pre-recorded inserts, and read all his dialogue from cue cards, but still managed to deliver a spiky putdown of Creator/PatrickTroughton (who he had personally suggested as a worthy successor) and Creator/JonPertwee; "So, you're my replacements, hmm? A dandy and a clown!"