Doctor Who is set to return to TV to bring in the new year. After over 50 years of the iconic show, we catch ourselves looking backwards to where it all began. The First Doctor was the blueprint for what this series could really be.

The British show has showcased just how many variations of the character there can be. However, we’re taking a look at the First Doctor and all the things that you may not have known about him, whether you’re a hardcore fan or a newcomer to the series.

NOT THE FIRST?

It’s been implied a few times that the First Doctor was not actually the first version of this character at all. We’ve seen the character as a young boy and it has been assumed that he will just grow old eventually and turn into the William Hartnell version.

However, the amount of trouble the Doctor gets in, it would be assumed that he could have regenerated before. Of course, he only has a limited amount of regenerations, but even this number has been changed. The likelihood is that he is the first regeneration to take the Doctor name.

CLARA’S ASSISTANCE

Fans of the Matt Smith era may be aware of this inclusion but anybody who has joined the show since then would be confused as to how Clara Oswald could be involved with the first Doctor. In fact, she’s actually been a part of the lives of nearly all of the Doctors.

After getting mixed into the time stream, Clara sought to help the Time Lord wherever she could. One way she did that is by pointing out the right T.A.R.D.I.S. for the Doctor could steal; this machine of course came to be the key to the Doctor’s success.

MEETING OTHER DOCTORS

The First Doctor has re-appeared many times since his apparent death. He’s been played by both William Hartnell and by David Bradely, the newest person to play the character. He has of course returned to interact with the Twelfth Doctor.

However, he has also returned to interact with a number of other versions of the character. Both The Three Doctors and The Five Doctors brought variations of the character together, with each episode featuring Hartnell in his classic role.

A NASTY START

The Doctor wasn’t as kind as we know him to be now, when he first started on his adventure. In fact, he was portrayed as a grumpy old man, without many friends or much love for those around him. He was principled but definitely a bit nasty.

However, he mellowed over the years, helped tremendously by his companions and granddaughter. The character did do some pretty terrible things though, that made him undeserving of those around him, including kidnapping them!

THE FIRST REGENERATION

Regeneration is a major part of the show and is why there is so many different actors portraying this famous role. The First Doctor obviously had the first on screen regeneration, which took viewers by surprise as the move was unprecedented in television.

The reason that the First Doctor actually regenerated is pretty boring though. He was not struck down by a dastardly villain, or found himself executed for a crime he didn’t commit. He instead died of old age stating that he was wearing a bit thin, a line that later returned for the War Doctor.

EARTHLY VISIT

We know the Doctor has a fondness for Earth and in the early days the First Doctor hid his T.A.R.D.I.S. in a junkyard on the planet in order to not get spotted. It has become the base of many of his adventures for quite some time.

However, the reason that the First Doctor moved himself onto Earth in the beginning was so that he could hide an incredibly dangerous weapon. The Hand of Omega was hidden on Earth and brought back some time later, but the Doctor decided to stay after this.

COAL HILL

The Doctor traveled around with his Granddaughter Susan, who he clearly had a fondness for. So much so that he school has been a place he re-visited ever since. Coal Hill was also the school that his companions Ian and Barbara taught at.

Not only this, years later, Clara and Danny would work at the school, as did the Doctor himself. He would then return one final time to help out the students of Coal Hill from another extra-terrestrial threat.

LOVE OF HATS

The Doctor actually has a secret love for hats, that’s been reflected in many of the costume choices of the character. This all started with the First Doctor, who usually wore quite an old English black hat.

This hat has morphed many times, with various Doctors wearing a variety of headgear including a bowler cap, a cricket hat and of course a fez! Hartnell and Bradley’s Doctor has clearly remained a strong influence on the rest.

The further material for Doctor Who is always expanding, but one of the characters featured in the comics, audio plays, books and the TV show is Rassilon. The corrupt leader of Gallifrey has been a thorn in the side of the Doctor for some time.

Believe it or not, the character is actually related to the Doctor. The Granddaughter to the Doctor was a descendant of Rassilon meaning that somewhere in their ancestry the two Time Lords are actually connect through blood.

A FOUNDER

The First Doctor is also said to be a descendant of some kind to one of the founders of Gallifrey, ‘The Other.’ The Doctor has actually used this name for himself before, when he went back into his childhood.

If the stories are to be believed, the Doctor is some kind of reincarnation of the Other, with the spirit of this ancient character living on through the Time Lord. It’s actually a rumor we give a lot of credit to and in the future perhaps the Doctor’s extended history will be revealed.