document_title: United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest

question_text: where did uk come in eurovision song contest

text: 1950s to 1970s[edit]

text: It was alleged that the United Kingdom were expected to take part in the first contest in 1956, and that they missed the submission deadline and therefore could not take part. This was later revealed by the EBU in January 2017 to be a mythical fact created by fans of the contest.[1] The EBU further went on to explain that the Festival of British Popular Song, a contest created by the BBC for the United Kingdom, was the inspiration that brought in format changes to the contest elements from the Eurovision Song Contest 1957 onwards.[1] Patricia Bredin was the first performer to represent the UK at Eurovision, finishing seventh in 1957. The UK was the first choice to stage the third contest in 1958, however following a failure to get an agreement from various artistic unions, the BBC withdrew their bid in the summer of 1957 and the UK did not enter for the second and last time to date.[2]

text: At their second attempt in the contest in 1959, the UK achieved the first of their record fifteen runner-up positions, when Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson sang "Sing, Little Birdie". The UK would achieve four more second-place finishes with Bryan Johnson in 1960, The Allisons in 1961, Matt Monro in 1964 and Kathy Kirby in 1965, before eventually winning for the first time in 1967. Sandie Shaw was already a successful performer, having twice topped the UK singles chart and she comfortably won in Vienna with "Puppet on a String", which became her third UK number one and topped the charts all around Europe. In 1968, another successful performer was selected to represent the UK with the song "Congratulations". In London, Cliff Richard gave the UK their sixth second-place finish, losing to Spain's Massiel. "Congratulations" remains one of only two non-winning UK Eurovision songs to top the UK charts. The UK's second victory was provided by the Scottish singer Lulu, who won with the song "Boom Bang-a-Bang" in 1969, in a four-way tie with France, Spain and the Netherlands. Another established performer, she had reached the US #1 spot with "To Sir with Love" in 1967.

text: Having finished second on three further occasions in the 1970s, with Mary Hopkin in 1970, The New Seekers in 1972 and The Shadows in 1975. The UK achieved their third victory in 1976 with Brotherhood of Man and "Save Your Kisses for Me", who won with 164 points, which would remain the highest points total for ten years. In 1977, the UK finished second for the tenth time represented by singer-songwriters Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran.

text: 1980s and 1990s[edit]

text: The UK's fourth victory came in 1981, with Bucks Fizz and "Making Your Mind Up". The group was created especially for the UK televised selection contest, "A Song for Europe" (a programme which in later years would be renamed to "Making Your Mind Up"). At Eurovision in Dublin, they defeated Germany's Lena Valaitis by four points. The group went on to continued success, with 13 UK top 40 hits over the next five years. This would be the last UK win for 16 years, although the country continued to be competitive at the contest with four more second-place results during this time. In 1988, Scott Fitzgerald lost to Celine Dion, who was representing Switzerland, by just one point. In 1989, Live Report lost out to Yugoslavia by seven points. Michael Ball in 1992, also finished second, behind Linda Martin of Ireland. The 1993 entry, Sonia, had already had 10 UK top 30 hits, including a 1989 number one with "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You", when she was selected to represent the UK in Millstreet. With one country left to vote, (Malta) Ireland's Niamh Kavanagh led Sonia by 11 points. By the time it got to the announcement of the 12 points, neither the UK or Ireland had been mentioned. If the UK had received the 12, they would have won by one point. In the end Ireland received the top marks and won by 23 points. Despite only finishing eighth in the 1996 contest, Gina G went on to huge success with her entry "Ooh Ah Just a Little Bit", which became only the second non-winning UK entry to top the UK Singles chart. It also reached the US top 20 and received a Grammy nomination. The UK's fifth victory finally came in 1997, when Katrina and the Waves, famous for their 1980s hit "Walking on Sunshine", comfortably won the contest with the song "Love, Shine a Light". They scored 227 points, which would remain the highest points total of the pre semi-final era. At the 1998 contest in Birmingham, Imaani achieved the UK's 15th second-place finish and 20th top two result, with the song "Where Are You?", losing to Israel's Dana International. The UK, as of 2018, has not finished in the top two since.

text: 21st century[edit]

text: The UK has fared less well in the contest in the 21st century. Since girl-group Precious finished 12th in 1999, the UK has failed to reach the top ten in all but two of the last 19 contests (1999–2017) – the exceptions being Jessica Garlick, who finished joint third in 2002 with the song "Come Back" (the UK's only top three result of the century), and Jade Ewen. Ewen in particular, was praised for ending the country's poor run of results for much of the decade, by finishing fifth in 2009 with the song "It's My Time", written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren. In 2003, the UK finished last for the first time with the duo Jemini, who received the infamous "nul points". This remains the only time the UK has failed to score a single point. The country has finished last on two further occasions, with Andy Abraham, who received 14 points in 2008 and Josh Dubovie, who received 10 points in 2010.

text: In 2011, the BBC chose the boy band Blue to represent the UK, they finished 11th with 100 points. In 2012, the UK were facing calls to quit the contest when the UK entry, Engelbert Humperdinck, finished 25th (out of 26) with only 12 points.[3] However, the UK confirmed their participation in the 2013 contest, with the Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, most famous for her 1983 US and UK number one hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart", who would perform the song "Believe in Me".[4] In Malmo, she finished 19th with 23 points.[5] She went on to win two internationally voted Eurovision Song Contest radio awards for Best Female Singer and Best Song.[6]

text: In 2014, the BBC internally selected unknown singer Molly Smitten-Downes, through BBC Introducing, which supports new and unsigned acts. She represented the UK in Copenhagen under her artist name Molly. In the final, she performed the song "Children of the Universe", which she co-wrote with Anders Hansson and finished in 17th place with 40 points, having been regarded as one of the favourites to win the contest.[7] In October 2014, Guy Freeman stated that the BBC are still engaging with record companies and the BBC Introducing platform in order to find an entry for the 2015 contest via the internal selection process, but announced that in addition, for the first time since 2008, they are giving the general public the option to submit an entry for consideration.[8][9] Ultimately, the entry for 2015 came through open submission, with the song "Still in Love with You" performed by the duo Electro Velvet.[10] The song finished in 24th place, with only five points, the UK's worst performance in terms of points tally since the infamous nul points of 2003. The performance was widely deplored by viewers and openly mocked on social media,[11] with the British media putting increasing pressure on the BBC to change its selection policy for future contests.

text: On 30 September 2015, the BBC confirmed the national selection show would return in 2016.[12] Six acts competed in the national final on 26 February and the winner was selected entirely through a public vote, consisting of televoting and online voting. "You're Not Alone" performed by Joe and Jake won the national final broadcast live on BBC Four.[13] At the final they came 24th with 62 points in total.[14] Of these only 8 were from the public vote, the second lowest public score, following 0 to the Czech Republic. In spite of the latest disappointing result, the BBC announced that the national final format would be retained for 2017.[15] Six acts again participated in the final, which was held on 27 January 2017. It was broadcast on BBC Two as opposed to BBC Four the previous year, and the winner was determined by a combination of scores from a professional jury and televoting (including votes cast online). Former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones won the show and earned the right to represent the UK at the 2017 contest in Kiev, with the song "Never Give Up on You", becoming the 60th UK Eurovision entry.[16][17] The song won praise by many fans across Europe for its impressive staging, and finished a respectable 15th in the final with a combined score of 111 points, placing 10th in the jury vote with 99 points and 20th in the televote with 12 points.[18]

text: United Kingdom and the "Big Four/Five"[edit]

text: In 1999, a rule change allowed the United Kingdom, along with France, Germany and Spain, to automatically qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest final (irrespective of their recent scores and without entering a semi-final), due to being the biggest financial contributors to the EBU.[19] Due to their untouchable status in the contest, these countries became known as the "Big Four" (which became the "Big Five" in 2011 following the return of Italy to the contest).[20]

text: In 2008, it was rumoured that the "Big Four" would lose their automatic qualification, and would have to compete in the semi-finals for the first time.[21] However, it was announced by the EBU that this would not be the case and the four countries would still automatically qualify for the final of the 2009 contest without having to enter a semi-final,[22] and this has remained as of 2017.

text: In 2008, the BBC defended using money from TV licence fee payers for the contest when Liberal Democrat MP Richard Younger-Ross had tabled a Commons motion which called on the corporation to withdraw its £173,000 funding for the annual contest. That same year, former Eurovision commentator Sir Terry Wogan claimed that the show is "no longer a music contest" after the result was announced.[23]

text: Since the introduction of the Big Four/Five, the United Kingdom and Germany have both finished last in the contest three times. The United Kingdom also has the fewest top ten results of the Big Five in the 21st century, but has achieved more top five results than Spain, having reached the top five in 2002 and 2009, while Spain has not reached the top five since the 1995 contest.

text: National selection ("You Decide")[edit]

text: As well as broadcasting the contest each year, the BBC also organises the selection process for the entry with a televised national final (historically titled A Song For Europe). The process has varied between selecting both performer and song, or just the song, with the artist being selected internally.

text: For most years the public has been able to vote for the winner, in the past with postcard voting, where the viewers sent postcards with their vote to the BBC, but more recently televoting and online. In 2009 and 2010, the singer was chosen by a public vote and the song internally selected. From 2011 to 2015, there was no televised selection, and both the artist and song were selected internally by the BBC. This resulted in the national selection process being suspended; however, this returned in 2016, re-titled Eurovision: You Decide, with viewers once again choosing which song to enter into the contest. Since 2017, the votes from a professional jury panel have been combined with the public vote to select the winner.

