Doctor Who

Twelve actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation  an idea introduced in 1966 to allow the show to continue after the departure of original lead William Hartnell who was becoming very ill at the time. The concept is that this is a Time Lord trait through which the character of the Doctor takes on a new body and personality to recover from a severe injury or anything that would otherwise kill a normal person. Each actor's portrayal differs, but all represent stages in the life of the same character and form a single narrative. The time-travelling feature of the plot means that different incarnations of the Doctor occasionally meet. The current lead, Peter Capaldi, confirmed he would be leaving the show after the tenth series, with his final appearance being the 2017 Christmas special, "Twice Upon a Time".[5] In July, Jodie Whittaker was announced as the Thirteenth Doctor, the first woman to be cast in the role.