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• ´óÏó´«Ã½ Archive unveils The Changing Face Of Doctor Who, a new online collection featuring documents and photographs from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ archives
• Documents reveal the reactions of the audience to each new Doctor Who
• ´óÏó´«Ã½ releases photos that reveal some of the actors who were shortlisted but never made it to the TARDIS

A new online collection from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Archive reveals the story behind the changing face of Doctor Who. As Matt Smith begins his new adventures as the 11th Doctor, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Archive reveals how the very first regeneration was planned in 1966.

Internal ´óÏó´«Ã½ memos, Radio Times letters and exclusive images have been digitised and made available for the first time, offering an insight into how viewers have reacted to each new actor taking on what has become an iconic role.

Starting in 1966, with the first transformation of William Hartnell into Patrick Troughton, The Changing Face Of Doctor Who collection lifts the lid on how ´óÏó´«Ã½ producers have reinvented the Doctor 10 times over.

Roly Keating, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Director, Archive Content, said: "The whole idea of regenerating the Doctor was a flash of genius that's kept Doctor Who fresh and exciting for 47 years now.

"As we welcome Matt Smith and Karen Gillan into the TARDIS, it's the perfect moment to remember his predecessors and also to celebrate the work of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Archive in preserving these documents and photographs for future generations."

Internal documents show how fans have sometimes taken time to get used to each new leading man. Audience reports reveal how Tom Baker initially struggled to convince younger viewers, who were so attached to his predecessor, Jon Pertwee.

One viewer of his first episode, in 1975, said: "My two boys aged four and six were distressed about the change of Doctor Who. They were very excited by the episode, but hope the Doctor will change back again next week."

Another 12-year-old boy, meanwhile, said: "It was nice and creepy, but I like the other Doctor Who best."

Photos from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ stills library show each of the Doctors before they became Time Lords, including Patrick Troughton from his first ´óÏó´«Ã½ productions in the Fifties and Tom Baker as an Egyptian in a George Bernard Shaw play, three years before he put on the woolly scarf that made him famous to millions.

Another gallery of photos reveals who else Doctor Who's producers have considered to play the role through the years, with some well-known names on the list.

Ron Moody, who played Fagin in the film musical Oliver!, turned down the role, as did Fulton Mackay, in favour of playing the sour prison warder Mackay in Porridge.

Harry Potter actor Richard Griffiths was No. 2 on the shortlist after Peter Davison, while Paul McGann found himself up against his brother, Mark, when auditions began for the 1996 TV movie.

This new collection will be available online from 13 April at bbc.co.uk/archive.

Notes to Editors

Doctor Who – Victory Of The Daleks can be seen at 6.30pm, Saturday 17 April, on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One and ´óÏó´«Ã½ HD.

Doctor Who began in November 1963. This year marks 40 years since Jon Pertwee became the Doctor, 35 years since Tom Baker took over and five years since the show was revived by Russell T Davies.

The current series – the 31st in its history – stars Matt Smith as the Doctor, with Karen Gillan as his companion, Amy. BAFTA-winning writer Steven Moffat has taken over as executive producer and lead writer, with future episodes featuring the return of the Daleks and the terrifying "weeping angels" from Moffat's own multi-award-winning episode, Blink.

About ´óÏó´«Ã½ Archive

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Archive is one of the largest multimedia archives in the world, held in 27 locations across the UK. As well as close to a million hours of TV and radio programmes it also holds six million still photographs, over four million items of sheet music and over half-a-million documents and records.

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Archive website allows you to explore over 80 years of UK and ´óÏó´«Ã½ history. Programmes, documents and images bring the past to life and reveal forgotten stories, available to UK audiences. For more information, visit: bbc.co.uk/archive.

DM