Doctor Who or The Doctor?

[StCoop]

Picked up the DVD of 'The Next Doctor' today since it was under a tenner and it's a year until we'll get a boxst of all the specials (probably longer since I'll' hold out for the Blu-ray version).

I don't normally pay attention to the credits (poor excuse for a fan, I know) and was surprised to see Tennant credited as Doctor Who at the end as I recall him throwing a Fanboy fit and insisting he be credited as The Doctor. My sister-in-law has my S4 boxset at the moment so I can't check but was wondering if this was the first episode to credit him properly?

(Yes properly. Within the fiction of the series he's The Doctor but as far as 99.9% of the real world are concerned he's Doctor Who.)

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

I'm not sure you can argue that one is more "proper" than the other, since for a good portion of the original series the lead was credited as "The Doctor," while in the beginning it was "Dr Who."

Personally, I think "The Doctor" is more accurate, since that is the character's name. "Doctor Who" is just the title of the show.

 

[Brendan Moody]

I'm not going to check every episode on the S4 DVDs, but "Journey's End" still has him credited as "The Doctor." As does the broadcast version of "The Next Doctor," or at least the one I have.

Tennant is also credited as "Doctor Who" at the end of "The Parting of the Ways," and in the video commentary version of "The Christmas Invasion" included on the S2 boxset, because the commentary was made using an older version of the episode before Tennant's request (excuse me, "Fanboy fit") was acted on.

 

[wamdue]

if it were up to me to decide this I would go with "The Doctor" and I love the idea of an actor having a fanboy fit, and forcing changes to make it more fanboy friendly

 

[OmahaStar]

(Yes properly. Within the fiction of the series he's The Doctor but as far as 99.9% of the real world are concerned he's Doctor Who.)

You do realize that the made-up number you pulled out of your ass ("99.9%") doesn't even apply to the "real world" you're referring to, right?

It's funny. Every time I see someone talk about "99.9%" of anything, unless it is a germ-fighting cleaning product, I have to laugh. It's because they're making up "facts" to prove their point. Unfortunately, when they don't have actual numbers to back them up, they go over the top and silly. It's like saying "99.9% of all Star Trek fans own the dvds of the series." And I've seen that quote. It's obviously wrong.

I'm sure the above has nothing to do with made up facts and figures you're going on about, though.

 

[captcalhoun]

87% of statistics are made up.

and it's The Doctor.

 

[Brendan Moody]

Also, 98.6% of people choose to ignore obvious hyperbole when they want to express their disagreement.

Like most things fans now regard as The Truth of Doctor Who Forever and Ever Amen, the character not being not named "Doctor Who" was a bit more open to question in the early days- the later black-and-white stories in particular don't seem to know whether "Doctor Who" is a joke or his real name.

 

[davejames]

I always assumed the proper term was The Doctor too, but I've been reading through those In Their Own Words magazines recently, and the writers, actors, and producers CONTINUALLY refer to the character (and not just the show) as Doctor Who.

 

[Count Zero]

In the beginning the end credits said Dr. Who, although the Doctor always referred to himself as the Doctor. So, I guess, the character's name should be given as the Doctor. But the series itself was never consistent about it.

 

[The]

He's The Doctor. Just The Doctor.

Hello!

 

[StCoop]

You do realize that the made-up number you pulled out of your ass ("99.9%") doesn't even apply to the "real world" you're referring to, right?

You're a ray of sunshine.

Tell you what; go out on the street, show 100 people a picture of David Tennant and ask them who he plays. What do you think the overwhelming majority of them will answer?

 

[John Picard]

I'm not sure you can argue that one is more "proper" than the other, since for a good portion of the original series the lead was credited as "The Doctor," while in the beginning it was "Dr Who."

Personally, I think "The Doctor" is more accurate, since that is the character's name. "Doctor Who" is just the title of the show.

It's also humorous when he tells people who he is, and their response is a puzzled, "Doctor Who?"

 

[OmahaStar]

You do realize that the made-up number you pulled out of your ass ("99.9%") doesn't even apply to the "real world" you're referring to, right?

You're a ray of sunshine.

Tell you what; go out on the street, show 100 people a picture of David Tennant and ask them who he plays. What do you think the overwhelming majority of them will answer?

"That bloke from Harry Potter" most likely.

 

[Chris3123]

You do realize that the made-up number you pulled out of your ass ("99.9%") doesn't even apply to the "real world" you're referring to, right?

You're a ray of sunshine.

Tell you what; go out on the street, show 100 people a picture of David Tennant and ask them who he plays. What do you think the overwhelming majority of them will answer?

Well, if you did it here in the States, it would probably be "Who the hell is that?"

But anyway, if 99.9% say "Doctor Who", then that 99.9% are at best casual viewers. Fans and regular viewers know that his name isn't "Doctor Who". Or they should, anyway.

 

[The]

^Agreed!

 

[wamdue]

You do realize that the made-up number you pulled out of your ass ("99.9%") doesn't even apply to the "real world" you're referring to, right?

You're a ray of sunshine.

Tell you what; go out on the street, show 100 people a picture of David Tennant and ask them who he plays. What do you think the overwhelming majority of them will answer?

"That bloke from Harry Potter" most likely.

who is this Harry Potter of which you speak?

lets be honest I think pretty much anyone in the UK would look at his picture and say that he is the Doctor, or Doctor Who, or that bloke from Doctor Who,

 

[Brendan Moody]

But anyway, if 99.9% say "Doctor Who", then that 99.9% are at best casual viewers. Fans and regular viewers know that his name isn't "Doctor Who". Or they should, anyway.

This is the true usefulness of the distinction, of course: as a way for "real fans" to set themselves apart from the masses.

"Doctor Who" probably isn't the character's name, but it clearly is a valid way to refer to him in the real world, one that appears in the credits of a majority of episodes and has been used by actual members of the cast and crew.

 

[wamdue]

to be fair I think its a case of people people identify him with the show, so the two names get blurred for none fans, it was off air for a long time.

 

[Stevil2001]

But anyway, if 99.9% say "Doctor Who", then that 99.9% are at best casual viewers. Fans and regular viewers know that his name isn't "Doctor Who". Or they should, anyway.

And no true Scotsman would ever do such a thing, anyway.

 

[Cky]

'The Doctor' is his name, I think he's only named himself 'Doctor Who' on one occassion (which was an extremely early episode), so why should the credits read anything other than 'The Doctor'?

It would be like Harry Potters credits reading

Snugglywugglygoggleboy - Daniel Radcliff.

I know that's not entirely the point, but I'm sure people get what I mean.