A modest suggestion: rerun the poll but let us vote for our top three (assuming the bbs engine allows this). The first choice is always fairly predictable (it'll always be Tom or current - it has been in every poll for the last 25 years), but the second and third ones are more interesting and varied...
Favorite Doctor
- Thread starter bbally
- Start date
There was one time I would've said Tom, but I've just gotten burned out on him over the years. I think I appreciate all of them pretty equally, though I think I just prefer Pertwee's style.
and im betting if new series fans were asked which they liked the best, the vast majorality would say 10.
Geez... I always can't decide on these polls. I like them all for varying reasons. It's hard to put any above the other since they're all different actors playing the part in different ways.
I guess if I had to I'd say Davison, T. Baker, and Tennant all sharing the top spot, with the others a hair's breadth behind.
I guess if I had to I'd say Davison, T. Baker, and Tennant all sharing the top spot, with the others a hair's breadth behind.
Davison is my favorite closely followed by Eccleston.
Nine is definitely my favourite by far, even though I grew up thinking of the Doctor as 'That Man With The Amazing Scarf'.
I think that's smart! But, I don't think a poll like that would necessarily show us who is the favorite Doctor. More to the point, I think it would show the ratio of new-to-Classic fans. If, say, Troughton and Eccleston were in the poll against each other, many Classic Fans would vote for Troughton based on sheer impulse of perceived loyalty. While many nuFans would instantly pick Eccleston, because he's modern, hip, and "cool"...
Well, I believe it was because the Third Doctor was basically a product of his era, an era where Spy titles like James Bond and The Avengers ruled the world with the cool gadgets and fight scenes, only with SCIFI elements added to it.
However there were times when he got to shine, I like to see current or next The Doctor bring out his Venusian Akido once in a while. Plus he was the Doctor who had the best chemistry with The "Brig", Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart especially the ending of Inferno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3h7Ro1Mlhs
Sylvester McCoy was my vote. He started off weak and in my opinion became a pretty good Doctor. I really liked the mystery that was created about his background and the hints that he might have at one time been Merlin. In Silver Nemesis when Morgana was getting ready to tell us what the Doctor's secret was but was cut off had me looking for more.
Tom Baker was my second choice, I started with Tom's episodes on Saturday afternoons on PBS and was shocked when he "died" and turned into Peter Davison. I never saw a TV show change lead characters like that except for "Bewitched" and the two Darren's.
Tom Baker was my second choice, I started with Tom's episodes on Saturday afternoons on PBS and was shocked when he "died" and turned into Peter Davison. I never saw a TV show change lead characters like that except for "Bewitched" and the two Darren's.
Like many here, I have a tough time definitively answering that question. But I'll try to go for an honest ranking of how I feel at this moment.
1. Patrick Troughton. Probably the best actor of the bunch. He's got such a keen intelligence to him. He's always doing something even if he's not the focus of the scene. He seems to be having the most fun. And he's the only Doctor with whom I could really buy him being put in jeopardy in an end of episode cliffhanger.
2. Tom Baker. No explanation needed. He just absolutely owns the role. Even though I ranked Troughton above him, whenever I think of the Doctor, I first think of Tom Baker.
3. Christopher Eccleston. A ...
... FANTASTIC (There! I said it!) actor who brings real gravitas to the role just when it needed it most. He's a goofball but with some nice dark edges that fit perfectly with his new backstory. And while I was really bummed that we didn't get more of him, I suppose it's admirable that he wanted to go out on top. Of his 13 episodes, there's not a single one that I would rate below a "B." He's the only Doctor that I can say that about. He's not perfect though. I didn't like the romantic elements of his relationship with Rose and I didn't like it when he would start referring to humans as "stupid apes" or acting like a dick to Mickey for no good reason.
4. David Tennant. Sadly, he's one that has seriously gone down in my estimation over the last year or so. (He used to be #1.) At times, I just love his manic energy and generally friendly persona. But there have been too many instances in his run of them just running the character into the ground with loud overacting, self-righteous pontificating, deifying the character, and just plain crappy stories. It's been the writing more than the acting but still, I suspect a different actor wouldn't get quite so bogged down and would find things to do with the material besides "Faster, more intense."
5. Sylvester McCoy. I really like the energy he brings to the role. He would rank higher if more of his stories were as good as "Rememberance of the Daleks." More than any of the others, it's good characterization sabotaged by bad writing.
6. William Hartnell. He's a difficult one to judge because his role on the series was so different from any of the others. The other Doctors are clearly the lead on their show. Hartnell was more of an enigmatic, eccentric instigator while Ian & Barbara did all the dramatic heavy lifting. But there's a great chemistry to that original cast and Hartnell was a big part of it.
7. Colin Baker. Once you get past the costume and get accustomed to the crankiness and remember that he was saddled with crap companions, he's very good. He's got a theatricality that I think the role demands.
8. Jon Pertwee. He's got a lot of natural charisma but he's too serious to be the Doctor.
9. Peter Davison. He's a good actor & a nice guy but he's too sedate and not eccentric enough.
10. Paul McGann. Too little information to go on. Tough break dude. I at least hope that FOX will get off their asses and put his 1996 movie on DVD in R1!
1. Patrick Troughton. Probably the best actor of the bunch. He's got such a keen intelligence to him. He's always doing something even if he's not the focus of the scene. He seems to be having the most fun. And he's the only Doctor with whom I could really buy him being put in jeopardy in an end of episode cliffhanger.
2. Tom Baker. No explanation needed. He just absolutely owns the role. Even though I ranked Troughton above him, whenever I think of the Doctor, I first think of Tom Baker.
3. Christopher Eccleston. A ...
... FANTASTIC (There! I said it!) actor who brings real gravitas to the role just when it needed it most. He's a goofball but with some nice dark edges that fit perfectly with his new backstory. And while I was really bummed that we didn't get more of him, I suppose it's admirable that he wanted to go out on top. Of his 13 episodes, there's not a single one that I would rate below a "B." He's the only Doctor that I can say that about. He's not perfect though. I didn't like the romantic elements of his relationship with Rose and I didn't like it when he would start referring to humans as "stupid apes" or acting like a dick to Mickey for no good reason.4. David Tennant. Sadly, he's one that has seriously gone down in my estimation over the last year or so. (He used to be #1.) At times, I just love his manic energy and generally friendly persona. But there have been too many instances in his run of them just running the character into the ground with loud overacting, self-righteous pontificating, deifying the character, and just plain crappy stories. It's been the writing more than the acting but still, I suspect a different actor wouldn't get quite so bogged down and would find things to do with the material besides "Faster, more intense."
5. Sylvester McCoy. I really like the energy he brings to the role. He would rank higher if more of his stories were as good as "Rememberance of the Daleks." More than any of the others, it's good characterization sabotaged by bad writing.
6. William Hartnell. He's a difficult one to judge because his role on the series was so different from any of the others. The other Doctors are clearly the lead on their show. Hartnell was more of an enigmatic, eccentric instigator while Ian & Barbara did all the dramatic heavy lifting. But there's a great chemistry to that original cast and Hartnell was a big part of it.
7. Colin Baker. Once you get past the costume and get accustomed to the crankiness and remember that he was saddled with crap companions, he's very good. He's got a theatricality that I think the role demands.
8. Jon Pertwee. He's got a lot of natural charisma but he's too serious to be the Doctor.
9. Peter Davison. He's a good actor & a nice guy but he's too sedate and not eccentric enough.
10. Paul McGann. Too little information to go on. Tough break dude. I at least hope that FOX will get off their asses and put his 1996 movie on DVD in R1!