text: Contestants[edit]

text:
Year[24]
Language
Performer(s)
Song
Final
Points
Semi
Points

1957
English
Patricia Bredin
"All"
7
6
No semi-finals

1958
Did not participate

1959
English
Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson
"Sing, Little Birdie"
2
16

1960
English
Bryan Johnson
"Looking High, High, High"
2
25

1961
English
The Allisons
"Are You Sure?"
2
24

1962
English
Ronnie Carroll
"Ring-A-Ding Girl"
4
10

1963
English
Ronnie Carroll
"Say Wonderful Things"
4
28

1964
English
Matt Monro
"I Love the Little Things"
2
17

1965
English
Kathy Kirby
"I Belong"
2
26

1966
English
Kenneth McKellar
"A Man Without Love"
9
8

1967
English
Sandie Shaw
"Puppet on a String"
1
47

1968
English
Cliff Richard
"Congratulations"
2
28

1969
English
Lulu
"Boom Bang-a-Bang"
1
18

1970
English
Mary Hopkin
"Knock, Knock Who's There?"
2
26

1971
English
Clodagh Rodgers
"Jack in the Box"
4
98

1972
English
The New Seekers
"Beg, Steal or Borrow"
2
114

1973
English
Cliff Richard
"Power to All Our Friends"
3
123

1974
English
Olivia Newton-John
"Long Live Love"
4
14

1975
English
The Shadows
"Let Me Be the One"
2
138

1976
English
Brotherhood of Man
"Save Your Kisses for Me"
1
164

1977
English
Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran
"Rock Bottom"
2
121

1978
English
Co-Co
"The Bad Old Days"
11
61

1979
English
Black Lace
"Mary Ann"
7
73

1980
English
Prima Donna
"Love Enough for Two"
3
106

1981
English
Bucks Fizz
"Making Your Mind Up"
1
136

1982
English
Bardo
"One Step Further"
7
76

1983
English
Sweet Dreams
"I'm Never Giving Up"
6
79

1984
English
Belle and the Devotions
"Love Games"
7
63

1985
English
Vikki Watson
"Love Is"
4
100

1986
English
Ryder
"Runner in the Night"
7
72

1987
English
Rikki
"Only the Light"
13
47

1988
English
Scott Fitzgerald
"Go"
2
136

1989
English
Live Report
"Why Do I Always Get it Wrong?"
2
130

1990
English
Emma
"Give a Little Love Back to the World"
6
87

1991
English
Samantha Janus
"A Message to Your Heart"
10
47

1992
English
Michael Ball
"One Step Out of Time"
2
139

1993
English
Sonia
"Better the Devil You Know"
2
164

1994
English
Frances Ruffelle
"Lonely Symphony (We Will Be Free)"
10
63

1995
English
Love City Groove
"Love City Groove"
10
76

1996
English
Gina G
"Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit"
8
77
3
153

1997
English
Katrina and the Waves
"Love Shine a Light"
1
227
No semi-finals

1998
English
Imaani
"Where Are You?"
2
166[a]

1999
English
Precious
"Say It Again"
12
38

2000
English
Nicki French
"Don't Play That Song Again"
16
28

2001
English
Lindsay
"No Dream Impossible"
15
28

2002
English
Jessica Garlick
"Come Back"
3
111

2003
English
Jemini
"Cry Baby"
26
0

2004
English
James Fox
"Hold On to Our Love"
16
29
Member of the "Big 4"

2005
English
Javine Hylton
"Touch My Fire"
22
18

2006
English
Daz Sampson
"Teenage Life"
19
25

2007
English
Scooch
"Flying the Flag (for You)"
22
19

2008
English
Andy Abraham
"Even If"
25
14

2009
English
Jade Ewen
"It's My Time"
5
173

2010
English
Josh Dubovie
"That Sounds Good to Me"
25
10

2011
English
Blue
"I Can"
11
100
Member of the "Big 5"

2012
English
Engelbert Humperdinck
"Love Will Set You Free"
25
12

2013
English
Bonnie Tyler
"Believe in Me"
19
23

2014
English
Molly
"Children of the Universe"
17
40

2015
English
Electro Velvet
"Still in Love with You"
24
5

2016
English
Joe and Jake
"You're Not Alone"
24
62

2017
English
Lucie Jones
"Never Give Up on You"
15
111

2018
English
SuRie
"Storm"
24
48

text: ^ Spain originally gave its 12 points to Israel and 10 to Norway. After the broadcast it was announced that Spanish broadcaster wrongly tallied the votes and Germany should have got the top mark - 12 points - instead of being snubbed, as it happened. The mistake was corrected and so Germany was placed 7th over Norway. Israel and Norway both received 2 points less than originally and Croatia, Malta, Portugal, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, Estonia and Turkey all received one point less than indicated during the broadcast.

text: Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest[edit]

text: Even though the United Kingdom was entered twice into Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest with Cliff Richard's 1968 runner up entry "Congratulations" and Brotherhood of Man's 1976 winning song "Save Your Kisses for Me", the BBC decided not to participate in airing the event or taking part in the voting for the greatest Eurovision Song of the past fifty years, but instead aired an hour-long special programme entitled Boom Bang-a-Bang: 50 Years of Eurovision hosted by Terry Wogan looking back at the best and the worst; songs, fashions, contests, hosts and hostesses that have occurred at the Eurovision over the past fifty years.

text:
Year
Artist
Language
Title
Final
Points
Semi
Points
Place (1968 & 1976)
Points (1968 & 1976)

1968
Cliff Richard
English
"Congratulations"
Failed to qualify
8
105
2
28

1976
Brotherhood of Man
English
"Save Your Kisses for Me"
5
230
5
154
1
164

text: Voting history[edit]

text: As of 2018, the United Kingdom's voting history is as follows:

text:
Most points given in the grand finals only

Rank
Country
Points

1
 Ireland
253

2
 Sweden
209

3
 Germany
171

4
  Switzerland
156

5
 Israel
135

Most points given in the semis and finals

Rank
Country
Points

1
 Ireland
322

2
 Sweden
249

3
 Israel
180

4
 Germany
171

5
 Lithuania
169

Most points received

Rank
Country
Points

1
 Ireland
249

2
  Switzerland
206

3
 France
195

4
 Austria
189

5
 Germany
187

text: Hostings[edit]

text: The United Kingdom has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest a record eight times. The United Kingdom stepped in and hosted the contest for the Netherlands in 1960, France in 1963, Monaco in 1972 and Luxembourg in 1974 due to winning countries financial and capacity issues. In four occasions (1968, 1977, 1982 and 1998) the UK got the right to host because of a victory. The BBC offered to joint host the 1996 contest in Belfast, Northern Ireland with Irish broadcaster RTÉ if Ireland were to win for a fourth year in a row.[citation needed].

text: In 2015, London hosted Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits, an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary, which was recorded for television on 31 March 2015 and was shown in 26 countries, starting with the UK and Ireland on 3 April 2015.[25]

text:
Year
Location
Venue
Presenters

1960
London
Royal Festival Hall
Katie Boyle

1963
BBC Television Centre

1968
Royal Albert Hall

1972
Edinburgh
Usher Hall
Moira Shearer

1974
Brighton
Brighton Dome
Katie Boyle

1977
London
Wembley Conference Centre
Angela Rippon

1982
Harrogate
Harrogate International Centre
Jan Leeming

1998
Birmingham
National Indoor Arena
Ulrika Jonsson and Terry Wogan

text: Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits[edit]

text:
Year
Location
Venue
Presenters

2015
London
Eventim Apollo
Petra Mede and Graham Norton

text: AP Awards[edit]

text:
Year
Category
Song
Performer(s)
Final result
Points
Host City

2004
Composer Award
"Hold Onto Our Love"
James Fox
16th
29
Istanbul

text: Commentators and spokespersons[edit]

text: Over the years BBC commentary has been provided by several experienced radio and television presenters, including Tom Fleming, David Vine, David Jacobs, Dave Lee Travis, Pete Murray, John Dunn and Michael Aspel. However Terry Wogan provided BBC TV commentary every year from 1980 to 2008.[26] It was confirmed on 12 August 2008 that Terry Wogan would no longer present the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK. The BBC Radio 2 DJ, who had fronted the BBC's coverage for 37 years, said it was "time for someone else to take over".[27] He was replaced in 2009 by Graham Norton for the final. Norton has continued in the role ever since.

text: The final of the contest has been broadcast by BBC One (previously BBC Television Service and BBC TV) since the first contest in 1956, the first live colour transmission of the contest in the United Kingdom was the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, the first high definition broadcast of the contest began in 2007 when the contest was simulcast on BBC HD. The final is also broadcast on radio, initially on BBC Light Programme until the 1967 contest. From 1968 it was broadcast on BBC Radio 1, moving to BBC Radio 2 from the 1974 contest where it has remained ever since (except for 1983–1985). Between 1963 and 1976 and from 1980 until 1985 the contest was also broadcast on BFBS Radio. From 2004 to 2015 both semi-finals were broadcast on BBC Three. Since BBC Three became an online only channel in February 2016, semi-final coverage is now broadcast on BBC Four.[28]

text: In the 1998 Contest, hosted in Birmingham, Terry Wogan acted as both commentator and on-stage presenter (together with Ulrika Jonsson). In the 1980 Contest, each song was introduced by a presenter from the national country, the United Kingdom entry being introduced by Noel Edmonds.

text: For most contests, a spokesperson has delivered the results of the national jury, or in recent years the results of the televoting, awarding points to the entries on behalf of his or her country. The exceptions were the contests held in 1971–1973 when votes were cast by two jury members present at the contest venue, appearing at the end of the contest to confirm their scores.

text: No British-born broadcaster has either presented or commentated on the live television final for over thirty years, the last being Jan Leeming in 1982.

text:
Year(s)
Final television commentator
Radio commentator
Spokesperson
Semi-final television commentator
Semi-final second television commentator
Online/BFBS commentator

1956
Wilfrid Thomas
Unknown
UK did not participate
No semi-finals
No semi-finals
N/A

1957
Berkeley Smith
Tom Sloan
David Jacobs

1958
Peter Haigh
UK did not participate

1959
Tom Sloan
Pete Murray
Pete Murray

1960
David Jacobs
Nick Burrell-Davis

1961
Tom Sloan
Michael Aspel

1962
David Jacobs
Peter Haigh
Alex Macintosh

1963
Michael Aspel
Nicholas Parsons

1964
Tom Sloan
Denis Tuohy
Ian Fenner

1965
David Gell
Alastair Burnet

1966
John Dunn
Michael Aspel

1967
Rolf Harris
Richard Baker
Thurston Holland

1968
N/A
Pete Murray

1969
Michael Aspel
Colin-Ward Lewis
John Russell

1970
David Gell
Tony Brandon

1971
Dave Lee Travis
Terry Wogan
N/A

1972
Tom Fleming
Pete Murray
Terry James

1973
Terry Wogan
Richard Astbury*

1974
David Vine
Terry Wogan
Colin-Ward Lewis

1975
Pete Murray
Ray Moore

1976
Michael Aspel

1977
Pete Murray
Colin Berry
N/A

1978
Terry Wogan
Ray Moore

1979
John Dunn

1980
Terry Wogan
Steve Jones
Ray Moore
Andrew Pastona

1981
Ray Moore
Colin Berry
N/A

1982

1983
Not broadcast on BBC Radio
Richard Nankivell

1984

1985

1986
Ray Moore
N/A

1987

1988
Ken Bruce

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998
Ken Bruce

1999
Colin Berry

2000

2001

2002

2003
Lorraine Kelly

2004
Paddy O'Connell
No dual commentator

2005
Cheryl Baker

2006
Fearne Cotton

2007
Sarah Cawood

2008
Carrie Grant
Caroline Flack

2009
Graham Norton
Duncan James
Sarah Cawood

2010
Scott Mills

2011
Alex Jones
Scott Mills
Sara Cox

2012
Scott Mills

2013
Ana Matronic

2014
Laura Whitmore
Ana Matronic

2015
Nigella Lawson
Mel Giedroyc

2016[29]
Richard Osman
N/A

2017
Katrina Leskanich

2018
Mel Giedroyc
Rylan Clark-Neal

text: It has to be assumed that Terry Wogan's commentary was taken by BFBS in 1975 since Terry says in his BBC Radio 2 commentary "Richard Astbury sends his apologies to BFBS listeners - technical difficulties".

