Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I was having a super nerdy conversation today, and thought I would ask, what you, the viewers at home, think.

Who was the best Doctor Who, and why?

For me the answer is simple, and apparently unpopular.

My favorite is The Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann).

I can hear the pitchforks being gathered and the torches being lit... if you give me a moment, I'll explain.

Even though he's only had three appearances, once in an American TV pilot, second showing us how the War Doctor came to be and third in 2022, there are 70 audio dramas starring McGann.

After Doctor Who was canceled and the American Pilot (1996) wasn't picked up, the future of Doctor Who looked bleak, except for one thing:

Audio Dramas.

They continued the Eighth Doctor on, in new adventures. Sure, they weren't on TV, but they were new and fun and good, and for years, they were the only Doctor Who, who you could count on seeing new material from.

But, I feel that I'm the only person stateside who has any recollection of this... and live in the Shadow of Ten and Eleven.

What do you think?

Tom Baker is, of course, the correct answer.

Ncuti Gatwa - hes my first doctor

The most common answer will be 'the Doctor who I saw first'.

We should probably set up a poll for all the doctors, with an extra option for 'the Doctor I saw first'...

Mine was Tom Baker. Don't get me wrong, I like the other classic Doctors too (the less said about Doctors 8+ the better I like it). But Tom Baker odd combination of being a bit silly while also remaining dead serious really drove home the idea that while the Doctor may LOOK human, he really isn't human after all.

YMMV as always.

I believe my first was Peter Davison, but in the VHS of The Five Doctors, so I suppose my first was all of them at the time (I still even have a certain fondness for Richard Hurndall). I definitely had Revenge of the Cybermen (Baker) on VHS, which was on sale around the same time, but I believe I only acquired it later - my memory's quite hazy that far back, so it's possible I have the order mixed up, or that I'd seen some reruns (ABC, our public broadcaster, had the rights up until the Disney partnership, and back in the day they aired reruns much more frequently than even the BBC used to - even when the show wasn't in production, it was a rare thing for Doctor Who not to be on tv, and I recall in the early 2000s they ran every episode that existed five nights a week; that became a wall of tapes, until dvds took over). In any case not long after whatever my first exposure was I was watching Tom Baker reruns - I remember Deadly Assassin distinctly, and following that the Leela years, then Romana. I read episode novelisations as well, which were from all over the place, including stories from the earlier Doctors I'd only seen in Five - speaking of the early years, it would've been around then I also got The Seeds of Death on VHS, which I know is generally regarded as 'okay' but I loved it, and it really got me hooked on the early serial format (and Troughton, I'm a big Matt Smith fan and I think a lot of that has to do with how much Two was an influence on him).

But my favourite was, and still is despite some very strong challengers in the new era, Sylvester McCoy - I don't recall seeing Colin Baker until later (my first exposure to Six was actually the cassette audio drama Slipback), or even Davison outside of Five Doctors, so it may be that the rerun schedule was still in Baker episodes when it was paused for McCoy's new seasons to air. I'll admit the inevitable crush on Ace had a lot to do with it, but I feel like Seven/Ace in the Cartmel seasons were a perfect storm of Doctor, companion, and writing that even though I adore a lot of the earlier and later eras and a lot are stronger in one way or another, I don't think has quite ever been matched overall.

But with my introduction being all over the shop, jumping back and forth between Doctors and eras, and in the case of the novelisations it not even particularly mattering which Doctor it was, my favourite Doctor is kind of just 'the Doctor' - there's not a one of them I wouldn't happily watch, or get giddy when they turn up out of nowhere to give their current self a pep talk during their latest crisis. Splendid chap/chapette, all of them.

McCoy for me.

Boy he had a ropey start. But once Ace is on the scene, you get my dream team, and some ambitious storytelling and background expansion.

Of the relaunch it’s Capaldi. No more dishy Doctor. No more psychic paper because writing is hard. Oh no. Here comes a Doctor largely reliant on his intelligence and compassion. I have enjoyed Ncuti’s run, but it’s marred by being far too short, and suffering RTDitis.

Matt Smith, Capaldi a strong second once he found his own energy and stopped trying to be Matt Smith But Old.

But I've grown weary of the entire premise with no continuity to speak of and every day is new crazy gak that is only solved with the Doctor's prior, off-screen knowledge or other deus ex machina, and with the writing in a downward spiral for years now, the ethical and emotional payoff is rarely worth the intellectual suffering.

For me it's a tie between Sylvester McCoy and Tom Baker.

McCoy because that was my first Doctor, and Baker because he spent so much time in the role he basically became THE Doctor, IMO.

