By now everyone has had a chance to watch Day of the Doctor half-a-dozen times and to tire themselves out exclaiming how brilliant it was to see David Tennant as The Doctor again. Which means that we can now rationally discuss how awesome Dr Who is.
I grew up watching Tom Baker hand out jelly babies and foil monsters that looked surprisingly like someone wrestling their way out of a sleeping bag. The Cybermen scared me so much that I had to watch those episodes from behind the couch. As a pre-teen Sylvester McCoy and Ace showed me that all alien planets were filled with evil that only the Doctor could remove. Then David Tennant came along and managed to chew dialogue, scenery and spit out gold without you noticing the Daleks had really dropped the ball on their ‘exterminate’ threats.
So it is hard for me to pick a favourite Doctor, probably harder than picking the most ridiculous monster costume on the show. (Seriously, Cybermen were guys wearing earmuffs and cricket gloves painted silver! The Dalek weapons are an egg beater and plunger!) Thus, it is easier for me to just go through all the Doctors and make a few comments.
Eleventh – Matt Smith: not a fan.
Tenth – David Tennant: my favourite Doctor.
Ninth – Christopher Eccelston: short run that paved the way for David.
War Doctor – John Hurt: a legend bringing the legendary to a legend.
Comic Relief Doctor – Rowen Atkinson (and Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, Joanna Lumley): Brilliant!
Eighth – Paul McGann: didn’t get a proper shot at the character. Good to see him do this introduction to the 50th anniversary though.
Seventh – Sylvester McCoy: one of my favourites.
Sixth – Colin Baker: I’ve never seen any of his incarnation.
Fifth – Peter Davidson: One of my favourites, and if David Tennant is to be believed, one of his as well.
Fourth – Tom Baker: The man, the white-man fro, the insanely long scarf. Jelly baby? Also, Douglas Adams wrote three serials for this incarnation of The Doctor and a few other episodes besides.
Third – Jon Pertwee: What’s Worzel Gummidge doing in the Tardis? Reverse the polarity of the neutron flow!
Second – Patrick Troughton: Meh.
First – William Hartnell: Watching these early episodes you really can’t figure out how this became a long running show.
I look forward to the new Doctor, Peter Capaldi, and the eloquent language skills he will bring to the role.
Update: an A-Ha tribute to The Doctor.
Update: an interesting take on the recent 50th anniversary episodes, just ignore the silly comment about Sherlock. http://tealeavesdogears.wordpress.com/2013/11/27/steven-moffat-doesnt-understand-grief-and-its-killing-doctor-who/
Tyson Adams 