Peter Davison was born Peter Moffett in London, but chose the stage name of Peter Davison because there was another actor as well as a director who later worked on many of the same productions as he did. Peter Davison's father was an electrical engineer who was originally from Guyana. Peter Davison studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and appeared in several stage productions and some minor television roles before he got his big break in 1978.

His performance as the ne'er-do-well Tristan Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small made him a household name. He married American actress Sandra Dickinson in the same year, but they eventually divorced in 1994. He and Sandra had previously appeared together in an episode of the television series The Tomorrow People (1975) and together composed and performed the theme tune to Button Moon, a children's programme broadcast in the 1980s.

Peter made a cameo appearance alongside Sandra as the Dish of the Day in the television version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981), whose producers considered it humorous for an actor known for playing a veterinary surgeon to appear as a cow. Peter also appeared in several British sitcoms, including Holding the Fort, Sink or Swim and Ain't Misbehavin', as well as appearing in dramatic roles.

In 1981, Peter Davison signed a contract to play the Doctor for three years, succeeding Tom Baker (the Fourth Doctor) and, at age 29, still the youngest actor to assume the lead role. Attracting such a high-profile actor as Peter Davison was as much of a coup for the programme's producers as getting the role was for him, but he did not renew his contract because he feared being typecast. Reportedly, Patrick Troughton (who had played the Second Doctor) had recommended to Davison that he leave the role after three years, and Peter followed his advice.

It was not until 1986 that Peter Davison worked on another very popular series. He played Dr Stephen Daker, the ingenuous hero of A Very Peculiar Practice, written by Andrew Davies. The surreal comedy-drama was revived several years later as A Very Polish Practice. Peter Davison also played the lead in Campion, a series based on the period whodunnits of Margery Allingham. This, and the opportunity to play Tristan Farnon again in 1985 and 1990, kept Peter busy until the early 1990s, when he gradually faded from the public eye. He continued to appear occasionally on television, including playing the lead in Harnessing Peacocks in 1992 and an appearance on the American show Magnum, P.I., but it was not until 2000 that he returned in another major role, that of David Braithwaite in At Home with the Braithwaites.

During the 1990s, Peter appeared in several radio series including Change at Oglethorpe in 1995 and Minor Adjustment in 1996. In 1998 he appeared in the BBC Radio 4 comedy drama series King Street Junior. In this, he played a teacher, Eric Brown, but he left after only two series and was replaced in the role by Karl Howman (as Philip Sims). In 1999 he appeared as the outgoing headteacher in the television series Hope And Glory. He has also starred in the television series The Last Detective (2003-date) and Distant Shores (2005) for ITV, the latter where he coincidentally also played a doctor. In (2006), he appeared as Professor George Huntley in The Complete Guide to Parenting.

Peter Davison returned to play the Doctor in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time. He has also reprised the role in a series of audio plays by Big Finish Productions.

He made a guest appearance in the first episode of the second series of the BBC Radio 4 science fiction comedy series Nebulous, broadcast in April 2006.

Peter Davison's daughter with Sandra Dickinson, Georgia Moffett, is also an actress, and auditioned for the role of Rose Tyler, the first companion of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors before becoming the Tenth Doctor's cloned daughter. Peter Davison has two other children with his present wife, Elizabeth Morton.

Most recently he renewed his connection with Doctor Who by Starring alongside David Tennant in the 2007 Two Doctor Children in Need Special, Time Crash.

Film and TV

Doctor Who: Time Crash (2007) (TV) .... The Doctor

"Doctor Who" (71 episodes)
Logopolis: Part 1 (28 February 1981) - The Doctor
Logopolis: Part 4 (21 March 1981) - The Doctor
Castrovalva: Part 1 (4 January 1982) - The Doctor
Castrovalva: Part 2 (5 January 1982) - The Doctor
Castrovalva: Part 3 (11 January 1982) - The Doctor
Castrovalva: Part 4 (12 January 1982) - The Doctor
Four to Doomsday: Part 1 (18 January 1982) - The Doctor
Four to Doomsday: Part 2 (19 January 1982) - The Doctor
Four to Doomsday: Part 3 (25 January 1982) - The Doctor
Four to Doomsday: Part 4 (26 January 1982) - The Doctor
Kinda: Part 1 (1 February 1982) - The Doctor
Kinda: Part 2 (2 February 1982) - The Doctor
Kinda: Part 3 (8 February 1982) - The Doctor
Kinda: Part Four (9 February 1982) - The Doctor
The Visitation: Part 1 (15 February 1982) - The Doctor
The Visitation: Part 2 (16 February 1982) - The Doctor
The Visitation: Part 3 (22 February 1982) - The Doctor
The Visitation: Part 4 (23 February 1982) - The Doctor
Black Orchid: Part 1 (1 March 1982) - The Doctor
Black Orchid: Part 2 (2 March 1982) - The Doctor
Earthshock: Part 1 (8 March 1982) - The Doctor
Earthshock: Part 2 (9 March 1982) - The Doctor
Earthshock: Part 3 (15 March 1982) - The Doctor
Earthshock: Part 4 (16 March 1982) - The Doctor
Time-Flight: Part 1 (22 March 1982) - The Doctor
Time-Flight: Part 2 (23 March 1982) - The Doctor
Time-Flight: Part 3 (29 March 1982) - The Doctor
Time-Flight: Part 4 (30 March 1982) - The Doctor

