Doctor Who Font and History Behind the Show’s Logo
Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television program broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The program follows the adventures of an extraterrestrial time-traveling humanoid known as the Doctor, who explores the universe via a spaceship called TARDIS.
Doctor Who was originally aired from 1963 to 1989, before being re-launched in 2005. The show has spawned numerous spin-offs, including films, television series, novels, and audio dramas.
Doctor Who Font and Logo Information
Doctor Who’s logo has undergone numerous modifications since the program’s introduction in 1963.
The original Doctor Who logo was very simplistic yet it created a sinister aura of a possible supernatural occurrence. That was largely due to the semi-transparent white letters and the white shapes on the background, which created a “ghost” effect. The original logo lettering was set in the Grotesque One Three font. Doctor Who used this original logo from 1963 to 1967.
The first upgrade to the original Doctor Who logo happened in 1967. The new logo featured a combination of semi-transparent white and black lettering. This further enhanced the “ghost” feeling. Another major upgrade was replacing the original Grotesque One Three with the Times New Roman font for the logo’s lettering.
In 1970, the Doctor Who logo underwent an upgrade that saw the introduction of fancier colors. The logo’s designer also abandoned the generic version of the Times New Roman font for bolder weights, while also implementing several other quirky elements.
This new logo would last for three years before being replaced by a more muted design christened the “diamond logo.”
True to its name, the “diamond logo” looked more like a glossy signboard. The letters in the word “Doctor” appeared arched while the outline of the word “Who” created a contrast with the indigo filling. Shades of blue filled the background, further enhancing the logo’s appeal.
The “diamond logo” would later be upgraded in 1980 to an LED-type signboard. This upgrade also introduced brighter outlines and darker background.
In 1987, Doctor Who logo designers created a completely new poster for the program. The word “Who” in the new logo was larger, bolder, and came in purple. It was also set in UPPERCASE. On the other hand, the word “Doctor” was handwritten and set in yellow.
Doctor Who logo changed yet again in 1996. The new logo was inspired by the classic logo of 1970 – 1973. However, it featured more depth and the lettering appeared in shades of blue.
Between 2005 and 2009, the Doctor Who logo underwent an upgrade where the lettering grew thinner and was set inside a shield. The shield looked like an eye of an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO). This period also marked the first time the two words in the lettering appeared horizontally.
In 2010, the then-current version of the Doctor Who logo was split into two parts. There was the lettering “Doctor Who” and the initials “DW.” The “DW” emblem disappeared in 2012 and was replaced with a more colorful insignia.
In 2018, the Doctor Who logo underwent the next and final upgrade to date. The most notable change was the replacement of the Times New Roman font with a customized version of the Gotham typeface.
Gotham is a geometric sans-serif font family created by Tobias Frere-Jones with inputs from Jesse Ragan. The font was released in 2000 and it’s the typeface that currently appears on Doctor Who’s official logo.
Where to Download Gotham Font
Gotham is available for download from numerous websites. Examples include Typography, CuFon Fonts, and DaFont Free. The font is generally available free for use on non-commercial projects.