Biography:

William Henry Hartnell was born on 8th January 1908 in St Pancras, London, England. He was the only child of an unmarried mother and was brought up mainly by his aunt. Hartnell never discovered the identity of his father (whose details were left blank on his birth certificate) although in his later years he tried to track his father down without success. At the age of 16, he was adopted by Hugh Blaker, a well-known art connoiseeur, who helped him get a job with Sir Frank Benson's Shakespearean Company.

At Sir Frank Benson's Shakespearean Company he started as a general dogsbody - call-boy, assistant stage manager, property master and assistant lighting director - but was occasionally allowed to play small walk-on parts. These led to him leaving Sir Frank Benson's group to develop his acting career and he toured, working for a number of different companies, about Britain. He became known as an actor of farce and understudied renowned performers such as Lawrence Grossmith, Ernest Truex, Bud Flanagan and Charles Heslop. He played in repertory theatre in Richmond, Harrogate, Leeds and Sheffield and had a successful run as the lead in a touring production of "Charley's Aunt." He also toured Canada in 1928-29. On his return to England, Hartnell married the actress Heather McIntyre. He then got a break in films, his first being a role in Say It With Music in 1932. Hartnell usually played comic characters, until 1944 when he was cast in the robust role of sergeant Ned Fletcher in The Way Ahead. From then on his career was defined by playing mainly policemen, soldiers, and thugs. he was, however, noted for his ability to bring complexity to such roles, for example his widely praised performance as Dallow in Brighton Rock. In 1958 he topped the bill in the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant playing Sergeant Grimshaw, and in 1963 he appeared as a town councillor in the film Heavens Above with Peter Sellers.

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Doctor Who (1963-1966)
He was spotted by Verity Lambert who was a producer setting up a new science-fiction television series for the BBC, Doctor Who, who then offered him the title role. Although he was initially uncertain, Lambert and director Waris Hussein convinced him to take the part and it became the character for which he gained the highest profile and is now most widely remembered. Hartnell came to relish particularly the attention and affection playing the character brought him from children, and he became very fond of the role which also earned him a regular salary of £315 per episode by 1966 (equivalent to £4000 today). In comparison, his co-stars Anneke Wills and Michael Craze earned £68 and £52 per episode respectedly.

Whilst working on The Myth Makers in 1965 his Aunt Bessie, who had looked after him during his troubled childhood, died. The tight production schedules prevented him from taking time off to attend her funeral.

According to some colleagues on Doctor Who, he could be a difficult person to work with, although others, notably actors Peter Purves and William Russell, and producer Verity Lambert, speak glowingly of him after more than forty years. His poor health (arteriosclerosis) as well as poor relations with the new production team on the series following the departure of Lambert, ultimately led him to leave Doctor Who in 1966.

Some commentators now contend that reports of Hartnell's illness were subsequently exaggerated by Lambert's successors in the role of producer, John Wiles and Innes Lloyd, to justify removing the expensive actor from the series. Others suggest that it was a mutual decision between Hartnell and the production team that he should leave the programme. However, Hartnell claimed that he did not want to leave the series, writing, in an often quoted letter, "I didn't willingly give up the part" and it does seem that suggestions that Hartnell's health was failing him are contradicted by his return to demanding theatre work almost immediately upon leaving Doctor Who.

William Hartnell did reprise the role of the Doctor in the 10th Anniversary story The Three Doctors (made in 1972, broadcast 1972-3) , but appeared only in pre-filmed inserts seen on video screens. His appearance in this story was his last work as an actor as his health had grown progressively worse in the early 1970s and in December 1974 he was admitted to hospital permanently. In early 1975 he suffered a series of strokes and died in his sleep of heart failure on April 23, 1975 at the age of 67. His death was reported on the BBC News and a clip of the Doctor in the TARDIS from the end of The OK Corral, the final episode of The Gunfighters, was shown.

A clip of his scene from the end of the serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) was used as a pre-credits sequence for the 20th anniversary story The Five Doctors (1983), although another actor, Richard Hurndall, played the role of the First Doctor for the rest of the episode.

