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Season 12 Time!
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Peter Capaldi is leaving Doctor Who! It still only feels like yesterday when I watched "The Eleventh Hour", Matt Smith's debut episode, back in 2010 and instantly fell in love with this show. Its tone, its aliens, its companions, and more importantly, the concept of regeneration that has single-handedly kept it from being another forgotten 60s relic.
Now I think is the time for me to list my favourite Doctors in celebration.
13. The Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker (1984-1987)
Might as well start with the butt of Doctor Who jokes, the 80s. Generally seen as the show's dark age, it hit its peak in 1984 with the 4-part serial "The Twin Dilemma" where the newly-regenerated Doctor strangles his companion in a fit of rage! Even though it's acted well, it goes against everything The Doctor had been up to that point: a hero. This was only the start, but at least things got slightly better over time for Six's personality.
Again, it's not because Colin Baker is a bad actor, far from it, no Doctor is acted poorly, but he came at a time after the show had hit its peak and before it had the nuts to try something new, and as such, the scripts didn't accomodate for his character very well. Let it be known that I'm just talking about the series; I know he's done much better in the Big Finish audio dramas that started rolling out in 1999, though I'm just talking about the series here, and in the series proper, The Sixth Doctor era is a real disappointment.
Favourite Quote: "You see our time together as aimless!?"
Favourite Story: Mindwarp! (1986)
12. The War Doctor - John Hurt (2013)
This Doctor served a great purpose in the context of the show, as he was the incarnation that fought in the Time War, that saw his whole race seemingly die out, kickstarting the events of the New Series. Looked down upon with shame for centuries by his future selves, he got the chance to redeem himself when 10 and 11 went back and saved Gallifrey.
As I've pointed out, within the show, he did good…but only once. Due to John Hurt's recent passing (which means no more War Doctor) and his lack of supplementary material, he was really only created for the moment, and as such, there isn't a lot to say about him. But what there is to say about him is extraordinary to say the least.
Favourite Quote: "Great men are forged in fire, it is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame."
Favourite Story: The Day Of The Doctor (2013)
11. The First Doctor - William Hartnell (1963-1966)
The original Time Lord, played by the man most associated with the series' genesis (even though he was just the actor), though why shouldn't he get some of the glory? He's the first one on this list that I really enjoy watching, especially his earlier adventures before William's health started deteriorating, which was the reason they took him off the show.
One thing that automatically puts this Doctor rather low on the list however is that he had to endure the character development of going from a grumpy old man to a somewhat feisty but loveable old man throughout the first 13 episodes, a character arc that's wrapped up nicely but sorta fatigues because he appears in 130 episodes (give or take) as opposed to 13. He's a nice Doctor to have for a single standard-length season or two, but being the second-longest-running (by screentime) is a bit too long for me.
Favourite Quote: "It all started out as a mild curiosity in a junkyard, but now it's turned out to be quite a great spirit of adventure, don't you think?"
Favourite Story: The Keys Of Marinus (1964)
10. The Second Doctor - Patrick Troughton (1966-1969)
A solid favourite for many people, but unfortunately not for me. While I can respect how vital his performance is to Doctor Who as we see it today, it reminds me of how many Doctors have taken his style and done better with it.
That isn't to say that The Second Doctor has no redeeming qualities. He was definitely the first to feel really quirky and fresh in each story, something The First Doctor lacked much of, and the quirks that spread across his whole run made him fun to watch/listen to throughout his tenure as The Doctor. Not to mention, this was when the companions started acting less like tools used by the writers to keep The Doctor one step behind in his journey and more like friends of The Doctor's.
Favourite Quote: "Logic merely enables one to be wrong with authority."
Favourite Story: The Tomb Of The Cybermen (1967)
9. The Eighth Doctor - Paul McGann (1996)
Much like The War Doctor, this guy had some points knocked off him for having limited canon appearances, but that doesn't mean he wasn't great while his ride lasted. His single TV Movie was a mixed bag in many ways, sure, but Paul McGann's portrayal of The Doctor as this young, aristocratic (kinda) fortune-teller won him the hearts of many.
