Before we get through Doctors rated 9, 8, and 7, let's have a quick review of 10-12.
Number 12-Paul McGann (Doctor #8)
Number 11-Rowan Atkinson (Charity Special)
Number 10-Colin Baker (Doctor # 7)
Before I start with the new list, let me say again that I love all of the Doctors. It took a lot of effort to figure out which Doctor got which place. Also, this is my opinion. I suggest you check out all of the Doctors and make up your own mind.
Number 9
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| Sylvester McCoy, the Seventh Doctor and the last of the original run of the series. |
Sylvester McCoy's tenure was well known for two reasons. His was the era of excessive question marks and he was the last actor to play the Doctor. Fortunately one of those distinctions no longer exists since the Doctor has returned. McCoy was a great Doctor, but the threat of cancellation was always hanging over his head. There was also some confusion about who the Doctor really was. In the first season, he was sort of clownish, playing the fool while saving the world, but as time progressed, he became a darker, manipulative character. He was still saving the world, but sometimes the viewer had to wonder what was going on in his mind.
Number 8
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| Peter Davison is the fifth Doctor. |
During Davison's tenure as the Doctor, the show made some significant changes. The tendency toward campy adventures and horror were replaced with a stronger scientific approach and a more serious Doctor. Another change was the Doctor's reliance on his companions. This Doctor was more like the leader of a team rather than an eccentric adventurer. This did lead to some troubles because this Doctor often seemed to have too many companions. If you think about the role of a companion, the character is really just a voice for the audience. "What are you doing?" is just the kind of question that the audience is asking. If you get too many companions there always seems to be someone standing around with nothing to do or say.
There are two major quirks that are associated with Davison's Doctor. First he was obsessed with Cricket. The second was he always had a piece of celery close at hand, usually pinned to his jacket. The celery was to warn him about the presence of a substance to which he had an allergy. If the celery changed colors it would indicate the substance. He would then eat it and it would help him recover.
How quirky was this cricket obsession? His outfit is based on a cricketer's uniform. The Doctor always carried a cricket ball in his jacket. This came in handy on more than one occasion. He even stopped in the middle of an emergency to join in a cricket game.
This Doctor also had the distinction of being the only Doctor to have a companion die during the action of a story. (You'll have to check out the shows to find out who it is for yourself.)
Davison would have ranked higher on the list, but some of the writing for his tenure are laughably horrible, and some of his companions are not all that likable. Davison is a great Doctor when everything comes together so check him out. (In a side note, Davison is also the father of Georgia Moffet. You may remember her as the Doctor's daughter during Tennant's time as the Doctor.)
Number 7
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| Matt Smith is the most recent Doctor and number eleven overall. |
Many people were worried about Doctor Who when David Tennant announced that he had decided to leave the show. This is a typical response to a change of Doctor, especially when the actor has connected so well with the audience like Tennant had done. There were lots of theories about who the next Doctor would be. Several voices were calling for more diversity in the role. Perhaps the doctor could be black or a woman. Many people worried that Doctor Who would not be worth watching after the change.
Not to worry though, Matt Smith has done a smashing job of taking over as the Doctor. More importantly, Smith's Doctor has taken on a new Doctor that has his own way of doing things. This is important to do in this show. If you can't tell the difference between the Doctors there isn't much point in changing them at all.
Smith's Doctor is fun to watch. He seems like a teacher trying to help the people he encounters become better people. Smith still has a lot of growing to do, and I look forward to seeing what he will do with the role in the coming years. In case you're wondering, he's lower on the list because he's only been in the role for a year. I think he will work his way up as time passes.
(Fun Fact: Did you know that John Smith has been a name the Doctor has used when he needed to give a name? This started in the late sixties with Patrick Troughton, the second Doctor. Matt Smith is the first Doctor for whom the names match so closely.)
