The Eleventh Doctor, throughout his travels, kept several diaries. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011)., The History of the Doctor [+]Gareth Roberts, Doctor Who (BBC Three|BBC Three]], 2013)., PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, The Official 50th Anniversary Annual (Penguin Group, 2013). Pages 8-9.) The Twelfth Doctor also appeared to use at least one of the same diaries as his previous incarnation. (PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2015 (Penguin Group, 2014).)
Due to their lives being full of "danger and fun", the Doctor only occasionally had opportunities to write in their diaries. (PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, The Official 50th Anniversary Annual (Penguin Group, 2013). Page 8., The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2015 (Penguin Group, 2014). Page 8.)
Appearance[]
One of the Eleventh Doctor's diaries closely resembled River Song's diary, a volume with a thick TARDIS blue cover with three rectangular panels and a Seal of Rassilon. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).) Later, in his travels with Clara Oswald, he used a Twelve Hundred Year Diary, which was physically larger, with a mottled gold and textured surface, with an embossed plaque and corners. (TV: The History of the Doctor [+]Gareth Roberts, Doctor Who (BBC Three|BBC Three]], 2013).) Another diary owned by the Eleventh Doctor had a spiral binding. (PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, The Official 50th Anniversary Annual (Penguin Group, 2013). Pages 8-9.)
Photographs[]
The Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor's diaries contained many photographs from their adventures.
There were photographs of: the Doctor, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams surrounded by Daleks in their Parliament; the Doctor riding a Triceratops on an ark; the Doctor, Amy, Rory, and the TARDIS surrounded by Weeping Angels; and the Doctor in Victorian London near the TARDIS, as well as portraits of Vastra and Strax, as well as a photograph of Clara, and another of Clara and the Doctor. (PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, The Official 50th Anniversary Annual (Penguin Group, 2013). Pages 8-9.)
In the diary seemingly shared by both the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, there were photographs of Clara in the Doctor's time-stream; the Eleventh, Tenth, and War Doctors in the TARDIS; the Eleventh Doctor about to regenerate; the Twelfth Doctor wearing a nightshirt in a bed; and on of a Dalek. (PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2015 (Penguin Group, 2014). Pages 8-9.) The Twelfth Doctor's diary also included photos of a dinosaur in Victorian London, the Twelfth Doctor riding a horse, and of a hot-air balloon made of skin. (PROSE: First Day of the Doctor [+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023). Page 31.)
History[]
In the 51st century, when River Song led her expedition party into the Library and met the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble, she asked the Doctor to compare diaries, but, as the Doctor hadn't yet met River from his perspective, he hadn't yet been keeping track of his and River's encounters. (TV: Silence in the Library [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).)
In 2011, when River, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams arrived in a diner following the Eleventh Doctor's supposed death and his earlier self meeting them in said diner, River and the Doctor compared diaries. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).)
While travelling with the Ponds, the Doctor wrote about their adventures with the Daleks wanting his help, the exploration of a dinosaur-filled ark with help from Queen Neffy, Riddell, and Rory's dad, and when he lost the Ponds in New York. After resolving not to travel with anyone else again, the Doctor wrote how he had hidden in Victorian London, considered redecorating the TARDIS, and, later, the mystery surrounding the three Claras he had met. (PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, The Official 50th Anniversary Annual (Penguin Group, 2013). Page 8.)
In a mental projection caused by the Trylonians' Brain Drain machhine, the Eleventh Doctor entered his office and found the TARDIS but could quite recognise it; upon opening it, he discovered that it was filled with shelves containing many copies of 1000 Year Journals, all completely empty. (COMIC: The Birthday Boy [+]Matthew Dow Smith, 50th Anniversary Blu-ray Special (IDW Publishing, 2013).)
Later, either the Eleventh or Twelfth Doctor wrote in their diary, recounting how: he and Clara Oswald continually saved each others' lives; how she jumped into his time stream to stop the Great Intelligence; how he had been forced to remember a dark secret from the Time War whilst saving Clara; how he, the War Doctor, and the Tenth Doctor teamed up to defeat the Daleks and save Gallifrey; and his protection of Trenzalore for several centuries, until he neared the end of his life but was granted a new regeneration cycle from the Time Lords after Clara's pleas. (PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2015 (Penguin Group, 2014). Pages 8-9.)
He also wrote how, after regeneration, he was justified to not have the usual "big, daft grin" after being swallowed by a rampaging dinosaur, galloping around on a horse, his organs being nearly been harvested, fighting a robot with half a face in a hot-air balloon made of skin, and having to deal with the issues Madame Vastra and her friends had been involved in. (PROSE: First Day of the Doctor [+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023). Page 31.) He also wrote about he was getting used to his eyebrows and Clara's shock at his transformation, and was remorseful for the dinosaur he accidentally brought with him. (PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2015 (Penguin Group, 2014). Page 9.)
The Twelfth Doctor also wrote about Clara's want to not always travel with him so as to maintain her life and hold down a job at Coal Hill School, as well as his journey inside a Dalek with Clara. (PROSE: The Doctor's Diary [+]Moray Laing, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2015 (Penguin Group, 2014). Page 9.)
Behind the scenes[]
- Although both The Doctor's Diary and First Day of the Doctor seem to, on face value, depict two different versions of the Twelfth Doctor's diary entry about the events of Deep Breath, it doesn't necessarily mean they contradict each other, as they could be two extracts from a larger, unseen diary entry. This is supported by both stories presenting the relevant portions on torn up pieces of paper taped into the Doctor's diary.
- How many of the photographs were taken is completely inexplicable, as they are of moments seen in television stories where clearly nobody was taking photographs. However, this isn't an issue exclusive to both The Doctor's Diary stories and First Day of the Doctor, as many Doctor Who books have similar unexplained photographs.