Though his adventures don't stop there. He's the incarnation that has the single most expansive library of Big Finish audio dramas which have won him even more acclaim, but since I've refrained from listening to them because I like sticking to the most canon source possible for these sorts of things, they don't contribute to The Eighth Doctor's placing, but at least he made it into the Top 10 so that's a testament to how great a single appearance from him is.
Favourite Quote: "You're tired of living, but afraid of dying."
Favourite Story: San Francisco, 1999 (1996)
8. The Third Doctor - Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
Doctor Who was in serious trouble in the ratings when Jon Pertwee stepped into the role, and as such, the show was significantly retooled for his debut story, "Spearhead From Space". What we got instead of a 7th monotonous season of fighting grey rubber aliens in space, was an Avengers-style teamup involving the military and alien invasions coming down to Earth in a mystical time near the end of the 20th century when nobody knew how to use a calendar.
Retooled (but not remade) for the 1970s with the brand-new addition of technicolour, everything about his era felt like a significant improvment over past seasons, especially near the end of his run when he was finally allowed to roam the stars once again, making his first 3 seasons more than worth the wait and his last 2 a real joy to watch.
Favourite Quote: "It seems as though I'm some sort of intergalactic yoyo!"
Favourite Story: The Three Doctors (1972)
7. The Ninth Doctor - Christopher Eccleston (2005)
You know how I said The First Doctor was the kind of Doctor that should've lasted about one season? The Ninth exemplifies this notion! To soft-reboot a show which has such notorious "revolving door casting", you should have your first main character be someone who's fantastic for just one season so that the audience is ready to move on and accept that this is the way it's going to be. Think about it, if Christopher Eccleston stayed up to about Series 3, his departure would have to be a lot more dramatic and may have been too sad for his audience.
Now that I've got that out of the way, I have to say that he hit every emotional barrier The Doctor is meant to have and then some. A dark and troubled past, a bright and silly side, an affection for humans and the planet Earth in general, and a sense of justice. All of these combined brought Doctor Who back in a way no other actor could've pulled off.
Favourite Quote: "You could stay here, fill your life with work and food, or you could go…anywhere."
Favourite Story: The Parting Of The Ways (2005)
6. The Seventh Doctor - Sylvester McCoy (1987-1989)
It's amazing that The Seventh Doctor was able to make it so high on this list (in comparision to other Doctors mind you) because, let's be honest, his first season wasn't good…his first season wasn't good at all. Furthermore, once the production team got their crud together, the show was at its death knell and his last 2 seasons were some of the lowest-rated in the series' long history. However, upon returning to those last 2 seasons, they're some of the best drama produced in Britain during the 1980s.
It's widely accepted that his era was the one that cemented what Doctor Who would be in the 2000s: an event drama that focused on the companions' reactions towards The Doctor first and The Doctor saving the day second. This formula worked great up to "Survival", which was the perfect place to bow out. I personally feel as though a 4th Sylvester McCoy season would've been a bit too much, plus Doctor Who was just not fit for the 1990s at all.
Favourite Quote: The ending monologue from Survival
Favourite Story: Remembrance Of The Daleks (1988)
5. The Twelfth Doctor - Peter Capaldi (2013-2017)
When you think of there being a newest Doctor, you'd expect him to be young and dashing. Ironically, my first "newest Doctor" was old, yet still rather handsome and eccentric. Oh he's eccentric alright, these two seasons have told me that much. He also has a touch of rebel in him that hadn't been seen since the late Classic Series, and it's more than welcome to see again.
However, being the most recent Doctor and all, I can't really say that he's an officially integral part of the franchise until his era ends next Christmas, which sucks because it reminds me that either the show is going to end with The Doctor dying once and for all, it's gonna keep going on forever until there's too many Doctors to even keep track of, or one single incarnation is going to walk away bearing the title of The Last Doctor.
