That's right, he's not the first. Until the show came back in 2005 there were lots of Time Lords doing their thing. The Time War happened while the show wasn't on air.
But, if you've only watched the show since the beginning of 2005 series, then yes John Hurt's doctor came before all the ones that have been the stars of the show since (Chris Eccelston, David Tennant, Matt Smith). (It's just that the everything in the classic series and all those other versions of the Doctor happened first, before the Time War)
Maybe this might help visualise it better....
Original series of Doctor Who (1963-1989)
1st - William Hartnell (and Richard Hurndall in the 5 Doctors)
2nd - Patrick Troughton
3rd - Jon Pertwee
4th - Tom Baker
5th - Peter Davison
6th - Colin Baker
7th - Silvestor McCoy
Doctor Who movie (1996)
8th - Paul McGann (it was hoped the Movie would spawn a new series)
The Time War occurs after the Movie, but during this Doctor's incarnation.
(McGann re-appears in the 2013 mini-sode "Night of the Doctor", which showed the end of the Time War, and him regenerating into John Hurt)
9th - John Hurt (first revealed in early 2013 in "Name of the Doctor" and slotted in as the "real" 9th Doctor, based on the regeneration events of the "Night of the Doctor")
(Hurt is then shown to regenerate into Christopher Eccelston at the end of "Day of the Doctor"
New series of Doctor Who (2005-present)
10th - Christopher Eccelston (was 9th before the 2013 revelation that Hurt is the 9th)
11th - David Tennant (was 10th before the 2013 revelation that Hurt is the 9th)
12th - Matt Smith (was 11th before the 2013 revelation that Hurt is the 9th)
13th - Peter Capaldi (would have been 12th, if he was introduced before Hurt was revealed as the 9th)
Did that help at all, or just make it more confusing?
(how geeky am I for being able to list all the actors for the Doctor from memory and in order... )
Last edited by griffin; 29th November 2013 at 02:54 AM. Reason: fixing error in case others are yet to see the list - thanks Demonac
Yeah, to me the Time Wars has always felt like a canonical excuse for the Doctor's years of absence between the 1996 movie and 2005 new series.
And don't forget Peter Cushing as "Doctor Who."
He'd be pretty damn awesome as the War Doctor.
</cheek>
And then there are the supposed 'previous incarnations' of The Doctor as witnessed in "The Brain Of Morbius". But the less said of that, the better.
Obviously you''re not a "True Fan"
I was impressed. and all the other little tidbits that people keep adding to this conversation are makeing me want to go back and watch all the doctor Who I've missed, which is most of the original material.
I just wish it would be released as seasons rather than story arcs so My Chronological Ordering needs could be easily satisfied.
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