Arc of Infinity: Part 1 (3 January 1983) - The Doctor/Omega
Arc of Infinity: Part 2 (4 January 1983) - The Doctor
Arc of Infinity: Part 3 (11 January 1983) - The Doctor
Arc of Infinity: Part 4 (12 January 1983) - The Doctor
Snakedance: Part 1 (18 January 1983) - The Doctor
Snakedance: Part 2 (19 January 1983) - The Doctor
Snakedance: Part 3 (25 January 1983) - The Doctor
Snakedance: Part 4 (26 January 1983) - The Doctor
Mawdryn Undead: Part 1 (1 February 1983) - The Doctor
Mawdryn Undead: Part 2 (2 February 1983) - The Doctor
Mawdryn Undead: Part 3 (8 February 1983) - The Doctor
Mawdryn Undead: Part 4 (9 February 1983) - The Doctor
Terminus: Part 1 (15 February 1983) - The Doctor
Terminus: Part 2 (16 February 1983) - The Doctor
Terminus: Part 3 (22 February 1983) - The Doctor
Terminus: Part 4 (23 February 1983) - The Doctor
Enlightenment: Part 1 (1 March 1983) - The Doctor
Enlightenment: Part 2 (2 March 1983) - The Doctor
Enlightenment: Part 3 (8 March 1983) - The Doctor
Enlightenment: Part 4 (9 March 1983) - The Doctor

The King's Demons: Part 1 (15 March 1983) - The Doctor
The King's Demons: Part 2 (16 March 1983) - The Doctor
Warriors of the Deep: Part 1 (5 January 1984) - The Doctor
Warriors of the Deep: Part 2 (6 January 1984) - The Doctor
Warriors of the Deep: Part 3 (12 January 1984) - The Doctor
Warriors of the Deep: Part 4 (13 January 1984) - The Doctor
The Awakening: Part 1 (19 January 1984) - The Doctor
The Awakening: Part 2 (20 January 1984) - The Doctor
Frontios: Part 1 (26 January 1984) - The Doctor
Frontios: Part 2 (27 January 1984) - The Doctor
Frontios: Part 3 (2 February 1984) - The Doctor
Frontios: Part 4 (3 February 1984) - The Doctor
Resurrection of the Daleks: Part 1 (8 February 1984) - The Doctor
Resurrection of the Daleks: Part 2 (15 February 1984) - The Doctor
Planet of Fire: Part 1 (23 February 1984) - The Doctor
Planet of Fire: Part 2 (24 February 1984) - The Doctor
Planet of Fire: Part 3 (1 March 1984) - The Doctor
Planet of Fire: Part 4 (2 March 1984) - The Doctor
The Caves of Androzani: Part 1 (8 March 1984) - The Doctor
The Caves of Androzani: Part 2 (9 March 1984) - The Doctor
The Caves of Androzani: Part 3 (15 March 1984) - The Doctor
The Caves of Androzani: Part 4 (16 March 1984) - The Doctor
The Twin Dilemma: Part 1 (22 March 1984) - The Doctor (uncredited)

"The Complete Guide to Parenting" (2006) TV Series .... George Huntley

"The Last Detective" .... Detective Constable 'Dangerous' Davies / ... (13 episodes, 2003-2005)
"Distant Shores" .... Bill Shore (7 episodes, 2005)
Too Good to Be True (2003) (TV) .... Robert

