TMC
04-18-2022, 03:42 AM
https://www.looper.com/834737/the-first-doctor-fan-theory-that-would-change-doctor-who-completely/
Some fans think the First Doctor isn't the character's first incarnation
Long-devoted fans of "Doctor Who" are surely aware of The Doctor's unique ability to regenerate (https://www.looper.com/817660/the-surprising-inspiration-behind-doctor-whos-regeneration/) into a completely different body and personality when mortally wounded. This mostly serves as the show's in-universe explanation for why the actor playing The Doctor changes so frequently, but it's also become a defining aspect of the series. Naturally, it's commonly assumed that William Hartnell's First Doctor was the very first incarnation of the character before any regenerations took place. But what if the first on-screen doctor wasn't actually the first version of the Time Lord?
In a discussion thread on the r/Gallifrey (https://www.reddit.com/r/gallifrey/comments/4hmd2i/what_is_the_general_theory_regarding_prior/) subreddit, Reddit user u/MongolianSwampDonkey (https://www.reddit.com/r/gallifrey/comments/4hmd2i/what_is_the_general_theory_regarding_prior/) posited a theory that proposes just that. In this user's post, they argued it was possible that the Doctor moniker was simply the result of a nickname given to him by his first set of companions. As a result, it seems logical that the character known as Doctor Who could have had past lives that wouldn't syntactically count as iterations of "The Doctor."
This user's chief piece of evidence for the theory is John Hurt's War Doctor, a regeneration that The Doctor long keeps a secret. Hurt's incarnation serves as an example of a time when the character gives up his usual name and doesn't count an incarnation of himself among the rest. However, this one piece of evidence is just the tip of the iceberg of a very complex debate.
Some fans think the First Doctor isn't the character's first incarnation
Long-devoted fans of "Doctor Who" are surely aware of The Doctor's unique ability to regenerate (https://www.looper.com/817660/the-surprising-inspiration-behind-doctor-whos-regeneration/) into a completely different body and personality when mortally wounded. This mostly serves as the show's in-universe explanation for why the actor playing The Doctor changes so frequently, but it's also become a defining aspect of the series. Naturally, it's commonly assumed that William Hartnell's First Doctor was the very first incarnation of the character before any regenerations took place. But what if the first on-screen doctor wasn't actually the first version of the Time Lord?
In a discussion thread on the r/Gallifrey (https://www.reddit.com/r/gallifrey/comments/4hmd2i/what_is_the_general_theory_regarding_prior/) subreddit, Reddit user u/MongolianSwampDonkey (https://www.reddit.com/r/gallifrey/comments/4hmd2i/what_is_the_general_theory_regarding_prior/) posited a theory that proposes just that. In this user's post, they argued it was possible that the Doctor moniker was simply the result of a nickname given to him by his first set of companions. As a result, it seems logical that the character known as Doctor Who could have had past lives that wouldn't syntactically count as iterations of "The Doctor."
This user's chief piece of evidence for the theory is John Hurt's War Doctor, a regeneration that The Doctor long keeps a secret. Hurt's incarnation serves as an example of a time when the character gives up his usual name and doesn't count an incarnation of himself among the rest. However, this one piece of evidence is just the tip of the iceberg of a very complex debate.