Favourite Quote: "I am an idiot with a box and a screwdriver!"
Favourite Story: The Magician's Apprentice (2015)
4. The Fourth Doctor - Tom Baker (1974-1981)
To your parents, he's not just "a Doctor", he is The Doctor (the definite article, you might say). And hey, if you did the same job for 7 years, you'd be widely known for that job as well. Then again, there's a good reason why Tom Baker was on the show for as long as he was, and that's because no Doctor before him looked or acted as strange as him. As an alien, you'd expect him to have alien qualities, and The Fourth Doctor delivers on that front.
A notable thing about his tenure is that it's technically 3 split up into different chunks. The first is the "Hinchcliffe era" (1974-1977) which focused on horror and frightening stories, the "Williams era" (1977-1979) which had more of an emphasis on silliness and comedy, and finally the "JNT era" (1980-1981) where they had no idea how to write The Fourth Doctor so they just made everything he wore red. As you can see, he covered many bases, and it's easy to see why people love him to death by just seeing how varied his time on the show was.
Favourite Quote: "I'm not a human being, I walk in eternity."
Favourite Story: Pyramids Of Mars (1975)
3. The Tenth Doctor - David Tennant (2005-2009)
If Tom Baker was your parents' Doctor, then David Tennant was your Doctor. He was the one that more or less made Doctor Who "cool to watch" again. In more ways than one, he felt like an improvment over Christopher Eccleston, especially as Russel T Davies started getting more mature with the series and The Tenth Doctor's subtle changes in characterization over time didn't feel rushed or forced.
I know many people who don't like his era for the above reasons, namely Series 2 and The Stolen Earth where his relationship with Rose seemingly went "too far" (though if you ask me, Clara is the epitome of "going too far"), but that's more a problem with Rose's character than The Doctor's. Plus he has 2-85 other companions (depending on your definition of "companion")!
Favourite Quote: "Alonzi!"
Favourite Story: Scilence In The Library (2008)
2. The Eleventh Doctor - Matt Smith (2009-2013)
The first Doctor that I saw onscreen, and let me tell you, he quickly won a place in my heart. Although his second season was hit-or-miss and his third was all over the place without much construction, at least he was tailor-made for those episodes, and he doesn't disappoint whenever he's onscreen. I'd say he's The Second Doctor done right, but there's nothing wrong with The Second Doctor other than not aging as well as some of the other Classics.
One thing I think he has over David Tennant is that he's more accessible for children. He's definitely among the most childlike incarnations of the Time Lord, and if I were to recommend an episode for your children to start off with, it'd be "The Eleventh Hour". Seriously, it's one of the best introductory stories for any Doctor.
Favourite Quote: "You know when grown-ups tell you everything's going to be fine, and you think they're probably lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine."
Favourite Story: The Impossible Astronaut (2011)
1 The Fifth Doctor - Peter Davison (1981-1984)
Back when I started to collect Classic Doctor Who DVDs, I tried to be as varied in my collection as possible, but ended up buying more Fifth Doctor DVDs than any other. Seriously, they were good! Season 19 alone is my favourite season of the show, its first 3 stories being especially brilliant. A good reason as to why Peter Davison is number one is because of his role in the show, having to replace Tom Baker as the show's main character, and you know what? He had a pretty healthy run that was only soured by some Season 21 stories, and even then, they weren't that bad in comparision to Colin and Sylvester's blunders.
There's also just how amazing he is in his stories. Seriously, I can't get enough of his performance of what's meant to be "a nice man in a mean universe", a combination that encapsulated the cynicism but also the joy of watching Doctor Who. Sure, everything and everyone around you can be downright vulgar, but you can save the day in the end. I don't think this was the intent of The Fifth Doctor, but that's what I got out of it, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Favourite Quote: "Sometimes the small and beautiful things are what life is all about."