"At Home with the Braithwaites" (2000) TV Series .... David Braithwaite
The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything (1999) (TV) .... Ferdinand Magellan
"The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries" .... Inspector Henry Christmas / ... (3 episodes, 1999)
- The Worsted Viper (1999) TV Episode .... Inspector Harry Christmas
- The Rising of the Moon (1999) TV Episode .... Inspector Henry Christmas
- Death at the Opera (1999) TV Episode .... Inspector Henry Christmas
"Hope & Glory" .... Neil Bruce (1 episode, 1999)
... aka Hope and Glory (UK: new title)
- Episode #1.1 (1999) TV Episode .... Neil Bruce
Parting Shots (1999) .... John
Wuthering Heights (1998) (TV) .... Joseph Lockwood
"Verdict" .... Michael Naylor (1 episode, 1998)
- Be My Valentine (1998) TV Episode .... Michael Naylor
The Stalker's Apprentice (1998) (TV) .... Maurice Burt
"Jonathan Creek" .... Reverend Stephen Claithorne (1 episode, 1998)
- Danse Macabre (1998) TV Episode .... Reverend Stephen Claithorne
Destiny of the Doctors (1998) (VG) (voice) .... The Doctor
Dear Nobody (1997) (TV) .... Mr. Garton
Cuts (1996) (TV) .... Henry Babbacombe
Ghosts of Winterborne (1996) (V) .... Gavin Purcell
... aka P.R.O.B.E.: Ghosts of Winterborne (UK: complete title)
The Devil of Winterborne (1995) (V) .... Purcell
... aka P.R.O.B.E.: The Devil of Winterborne (UK: complete title)
Molly (1995) (TV) .... Mr. Greenfield
The Adventures of Mole (1995) (TV) .... Mole
... aka The Wind in the Willows Collection: The Adventures of Mole (USA: video title)
]

Black Beauty (1994) .... Squire Gordon
"Ain't Misbehavin" (1994) TV Series .... Clive Quigley (unknown episodes)
The Zero Imperative (1994) (V) (uncredited) .... Patient One
... aka P.R.O.B.E.: The Zero Imperative (UK: reissue title)
... aka The Stranger: The Zero Imperative (UK: video box title)
Mole's Christmas (1994) (TV) .... Mole
... aka The Wind in the Willows Collection: Mole's Christmas (USA: video title)
A Man You Don't Meet Every Day (1994) .... Charlotte's husband
Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (1993) (TV) .... The Doctor
The Airzone Solution (1993) (V) .... Al Dunbar
'Doctor Who': Daleks - The Early Years (1993) (V) .... Presenter
A Very Polish Practice (1992) (TV) .... Dr. Stephen Daker
... aka Screen One: A Very Polish Practice
Harnessing Peacocks (1992) (TV) .... Jim Huxtable
"Fiddlers Three" (1991) TV Series .... Ralph West (unknown episodes)

All Creatures Great and Small: Brotherly Love (1990) (TV) .... Tristan Farnon
"All Creatures Great and Small" .... Tristan Farnon (28 episodes, 1978-1990)
"Campion" .... Albert Campion (16 episodes, 1989-1990)
... aka Mystery!: Campion (USA)
- "Kinsey" (1990) TV Series .... Bob Stacey
"Tales of the Unexpected" .... Jeremy Tyler (1 episode, 1988)
... aka Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected
- Wink Three Times (1988) TV Episode .... Jeremy Tyler
"A Very Peculiar Practice" .... Dr. Stephen Daker (7 episodes, 1986)
All Creatures Great and Small: 1985 Christmas Special (1985) (TV) .... Tristan Farnon
"Magnum, P.I." .... Ian Mackerras (1 episode, 1985)
- Deja Vu (1985) TV Episode .... Ian Mackerras
A Pocket Full of Rye (1985) (TV) .... Lance Fortescue
... aka Miss Marple: A Pocketful of Rye (UK: series title)
"Anna of the Five Towns" (1985) (mini) TV Series .... Henry Mynors
"Fox Tales" (1985) TV Series (voice) .... Narrator/Grandma/Mrs Fox/Cat/Rooster/Bear
All Creatures Great and Small: 1983 Christmas Special (1983) (TV) .... Tristan Farnon
Doctor Who: The Five Doctors (1983) (TV) .... The Doctor
"The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy" (1981) (mini) TV Series .... Dish of the Day
... aka The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (USA: video title)
"Sink or Swim" (1980) TV Series .... Brian Webber (unknown episodes)
"Holding the Fort" (1980) TV Series .... Russell Milburn
"Love for Lydia" (1977) (mini) TV Series .... Tom Holland
"The Tomorrow People" .... Elmer (3 episodes, 1975)
"Warship" .... Constable Munk (1 episode, 1974)
- One of Those Days (1974) TV Episode .... Constable Munk