The Ninth Doctor was a study in contrasts. On the one hand, this Doctor shared many characteristics with his predecessors. One moment he was full of manic energy and a sharp, offbeat wit; the next he was removed and reserved, keenly aware of the divide between himself and the humans he encountered. But the Time War of which the Ninth Doctor was the sole survivor clearly affected him deeply indeed. This was a sadder and angrier Doctor, the weight of his having seemingly destroyed both the Time Lords and the Daleks preying upon him greatly. But consequently, this was also a Doctor who harboured a new appreciation for the wonders of the universe -- and who, more keenly than ever, burned with a desire to keep the universe safe from harm.

Christopher Eccleston played the Doctor from Rose in March 2005 to The Parting Of The Ways in June 2005.

Rose Tyler was working in a department store in 2005 London when she met the Doctor. Seemingly destined for a humdrum, dead-end existence, Rose yearned deep down to make something more of her life, and was given the opportunity to realise her potential when she was invited aboard the TARDIS. Plucky, determined and open-minded from the outset, Rose's travels with the Doctor helped her to expand her horizons, and discover the wealth of experience the universe holds -- even as her initial infatuation with the mysterious time traveller deepened into an abiding love. At the same time, though, Rose was still tied to her old life through her sense of responsibility to her mother, Jackie, and her faltering bond with her boyfriend, Mickey.

Billie Piper played Rose from the eponymous Rose in March 2005 to Doomsday in July 2006.

Few people have found their lives so regularly and yet reluctantly intertwined with that of the Doctor's as Mickey Smith. A regular guy making ends meet as a mechanic in 2005 London -- neither particularly noble nor particularly loathsome -- he saw his very foundations shaken when his girlfriend, Rose Tyler, met the Doctor and left Mickey to travel in the TARDIS. Nonetheless, the Doctor's occasional presence and his determination to prove himself to Rose inspired Mickey to grudgingly rise above his humble origins and discover the bravery within himself.

Noel Clarke played Mickey regularly from Rose in March 2005 to Doomsday in July 2006.

Although certainly not a companion in the usual sense of the word, Jackie Tyler maintained a persistent presence in the Doctor's life during the time that her daughter, Rose, travelled in the TARDIS. Jackie, in many ways, represented the shackles that Rose sought to shed: she was small-minded and unambitious, utterly content with the mundane fate she had carved for herself. The incessant danger and unlimited horizons offered by the Doctor were almost antithetical to Jackie's view of the world. But Rose was not merely the child of her father, and even Jackie was able to prove that when push came to shove -- and especially when Rose was imperiled -- she was able to muster the courage to make a difference.

Camille Coduri played Jackie regularly from Rose in March 2005 to Doomsday in July 2006.

A young computer genius recruited by Henry van Statten's Geocomtex corporation in the year 2012, Adam Mitchell saw travelling in time and space less as a grand adventure and more as an opportunity to advance contemporary humanity (and himself at the same time). Charming and unassuming -- he was more matter-of-fact about his intelligence than boastful -- an overwhelmed Adam nonetheless fell prey to the lure of futuristic technology aboard Satellite 5 in the year 200,000, endangering humanity... and, more damningly, betraying the Doctor's trust.

Bruno Langley played Adam from Dalek in April 2005 to The Long Game in May 2005.

The apparently self-styled “Captain” Jack Harkness resembled the Doctor in many ways, not least with regard to the aura of mystery surrounding him. A 51st-century rogue with a heart of gold, Jack was quick-witted, courageous and intelligent. He also wasn't reluctant to make good use of his charm and handsome looks, be it on a man or a woman. Jack initially lacked the Doctor's vast experience, and the two years missing from his memory meant that there was more bluster to his apparently ironclad self-confidence than he tried to let on. With the discovery that he was immortal, and the long years that he lived thereafter, Jack gained a new perspective on life, and a renewed sense of responsibility to mankind. In many ways, Jack grew to resemble the Doctor all the more.

John Barrowman played Jack from The Empty Child in May 2005 to The Parting Of The Ways in June 2005, and from Utopia in June 2007 to Last Of The Time Lords in June 2007.

In the wee hours of the morning of September 26th, 2003, it was announced that, more than 15 years after the cancellation of the original series, Doctor Who would return in 2005. Now under the control of Russell T Davies, a lifelong fan who had risen to prominence in British television, the new Doctor Who series would pick up where the original (and the 1996 TV movie) had left off, but would strive to appeal to a new, modern audience as well.

On March 29th, 2005, in the face of outstanding audience figures for Rose, the first new Doctor Who episode, BBC Head of Drama Jane Tranter commissioned a 60-minute Christmas special, The Christmas Invasion, and a new 13-part season. However, it was revealed shortly thereafter that Christopher Eccleston had decided to bow out of Doctor Who after just one year. Nonetheless, the new series proved to be a monumental critical and popular success, and on June 15th it was revealed that Doctor Who had already been renewed for a second Christmas special and a third season. Despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Doctor Who was back, and as strong as it had even been.