text: Additionally, from 2004–2010, Paddy O'Connell commentated on the semi-final shows. In 2007, 2009 and 2010 he was also joined by Sarah Cawood. In 2008 he was joined by Caroline Flack. In recent years, the dual-commentator format during the semi-finals has allowed for the broadcaster to incorporate additional segments, interviews and live viewer interaction, during the programmes live airing.[30]

text: In 2011, O'Connell was replaced by Scott Mills who provided the commentary from London, while Sara Cox provided interaction from the venue. Cox and Mills both provided commentary again in 2012 from the venue. In 2013, Cox was replaced by Ana Matronic[31] and Matronic was replaced in 2014 by Laura Whitmore.[32] Mel Giedroyc replaced Whitmore as co-commentator in 2015.[33] In 2014, Matronic provided commentary for the second semi-final of the 2014 Contest on BBC Radio 2 Eurovision, a temporary station which was broadcast on DAB radio over four days, as well as the BBC Radio 2 website. She continued this role in 2015.[34] In 2018, Rylan Clark-Neal will take over Giedroyc's role as co-commentator alongside Mills.[35]

text: Conductors[edit]

text: All conductors are listed by their birthplace flags but are all British. UK flag included if unknown.

text:
Eric Robinson (1957, 1959–1960, 1963, 1965) (musical director in 1960, 1963)
 Harry Robinson (1961)
 Wally Stott (1962)
 Harry Rabinowitz (1964, 1966)
 Ken Woodman (1967)
 Norrie Paramor 1968 (also musical director)
 Johnny Harris (1969)
 Johnny Arthey (1970–71)
 Malcolm Lockyer (1972) (musical director, but did not conduct any entry)
 David Mackay (1972–73)
 Nick Ingman (1974)
 Alyn Ainsworth (1975–76, 1978, 1990)
 Ronnie Hazlehurst (1977, 1982, 1987–89, 1991–92) (musical director in 1974, 1977, 1982)
 Ken Jones (1979)
 John Coleman (1980–81, 1983–85)
 Nigel Wright (1993)
 Michael Reed (1994)
 Mike Dixon (1995)
 Ernie Dunstall (1996)
 Don Airey (1997)
 Martin Koch (musical director in 1998)
 James McMillan (1998)

text: Prior to 1999, the UK entry was performed without orchestral accompaniment in 1986.[36]

text: Separate entrants[edit]

text: For several years the Scottish National Party (SNP) has campaigned for a place in Eurovision for Scotland but had been rejected numerous times because Scotland is represented as a part of the British entry and is represented by the BBC.[37]

text: On 11 February 2008 the EBU stated that a Scottish broadcaster could apply for EBU membership, but under the current rules could not enter the Eurovision Song Contest as the BBC currently has exclusive rights to represent the entire United Kingdom.[37] It was announced in late May 2008 that the UK would be participating in the 2009 Contest and, therefore, Scotland was not represented in 2009 as a separate entrant.[38]

text: Scotland could be represented by STV, ITV Border or BBC Scotland. MEP Alyn Smith has said in the European Parliament: "Other small countries have done it [entered the competition] and I will be happy to help any of the broadcasting companies through the progress."[39][40][41][42]

text: In 2011 the European Broadcasting Union stated that there was nothing to prevent Scotland from submitting its own entry, although STV stated that there were no current plans for a separate entry.[42]

text: If Scotland were to participate it is unknown whether or not England, Wales and Northern Ireland would show any interest in entering the Eurovision Song Contest independently as well, although S4C (the Welsh language media channel) has expressed an interest and, in addition, already holds a yearly national song contest called "Cân i Gymru" (Song for Wales).[43] S4C also considered a bid for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008 but decided not to go ahead.[44] In 2009 MEP for Wales Jillian Evans stated her interest in securing Wales a place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, Wales could be represented by either BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Wales & West or S4C. There is a small campaign in Northern Ireland for a separate entrant and it could be represented by UTV or BBC Northern Ireland.[45] There are no plans currently for England to enter separately.

text: However, to date, these proposed changes have not occurred, and the United Kingdom still participates in the Eurovision Song Contest as a single entrant. It was unknown what would happen if Scotland were to become an independent country. However, on 25 November 2013, the Scottish Government released a referendum blueprint which detailed plans for the transfer of BBC Scotland into the Scottish Broadcasting Service (SBS) and joining the EBU, as well as partaking in competitions, including Scottish entries in the Eurovision Song Contest.[46][47] However, the referendum result on 18 September 2014 was to remain part of the United Kingdom, and the aforementioned BBC retains exclusive rights to represent the United Kingdom, including Scotland.[48]

text: Since 2006, the Gibraltarian national broadcaster Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has been attempting to gain EBU membership and thus participate independently in the Eurovision Song Contest. However GBC cannot obtain EBU membership due to the British Overseas Territory not being independent from the United Kingdom. Gibraltar has broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and the final of the 2006 edition.[49]

text: Photogallery[edit]

text:
Ronnie Carroll in Luxembourg (1962)

Kathy Kirby in Naples (1965)

Brotherhood of Man in The Hague (1976)

Scooch in Helsinki (2007)

Andy Abraham in Belgrade (2008)

Jade Ewen in Moscow (2009)

Josh Dubovie in Oslo (2010)

Blue in Düsseldorf (2011)

Bonnie Tyler in Malmö (2013)

Molly in Copenhagen (2014)

Electro Velvet in Vienna (2015)

Joe and Jake in Stockholm (2016)

Lucie Jones in Kiev (2017)

SuRie in Lisbon (2018)


document_title: Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2018

question_text: who are the democrats running for governor of tennessee

root

text: Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2018

text: Republican primary[edit]

text: Candidates[edit]

text: Declared[edit]

text:
Diane Black, U.S. Representative[2]
Randy Boyd, former Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development[3]
Mark "Coonrippy" Brown, candidate for Governor in 2014[4]
Beth Harwell, Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives[5]
Bill Lee, businessman[6]
Basil Marceaux, perennial candidate[4]
Kay White, realtor[7]

tag: ul

text: Withdrawn[edit]

text:
Mae Beavers, former State Senator[8][9] (running for Wilson County Mayor)[10]
Mark Green, State Senator (running for TN-07)[11]

text: Potential[edit]

text:
John Schroer, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation and former Mayor of Franklin[12]
Jamie Woodson, former State Senator[13]

text: Declined[edit]

text:
Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Representative (running for U.S Senate)[14][15]
Tim Burchett, Knox County Mayor (running for U.S. House)[16][17][18]
Joe Carr, former State Representative (ran for State Senate - lost Primary)[19][20]
Bob Corker, U.S. Senator[21][22][23]
Stephen Fincher, former U.S. Representative[21][24]
Alberto Gonzales, Dean of the Belmont University School of Law and former U.S. Attorney General (endorsed Diane Black)[25]
Bill Hagerty, United States Ambassador to Japan and former Commissioner of Economic and Community Development[20]
Tre Hargett, Tennessee Secretary of State[26]
Rob Mitchell, Rutherford County Property Assessor[27][28]
Mark Norris, Majority Leader of the Tennessee Senate; nominated by President Trump as Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee[29][20][30]
Andy Ogles, Director of Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity[20] (ran and withdrew for the U.S. Senate)
Ron Ramsey, former Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee and candidate for Governor in 2010[21][31][13]

text: Endorsements[edit]

text:
showDiane Black

Stephen Fincher, former U.S. Representative[24]
Ron Ramsey, former Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee[32]
Susan B. Anthony List[33]

tag: table

text:
showRandy Boyd

Joe Boyd Liggett, Mayor of Marshall County[34]
Jake Bynum, Mayor of Weakley County[34]
Mike Creasy, Mayor of Decatur County[34]
J. Michael Cross, Fentress County Executive[34]
Richard Daniel, Pickett County Executive[34]
Ben Danner, Overton County Executive[34]
Jim Durrett, Mayor of Montgomery County[35]
Brent Greer, Mayor of Henry County[34]
Denny Johnson, Mayor of Lake County[34]
Shaun Lawson, Mayor of Hickman County[34]
Mark Luttrell, Mayor of Shelby County[36]
Kenny McBride, Mayor of Carroll County[34]
Benny McGuire, Mayor of Obion County[34]
Bill Newman, Mayor of Lincoln County[34]
Denny Robinson, White County Executive[34]
Richard Stewart, Mayor of Franklin County[34]
Sloan Stewart, Lynchburg/Moore County Metro Executive[34]
Skip Taylor, Mayor of Fayette County[34]
Jessie Wallace, Humphreys County Executive[34]
Bill Webb, Mayor of Lewis County[34]
T.R. Williams, Lawrence County Executive[34]
Tom Witherspoon, Mayor of Gibson County[34]
Chris Young, Mayor of Dyer County[34]

text: Polling[edit]

text:
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Diane
Black
Randy
Boyd
Beth
Harwell
Bill
Lee
Kay
White
Mae
Beavers
Undecided

