Ultimate Geek Fu

His first episode aired on the same day JFK was assassinated. The BBC ran the same episode again the following week, just prior to running the second episode. But it wasn't until the second serial (multi-episode storyline) that the show really grabbed the attention of television audiences. Featuring one of the greatest and most enduring of all science fiction villains, The Daleks propelled the BBC's new science fiction series, Doctor Who, into an astounding 26 regular broadcast seasons and two theatrical release movies. Canceled after the 26th season, the Doctor refused to die.

In May of 1996, Doctor Who returned in a made-for-TV movie. It was shown first, surprisingly, on Fox in the U.S. Had the ratings been reasonable, Fox was prepared to move forward with an American-made version of Doctor Who. Those plans were scrapped when only 5.5 million viewers tuned in for the movie.

All hope of seeing the Doctor return to a regular series seemed gone until 2003, forty years after the launch of the original series. The BBC announced they were going to launch a new series, changing from the old format of four episode serials to an hour long format with single episode stories, along with the occasional two-part story. Utilizing modern special effects methods, the new Doctor has shed the guy-in-a-rubber-suit cheesiness of the original while maintaining the sense of fun and excitement that made the original series such a big hit.

As fans of the show wait for the new season and the introduction of the 12th Doctor, it's time to debate one of the truly important questions of our time. Which Doctor was the best among the first 11? For those of you who aren't die-hard Whovians or don't have encyclopedic memories, here is a handy short course on the Doctors to refresh your memory. And, to set my Whovian credentials, I made the list below almost entirely from memory, only having to look up the name of the actor who played the Doctor in the TV movie shown on Fox.

Willian Hartnell got things started. Of all of the various Doctors, I suspect he is the least well known to American audiences. Originally, the Doctor traveled through time in a time machine he built, having adventures with his granddaughter, Susan, and a couple of teachers he picked up on earth in the very first serial. Hartnell played the Doctor as somewhat remote and stern, though he mellowed as the show progressed. Declining health forced Hartnell to leave the series after three seasons.

Peter Cushing, sometimes referred to as the "forgotten Doctor," played the Doctor in two movies released in 1965 and 1966. Both black and white movies featured the Daleks and neither one fits in the continuity of the series. Those who have seen the movies generally say that Peter Cushing gave a wonderful performance as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars.

Patrick Troughton came next, bringing humor to the role. The idea of a Time Lord being able to regenerate was created to explain the change in the Doctor. Troughton's very first episode introduced the Cybermen, almost certainly the Doctor's second most popular villain. After three seasons, Troughton left, citing the rigors of performing in a weekly TV show.

Jon Pertwee was the first Doctor to appear in color. He was also the Doctor during the most stringent budget restrictions the show has seen. With the costs of creating sets for alien planets and well as costumes and make up for alien beings, the decision was made to restrict the Doctor to earth. Pertwee's Doctor was exiled to earth by the Time Lords. It was during Pertwee's run that UNIT -- the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce -- was created to work with the earth-bound Doctor. Strangely, Pertwee was hired because he was a comic actor yet his Doctor was the most straight-forward, action-oriented of any of the Doctors.

Tom Baker is the first Doctor most American audiences ever saw. That's certainly true for me. Baker's Doctor was less predictable than any before or after, something Baker chose to do on purpose. At time arrogant, passionate, aloof and caring, Baker felt the ambivalence helped remind viewers that the Doctor was an alien. Baker stayed with the Doctor so long that it shocked viewers when, after seven seasons, he decided to move on.

Peter Davidson, at age 29 when he started in the role, is the youngest actor to play the Doctor. (Well, he is until Matt Smith, age 26, debuts as the 12th Doctor.) Davidson's Doctor was more restrained, compassionate and thoughtful than Baker's Doctor. This was done on purpose, to reduce unfavorable comparisons between Baker's very popular Doctor. Playing off of Davidson's youth, the fifth Doctor tended to react more than he did act. To the best of my knowledge, his tenure featured the only time a companion was killed.

Colin Baker took over after Davidson. The thing I remember most from his Doctor was his arrogance. While that was certainly an important part of the Doctor's personality, Colin Baker's Doctor seemed more arrogant than any Doctor before or after.

Sylvester McCoy was the last Doctor in the original run for the series. He reminded me of Patrick Troughton, both in his look and his manner. I only saw McCoy's first season, where he played a fairly whimsical Doctor, though I hear things got darker in the next two seasons.

Paul McGann played the Doctor in the aforementioned TV movie on Fox. Unfortunately, McGann never had a chance to get into the role. McGann's Doctor was supposedly half human and his companion, a woman medical doctor, had some rather abrupt lines that indicated some kind of love interest might develop between the two.

Christopher Eccleston brought the Doctor into the 21st century, introducing the time war, the destruction of the Time Lords and giving us the first real sexual tension between the Doctor and a companion. Speaking solely for myself, that last bit was the hardest part for me to adjust to. That, and Eccleston's accent. Eccleston was the first Doctor without what we Americans think of as a traditional British accent.

And finally, we have David Tennant, who is just ending his three plus seasons as the Doctor. For me, Tennant struck the right combination of eccentricity, compassion, arrogance, action-orientation and humor. Two of his three seasons included the same sexual tension first seen in Eccleston's Doctor.

There you have it, folks; eleven Doctors and a bit about each of them. Some of those bits are nothing more than my opinion, of course

So, who do you think is the best among these eleven men? And why did you choose that guy?

Conversely, who is the worst Doctor among the bunch? Which actor caused you to sigh in relief when he chose to leave the show? Him? Are you sure?

Whovians are a passionate bunch, full of all sorts of opinions. Be prepared to defend your choices.

Now, let the arguments begin!

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