Past and present Doctor Who stars unite for message to NHS workers

Past and present stars of Doctor Who have recorded a thank-you message to NHS staff on the front line of the pandemic.

David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker will pay tribute during BBC One’s Big Night In on Thursday evening, shortly before the weekly Clap For Carers initiative at 8pm.

The video message will also feature Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann – all of who starred as The Doctor during the series’ original run.

Here’s what you need to know.

– Tom Baker (1974–81)

Baker played the Fourth Doctor for seven consecutive series, making him the longest-serving actor in the part.

Many of the stories from his era are considered classics, including The Ark In Space, Genesis Of The Daleks and The Brain Of Morbius.

– Sylvester McCoy (1987–89)

McCoy debuted as the Seventh Doctor after taking over the lead role from Colin Baker.

In his first series, he portrayed the Timelord with a degree of clown-like humour.

However, his time on the show saw the Doctor develop into a much darker and manipulative figure than any of his earlier incarnations.

– David Tennant (2005-2010)

The Scottish actor played the role of the Tenth Doctor for five years, making him one of the longest-serving in the role.

Tennant is son-in-law to Davison, who played the fifth incarnation of the Timelord between 1981 and 1984.

He met his wife when she appeared as the Doctor’s cloned daughter in the 2008 episode The Doctor’s Daughter.

Peter Capaldi (2013-2017)

Capaldi debuted as the Doctor in the 50th anniversary special The Day Of The Doctor, before appearing in the 2013 Christmas special The Time Of The Doctor.

A lifelong fan of the series, he previously played Lobus Caecilius in the 2008 episode The Fires of Pompeii.

– The Big Night In will be broadcast on BBC One on April 23 between 7-10pm.