OnMessage Inc. (R-Black)
May 14–17, 2018
600
± 4.0%
41%
28%
8%
9%
–
–
15%

Grassroots Targeting (R-Black)
May 4–6, 2018
800
–
41%
26%
6%
11%
–
–
15%

OnMessage Inc. (R-Black)
April 2018
–
–
33%
30%
5%
13%
–
–
–

OnMessage Inc. (R-Black)
March 2018
–
–
31%
31%
10%
10%
–
–
–

TargetPoint/GQR
March 7–14, 2018
390
± 5.0%
25%
20%
6%
7%
2%
–
37%

North Star Onion Research (R-Lee)
February 5–11, 2018
600
± 4.0%
22%
25%
4%
18%
–
–
30%

Triton Research & Polling
December 12–18, 2017
1,028
± 3.1%
22%
12%
6%
4%
–
4%
53%

text: Democratic primary[edit]

text: Candidates[edit]

text: Declared[edit]

text:
Mark E. Clayton, perennial candidate and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2012[4]
Karl Dean, former Mayor of Nashville[37]
Craig Fitzhugh, Minority Leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives[38]

text: Potential[edit]

text:
Kim McMillan, Mayor of Clarksville and former State Representative[39]
Madeline Rogero, Mayor of Knoxville[39]

text: Declined[edit]

text:
Andy Berke, Mayor of Chattanooga and former State Senator[20]
Bill Freeman, businessman and candidate for Mayor of Nashville in 2015[40][41]

text: Polling[edit]

text:
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Karl
Dean
Craig
Fitzhugh
Undecided

TargetPoint/GQR
March 7–14, 2018
288
± 5.8%
41%
11%
44%

text: Independents[edit]

text: Candidates[edit]

text: Declared[edit]

text:
Yvonne Neubert (Green)
Sherry L. Clark (Libertarian)[a][43]
Justin Cornett (Libertarian)[a][43]
Gabriel Fancher (Libertarian)[a][43]
Sean Bruce Fleming (Libertarian)[a][43]
William Andrew Helmstetter (Libertarian)[a][43]
Cory King (Libertarian)[a][43]
Matthew Koch (Libertarian)[a][43]
Alfred Shawn Rapoza (Libertarian)[a][43]
Heather Scott (Libertarian)[a][43]
George Blackwell Smith IV (Libertarian)[a][43]
Jeremy Allen Stephenson (Libertarian)[a][43]
Tracy Yaste Tisdale (Libertarian)[a][43]
Mike Toews (Libertarian)[a][43]
Rick Tyler, candidate for TN-03 in 2016[4]
Vinnie Vineyard, AKA as Funkmaster V from Wrestling With Ghosts[43] (Libertarian)[a]
Jaron D. Weidner (Libertarian)[a][43]

text: Notes[edit]

text: ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Libertarian Party does not have ballot access. Appears on ballot as "Independent."[42]

tag: ol

text: General election[edit]

text: Predictions[edit]

text:
Source
Ranking
As of

The Cook Political Report[44]
103 !Likely R
August 7, 2017

Rothenberg Political Report[45]
103 !Likely R
November 10, 2017

Sabato's Crystal Ball[46]
103 !Likely R
November 14, 2017

text: Polling[edit]

text:
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Diane
Black (R)
Karl
Dean (D)
Undecided

Triton Research & Polling
January 21–24, 2018
1,003
± 3.1%
46%
35%
19%

Gravis Marketing
December 11–12, 2017
563
± 4.1%
40%
31%
28%

text:
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Randy
Boyd (R)
Karl
Dean (D)
Undecided

Triton Research & Polling
January 21–24, 2018
1,003
± 3.1%
43%
34%
23%

Gravis Marketing
December 11–12, 2017
563
± 4.1%
38%
35%
28%

text:
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Beth
Harwell (R)
Karl
Dean (D)
Undecided

Triton Research & Polling
January 21–24, 2018
1,003
± 3.1%
43%
33%
25%

Gravis Marketing
December 11–12, 2017
563
± 4.1%
38%
33%
29%

text:
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Bill
Lee (R)
Karl
Dean (D)
Undecided

Triton Research & Polling
January 21–24, 2018
1,003
± 3.1%
38%
34%
28%

text:
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Diane
Black (R)
Craig
Fitzhugh (D)
Undecided

Gravis Marketing
December 11–12, 2017
563
± 4.1%
42%
27%
31%

text:
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Randy
Boyd (R)
Craig
Fitzhugh (D)
Undecided

Gravis Marketing
December 11–12, 2017
563
± 4.1%
39%
30%
31%

text:
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Beth
Harwell (R)
Craig
Fitzhugh (D)
Undecided

Gravis Marketing
December 11–12, 2017
563
± 4.1%
44%
24%
32%

text:
[show]
Hypothetical polling

Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Mae
Beavers (R)
Karl
Dean (D)
Undecided

Triton Research & Polling
January 21–24, 2018
1,003
± 3.1%
36%
36%
28%

Gravis Marketing
December 11–12, 2017
563
± 4.1%
32%
37%
32%

Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Mae
Beavers (R)
Craig
Fitzhugh (D)
Undecided

Gravis Marketing
December 11–12, 2017
563
± 4.1%
36%
29%
34%


document_title: Regeneration (Doctor Who)

question_text: when was it established that time lords can change gender

question_tokens: when was it established that time lords can change gender

text: Regeneration (Doctor Who)

text: Conceptual history[edit]

text: Inspiration[edit]

text: The concept of regeneration was created in 1966 by the writers of Doctor Who as a method of replacing the leading actor. The role of the Doctor had been played by William Hartnell since the programme began in 1963 but, by 1966, it was increasingly apparent that Hartnell's health was deteriorating and he was becoming more difficult to work with. Producer John Wiles had, following several clashes with Hartnell, intended to have the actor replaced in The Celestial Toymaker; during two episodes of that serial, the Doctor is invisible (owing to Hartnell being on holiday during the recording). Wiles' plan was for the character to reappear played by a new actor. This proposal was vetoed by Gerald Savory, the BBC's Head of Serials (and Wiles' superior), which led to Wiles leaving before The Celestial Toymaker was produced.[25] However, it was apparent that it would not be possible for Hartnell to continue for much longer.

tag: p

text: On 29 July 1966, production concluded on the final episode of The Smugglers, the last serial recorded in the third production block.[26] During production, Hartnell and producer Innes Lloyd had reached an agreement that he should leave the role, having starred in one more serial that would see a handover to a new actor, which would be the first one produced as part of Season 4. Script editor Gerry Davis proposed that, since the Doctor had already been established as an alien, the character could die and return in a new body. Lloyd took this further by suggesting that the Doctor could do this "renewal" regularly, transforming from an older man to a younger one; this would allow for the convenient recasting of the role when necessary.[27] The process itself was modelled on LSD trips, with the experience being like the "hell and dank horror" of taking the drug.[28]

text: At the conclusion of The Tenth Planet, the First Doctor collapses from apparent old age and exhaustion, having commented earlier that his body was "wearing a bit thin". Then, before the eyes of his companions Ben and Polly, and of the viewing audience, his features shift into that of the Second Doctor, played by Patrick Troughton. In The Power of the Daleks, the Second Doctor's first story, the Doctor draws an analogy between the renewal and a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.[29]

text: Developing the concept[edit]

text: It was not clear initially whether the renewal was a natural ability of the Doctor's as opposed to a process initiated by technology. In Power of the Daleks, the Second Doctor describes his renewal as a function of his TARDIS time machine, stating that "without it, [he] couldn't survive."[29]

text: When Troughton left the series in 1969, the Doctor was renewed again, but this time the change was forced on him by the Time Lords at the conclusion of The War Games, where it is referred to as a "change of appearance". As with the first change, this language suggested only a superficial physical change, not one of personality, although Jon Pertwee's portrayal of the Third Doctor also differed quite substantially from Troughton's. Unlike the previous change, this one is treated as a punishment rather than a natural process: in The War Games the Doctor protests, "You can't just change what I look like without consulting me!"

text: As the series continued, more aspects of the regenerative process were introduced, but the basic concepts of regeneration as accepted by fans of the series today were only firmly established in the final scene of Planet of the Spiders (1974), when Pertwee's Third Doctor turns into Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor. In this scene, the change is called "regeneration" for the first time, and is explained as a biological process that occurs when a Time Lord's body is dying. It is also stated that following the regeneration the Doctor's brain cells would be shaken up and his behaviour would be "erratic" for a time, something that would be evident for most subsequent regenerations.

text: In the About Time reference series Lawrence Miles and Tat Wood note that the officially licensed magazine, Doctor Who Monthly, stated in a "Matrix Data-Bank" column in 1982 that its readers should not confuse the "regenerations" of later incarnations with the "rejuvenation" of Hartnell into Troughton.[30] However, dialogue within the series itself explicitly includes the First-to-Second "rejuvenation" when enumerating the Doctor's regenerations (for example in Mawdryn Undead (1983)).

text: Transitions[edit]

text: The regeneration "effect" was accomplished during the series' original run from 1963–1989 primarily through the use of video mixing. Originally, the plan was to have Hartnell collapse at the end of The Tenth Planet with his cloak over his face, which would then be pulled back to reveal Troughton in the next serial. However, vision mixer Shirley Coward discovered and took advantage of a malfunction in the mixing desk which allowed Hartnell's image to be overexposed to the point of almost whiting out the screen, then fading back in to reveal Troughton's face. This also meant that the regeneration scene could take place with both actors at the conclusion of The Tenth Planet, and Troughton was accordingly signed up to participate.[27]

text: Subsequent regenerations retained essentially the same method, with or without additional video or make-up effects. The transition from the Fourth to the Fifth Doctor used an additional make-up effect representing a transitional form known as the Watcher, but aside from this, other regenerations in the original series run simply mixed the image of the incoming actor on top of the outgoing one. The transition from the Seventh to the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 television movie took advantage of the higher budget and modern computer animation technology to "morph" the features of Sylvester McCoy into those of Paul McGann.

text: With the exception of the transitions from the Second to Third, each regeneration was shown on-screen, with the previous incumbent in the role symbolically "handing off" the character to the next. The Second Doctor was never seen to actually change into the Third, simply fading off into darkness at the end of The War Games and then stumbling out of the TARDIS, already regenerated, at the start of Spearhead from Space (1970).