Favourite Story: The Caves Of Androzani (1984)
With all that said and done, Question of the Day: Who do you think will be The Thirteenth Doctor?
Now I think is the time for me to list my favourite Doctors in celebration.
13. The Sixth Doctor - Colin Baker (1984-1987)
Might as well start with the butt of Doctor Who jokes, the 80s. Generally seen as the show's dark age, it hit its peak in 1984 with the 4-part serial "The Twin Dilemma" where the newly-regenerated Doctor strangles his companion in a fit of rage! Even though it's acted well, it goes against everything The Doctor had been up to that point: a hero. This was only the start, but at least things got slightly better over time for Six's personality.
Again, it's not because Colin Baker is a bad actor, far from it, no Doctor is acted poorly, but he came at a time after the show had hit its peak and before it had the nuts to try something new, and as such, the scripts didn't accomodate for his character very well. Let it be known that I'm just talking about the series; I know he's done much better in the Big Finish audio dramas that started rolling out in 1999, though I'm just talking about the series here, and in the series proper, The Sixth Doctor era is a real disappointment.
Favourite Quote: "You see our time together as aimless!?"
Favourite Story: Mindwarp! (1986)
12. The War Doctor - John Hurt (2013)
This Doctor served a great purpose in the context of the show, as he was the incarnation that fought in the Time War, that saw his whole race seemingly die out, kickstarting the events of the New Series. Looked down upon with shame for centuries by his future selves, he got the chance to redeem himself when 10 and 11 went back and saved Gallifrey.
As I've pointed out, within the show, he did good…but only once. Due to John Hurt's recent passing (which means no more War Doctor) and his lack of supplementary material, he was really only created for the moment, and as such, there isn't a lot to say about him. But what there is to say about him is extraordinary to say the least.
Favourite Quote: "Great men are forged in fire, it is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame."
Favourite Story: The Day Of The Doctor (2013)
11. The First Doctor - William Hartnell (1963-1966)
The original Time Lord, played by the man most associated with the series' genesis (even though he was just the actor), though why shouldn't he get some of the glory? He's the first one on this list that I really enjoy watching, especially his earlier adventures before William's health started deteriorating, which was the reason they took him off the show.
One thing that automatically puts this Doctor rather low on the list however is that he had to endure the character development of going from a grumpy old man to a somewhat feisty but loveable old man throughout the first 13 episodes, a character arc that's wrapped up nicely but sorta fatigues because he appears in 130 episodes (give or take) as opposed to 13. He's a nice Doctor to have for a single standard-length season or two, but being the second-longest-running (by screentime) is a bit too long for me.
Favourite Quote: "It all started out as a mild curiosity in a junkyard, but now it's turned out to be quite a great spirit of adventure, don't you think?"
Favourite Story: The Keys Of Marinus (1964)
10. The Second Doctor - Patrick Troughton (1966-1969)
A solid favourite for many people, but unfortunately not for me. While I can respect how vital his performance is to Doctor Who as we see it today, it reminds me of how many Doctors have taken his style and done better with it.
That isn't to say that The Second Doctor has no redeeming qualities. He was definitely the first to feel really quirky and fresh in each story, something The First Doctor lacked much of, and the quirks that spread across his whole run made him fun to watch/listen to throughout his tenure as The Doctor. Not to mention, this was when the companions started acting less like tools used by the writers to keep The Doctor one step behind in his journey and more like friends of The Doctor's.
Favourite Quote: "Logic merely enables one to be wrong with authority."
Favourite Story: The Tomb Of The Cybermen (1967)
9. The Eighth Doctor - Paul McGann (1996)
Much like The War Doctor, this guy had some points knocked off him for having limited canon appearances, but that doesn't mean he wasn't great while his ride lasted. His single TV Movie was a mixed bag in many ways, sure, but Paul McGann's portrayal of The Doctor as this young, aristocratic (kinda) fortune-teller won him the hearts of many.
