The Eighth Doctor

Portrayed by: Paul McGann
Years active: 1996
Series: Doctor Who 1996 Television Movie
Companions: Grace Holloway

The regeneration into the Eighth Doctor was also marred by amnesia as his Seventh incarnation was, though still not as troublesome as some of his predecessors were. Following disastrous exploratory surgery by Dr. Grace Holloway, the Eighth Doctor was thrust into battle with the Master once more, following the attempt by the Seventh Doctor to take his remains to Gallifrey. Assisted by Grace, the Eighth Doctor thwarted the Master from stealing his remaining regenerations using the Eye of Harmony within the TARDIS, though doing so involved a temporal orbit, travelling back along his own time stream to undo events that he had already been involved with in the 1996 Television Movie (Classic Series). Due to the Eighth Doctor's only onscreen adventure being the 1996 Television Movie, not much is known about him or his adventures before he regenerated into the Ninth Doctor. Speculation suggests that the Eighth Doctor was involved in the Last Great Time War against the Daleks, fighting on the front lines to survive. During this, the Doctor witnessed the supposed death of Davros after he fell into the jaws of the Nightmare Child, fought at the Fall of Arcadia. Towards the end of the War, the Time Lords became worried that their extinction was imminent, as the Doctor was in possession of the Moment, though what the Moment was no one knows. The Doctor's Tenth incarnation revealed that the Eighth Doctor regenerated due to events caused by the Last Great Time War and that he was alone when it happened.

The Eighth Doctor in the 1996 Television Movie

The Eighth Doctor was more romantic than his previous incarnations, and while the First and Seventh Doctors would be visibly exasperated by the quirks and failings of the human race, the Eighth Doctor found them more amusing. The Eighth Doctor behaved in a more human like manner, more so than his previous incarnations, even willingly entertaining romantic notions with Grace, albeit in a childlike manner. The Eighth Doctor seemed to know peoples futures remarkably well, and developed a habit of giving people, even strangers, hints about what their futures. Though he would not express the outright nature of that person's future, he would give hints towards it. He was also afraid of heights, potentially brought on by the fall his Fourth incarnation suffered before regenerating, as well as proving to be an experience pickpocket, something his previous incarnations had not exhibited. During his battle with the Master in the 1996 Television Movie, the Eighth Doctor revealed to Grace that he was half-human on his mother's side, however the Tenth Doctor seemed to suggest that this was either a trick or a bug that occurred for him during The End of Time part 2 (2010 New Year's Special).

The Eighth Doctor with his companion, Grace Holloway, in the 1996 Television Movie

Much like previous incarnations, the Eighth Doctor dressed in clothes from the Victorian era, as well as having long curly hair. He attire consisted of a long green velvet jacket, a waistcoat with a pocket watch (as many incarnations have worn) and a cravat. The Doctor stole his clothes from the hospital staff area after he regenerated, in a similar fashion to his Third and Eleventh incarnation. Although the regeneration between the Eighth Doctor into the Ninth was never seen, it was speculated that it was done following the Time War, which was then confirmed by the Tenth Doctor who stated that the regeneration occurred alone and caused by events of the Last Great Time War.