text: The regeneration of the Sixth Doctor into the Seventh is the only time that a single actor took on the roles of two incarnations of the Doctor. Colin Baker declined the invitation to film the regeneration sequence at the start of Time and the Rani (1987) due to the circumstances in which the BBC dismissed him from the role.[31] As a result, Sylvester McCoy had to don his predecessor's costume and a blond curly wig, lying face down, with the mixing effect to the Doctor's "new" features occurring as he was turned over.

text: The 2005 series, which revived the programme after its cancellation 16 years earlier, began with the Ninth Doctor already regenerated and no explanation given as to the circumstances behind the change (although a scene in the debut episode "Rose" when the Doctor commented on his appearance in a mirror indicated that the change had recently occurred). In the documentary series Doctor Who Confidential, producer Russell T Davies explained his reasoning that, after such a long hiatus, a regeneration in the first episode would be not only confusing for new viewers but also lacking in dramatic impact, as there would have been no emotional investment in the character being replaced.[32] The regeneration into the Ninth Doctor was later seen and explained in "The Day of the Doctor" (2013).

text: The regeneration of the Ninth Doctor into the Tenth at the end of "The Parting of the Ways" (2005) used computer effects to morph Christopher Eccleston into David Tennant. In the episode of Doctor Who Confidential accompanying the episode "Utopia" (2007), where the same effect is used for the Master's regeneration, it is stated that the production team decided that this would be a common effect for all future Time Lord regenerations, rather than each regeneration being designed uniquely at the whim of the individual director. This style of transition is seen again in "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End" (2008) both when the Doctor undergoes an aborted regeneration, and when his hand spawns a clone in the second part; in The End of Time (2010) during which Matt Smith took over the role as the Eleventh Doctor; in "The Impossible Astronaut" when the Doctor is shot twice and seemingly killed; in "Day of the Moon" when a young girl regenerates; and in "Let's Kill Hitler" when Mels (Nina Toussaint-White) is shot and regenerates into River Song (Alex Kingston). "The Night of the Doctor" and "The Day of the Doctor" subsequently use the effect to show the Eighth Doctor and War Doctor's regenerations respectively. The Eighth Doctor's regeneration into the War Doctor uses steady beams of light as opposed to the flame effect used for other revived series regenerations. In the Series 10 episode "The Lie of the Land", the Twelfth Doctor fakes a regeneration as part of a plan to test if Bill still has free will. The effect used is consistent with the one used in the modern series, with the Doctor's hands glowing and emitting regeneration energy before he enters full regeneration. However, as the regeneration was not real, it did not use up a regeneration and the Doctor did not change body.

text: The regeneration from the Eleventh to the Twelfth Doctor slightly differs from other regenerations from the revived series. During "The Time of the Doctor", the Eleventh Doctor reveals that he has used all his regenerations and is in fact in his thirteenth and final body, leading to his aged appearance during the events of the episode. At the conclusion, the Time Lords grant him a new regeneration cycle, and he begins his thirteenth regeneration in the explosive manner that has become tradition (so explosive that it destroys invading Dalek forces including a ship and the village of Christmas in the process). However, as this regeneration is the first in a new cycle, it initially only "resets" his current body back to its youthful appearance (the Doctor referring to this as the cycle "breaking in"), and the eventual transition to the Twelfth Doctor happens with a flash and the actor suddenly lurching back, standing back up to reveal the new Doctor.

text: Characteristics within the series[edit]

text: Relationship with the TARDIS[edit]

text: It is mentioned that the TARDIS assists the Doctor during the regenerative process, as suggested by the Second Doctor's statement to this effect shortly after regenerating from the First. This is reiterated by Jack Harkness' insistence that the Doctor be taken into the TARDIS having been shot by a Dalek in "The Stolen Earth". Of the six occasions on which the Doctor has regenerated outside the TARDIS: one is forced on him by the Time Lords (Second to Third Doctor, The War Games); one requires a Time Lord to give the Doctor's cells a "little push" to start the process (Third to Fourth, Planet of the Spiders); one results in his being dependent on the TARDIS's "Zero Room", a chamber sealed from all outside forces, to help him recover (Fourth to Fifth, Castrovalva); one occurs a few hours after he has actually "died" (Seventh to Eighth, the 1996 television film; the delay at is, however, shown to have been caused by anaesthetic, rather than the Doctor's distance from the TARDIS); one is induced by the Sisterhood of Karn after reviving the Doctor from actual death (Eighth Doctor, "The Night of the Doctor"). The Seventh to Eighth regeneration remains the only one that takes place significantly far away from the TARDIS, without any obvious interaction from other Time Lords and results in the Doctor suffering near-complete amnesia for nearly a day until an event inside the TARDIS triggers his memories to return. The future Eleventh Doctor is killed in mid-regeneration, showing he is vulnerable to death while regenerating and as such his need for the TARDIS may be for safety rather than aid. However it is later revealed that this regeneration was indeed a simulation since the Doctor who was shot was actually a Teselecta robot. The Eleventh Doctor starts his regeneration outside the TARDIS though he does end it inside it.

text: Energy release and increased strength[edit]

text: The exact mechanism that makes regeneration possible is not stated in the television series, but it is generally assumed in the spin-off media that the ability to regenerate may be linked to what is known as the "Rassilon Imprimatur", the symbiotic nuclei of a Time Lord that bonds him or her to a TARDIS, and allows his or her body to withstand the molecular stresses of time travel (The Two Doctors, 1985).[note 2]

text: In "The Christmas Invasion" (2005) it is stated that the regenerative cycle generates a large amount of energy that suffuses the Time Lord's body, and also shown that residual effects from a regeneration allow him to grow back a hand within the first 15 hours after the initial start of the regeneration. Accordingly, in "Let's Kill Hitler", River Song is able to repel bullets after regenerating. She is later able to send off an energy wave soon after her regeneration, though this particular feat may be one of the abilities gained during the first 15 hours after a regeneration.

text: In the series four finale of the revived series, "Journey's End", an injured Tenth Doctor manages to avert a full regeneration by channelling "excess regenerative energy" into his severed hand, allowing him to heal without changing form. The limb ends up developing into a half-human clone when Donna Noble touches it; the event, a "two-way" "Human-Time Lord Meta-Crisis", also gives Donna a Time Lord's mind.

text: Increased strength is sometimes a temporary by-product of regeneration. In the moments following his regeneration into his eighth incarnation, the Doctor possessed enough physical strength to batter a steel door completely off its hinges. Also, shortly after his third regeneration, the Fourth Doctor karate chopped a brick in half in episode one of Robot, and was unable to repeat the action later in the same serial.

text: In The End of Time when the Tenth Doctor regenerates into the Eleventh Doctor, the release of energy damages the TARDIS to the extent that components fall, the door's windows smash and the TARDIS then flies uncontrollably over Earth before crash-landing in Amy Pond's garden. Later, when the Eleventh Doctor begins his regeneration into the Twelfth Doctor in "The Time of the Doctor", he is able to control his regeneration energy and send out energy blasts that obliterated nearby Daleks and an entire Dalek saucer. The release of energy caused a shockwave that severely damaged the town in which the regeneration took place.

text: Personality change[edit]

text: With regeneration also comes a change of personality. The viewing audience sees this most often and most dramatically in the differing quirks and personality traits of the Doctor's various incarnations. The Doctor's core personality traits of heroism and intolerance of injustice are still retained, but in The End of Time the Tenth Doctor laments that demise of his current incarnation, with its own personality and attributes, makes for something much akin to an actual death. His last words before regenerating are "I don't want to go."

text: Shortly after the regeneration process, the Doctor sometimes goes through a period of physical and psychological instability. The Fourth Doctor described it as "a new body is like a new house - takes a little bit of time to settle in". The Second Doctor experiences crippling pain after his first regeneration (in The Power of the Daleks), while the Third Doctor collapses outside the TARDIS following his regeneration (in Spearhead From Space). The Fourth Doctor started rambling random phrases and possessed a higher than usual strength that he could cut a brick in half merely with his hand (in Robot). The Fifth Doctor (in Castrovalva) begins reverting to his previous personalities, and the Sixth Doctor experiences extreme paranoia, flying into a murderous rage and nearly killing his companion (The Twin Dilemma, 1984). The Eighth Doctor experienced amnesia as a result of post-regeneration trauma (the 1996 television film); uniquely, the Doctor was "not alive" at the time of this regeneration. The regeneration from the Ninth to the Tenth Doctor sees the Doctor experiencing sudden spasms and great pain ("Children in Need special"), and later being unconscious for most of the next fifteen hours ("The Christmas Invasion"). The regeneration from the Tenth to the Eleventh Doctor caused the Doctor to experience strange food cravings, only to be disgusted by them upon actually trying them ("The Eleventh Hour"). The Twelfth Doctor forgot how to fly the TARDIS (as well as the name of the TARDIS) right after the regeneration process in The Time of the Doctor. The Brain of Morbius implies that Time Lords other than the Doctor may experience difficult regenerations, since the Sisterhood of Karn had been supplying them with an "elixir of life" that could assist the process. In "The Night of the Doctor", the Sisterhood tell the Eighth Doctor they can provide elixirs to give rise to non-random regenerations, allowing the Doctor to specify either a physical type or personality.

text: The Master showed a dramatic personality change upon regenerating into the Mistress/Missy. In that form, she wants nothing more than to renew her bond with the Doctor, even calling him her "boyfriend" at one point. ("Deep Breath, Death in Heaven") When she met him again, Missy pretended to be an android and kissed him passionately. ("Dark Water") Despite still being manic and a psychopath, she later showed a willingness to reform, spending centuries in the Doctor's custody as a show of her commitment. Later, she felt torn between the Doctor, who represented her repentance, and her past incarnation, who represented a return to her old ways; she ultimately chose the Doctor, for which her past incarnation killed her in disgust ("The Doctor Falls").

text: Extent of physical change[edit]

text: The Doctor has always regenerated into a humanoid form. However, when explaining the process of regeneration to Rose at the end of "The Parting of the Ways", the Ninth Doctor suggests that his new form could have "two heads", or even "no head", and in the 2005 Children in Need special, which takes place immediately after that episode, the newly regenerated Tenth Doctor, while examining his new body, makes a point of checking that he has two arms, two legs and two hands, implying that regenerations can sometimes result in physically deformed or non-humanoid forms; it is not clear whether or not these two moments are intended as jokes.

text: Whether Time Lords could change gender in regeneration was never addressed onscreen during the classic series and not explicitly focused on for much of the revival. In the second part of The End of Time (2010), the Eleventh Doctor briefly checks for an Adam's apple upon regeneration to confirm if he is still a man. In "The Doctor's Wife" (2011), he reminisces about an old friend and fellow Time Lord, the Corsair, who had been both a man and a woman several times. In "The Night of the Doctor" (2013), the Sisterhood of Karn specify the Doctor could choose to change sex using one of their elixirs which influence the outcome of regeneration. "Dark Water/Death in Heaven" (2014) shows that the Doctor's longtime nemesis the Master has become a woman, taking the name Missy. In "Hell Bent" (2015), the Time Lord General regenerates into a younger woman, and states that her previous incarnation was her only male form. In "World Enough and Time" (2017), the Doctor tells his companion Bill Potts, in reference to Missy, that Time Lords are mostly beyond gender norms and stereotypes; however, Bill points out that the males and females of the species collectively refer to themselves by a male title. From "Twice Upon a Time" onward, Jodie Whittaker will portray the Thirteenth Doctor, the Doctor's first female incarnation.

text: Female Doctors were previously explored in spin-off productions; Joanna Lumley played the Thirteenth Doctor in the 1999 Comic Relief spoof The Curse of Fatal Death, and Arabella Weir played the Doctor in the 2003 Big Finish audio drama Exile.[33] Spin-off media have also depicted more drastic regenerations than the TV series. For example, in the Big Finish Productions audio Circular Time, a Time Lord known as Cardinal Zero regenerates into an avian life-form after being poisoned.[34]

text: Control over regeneration[edit]

text: The Doctor's regenerations are always involuntary, and he has no control over his final appearance. In "The Parting of the Ways", the Ninth Doctor describes the process as "a bit dodgy"—i.e., somewhat dangerous or uncertain—and the Tenth Doctor refers to regeneration as "a lottery" ("The Day of the Doctor"). For example, despite an apparent wish for this to occur, neither the Tenth nor the Eleventh Doctors regenerated into redheads. The sole known exception to this is the Eighth Doctor's regeneration into the War Doctor ("The Night of the Doctor"), as the Doctor was able to consume a potion made by the Sisterhood of Karn which ensured his next body was a warrior able to fight in the last Great Time War, though he didn't appear to make any specifications about the actual physical appearance. The Doctor was also once given the chance to choose his appearance upon his forced regeneration by the Time Lords in The War Games but rejected all of the options presented to him. The Time Lords grew tired of his stalling and thus sent him away to regenerate into the Third Doctor, an apparently random result. Alternatively, the Tenth Doctor was shown twice to exert control over regenerating, attributed by the Eleventh Doctor to "having vanity issues at the time." In "Journey's End", after being shot by a Dalek triggered a regeneration, the Tenth Doctor used the regeneration energy to heal his wounds, then channeled the remaining energy into his severed hand and purposely kept his current appearance. When he finally did regenerate into the Eleventh Doctor, he still consciously prevented himself from regenerating to prolong his time as his current incarnation for several hours. Doing this caused a more explosive regeneration that nearly destroyed the TARDIS.

text: In contrast, the first episode of Destiny of the Daleks depicts Romana undergoing a voluntary regeneration, in which she tries out several different forms before choosing to adopt the appearance of Princess Astra, a person she encountered in a previous adventure (The Armageddon Factor). Many writers of spin-off media have attempted to rationalise the difference between the Doctor's and Romana's regenerations. Doctor Who television writer and script editor Eric Saward suggests in his 1985 novelisation of The Twin Dilemma (1984) that Time Lords can control the appearance of their next body if they trigger the regeneration voluntarily, but not if the regeneration is caused by death or injury. The Doctor Who Role Playing Game by FASA suggests that some Time Lords have a special ability to control their regenerations. The fan reference book The Discontinuity Guide suggests that Romana's various "try-ons" were projections of potential future incarnations like the K'anpo Rinpoche/Cho Je situation in Planet of the Spiders.[35] Miles and Wood's About Time also mentions this while theorising that the Time Lords had improved the technology of regeneration since the Doctor's time; Romana, being of a later generation than the Doctor, would therefore have finer control over the regenerative process in its early stages.[36]

text: Other moments in the series suggest that other Time Lords have more control over their regeneration than that usually displayed by the Doctor. Prior to regenerating in the episode "Utopia", the Master expresses a desire to be "young and strong" like the Doctor and transforms accordingly. Subsequently, in "Last of the Time Lords", the Master is shot by Lucy Saxon and is able to prevent regeneration at will, despite the Doctor's pleas. In "The Stolen Earth," the Doctor begins to regenerate in a cliffhanger moment, but at the start of "Journey's End" (the following episode), he interrupts the process after healing his bodily injuries, redirecting the remaining regeneration energy into his preserved hand. In "Let's Kill Hitler", when Mels begins to regenerate into River Song, she says she is trying to concentrate so she can come out a particular dress size. In "Nightmare in Silver", the Eleventh Doctor suggests that he can trigger regeneration voluntarily, using the suggestion to threaten the Cyber-Planner invading his body and mind, saying "I could regenerate now. Big blast of regeneration energy, burn out any little Cyber widgets in my brain, along with everything you're connected to. Don't want to. Use this me up, who knows what we'll get next? But I can." (Even though by The Time Of The Doctor this was revealed to be a bluff due to the fact that the Eleventh Doctor was actually the final incarnation of his first regeneration cycle.) In "The Girl Who Died, the Twelfth Doctor speculates that he deliberately, if not subconsciously, chose the form of Caecilius (from "The Fires of Pompeii") to remind himself that he is a man who always saves people, even if it is just one. In "The Doctor Falls", the Doctor is wounded by Cybermen and starts to regenerate, but is able to hold back his regeneration, refusing to change again.

text: Recognition of the regenerated[edit]

text: The television series is inconsistent on the question of whether Time Lords can recognise each other across regenerations. For example, in The Deadly Assassin an old classmate of the Doctor's, Runcible, is slow to recognise the Doctor in his fourth incarnation, and once he has, it then takes him a while to realise that his appearance has changed. However, in The Armageddon Factor (1978), Drax, another old classmate, recognises the Fourth Doctor immediately although they had not seen each other since the Academy (the Doctor takes a while to remember Drax, though).

text: There is also inconsistency as to whether the Doctor can recognise his own future incarnations. In the original series, the Doctors usually have no difficulty recognising one another (in The Three Doctors, the First, Second, and Third Doctors all know one another on sight. However, in The Five Doctors, the First Doctor does not recognise the Fifth Doctor as himself and needs to be introduced by the Fifth as his fourth regeneration. In Time Crash, after the TARDIS is at different points in its own timeline merge due to downed shields, the Fifth Doctor spends much of the mini-episode believing that the Tenth was merely a fan who had somehow gotten into his TARDIS, having somehow altered the 'desktop theme'; the Tenth Doctor constantly tries to convince his younger self that he is his future self, only doing so by using a predestination paradox to cancel out a universe-destroying black hole with a supernova by blowing up the TARDIS. When the Tenth and the Eleventh Doctor meet each other in The Day Of The Doctor, the Tenth Doctor appears to sceptically recognise his successor, yet he appears to be fully convinced only after both compare their respective sonic screwdrivers. The War Doctor on the other hand is initially completely oblivious to meet two of his future regenerations (initially mistaking them for future companions), again being convinced by their sonic screwdrivers.

text: The Daleks' ability to recognise the Doctor also varies: they recognise him outright in The Power of the Daleks but need confirmation from other sources in Revelation of the Daleks, "Doomsday" and "The Pilot". In "Asylum of the Daleks", the Daleks' knowledge of the Doctor is tied to a psychic link among them called the path-web, which is hacked to make them forget him. The Cybermen have their own method of recognising the Doctor, usually through his past incarnations, as seen in Earthshock and "The Next Doctor".

text: Maximum number of regenerations in a cycle[edit]

text: In The Deadly Assassin (1976), the Fourth Doctor states that Time Lords are limited to twelve regenerations, implying a total of thirteen incarnations. This statement is later repeated in "Mawdryn Undead", the 1996 TV film and "The Time of the Doctor". This aspect became embedded in the public consciousness despite not often being repeated, and was recognised by producers of the show as a plot obstacle for when the show finally had to regenerate the Doctor a thirteenth time.[37][38] The BBC's Series 4 FAQ[39] suggested that since the Time Lords were believed to be dead and their rules destroyed, the Doctor may be able to regenerate indefinitely: "Now that his people are gone, who knows? Time Lords used to have thirteen lives." In "Death of the Doctor" (a 2010 The Sarah Jane Adventures serial), the Eleventh Doctor says he can regenerate 507 times (early news reports, before the episode was broadcast, suggested he would say there is no limit to the number of regenerations).[40] However, writer Russell T Davies explained in an interview with SFX that this line was not intended to be taken seriously and insisted that the "thirteen lives" rule was too deeply entrenched in the viewer consciousness for his throwaway line to affect it.[41]

text: However, the series has depicted exceptions to this rule in the career of the renegade Time Lord the Master. When the Master finds himself at the end of his regenerative cycle in The Keeper of Traken, he takes possession of the body of another person to continue living, although he was using the Source of Traken to bind his mind to the body. In The Five Doctors, the Master is offered a new cycle of regenerations by the High Council of the Time Lords in exchange for his help. In the 1996 television movie, the Master temporarily inhabits the body of a human, and attempts to take the Doctor's remaining regenerations. In "The Sound of Drums", the Master is revealed to have been granted a new body by the Time Lords during the Time War.

text: The number of previous incarnations of the Doctor was at first unclear within the series. In the Fourth Doctor story The Brain of Morbius, the Doctor participates in a mental ‘duel’ with another Time Lord and the machine to which their minds are connected begins to project the faces of the "losing" contestant’s regenerations in chronologically descending order. As the Doctor is overpowered by Morbius, the images change successively to those of the third, second and first Doctors, then eight further faces appear. It was the intention of producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes that images were even earlier incarnations of the Doctor.[42][43] However, the narrative does not explicitly confirm that the faces do represent incarnations of the Doctor, even though, as the faces are shown, Morbius cries "How far Doctor? How long have you lived?", indicating that they are not incarnations of Morbius, but rather that it is the Doctor's past being shown.[44]

text: In other episodes, it was firmly established that the William Hartnell incarnation of the Doctor was the very first. In The Three Doctors, the Time Lord President describes the Hartnell incarnation as "the earliest Doctor". This is cemented in The Five Doctors when Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor (introducing himself to the First Doctor) says that he is the fourth regeneration, meaning that there have been five of him. The First Doctor also refers to himself as "the original". Episodes of the revival series showing the lives of the Doctor -- "The Next Doctor", "The Eleventh Hour", "The Day of the Doctor" and "The Husbands of River Song"—all begin with the William Hartnell incarnation.

