Doctor Who is a television show.
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works , the term `` companion '' refers to a character who travels with , or shares the adventures of the Doctor . Doctor Who . The current lead , Peter Capaldi , took on the role after Matt Smith 's exit in the 2013 Christmas special `` The Time of the Doctor '' . `` The Time of the Doctor '' is an episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who , written by Steven Moffat and directed by Jamie Payne , and was broadcast as the ninth Doctor Who Christmas special on 25 December 2013 on BBC One .