Seventh Doctor

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The Doctor

The Seventh Doctor
Doctor Who character
Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor
First regular appearance	Time and the Rani (1987)
Last regular appearance	Survival (1989)
Introduced by	John Nathan-Turner
Portrayed by	Sylvester McCoy
Preceded by	Colin Baker (Sixth Doctor)
Succeeded by	Paul McGann (Eighth Doctor)
Information
Tenure	7 September 1987 – 6 December 1989
No of series	3
Appearances	12 stories (42 episodes)
Companions	Mel Bush Ace
Chronology	Season 24 (1987) Season 25 (1988–1989) Season 26 (1989) TV film (1996) Specials (2022)

The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy.

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 Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker), he is followed by the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann).

McCoy portrays the Seventh Doctor as a whimsical, thoughtful character who quickly becomes more layered, secretive, and manipulative. His first companion was Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford), a computer programmer who had travelled with his previous incarnation, and who is soon succeeded by troubled teenager and explosives expert Ace (Sophie Aldred), who becomes his protégée.

The Seventh Doctor first appeared on television in 1987. After the programme was cancelled at the end of 1989, his adventures continued in novels until the late 1990s though he did make televised appearances in “Search Out Space” in 1990 and Dimensions in Time in 1993. The Seventh Doctor made an appearance at the start of the 1996 film before the character regenerated into the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann).