Doctor Who: Favourite Doctor?

baddude1337

Taffer
Jun 9, 2010
1,856
0
0
I've seen a fair bit of old and some new Who, thanks to my girlfriend who is a big fan (fivey, AKA Peter Davison is her fave). I'd probably say four (Tom Baker) is my fave, he just suits the character really well and seems to have some quality episodes in his run.

I also quite liked Peter Capaldi, sadly he was overshadowed on screen by Clara, who the writers seem to favour giving more screen time to than the actual Doctor.
 

Neverhoodian

New member
Apr 2, 2008
3,832
0
0
Tom Baker will always be the quintessential Doctor for me. He's the incarnation I'm most familiar with, and nobody can rock that scarf quite like him.
 

Quirkymeister

New member
May 1, 2015
68
0
0
Hawki said:
For me, my order of preference goes:

10
9
11
3
5
4
2
8
6
7
1

I haven't seen enough of 12 to warrant inclusion (granted, my level of exposure to the Doctors is by no means equal). Also, I haven't included the War Doctor, because while I love the character in of himself, we never really saw him be THE Doctor, if you know what I mean (e.g. never had a solo run).

Standard disclaimer that the Ninth Doctor was my intro to the series and I stopped watching after Matt Smith left for various reasons. Watched various Old Who episodes, but like the current run, I've found them very hit or miss.
There was a book set during the Time War called Engines of War where the War Doctor was the only doctor, fighting Daleks and taking on a temporary companion. It did a pretty good job of showing his more ruthless and militaristic side, as well as his growing despair and wanting the war to end. Not to mention it referenced the Five Doctors, which was good as well. Check it out.
 

Albino Boo

New member
Jun 14, 2010
4,667
0
0
Zachary Amaranth said:
albino boo said:
Now don't be Dalekist. There is no need to be insulting, just because someone only has a sink plunger and and death ray doesnt mean that are not people too
I'm not a Dalekist. Some of my best friends are Daleks. I just don't think they should have the same rights as normal people!
I will not stand for that kind of hate speech. Just because the Daleks are xenophobic genocidal maniacs doesn't means they don't. have rights. I identify as Dalek and live the Dalek experience and I am frequently discriminated against by privileged bipeds like you. We Daleks are a repressed minority and demand our cultural rights to exterminate inferior beginnings. Its our heritage!
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
24,759
0
0
albino boo said:
I will not stand for that kind of hate speech. Just because the Daleks are xenophobic genocidal maniacs doesn't means they don't. have rights. I identify as Dalek and live the Dalek experience and I am frequently discriminated against by privileged bipeds like you. We Daleks are a repressed minority and demand our cultural rights to exterminate inferior beginnings. Its our heritage!
I hate to break character, but holy crap. Your post just made me realise: Terry Nation predicted the internet!
 

gorfias

Unrealistic but happy
Legacy
May 13, 2009
7,082
1,849
118
Country
USA
Eddie the head said:
Of the one's I've seen they all kind of have there good points. Capaldi is a bitter old dick and I love it. Matt Smith was basically Peter Pan and who doesn't want to find Neverland? Tennant had a lot of good story arcs, and I think Eccleston nailed the mannerisms. Never seen the old show. Mostly because even though I find the new one reasonably entertaining I don't like it that much to go back and look.
.
I have not been able to enjoy the old stuff but I appreciate it. I loved Eccleston but his stay was very brief. He was something different and fresh. I enjoyed his Joie de vivre. Smith was too huggy kissy creepy though I did like him. Capaldi, especially the bank heist episode, as been very good. Him and his "attack eyebrows." But David Tennant is my favorite.

He beat Satan. Epic fights with the Master. His first episode with the weeping angels genuinely scared me. A bloody TV show and it scared me. The 2 part Hunters episode was amazing (where he wipes his own memories out and thinks he is just a normal school teacher.) He was very good: the stories during his run were IMHO, the best so far.
 

Rylot

New member
May 14, 2010
1,819
0
0
I've got to go with Tennant. He was my first Doctor and while his run did get a bit aimless and meandering by the end I liked the more light hearted and fun tone the show had over all while still retaining dramatic moments. Smith had some great moments early on but I think Moffat is a much better writer than a show director.

The show is about a nigh immortal man traveling through time in a police box; the level of suspension is gonna be pretty high and the show's gotta work to be pretty entertaining to prop that up. With the exception of a few good episodes a lot of Smith's later episodes and a fair number of Capraldi's haven't been entertaining enough to keep me from throwing my hands up and decrying bullshit.

I do like Capraldi as the Doctor but I wish Doctor Who was still about The Doctor and not Clara the Wonder Girl. The Companions should get some characterization but not to where the Doctor is a supporting character.

I do also like how 9 played the character and think a fair number of the first run is worth watching if not the whole thing.

I personally hope they shake things up soon because I've really lost a lot of interest in something that used to be a huge thing for me.
 

Michael Tabbut

New member
May 22, 2013
350
0
0
Rylot said:
I've got to go with Tennant. He was my first Doctor and while his run did get a bit aimless and meandering by the end I liked the more light hearted and fun tone the show had over all while still retaining dramatic moments. Smith had some great moments early on but I think Moffat is a much better writer than a show director.

The show is about a nigh immortal man traveling through time in a police box; the level of suspension is gonna be pretty high and the show's gotta work to be pretty entertaining to prop that up. With the exception of a few good episodes a lot of Smith's later episodes and a fair number of Capraldi's haven't been entertaining enough to keep me from throwing my hands up and decrying bullshit.

I do like Capraldi as the Doctor but I wish Doctor Who was still about The Doctor and not Clara the Wonder Girl. The Companions should get some characterization but not to where the Doctor is a supporting character.

I do also like how 9 played the character and think a fair number of the first run is worth watching if not the whole thing.

I personally hope they shake things up soon because I've really lost a lot of interest in something that used to be a huge thing for me.
All of this applies to me as well. Moffat as a showrunner has soured my enjoyment lately. I hope this upcoming season/series is an improvement and I hope they focus less on Clara, she's becoming more and more of a Mary Sue in my mind.
 

Blood Brain Barrier

New member
Nov 21, 2011
2,004
0
0
My top 5 would be:
3
2
1
4
7

I don't really like any of the others very much. Davison was totally uninteresting and they tried to reverse that with the obnoxious Colin Baker. And now the new ones are all bland as hell.
 

DeimosMasque

I'm just a Smeg Head
Jun 30, 2010
585
0
0
Classic Series goes 7th then 4th
Big Finish Audio is 8th forever and ever and ever especially the Lucie episodes
Modern Series is 11th and 12th grew on me quickly.

Least favorites:
Classic: 6th only. Loved the rest
Big Finish: Not a fan of the 5th just because he sounds so much different that's all.
Modern Series: ANd I know alot of flak for this from new who fans... 10th. I can stand him for some reason, though I suspect that has more to do with a certain companion than Tennant's acting.
 

Rylot

New member
May 14, 2010
1,819
0
0
Michael Tabbut said:
I hope this upcoming season/series is an improvement and I hope they focus less on Clara, she's becoming more and more of a Mary Sue in my mind.
To me it isn't that she's a Mary Sue... Well any more than any other of the companions, but that she's taken so much of the focus for most of Capraldi's run(and hell for a lot of Smith's too). I think a few touching moments with her and Danny would have been enough, imo.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
24,759
0
0
Rylot said:
Well any more than any other of the companions
Doctor Who fans tend to forget certain things about other companion. Clara annoys me, but she's barely reached Rose territory, and Rose beats even Sarah Jane in popularity polls. Most of the modern companions and a fair share of the older ones had Mary Sue issues. People just start singling them out when looking for reasons to criticise them.

And Clara has so many better reasons....
 

Rylot

New member
May 14, 2010
1,819
0
0
Zachary Amaranth said:
Rylot said:
Well any more than any other of the companions
Doctor Who fans tend to forget certain things about other companion. Clara annoys me, but she's barely reached Rose territory, and Rose beats even Sarah Jane in popularity polls. Most of the modern companions and a fair share of the older ones had Mary Sue issues. People just start singling them out when looking for reasons to criticise them.

And Clara has so many better reasons....
I'd agree. I think for me I tend to forget that even new Who has been going on for what? A decade now? And with each episode being an hour long there's a lot of shit that I forget happened and paint my favorite Doctors and Companions in a more positive light.

God, please don't bring up Rose. She was a rather good foil for the Doctor to work off of for the first few seasons and the whole 'Bad Wolf' thing was well done to me, but then they just kept shoe-horning her back into the show long past where she had any room to grow or be interesting. I nearly cried when
she showed up in the anniversary episode. Yeah I know it wasn't 'her' but it was a great opportunity to bring up another character from the doctor's past that hasn't been explored much, but nope, fucking Rose Tyler every fucking time.
There for a while she was showing back up more reliably than the fucking Daleks. Christ I hate Rose... Sorry...

Edit: As I write that I'm always fascinated by how evenly spread the community's opinions are on the different Doctors and Companions. A few companions and Doctors are liked a little bit less by the community but it's not like there's a real consensus and a clear favorite and a clear hated. Kinda always interested me.



Except the movie.


Haven't seen anyone say they like that incarnation the best.
 

LaoJim

New member
Aug 24, 2013
555
0
0
Ok, so in rough order.

1. Matt Smith - very convincing as an old alien in a young body, managed the manic dialogue of the new series better than anyone else
2. Tom Baker - I'm surprised he made number 2 as I often think of him as overrated, but still obviously larger than life character, long run and some classic moments, especially with Douglas Adams as script writer.
3. Sylvester McCoy - admittedly had some absolutely appalling episodes, but I always liked his portrayal of the doctor.
4. Patrick Troughton - would almost certainly be higher if we had more of his episodes left, lovely twinkle in his eye and sense of fun from the episodes I've seen.
5. Peter Davidson - little bland sometimes, but had some good episodes
6. William Hartnell - classic sinister doctor, but series and character were still evolving and doesn't always seem like 'The Doctor' today
7 .John Pertwee - Good, but I could never really fully get behind a kung-fu dandy doctor.
8. Christopher Eccleston - Great actor, but never really felt like the doctor - too cool, too young-acting and dare I say it too northern for the doctor
9. Peter Capaldi - Another great actor, but not quite gelling for me at the moment - his slightly sinister doctor personality isn't quite working with the 'snappy' dialogue the series is required to have these days.
10. Colin Baker - while he was clearly let down by the overall quality of the series during his run and treated pretty shabbily, I'm not convinced he would have made a great doctor even if the situation had been better. Coat quite rightly mocked.
11. David Tennant - about half-way through his first episode he pulled a gurning face and I immediately thought "Arnold Rimmer". Couldn't take him seriously after that

Not rating Paul McGann as it wouldn't really be fair to him, in my gut I feel like he would have been quite good though.
 

Albino Boo

New member
Jun 14, 2010
4,667
0
0
Zachary Amaranth said:
Rylot said:
Well any more than any other of the companions
Doctor Who fans tend to forget certain things about other companion. Clara annoys me, but she's barely reached Rose territory, and Rose beats even Sarah Jane in popularity polls. Most of the modern companions and a fair share of the older ones had Mary Sue issues. People just start singling them out when looking for reasons to criticise them.

And Clara has so many better reasons....
Part of the problem is the structure of the current run. Each story has to be completed in 42 minutes of screen time. This compression compared to the old run basically makes that there are only 2 characters that you can do any development with. You can't meet a new character in 42 minutes get to know them and see them evolve and advance the story. The old show had stories lasting 1 hour to 2 hours, which gave you time to establish a new cast each story. This has lead to more emphasis on the Dr and the companion.



Rylot said:
Except the movie.


Haven't seen anyone say they like that incarnation the best.
There are actually three movies. There were two made in the 60s with Peter Cushing as the Dr and one had Bernard Cribbins as the companion. Bernard Cribbins later played Donna's Grandfather during the Tennant run.
Zachary Amaranth said:
I hate to break character, but holy crap. Your post just made me realise: Terry Nation predicted the internet!
Yeah now that you mention it, he kinda did.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
24,759
0
0
Rylot said:
'Bad Wolf'
Ugggh. Hated that. That was like an M Night Shyamalan twist.

I do tend to remember the best and forget the worst. I've been watching Doctor Who when visiting my mom. Forgot about the farting aliens.

Except the movie.

Haven't seen anyone say they like that incarnation the best.
Paul McGann's presence in the movie aside, he's got quite a following for his Big Finish audio performances. And having listened to a few, I agree, he's pretty cool. Better than that movie deserved. I wouldn't call him my favourite, but it's nice that he didn't just stop with the movie.

The older Big Finish performances are only a couple bucks US on their site in audio download format, BTW. If anyone's interested, because for years I couldn't get them around here.

albino boo said:
Part of the problem is the structure of the current run. Each story has to be completed in 42 minutes of screen time. This compression compared to the old run basically makes that there are only 2 characters that you can do any development with. You can't meet a new character in 42 minutes get to know them and see them evolve and advance the story. The old show had stories lasting 1 hour to 2 hours, which gave you time to establish a new cast each story. This has lead to more emphasis on the Dr and the companion.
I'm fine with the current format. But Four companions have entered the "God Mode" cheat, and I call hax on several others. That's not really necessary. Donna had a real character arc with growth and such (despite then hitting the God Mode cheat), and so did Mahhhhhtha, though I had problems with her run as well. Mostly that it was 45% about Rose. Also, that she gives the Doctor God Mode. Amy and Rory had a complete arc in the first series of Smith's run, and then they...they had the same arc meandering through the rest of the time on the show.

Rose is some selfish brat who starts off fixated on the Doctor and ends up fixated on the Doctor. At best, you could argue series four led to some small level of change, but it ends pretty much back where it started. Except she's hot for 10.5 because...human?

Clara strikes me as very similar, in that she's manipulative and self-centered. She's more smug, but she's doing much of the same. Her crisis when 11 regenerates into 12 is that he's not young and hot anymore and she can't use her boobs to get her way or something. Christ, Moffat even described it roughly that way.

I think this is more down to writing than format. I was fine watching Donna grow over series four. I was sad when she left. But Rose and Clara...ugh.

There are actually three movies. There were two made in the 60s with Peter Cushing as the Dr and one had Bernard Cribbins as the companion. Bernard Cribbins later played Donna's Grandfather during the Tennant run.
The difference being those are an alternate universe or something. Peter Cushing even plays a man called Doctor Who. He was a human who invented TARDIS and just got it operational the the beginning of the first movie. Most people don't factor them in. While the Eighth Doctor has been treated as canon.

Yeah now that you mention it, he kinda did.
Maybe Davros was really angry about the Star Wars prequels.
 

happyninja42

Elite Member
Legacy
May 13, 2010
8,577
2,981
118
Matt Smith. He's by far my favorite. His banter and mannerisms, and the way he would suddenly remind you that he was a very, very old being, who was feared across the galaxy by anyone who would dare oppose him. He would flip between carefree kid behavior, and stodgy old codger mode in the blink of an eye, and Matt made it so expressive and wonderful.

Plus, it was his run that gave us Rory, who I loved. Screw Amy Pond though, that psychopath can just go away, she was too classic "Unstable Female Firebrand" trope for my tastes.
 

Albino Boo

New member
Jun 14, 2010
4,667
0
0
Zachary Amaranth said:
I'm fine with the current format. But Four companions have entered the "God Mode" cheat, and I call hax on several others. That's not really necessary. Donna had a real character arc with growth and such (despite then hitting the God Mode cheat), and so did Mahhhhhtha, though I had problems with her run as well. Mostly that it was 45% about Rose. Also, that she gives the Doctor God Mode. Amy and Rory had a complete arc in the first series of Smith's run, and then they...they had the same arc meandering through the rest of the time on the show.

Rose is some selfish brat who starts off fixated on the Doctor and ends up fixated on the Doctor. At best, you could argue series four led to some small level of change, but it ends pretty much back where it started. Except she's hot for 10.5 because...human?

Clara strikes me as very similar, in that she's manipulative and self-centered. She's more smug, but she's doing much of the same. Her crisis when 11 regenerates into 12 is that he's not young and hot anymore and she can't use her boobs to get her way or something. Christ, Moffat even described it roughly that way.

I think this is more down to writing than format. I was fine watching Donna grow over series four. I was sad when she left. But Rose and Clara...ugh.


Yeah now that you mention it, he kinda did.
Maybe Davros was really angry about the Star Wars prequels.
The reality is that that can't go back to the old story format. The BBC have to sell the show and that means a 42 minute complete story to fit into TV schedules around the world. All I'm saying is that limits what they can do with each story's cast in terms of character development.

Of the current run companions, all I have to say is one word, Adric. In the 50 year history of Dr there has never been anyone more annoying than Adric.

Maybe the reason why the Daleks keep attacking Earth is stop Lucas changing Han shooting first.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
24,759
0
0
albino boo said:
The reality is that that can't go back to the old story format. The BBC have to sell the show and that means a 42 minute complete story to fit into TV schedules around the world. All I'm saying is that limits what they can do with each story's cast in terms of character development.
And my point is that I don't think it's the format that's the issue with the show, because they've told some decent stories in the process.

Of the current run companions, all I have to say is one word, Adric. In the 50 year history of Dr there has never been anyone more annoying than Adric.
I've honestly never seen much of him, so I can't talk. Though I will probably be exterminated for saying it, I'm not a big funof Baker's run on the show.

Maybe the reason why the Daleks keep attacking Earth is stop Lucas changing Han shooting first.
We have come here to demand that George Lucas put the original trilogy on Blu-Ray! Comply, complyyyy!

Oh God. Nobody tell them about the Star Trek films!