Though his adventures don't stop there. He's the incarnation that has the single most expansive library of Big Finish audio dramas which have won him even more acclaim, but since I've refrained from listening to them because I like sticking to the most canon source possible for these sorts of things, they don't contribute to The Eighth Doctor's placing, but at least he made it into the Top 10 so that's a testament to how great a single appearance from him is.
Favourite Quote: "You're tired of living, but afraid of dying."
Favourite Story: San Francisco, 1999 (1996)
8. The Third Doctor - Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
Doctor Who was in serious trouble in the ratings when Jon Pertwee stepped into the role, and as such, the show was significantly retooled for his debut story, "Spearhead From Space". What we got instead of a 7th monotonous season of fighting grey rubber aliens in space, was an Avengers-style teamup involving the military and alien invasions coming down to Earth in a mystical time near the end of the 20th century when nobody knew how to use a calendar.
Retooled (but not remade) for the 1970s with the brand-new addition of technicolour, everything about his era felt like a significant improvment over past seasons, especially near the end of his run when he was finally allowed to roam the stars once again, making his first 3 seasons more than worth the wait and his last 2 a real joy to watch.
Favourite Quote: "It seems as though I'm some sort of intergalactic yoyo!"
Favourite Story: The Three Doctors (1972)
7. The Ninth Doctor - Christopher Eccleston (2005)
You know how I said The First Doctor was the kind of Doctor that should've lasted about one season? The Ninth exemplifies this notion! To soft-reboot a show which has such notorious "revolving door casting", you should have your first main character be someone who's fantastic for just one season so that the audience is ready to move on and accept that this is the way it's going to be. Think about it, if Christopher Eccleston stayed up to about Series 3, his departure would have to be a lot more dramatic and may have been too sad for his audience.
Now that I've got that out of the way, I have to say that he hit every emotional barrier The Doctor is meant to have and then some. A dark and troubled past, a bright and silly side, an affection for humans and the planet Earth in general, and a sense of justice. All of these combined brought Doctor Who back in a way no other actor could've pulled off.
Favourite Quote: "You could stay here, fill your life with work and food, or you could go…anywhere."
Favourite Story: The Parting Of The Ways (2005)
6. The Seventh Doctor - Sylvester McCoy (1987-1989)
It's amazing that The Seventh Doctor was able to make it so high on this list (in comparision to other Doctors mind you) because, let's be honest, his first season wasn't good…his first season wasn't good at all. Furthermore, once the production team got their crud together, the show was at its death knell and his last 2 seasons were some of the lowest-rated in the series' long history. However, upon returning to those last 2 seasons, they're some of the best drama produced in Britain during the 1980s.
It's widely accepted that his era was the one that cemented what Doctor Who would be in the 2000s: an event drama that focused on the companions' reactions towards The Doctor first and The Doctor saving the day second. This formula worked great up to "Survival", which was the perfect place to bow out. I personally feel as though a 4th Sylvester McCoy season would've been a bit too much, plus Doctor Who was just not fit for the 1990s at all.
Favourite Quote: The ending monologue from Survival
Favourite Story: Remembrance Of The Daleks (1988)
5. The Twelfth Doctor - Peter Capaldi (2013-2017)
When you think of there being a newest Doctor, you'd expect him to be young and dashing. Ironically, my first "newest Doctor" was old, yet still rather handsome and eccentric. Oh he's eccentric alright, these two seasons have told me that much. He also has a touch of rebel in him that hadn't been seen since the late Classic Series, and it's more than welcome to see again.
However, being the most recent Doctor and all, I can't really say that he's an officially integral part of the franchise until his era ends next Christmas, which sucks because it reminds me that either the show is going to end with The Doctor dying once and for all, it's gonna keep going on forever until there's too many Doctors to even keep track of, or one single incarnation is going to walk away bearing the title of The Last Doctor.
Favourite Quote: "I am an idiot with a box and a screwdriver!"