text: In "The Lodger", after the Eleventh Doctor shows Craig who he is, he points to his face and says, "Eleventh". However, in "The Name of the Doctor", when the Doctor rescues Clara from inside his own time stream, they both see another figure that Clara doesn't recognise. The Doctor then reveals that this is a past incarnation that he deemed unworthy of the name "Doctor" due to the atrocities he committed during the Time War, and only accepted him after learning the truth of how the war ended ("The Day of the Doctor").[45] Ultimately, in "The Time of the Doctor" the Eleventh Doctor reveals that, counting the War Doctor and the Tenth's aborted regeneration, he is actually in his final incarnation, reaching a point where he is dying of old age after centuries of conflict with the Daleks and others on the planet Trenzalore. However, at the behest of Clara, the Time Lords grant the Doctor a new regeneration cycle, allowing a thirteenth regeneration into an incarnation known as the Twelfth Doctor.

text: In "The Time of the Doctor", the Eleventh Doctor describes his new regeneration ability as the start of a new 'cycle', implying that he's been restored to the customary twelve regenerations. However, in "Kill the Moon", the Twelfth Doctor says he's "not entirely sure [he] won't keep regenerating forever," once again raising the question regarding any limits to this ability. In "Hell Bent", Rassilon asks the Doctor "How many regenerations did we give you?", further implying that the Doctor has a finite number of regenerations, but the exact amount remains undetermined.

text: Temporary potential future incarnations[edit]

text: In some cases, future potential incarnations can achieve independent, though temporary, existence. In Planet of the Spiders, a Time Lord, K'anpo Rinpoche, creates a corporeal projection of a future incarnation which has such an existence under the name Cho Je until he regenerates into that incarnation. The Valeyard, an "amalgamation of the darker sides of [the Doctor's] nature, somewhere between [his] twelfth and final incarnation", appears in The Trial of a Time Lord (1986) opposite the Sixth Doctor; the Valeyard is promised the remainder of the Doctor's regenerations. Another example is "The Watcher", who repeatedly appears to the Fourth Doctor in Logopolis (1981), and ultimately merges with him as part of his regeneration into his fifth incarnation.

text: The Time Lords' ability to change species during regeneration is referred to in the television movie by the Eighth Doctor in relation to the Master. Mavic Chen states that the First Doctor's resemblance to an Earth creature is "only a disguise" in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965). In Destiny of the Daleks (1979), the Fourth Doctor's Time Lady companion Romana demonstrates an apparent ability to "try on" different bodies from a number of different species during her regeneration, before settling on a final, humanoid form which physically resembles Princess Astra of Atrios (see discussion below).

text: Steven Moffat has said that reference will be made to Peter Capaldi's previous appearances in the Whoniverse during his tenure as the Twelfth Doctor: "The face is not set from birth. It’s not like he was always going to be one day Peter Capaldi. We know that’s the case because in The War Games he has a choice of faces. So we know it’s not set, so where does he get those faces from? They can’t just be randomly generated because they've got lines. They've aged. When he turns into Peter he’ll actually have lines on his face. So where did that face come from?”[citation needed] In "Deep Breath" (2014), the Doctor and several other characters speculate about where his new face came from, given that it has lines from frowning. The Doctor considers aloud that it is a face he recognises from somewhere, but due to post-regenerative trauma, he cannot place it. In "The Girl Who Died" (2015), he concludes that he subconsciously chose the face as a reminder of his decision to save the life of Caecilius (also played by Capaldi) in "The Fires of Pompeii" (2008) and to remind him to save people even with possible historical consequences by doing so.

text: Regeneration of non-Gallifreyans[edit]

text: The fact that the Master is inhabiting a non-Gallifreyan body when he is offered a new cycle of regenerations (see above) implies that it is possible to grant them to a non-Gallifreyan, albeit one inhabited by a Time Lord mind. In addition, River Song is shown to have the ability to regenerate due to altered DNA that has similarities to Time Lord DNA, a side effect of having been conceived on board the TARDIS as it travelled through the space-time vortex. Non-Gallifreyans are also seen to regenerate in Underworld (1978) and Mawdryn Undead (1983), but with adverse side effects. In Mawdryn Undead, these appear to be the result of mishandling stolen technology, but in Underworld they are implied to be the inevitable result of limited technology that reinvigorates, rather than transforms, the subject's appearance (in this case, the Minyans, with whom the Time Lords shared much of their technology), thereby regenerating 'the body, not the soul'.

text: Failed/fake regeneration[edit]

text: It has been suggested in the series many times that regeneration is not guaranteed and can fail. After his cellular structure is decimated by the Metabelis crystals in Planet of the Spiders, the Third Doctor's regeneration requires "a little push" from fellow Time Lord K'anpo Rimpoche before it can proceed. As he succumbs to spectrox toxaemia in The Caves of Androzani, the Fifth Doctor says, "I might regenerate... I don't know... It feels different this time...". He then hallucinates, seeing his former companions encouraging him to survive, before the Master overwhelms them all, telling him he must die. The 1996 TV movie showed the Doctor's regeneration delayed for more than three hours, with the Eighth Doctor later remarking that the fact his Seventh incarnation was under anaesthesia at the time of his "death" could have "destroyed the regenerative process", and that he was "dead too long this time" prior to his regeneration. In many episodes, the Doctor doubts his own survival, though it is not always clear whether such statements refer to the death of only that particular incarnation. (The only time he makes a completely unambiguous distinction between these two scenarios – in The End of Time – he makes it clear that he regards regeneration as nearly as bad as death, because as he sees it, he dies and "a new man" walks away). In The Mind of Evil the Master points a conventional firearm at the Doctor and threatens to "put a bullet through both [his] hearts," while in "Forest of the Dead", Professor Song warns that electrocution would stop both the Time Lord's hearts, killing him. In "Turn Left", in which the Tenth Doctor dies in a parallel world, a UNIT member speculates that what happened to the Doctor "must have happened too fast for him to regenerate" (It is suggested that he drowned without his future companion Donna Noble there to inspire him to leave). In The End of Time, the Doctor explains to Wilfred Mott that if he is killed before the regeneration can start, then it will fail.

text: In the Series 6 premiere, "The Impossible Astronaut", a future version of the Eleventh Doctor is shot twice by the titular astronaut and begins to regenerate. However he is then shot again and dies, showing that not only can he be killed before regeneration, but also during the process (However, the later revelation, in "The Wedding of River Song" that what was shot was in fact a mechanical avatar of the Doctor and not the real person calls this into question). In the episode "Let's Kill Hitler", the Doctor is poisoned by River Song which disables the ability to regenerate and he seemingly dies, although he is later revived when River gives up her remaining regenerations to save him. "The Time of the Doctor" later shows that the Doctor did not have any remaining regenerations at this time anyway.

text: In the mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor", the Eighth Doctor is killed when the ship he is on crashes onto the planet Karn, reinforcing the idea that a sudden, traumatic death may prevent regeneration. The Sisterhood of Karn explain that he was, in fact, dead, but they were able to use their Time Lord-based technology to revive him and force a regeneration anyway.

text: In "Heaven Sent", the Twelfth Doctor is badly burned by the Veil, preventing him from regenerating properly. However, as his island prison resets itself after leaving a room, he used what was left of his life to download a past version of himself out of the teleporter's hard drive, which also reset. This cycle of bringing himself back to life by burning his current body as energy for the process continued for approximately 4.5 billion years, according to the episode "Hell Bent."

text: In "The Lie of the Land", the Twelfth Doctor fakes a regeneration after his companion Bill Potts shoots him after he pretends to be siding with the Monks. The bullets that are fired are revealed to have been blanks, and the whole thing was a test by the Doctor to see if Bill was under the Monks' influence.

text: Transference of regenerative energy[edit]

text: In Mawdryn Undead, it is first stated that a Time Lord can transfer his regenerative life essence to another being. In that story, the Fifth Doctor is coerced by Mawdryn to give up his future regenerations in order to cure Nyssa and Tegan Jovanka from Mawdryn's disease. Although the transfer does not occur (due to the timely interference of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), the Doctor states that the consequence of the transference would be that he would sacrifice his eight remaining lives and cease to be a Time Lord. It is not until "Let's Kill Hitler" that a similar transference is shown; in that instance, River Song sacrifices her own regenerative power in order to revive the dead Eleventh Doctor. The favour is returned in "The Angels Take Manhattan" in which River's wrist is repaired by the Doctor, who subsequently gives up a portion of his regenerative energy.

text: A major plot point of the 1996 TV movie involves the Master scheming to steal the Doctor's remaining regenerations for himself.

text: The Tenth Doctor also consciously aborts a regeneration in "Journey's End" and instead transfers the energy to his previously severed hand (from "The Christmas Invasion"), which had been saved in a container by Captain Jack Harkness; when Donna Noble touches it, it creates an entirely new person - a "meta-crisis" half-human Doctor. The Eleventh Doctor confirms, before himself regenerating during the events of "The Time of the Doctor", that this action used up a full regeneration.

text: In "The Witch's Familiar", the Twelfth Doctor offers a small amount of regenerative energy to Dalek creator Davros to sustain him in his dying minutes a bit longer. The Doctor says that doing so "may cost [him] an arm or a leg down the road". Davros, however, siphons off much more regeneration energy from the Doctor to revitalize himself and transform the Daleks on Skaro into superior hybrid creatures. His plan backfires when decaying Daleks—incapable of dying, and kept in an underground 'sewer' system when their effective 'lives' have expired—are also reenergized and attack the Daleks on the surface. The Doctor reveals that he expected such a plot and knew it would backfire.

