Who is the greatest ever Doctor Who?
Posted by on 22 Apr 09So far there have been ten official Doctors. But which actor has best encapsulated the spirit of the TV Time Lord? We'll give you a clue – they named him after your favourite TV channel. No, not Pertwee-Vision, silly.
Ladies and gentlemen. Despite the severe economic downturn, the mounting evidence of global warning etc, etc we are living in cherished times. Not only do we have the greatest ever Bond currently inhabiting the role of 007, we also have - in our humble opinion - the best ever TV Time Lord right here, right now in the spindly shape of Dave Tennant. Ok, so he's now actually chucked in the best flippin' TV job in the world (with the possible exception of being a Top Gear presenter) but they haven't escorted him from the building just yet. So, let's enjoy Doctor Dave while we can before big-chinned Matt Smith gets the keys to the TARDIS.
The Ten TV Time Lords in order, from worst to best according to Dave
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/590928_m.jpg
10th place: Paul McGann 1996
Between the original and the rebooted series was the Eighth Doctor. His TARDIS was Gothic, his clothes almost normal and he revealed he was "half human, on his mother's side." He could have been great, but - in the blink of an ill-fated TV movie - it was over.
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/untitled.bmp
9th place: Sylvester McCoy 1987-89The Seventh Doctor was an enigma. You could tell he was an enigma because he played chess. He could also be really ruthless. But the original run of Who was flagging by the time McCoy arrived, so we had trouble taking him into our (two) hearts.
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/590924_m.jpg
8th place: Colin Baker 1984-86The black sheep of the clan (though you wouldn't know it from his garish outfit), the Sixth Doctor was stubborn, arrogant and had no problem dishing out violence. Colin's Who was so extreme, you either loved or hated him. We tended towards the latter.
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/590926_m.jpg
7th place: William Hartnell 1963-66 The incredible success of Who stems right back to one man: Hartnell. The first actor to fill the Time Lord's shoes, he made the character a telly icon and paved the way for all who came after him. Yep, he's the Daddy. But he's, like, soooo 40 years ago.
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/untitled_.bmp
6th place: Peter Davison 1982-84
Ah, the fresh-faced Fifth Doctor - with his impeccable manners and breathless sincerity, he's the Time Lord you'd take home to meet your mum. Kind, vulnerable, and selfless... on second thoughts, you'd probably just leave him at your mum's.
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/590923_m.jpg
5th place: Patrick Troughton 1966-69
With his recorder, ruffled hair and hobo clothes, it was the Second Doctor's charmingly child-like view of the universe that made him so endearing. And, in being the first to redefine the role after Hartnell, he ensured the longevity of the character.
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/untitled__.bmp
4th place: Jon Pertwee 1970-74
The Third Doctor was a down-to-earth man of action, who just happened to feel more comfortable in velvet capes and frilly shirts. Even if some of his gadgets were a bit on the silly side, this comedy actor gave us the most serious of all the Doctors.
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/untitled___.bmp
3rd place: Christopher Eccleston 2005
While most of the others were father figures, Eccleston's Ninth Doctor was more of an older brother, with explosive enthusiasm and a zest for life. Plus he introduced a whole new generation to the pleasures of planet hopping. Fantastic.
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/untitled____.bmp
2nd place: Tom Baker 1974-1981
A mixture of Lord Byron, Oscar Wilde and Sherlock Holmes, Tom's flamboyant Fourth Doctor remains the best of the original series. He played the role longer than anyone else - seven years - and completely made it his own.
OLD IMAGE HERE: http://static.dave.uktv.co.uk/site_media/images/uploaded/2009/04/22/590918_m.jpg
1st place: Dave Tennant 2005-2009
With his tight-fitting suit, retro glasses and tugged-down tie, the Tenth Doctor is the epitome of geek chic. Cheeky, witty, sexy and utterly charismatic, he's also the Doctor with the most heart. Admit it - you want to be him. Don't you? DON'T YOU?