Favourite Story: The Magician's Apprentice (2015)
4. The Fourth Doctor - Tom Baker (1974-1981)
To your parents, he's not just "a Doctor", he is The Doctor (the definite article, you might say). And hey, if you did the same job for 7 years, you'd be widely known for that job as well. Then again, there's a good reason why Tom Baker was on the show for as long as he was, and that's because no Doctor before him looked or acted as strange as him. As an alien, you'd expect him to have alien qualities, and The Fourth Doctor delivers on that front.
A notable thing about his tenure is that it's technically 3 split up into different chunks. The first is the "Hinchcliffe era" (1974-1977) which focused on horror and frightening stories, the "Williams era" (1977-1979) which had more of an emphasis on silliness and comedy, and finally the "JNT era" (1980-1981) where they had no idea how to write The Fourth Doctor so they just made everything he wore red. As you can see, he covered many bases, and it's easy to see why people love him to death by just seeing how varied his time on the show was.
Favourite Quote: "I'm not a human being, I walk in eternity."
Favourite Story: Pyramids Of Mars (1975)
3. The Tenth Doctor - David Tennant (2005-2009)
If Tom Baker was your parents' Doctor, then David Tennant was your Doctor. He was the one that more or less made Doctor Who "cool to watch" again. In more ways than one, he felt like an improvment over Christopher Eccleston, especially as Russel T Davies started getting more mature with the series and The Tenth Doctor's subtle changes in characterization over time didn't feel rushed or forced.
I know many people who don't like his era for the above reasons, namely Series 2 and The Stolen Earth where his relationship with Rose seemingly went "too far" (though if you ask me, Clara is the epitome of "going too far"), but that's more a problem with Rose's character than The Doctor's. Plus he has 2-85 other companions (depending on your definition of "companion")!
Favourite Quote: "Alonzi!"
Favourite Story: Scilence In The Library (2008)
2. The Eleventh Doctor - Matt Smith (2009-2013)
The first Doctor that I saw onscreen, and let me tell you, he quickly won a place in my heart. Although his second season was hit-or-miss and his third was all over the place without much construction, at least he was tailor-made for those episodes, and he doesn't disappoint whenever he's onscreen. I'd say he's The Second Doctor done right, but there's nothing wrong with The Second Doctor other than not aging as well as some of the other Classics.
One thing I think he has over David Tennant is that he's more accessible for children. He's definitely among the most childlike incarnations of the Time Lord, and if I were to recommend an episode for your children to start off with, it'd be "The Eleventh Hour". Seriously, it's one of the best introductory stories for any Doctor.
Favourite Quote: "You know when grown-ups tell you everything's going to be fine, and you think they're probably lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine."
Favourite Story: The Impossible Astronaut (2011)
1 The Fifth Doctor - Peter Davison (1981-1984)
Back when I started to collect Classic Doctor Who DVDs, I tried to be as varied in my collection as possible, but ended up buying more Fifth Doctor DVDs than any other. Seriously, they were good! Season 19 alone is my favourite season of the show, its first 3 stories being especially brilliant. A good reason as to why Peter Davison is number one is because of his role in the show, having to replace Tom Baker as the show's main character, and you know what? He had a pretty healthy run that was only soured by some Season 21 stories, and even then, they weren't that bad in comparision to Colin and Sylvester's blunders.
There's also just how amazing he is in his stories. Seriously, I can't get enough of his performance of what's meant to be "a nice man in a mean universe", a combination that encapsulated the cynicism but also the joy of watching Doctor Who. Sure, everything and everyone around you can be downright vulgar, but you can save the day in the end. I don't think this was the intent of The Fifth Doctor, but that's what I got out of it, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Favourite Quote: "Sometimes the small and beautiful things are what life is all about."
Favourite Story: The Caves Of Androzani (1984)
With all that said and done, Question of the Day: Who do you think will be The Thirteenth Doctor?
