| The Eighth Doctor | |
|---|---|
| Doctor Who character | |
_(cropped).jpg) Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor | |
| First regular appearance | Doctor Who (1996) |
| Last regular appearance | Doctor Who (1996) |
| Introduced by | Philip Segal |
| Portrayed by | Paul McGann |
| Preceded by | Sylvester McCoy (Seventh Doctor) |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Eccleston (Ninth Doctor) |
| Information | |
| Tenure | May 1996 |
| Appearances | 1 story (1 episode) |
| Companions | Grace Holloway |
| Chronology | |
The Eighth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Paul McGann.
The character was introduced in the 1996 TV film Doctor Who, a back-door pilot produced in an unsuccessful attempt to relaunch the series following its 1989 cancellation. While the Eighth Doctor initially had only one on-screen appearance, his adventures were portrayed extensively in subsequent spin-off media, including more than 70 audio dramas starring McGann. In 2013, the actor reprised the role in the mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor", which depicts the Eighth Doctor's final adventure and his regeneration into the War Doctor (played by John Hurt). McGann subsequently reprised the role in a brief cameo alongside other past incarnations in "The Power of the Doctor" (2022), his first filmed appearance for a televised episode of Doctor Who.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in the TARDIS, frequently with companions. At the end of life, the Doctor regenerates; as a result, the physical appearance and personality of the Doctor changes. Preceded in regeneration by the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), he is followed by the War Doctor (John Hurt) and the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston).
His only companion in the television film is Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook), a medical doctor whose surgery is partly responsible for triggering his regeneration. In the continued adventures of the character depicted in audio dramas, novels and comic books he travels alongside numerous other companions, including self-styled "Edwardian Adventuress" Charley, the alien Destrii and present-day humans Lucie and Sam.