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William Hartnell (the first doctor who) Episode Guide:

First Series 1963-1964

Story 1: An Unearthly Child

4 Episodes: An Unearthly Child, The Cave of Skulls, The Forest of Fear, The Fire Maker

Story 2: The Daleks

7 Episodes: The Dead Planet, The Survivors, The Escape, The Ambush, The Expedition The Ordeal, The Rescue

Story 3: The Edge of Distruction

2 episodes: The Edge of Destruction, The Brink of Disaster

Story 4: Marco Polo

7 episodes (all missing): The Roof of the World, The Singing Sands, Five Hundred Eyes The Wall of Lies, Rider from Shang-Tu, Mighty Kublai Khan, Assassin at Peking

Story 5: The Keys of Marinus

6 episodes: The Sea of Death, The Velvet Web, The Screaming Jungle, The Snows of Terror, Sentence of Death, The Keys of Marinus

Story 6: The Aztecs

4 episodes: The Temple of Evil, The Warriors of Death, The Bride of Sacrifice, The Day of Darkness

Story 7: The Sensorites

6 episodes: Strangers in Space, The Unwilling Warriors, Hidden Danger, A Race Against Death, Kidnap, A Desperate Venture

Story 8: The Reign of Terror

6 episodes (4&5 missing): A Land of Fear, Guests of Madame Guillotine, A Change of Identity, The Tyrant of France, A Bargain of Necessity, Prisoners of Conciergerie

Second Series 1964-1965

Story 9: Planet of Giants

3 episodes: Planet of Giants, Dangerous Journey, Crisis

Story 10: The Dalek Invasion of Earth

6 episodes: World's End, The Daleks, Day of Reckoning, The End of Tomorrow, The Waking Ally, Flashpoint

Story 11: The Rescue

2 episodes: The Powerful Enemy, Desperate Measures

Story 12: The Romans

4 episodes: The Slave Traders, All Roads Lead to Rome, Conspiracy, Inferno

Story 13: The Web Planet

6 Episodes: The Web Planet, The Zarbi, Escape to Danger, Crater of Needles, Invasion
The Centre

Story 14: The Crusade

4 episodes (2&4 missing): The Lion, The Knight of Jaffa, The Wheel of Fortune, The Warlords

Story 15: The Space Museum

4 episodes: The Space Museum, The Dimensions of Time, The Search, The Final Phase

Story 16: The Chase

6 episodes: The Executioners, The Death of Time, Flight Through Eternity, Journey into Terror, The Death of Doctor Who, The Planet of Decision

Story 17: The Time Meddler

4 episodes: The Watcher, The Meddling Monk, A Battle of Wits, Checkmate

Third Series 1965 - 1966

Story 18: Galaxy 4

4 Episodes (all missing): Four Hundred Dawns, Trap of Steel, Airlock
The Exploding Planet

Story 19: Mission to the Unknown

1 Episode (missing): Mission to the Unknown

Story 20: The Myth Makers

4 Episodes (all missing): Temple of Secrets, Small Prophet, Quick Return, Death of a Spy, Horse of Destruction

Story 21: The Daleks' Master Plan

12 Episodes (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 & 12 missing): The Nightmare Begins, Day of Armageddon, Devil's Planet, The Traitors, Counter Plot, Coronas of the Sun, The Feast of Steven, Volcano, Golden Death, Escape Switch, The Abandoned Planet, Destruction of Time

Story 22: The Massacre

4 Episodes (all missing): War of God, The Sea Beggar, Priest of Death, Bell of Doom

Story 23: The Ark

4 Episodes: The Steel Sky, The Plague, The Return, The Bomb

Story 24: The Celestial Toymaker

4 episodes(1, 2 & 3 missing): The Celestial Toyroom, The Hall of Dolls, The Dancing Floor, The Final Test

Story 25: The Gunfighters

4 Episodes: A Holiday for the Doctor, Don't Shoot the Pianist, Johnny Ringo, The OK Corral

UP UNTIL THIS POINT THE STORY TITLES WERE NOT USED, ONLY THE EPISODE TITLES WERE EVER SEEN ON SCREEN. FROM THIS POINT ON, ALL EPISODES WERE NUMBERED UNDER THE STORY NAME.

Story 26: The Savages 4 episodes (all missing)

Story 27: The War Machines 4 episodes

Fourth Series 1966 - 1967

Story 28: The Smugglers 4 episodes (all missing)

Story 29: The Tenth Planet 4 episodes (4th missing)

EPISODE 4 OF THE TENTH PLANET STORY SEES THE RE-GENERATION OF THE DOCTOR AND PATRICK TROUGHTON TAKES OVER THE ROLE.

William Hartnell always claimed he was born into a farming family in Seaton, Devon, England, but he was actually born in St. Pancras, London, England.

Interesting William Hartnel (the first doctor who) fact no 2:

At one time he shared the same agent as Nicholas Courtney, who later became a regular in Doctor Who as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

Interesting William Hartnel (the first doctor who) fact no 3:

He was invalided out of the Royal Armoured Corps of the British Army during the Second World War, after suffering a nervous breakdown.

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