Series 1 ( Doctor Who ) Series 1 of " Doctor Who " was the first series produced by BBC Wales . Comprised of thirteen episodes , it came nearly sixteen years after the previous " season " , though only nine years after the last " television story " . It starred Christopher Eccleston in his only season as the Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler . John Barrowman ' s Jack Harkness , who would go on to have a profound impact on the shape and scope of the " Doctor Who " universe , also debuted this year . Its head writer was Russell T Davies , and thus the series was the start of what fans colloquially refer to as the " RTD era " . But credit for the series hardly belonged to RTD alone . The struggles to bring " Doctor Who " back to BBC One after such a long absence are the subject of several documentaries and behind - the - scenes explorations , all of which confirm that series one was the result of the struggles of several individuals apart from RTD himself — notably BBC execs Jane Tranter and Lorraine Heggessey , as well as RTD ' s fellow executive producer s , Julie Gardner and Mal Young . Ultimately , the decision to make the series in Cardiff rather than London not only changed the face of " Doctor Who " , but also reshaped the British television industry . A then - sleepy satellite of the BBC was transformed by this series ' success into a major hub of British television production . Series one was characterised not just by its unexpected success with the British public , but also by the teething problems inherent in filming a major , special - effects - heavy series in a country that , until then , had little experience with that kind of production . Series 1 was unusually well - received . It won the and BAFTA for " Best Drama Series " , confirming its popular and critical success . Its BAFTA nomination was the first for the series since season 15 and the first ever for the programme in an " adult " category . Perhaps more importantly , it was the first time that a series of " Doctor Who " had actually " won " a BAFTA . Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper both won National Television Awards for " Favourite Actor " and " Favourite Actress " . Writer Steven Moffat also began a three - year domination of the Hugo Award " Short Form Presentation " category by winning one for his " The Empty Child " / " The Doctor Dances " two - parter . Unlike the more recent series , series 1 was produced under a partnership deal with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . It was also the first whole series of " Doctor Who " to be broadcast on a national , commercial network in the United States , thanks to a late deal with the Sci - Fi Channel . Overview . Series 1 introduced the Ninth Doctor , along with new companion Rose Tyler . It dealt with the words " Bad Wolf " being spread across time and space , which was the main arc of the series . This meme was seen in the majority of the episodes . Series 1 also provided the first major information about the Last Great Time War . " The Parting of the Ways " featured the revived series ' first regeneration . The season also introduced Jack Harkness , planting the seed for the spin - off " Torchwood " . Adaptations and merchandising . Home media . VHS . All episodes of series 1 were released on VHS by Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment in November 2005 . DVD . All episodes of series 1 were released in 2005 in both individual volumes and in boxset form by 2 | Entertain and Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment for Region 2 and in 2006 by Warner Home Video for Region 1 . Bluray . Series 1 was included in the " Doctor Who : Complete Series 1 - 7 " Bluray boxset , released on November 5th , 2013 in the US and November 4th , 2013 in the UK . In March 2017 , an Amazon exclusive steelbook containing the thirteen episodes was announced . Promotional trailers . For the series , several promotional trailers were created , utilising specially shot footage of the cast breaking the fourth wall and addressing viewers .