Doctor Who, a long-running British science fiction television series, has many creatures and aliens that exist in its fictional universe. Beginning in 1963, the show ran until 1989, at which point it was cancelled. It was later revived in 2005. The series stars its protagonist, the Doctor, an alien who travels through time and space in a ship known as the TARDIS, as well as their travelling companions, as they explore the universe. When the Doctor dies, they are able to undergo a process known as "regeneration", completely changing the Doctor's appearance and personality. Throughout their travels, the Doctor often comes into conflict with various creatures and alien species, with many of them serving as both supporting characters and as antagonists. These creatures are often dubbed "monsters" by fans of the series. This list covers alien races and other fictional creatures from the show's universe, as well as from several of its spin-off series, such as The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood, and Class, in chronological order of their first appearance. Initially an educational show, the introduction of the Daleks in the show's second story saw Doctor Who gain a ratings spike. More monsters were made to attempt to capitalise off the Daleks' success and subsequently became a larger focus within the series, notably during the period where Patrick Troughton acted as the Second Doctor. Monsters subsequently became incorporated throughout the rest of the show's original run, with concepts and premises for them being inspired by the setting and atmosphere of the current era of the show. Following the show's cancellation in 1989 and its subsequent revival in 2005, monsters once again became a major part of the show, with many returning from its original run. The initial usage of monsters in the show's original run has been cited by critics as lacking in significant depth, with many monsters described as pure evil "Others" that sought to represent British cultural anxieties. However, as the series has progressed, critics have noted that monsters gained an increased level of character depth that allowed them to be portrayed more sympathetically.
Conception and design During the course of the series, the Doctor encounters many creatures, including alien species, with many of them acting as antagonists. These creatures are often dubbed "monsters" by fans of the series. Author Graham Sleight, in the book The Doctor's Monsters: Meanings of the Monstrous in Doctor Who defines a monster in the context of the show as "a creature of nonhuman appearance that acts in a way that's evil, or at least meant to harm the protagonist and other characters we're meant to be sympathetic with". Despite this, there are many alien species that do not act in an antagonistic manner; one example are the Draconians from the 1973 serial Frontier in Space, who have a distinctive non-human appearance yet are not inherently evil. Races such as these may still be categorised as a "monsters", however. Monsters are often adapted into spin-off media for the series, such as books, audio dramas, and comics, which often expand upon the creatures' backstories and abilities, though these stories often conflict with television series canon. Some monsters, such as the Voord, a mysterious race of black-suited creatures, have entire mythos constructed within spin-off media.
Classic series Doctor Who was originally conceived as an educational show, with the series' format being planned so that it would involve the Doctor going back in time and experiencing important historical events. Early on in the series, however, the production team had no stories ready to be made, which resulted in The Daleks (1963-1964) being put into production. The serial featured the titular alien species, and its inclusion in the series was justified under the show's educational banner as being used to educate about nuclear war and its consequences to children. The Head of Drama at the BBC, Sydney Newman, initially disliked the idea of the Daleks, believing that Doctor Who should have no aliens or monsters. The Daleks, however, were highly popular with audiences, ensuring their return in subsequent stories. As the series' first few seasons progressed, the show's purely historical stories were phased out, being replaced by a format of visiting alien worlds and meeting alien species. Additionally, the Daleks' success led to many attempts at re-creating this popularity with monsters such as the Mechonoids and Voord, though these attempts were largely unsuccessful.
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