Doctor Who is British.
Doctor Who . The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation -- an idea introduced in 1966 to allow the show to continue after the departure of original lead William Hartnell who was becoming very ill at the time . Gallifrey ( [ ˈɡælᵻfreɪ ] or [ ˈɡælᵻfriː ] ) is a planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who . In the long running British science fiction television series Doctor Who , regeneration is a biological ability exhibited by the Time Lords , a race of fictional humanoids originating on the planet Gallifrey . `` 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 .