But I basically like all the Doctors, although, admittedly, I've never seen much of the first two or Capaldi.

Patrick Troughton..... the Second Doctor. They are still in black and white, but the Doctor is very mercurial in his outings, often angry, often whimsical, and very unpredictable.

However, my first was John Pertwee, and I still have a soft spot for him and the Brigadier/Unit. His exile on earth for budget reasons is a very humanized Doctor.

My second favorite is Tom Baker. I mean, that scarf! K-9! Jelly-babies!

Tennant for me. I've never really been all that attached to the greater lore of the series, so he kind of carries the role for me on the strength of exceptional one off stories.

Tennant or Eccleston, though I'm sure I'd have enjoyed late Capaldi or Gatwa if it'd actually watched them.

Best: Tennant
Favorite: Tom Baker

I choose Tennant because if I had to pick one Doctor to show someone who knew nothing about the series I think his run is, overall, the most consistent and accessible.

Surprised no one has mentioned Peter Cushing from the two Doctor Who movies...

My favorite was Hugh Grant.

Joanna Lumley, but for reasons almost entirely unrelated to her performance in the role.

I started with Pertwee, the first serial I can remember watching was The Green Death. That taught a young Charax the meaning of the word Serendipity.

But is he my favourite? No. He's very good, and has some fantastic stories, but not my favourite.

Tom Baker? If I were to give an off the cuff answer it would be him. Definitely has some of the best stories in the show (Genesis of the Daleks!) and does a very good job portraying the alienness of the Doctor, and he has objectively the best companion there has ever been: Sarah Jane Smith.

McGann? I love him. Loved the movie, love his audio adventures, he is a fantastic Doctor that should have had more time.

Eccleston? First Doctor of the revived series, angry, funny, flirty, intense, caring. I would have liked to see more of him, but not my favourite.

I think it has to go to McCoy. Fiendish, manipulative, wise - but also caring and mentoring to Ace (yes, I may have had a bit of a crush on Sophie Aldred). To me McCoy is the quintessential Doctor, embodying all aspects of the character equally well.

 Quixote wrote:
Surprised no one has mentioned Peter Cushing from the two Doctor Who movies...

My favorite was Hugh Grant.

I've seen both of Cushing's movies (good to see Bernard Cribbins in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.), but I still prefer Sylvester McCoy and Peter Capaldi.

Who i liked best, Tom Baker, he played the part so well and had some really great stories and a decent set of companions (and rubbish companions really knocks a doctor)

Who i think was the best Sylvester McCoy, who made the most of the role despite the writing, despite the BBC begining to think the show was on it's last legs, despite having to battle a giant Bertie Basset

David Tennant probably comes in third

 Quixote wrote:
Surprised no one has mentioned Peter Cushing from the two Doctor Who movies...

Probably because they were awful.

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:
Tennant or Eccleston, though I'm sure I'd have enjoyed late Capaldi or Gatwa if it'd actually watched them.

It's funny - I didn't much like Eccleston the first time through, but after rewatching a lot of classic Who with my girls, it finally clicked just how similar in character he is to Tom Baker. He's angrier about it all, but has the same ability to flip between whimsical and serious at the drop of a hat.

I still think modern Who is hamstrung by RTD’s bizarre obsession with bumping off all the other Timelords. It’s just not necessary.

I’m also less disposed to it because I greatly prefer Old Who’s serial approach. But that of course doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy New Who. I just don’t enjoy it as much.

 Quixote wrote:
Surprised no one has mentioned Peter Cushing from the two Doctor Who movies...

My favorite was Hugh Grant.

I'm surprised you didn't say Rowan Atikinson from Curse of the Fatal Death.

Matt smith.

He's helped alot by having one of the best sidekicks, amy pond. Amy actually has a well written story arc from introduction to end.

And his send off speech is amazing. Its all been downhill since.

As a kid it was tom baker, because as others have said he was THE Dr.

Tom Baker is the best one, I think. He's also got some great stories.

Of the modern ones I've seen, I really liked Matt Smith. I thought he played the alien side of the Doctor very well. Sadly, I disliked the plot he was given, especially River Song. He has some great episodes but also a lot of real stinkers.

Tennant generally has better episodes and is very charismatic, but I just preferred how Smith played it.

I haven't seen any of the last three, it sounded to me like the issues I had with storytelling in Smith's era didn't improve. A shame, I was really in the tank for some whimsical british Sci Fi with a protagonist who would go to great lengths to avoid violence. I liked that it was a good counterpoint for kids to the usual "a man's value is based on what he can beat up or kill".