text: Regenerations depicted in the series[edit]

text: The Doctor's regenerations[edit]

text:
First Doctor (William Hartnell): "Renewed" by the TARDIS after collapsing from old age/exhaustion after defeating the Cybermen in "The Tenth Planet".
Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton): A "change in appearance" imposed by the Time Lords as a penalty for repeated breaching of their law of non-intervention in "The War Games".
Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee): Radiation poisoning on the planet Metebelis 3 in "Planet of the Spiders".
Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker): Merges with the Watcher after falling from the Pharos Project radio telescope in "Logopolis".
Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison): Succumbs to spectrox toxaemia poisoning in "The Caves of Androzani".
Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker): Severely injured when the Rani's attack on the TARDIS causes it to crash in "Time and the Rani".
Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy): Shot by a street gang in San Francisco and dies during surgery by doctors unfamiliar with his alien physiology in the 1996 TV film.
Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann): Crashes a spaceship on the planet Karn, temporarily revived by the Sisterhood of Karn. He drinks a potion they have prepared, triggering a regeneration into a form suitable to fight in the Time War in the mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor".
War Doctor (John Hurt): Regenerates from old age/exhaustion after the conclusion of the Time War in "The Day of the Doctor".
Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston): Fatal cellular degeneration caused by absorbing the Time Vortex from Rose Tyler in "The Parting of the Ways".
Tenth Doctor (David Tennant): Shot by a Dalek in "The Stolen Earth". He heals himself via regeneration energy, directing the remainder into his severed hand and maintaining his appearance in "Journey's End".
Tenth Doctor (David Tennant): Succumbs to absorbed radiation poisoning in place of Wilfred Mott in "The End of Time".
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith): At the point of death from old age, he receives a new regeneration cycle from the Time Lords in "The Time of the Doctor".

text: Romana's regenerations[edit]

text: Romana's tongue-in-cheek regeneration scene in Destiny of the Daleks contrasts markedly with the Doctor's transformations. In the first episode of the serial, Romana undergoes regeneration, in the process trying out several different forms before choosing to adopt the appearance of Princess Astra, a character she encountered in a previous adventure (The Armageddon Factor).

text: Multiple attempts have been made in the spin-off media to explain the necessity for Romana's regeneration.

text:
In the short story "The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe" by Mark Michalowski, published in the Big Finish Productions anthology, Short Trips: Companions, unknown to the Doctor, Romana suffers damage due to exposure to the Key to Time. Just as she is about to regenerate, a humanoid manifestation of the TARDIS, jealous of Romana, traps her in a force field. It proceeds to pretend to be Romana, changing into different forms until finally becoming a double of Princess Astra. This manifestation is the one who appears in Destiny of the Daleks. Realising the error of its ways after that adventure, it releases Romana, but not before making the female Time Lord assume the image of Astra.
The second explanation is given in the Gallifrey audio series. Gallifrey: Lies by Gary Russell reveals that Romana forced her own regeneration to prevent an ancient Gallifreyan evil called Pandora from gaining power over her (see also History of the Time Lords – Audio plays).
The third explanation is in the Fifth Doctor audio story The Chaos Pool by Peter Anghelides, which states that the creators of the Key to Time re-disguised its final segment as Romana, which is why she changed and why she chose Astra's form.

text: The Master's transitions[edit]

text: The Master has only been shown to regenerate once onscreen. However, the Master does change appearance several times, often circumventing the limitations ordinarily placed upon Time Lords. Originally played by Roger Delgado, his decrepit later appearance (following Delgado's death) in The Deadly Assassin (1976) is explained as owing to the fact that he is in his final regeneration. He is driven to acquire a new regeneration cycle, but is ultimately able to circumvent the end of his life by possessing the body of Tremas (Antony Ainley) in The Keeper of Traken (1981). Ainley portrays the Master until the conclusion of the classic series, although still plots at several times to obtain a new regeneration cycle. In the 1996 TV movie, the Master is executed but cheats death by possessing a parasitic creature, which in turn possesses a human named Bruce (Eric Roberts), giving the Master another new form.

text: When the Master is reintroduced in 2007, exposition explains he was resurrected by the Time Lords to fight in the Time War. In "Utopia" (2007), he is fatally shot by his assistant and changes from a form known as Professor Yana, played by Derek Jacobi, into a new incarnation, played by John Simm. Before regenerating, the Master expresses desire to become "young and strong" like the Tenth Doctor. A character named Missy first appears in "Deep Breath" (2014) before being revealed as the Master in female form in "Dark Water" (2014), having regenerated off-screen during the character's absence. It is later revealed in "The Doctor Falls" that it was Missy herself who stabbed the Master and forced him to regenerate when both incarnations met each other.

text: River Song's regenerations[edit]

text: River Song, also known as Melody Pond has regenerated twice throughout the course of the sixth series of Doctor Who. Although she is human and the daughter of Amy Pond (hence her surname) and Rory Williams, she was conceived on their wedding night aboard the TARDIS and therefore was born with genetic traits similar to the Doctor's own race, the Time Lords.

text: In "Day of the Moon" (2011), Melody Pond as a child (Sydney Wade) walks through a New York City alley at the end of the episode after being shot by Amy in the previous episode. When a vagrant asks of her condition, she explains that all is well, that she is dying, but she can fix it. She subsequently begins to regenerate in the style of the revived series as the vagrant flees in terror.

text: In "Let's Kill Hitler", it is revealed that she regenerated into a toddler (Maya Glace-Green). This form later matured into Amy Pond's best friend, Mels (Nina Toussaint-White), who regenerated into her more widely known River Song (Alex Kingston) identity after being shot. In the aforementioned episode, post-regeneration, Melody is immune to a barrage of gunfire due to her surplus regenerative energy. In that same episode, River Song used all her remaining regeneration energy to revive the Doctor; as Amy put it "You're safe now. Apparently you used all your remaining regenerations in one go. You shouldn't have done that." She was hospitalised as a result and now no-longer possesses the ability to regenerate. (However, as mentioned in "The Husbands of River Song, she does have an extended life span, a by-product of her being part Time Lord.)

text: Other regenerations[edit]

text: In the premiere of the 2009 spin-off series K-9, the original K-9 Mark I (Leeson) is reintroduced and destroyed, but subsequently revealed to have been installed with a "regeneration circuit". At this point, the traditional K-9 model "regenerates" into a more sophisticated-looking CGI model.

text: In "The Doctor's Daughter" (2008), the Doctor's DNA is used to create the titular "daughter" Jenny (Georgia Moffet), who displays many but not all Time Lord traits. In the episode's close, she is shot in the chest and appears to die. However, long after the Doctor and his companions have departed, she miraculously resurrects and expels energy from her mouth which, ambiguously enough, both resembles regenerative energy and the energy emitted by a planet-restoring plot device in the same episode. The question as to whether this is a true regeneration is left unanswered, since Jenny does not change her appearance.

text: In "Hell Bent" (2015), while threatened with a gun, the General states to the Doctor that he is currently in his tenth regeneration. The Doctor then shoots him, causing him to regenerate from an old white man into a younger black woman. The General later states that her previous incarnation was her only one as a male.

text: Visual effects[edit]

text: Each new regeneration was also radically different from the previous one, even in terms of the visual effects used to represent the moment of regeneration. The very first regeneration was devised and executed by vision mixer Shirley Coward, who had rather unexpectedly come up with a method of achieving the effect electronically. The original plan of the production team was simply that William Hartnell would fall to the floor at the end of The Tenth Planet and pull his cape over his face. Troughton would then appear at the top of The Power of the Daleks, retracting the cloak. Coward's then-innovative vision mix necessitated that Troughton be hastily contracted for The Tenth Planet, part four. The series' first regeneration sequence was then duly recorded on 8 October 1966, with the cliffhanger resolution filmed two weeks later on 22 October. (REF: The Second Doctor Handbook) Older portrayals of regenerations were either a simple fade between two incarnations, a glowing effect that revealed the next incarnation, or one incarnation morphing into the next.

text: Each subsequent regeneration was then filmed in a variety of different ways, as dictated by the director on that particular episode. Indeed, no two regenerations were particularly similar until the Russell T Davies era. Only BBC Wales Doctor Who attempted to standardise the way regeneration looked. Ever since "The Parting of the Ways", every regeneration has been portrayed as a "golden glow explosion" (although the colour of the explosion is fiery orange in "The Parting of the Ways" and is milky white in Utopia). Rose was the first to describe this type of regenerations, saying "I saw him sort of explode, and then you replaced him" to the Tenth Doctor immediately after the Ninth Doctor regenerated. Also, these regenerations are portrayed as violent discharges that could harm anyone nearby, to the point where the most powerful occurrences, seen in The End of Time and "The Time of the Doctor", were able to destroy the Tardis interior and send out a shockwave that destroyed a Dalek ship along with several troops respectively. Each time there was a regeneration with people nearby, either the Doctor or his companions had everyone present get away from the person who was regenerating to avoid them being harmed. In smaller discharges, regeneration was far less harmful and could be emitted from the hand in wisps of golden regeneration energy, which was capable of healing the injuries of others. The subsequent Children in Need Special established that there was residual "regeneration energy" in a gaseous state after a transformation which had to be expelled through the mouth. This was seen again in "The Christmas Invasion", "The Eleventh Hour" and "The Doctor's Daughter" — though the latter narrative never made quite clear that Jenny actually regenerated. The Tenth Doctor was seen breathing out gaseous regeneration energy shortly after his transformation, as was the Eleventh Doctor. Consciously holding back the regeneration caused a buildup of energy that resulted in a powerful and violent explosive discharge of regeneration energy. Also, gaining a new cycle of regenerations and Time Lords lives being reset resulted in a shockwave and explosion of regeneration energy with the range of a thermonuclear explosion. Directed regeneration energy discharges could destroy anything in its path, even a Dalek Saucer, while the shock wave destroyed any Dalek troops in the vicinity. The actual regeneration of the Eleventh Doctor, following the wild outburst of regeneration energy that only reset his body, is the first time that the revived series differed from the established process of regeneration. When regenerating into the Twelfth Doctor, the process only includes a brief, mostly off-screen (due to the Doctor leaning back out of the camera) blast of energy.

text: This visual standardisation has allowed narratives to play around with regeneration. The mere presence of "regeneration energy" can now be used to heighten dramatic tension. This visual short cut, unavailable to production teams in the classic era, has been a particular favourite of Steven Moffat, who used the "golden glow" liberally throughout the 2011 series; in fact, unlike in the Russell T Davies era, in which nearly every regeneration had subtle differences, every Moffat era regeneration until "The Time of the Doctor" is nearly identical. Several of the 2011 episodes used that VFX in a way that wordlessly suggested regeneration.