# Which Doctor (Who?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 18, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052 "2009-11-18T19:07:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/21 "2009-11-19T05:55:02Z")
Eccleston for me - the perfect actor to overhaul the Doctor, and the only one who managed to be completely alien while dressing normally. I’m sorry he only did one season. Tennant follows, then Baker. Love Paul McGann and Peter Davison as actors, but they got the short end of the script stick. Would like to have seen either of them with good writing and decent companions. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/22 "2009-11-19T06:01:42Z")
Tennant is #1 for me, followed by Eccleston. I’ve not seen very many of the old series, though I did like Tom Baker & Davison in the several I have seen. Seeing the older episodes for the first time after becoming very familiar with the new ones, I find it hard to get past the cheese factor. I’m sure if I grew up with them I’d have a fondness for them. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/23 "2009-11-19T08:46:03Z")
I adore Tennant. I think he’s fantastic in every way, and watching him as the Doctor is always a delightful experience (he seriously delights me) regardless of the general strength of the script. But I had to vote for Eccleston. He was my first Doctor, since I never watched the previous incarnations of Who. So of course, there’s that factor. But more than that, he made me _understand_ the Doctor with just a simple expression, or a small smile, or a teasing word that just wasn’t quite a joke. Tennant’s Doctor is always right there on the edge of insanity and the audience isn’t allowed to forget that. We still love him because Tennant walks that line so expertly, but Eccleston’s Doctor was in a much darker place. He was in a great deal more pain, yet his capacity for joy and his appreciation of life hadn’t diminished. At the end of the day, Nine simply feels more real to me. ---
**Author:** ![vifslan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f4b2a3/32.png) [@vifslan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vifslan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/24 "2009-11-19T10:35:58Z")
I’m torn between Eccleston and McGann (what can I say, I was introduced to Doctor Who via the Big Finish audio productions on BBC Internet radio, and I’ve been spared from the TV movie.) Eccleston was my first TV Doctor. Just chalk me up as another one of Professor Lorenz’ ducklings. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/25 "2009-11-19T11:22:30Z")
I wonder\*\*\*\*\* if Colin Baker will break his duck? The first Doctor I remember was Jon Pertwee but I liked Tom Baker a lot better so he gets my vote. Tennant would be second, but the show is so different now (and I now I’m a teeny bit older than its target audience) I don’t know that I can make a meaningful comparison. Now if Ken Campbell had got the job at #7… \*\*\*\*\* no I don’t, he was really annoying (though I rather liked his companion). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/26 "2009-11-19T11:38:24Z")
Much as I think Tennant is an excellent Doctor, Tom Baker will always be the definitive one for me. Davison runs a not-too-distant third, but I couldn’t stand Colin Baker, thin or fat. Vaguely on topic: somewhere in storage I have a copy of [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_in_Distress_(single)) album. It’s really quite bad, although I don’t blame Colin Baker for that. ---
**Author:** ![MHaye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@MHaye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MHaye)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/27 "2009-11-19T11:49:21Z")
_Creaks in._ Patrick Troughton. I’m too young to remember William Hartnell, that’s why. _creaks out._ It’s another case of “the one you first saw is the best” I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/28 "2009-11-19T12:09:53Z")
Troughton had far too much of a “Moe from the Three Stooges” look going for me to really warm to him. ---
**Author:** ![Weaver\_of\_Nightmares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@Weaver\_of\_Nightmares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weaver_of_Nightmares)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/29 "2009-11-19T12:43:49Z")
Tennant. He’s my first Doctor, but also because I fancy him. Four… scares me. I always get the feeling Baker is about to bite someone. I like Throughton, though I have only seen the one episode (_Tomb of the Cybermen_, I think. And part of _Wargames_. I am nuWho for lack of oldWho in my vicinity. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/30 "2009-11-19T13:18:01Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I liked Jon Pertwee’s kung fu Doctor and Jo Grant. Later Sarah Jane Smith was his companion. > > Jo a scatter-brained blonde, was one of the first sexy companions. I watched a couple of old shows recently. Man #3 could be a dick to her, though. > [@clnilsen](#): > > I hate to put new Who and old Who head to head… if it would have been separate i likely would have voted Tennant and Davison, but in a head to head I stuck with Davison. > > Hey - even 10 preferred 5! QFT. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/31 "2009-11-19T13:42:58Z")
I voted for Tom Baker, “My First.” Even though I was already a (very) young adult when he showed up in PBS. And I’ve never seen much of the other Older Docs. But Christopher Eccleston was quite excellent. And David Tennant is definitely yummy. Especially when teamed with Donna! ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/32 "2009-11-19T14:01:39Z")
Unfortunately, I need the “other” response or all of them. First, I think comparing old series to new is not possible. Apples and Oranges. It’s a different world now in TV and how shows are written, created and the expectations of them. Second, I have never had a favorite. I liked all of them for what they brought to the role. And I did see Tom Baker first but really enjoyed them all. My wife would vote Chris as it was his performance in the first couple of episodes that pulled her into it, when she didn’t want to be pulled into it! I am disappointed he didn’t do more seasons but not with Tennant’s Doctor. I did watch some old ones, about two years ago, and found them watchable but they do take a bit of rose colored glasses. While it doesn’t take F/X for a good story, it’s easier to get into a story if you don’t notice the F/X or have to suspend disbelief at the rubber suit. But, I could still watch any Dr Who episode and enjoy it! vislor \<-- Dr Who fan from the name! ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/33 "2009-11-19T14:02:43Z")
I’m forced to admit that my vote for Colin Baker is really a vote for Peri. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/34 "2009-11-19T14:36:04Z")
Colin Baker. He put across quite clearly that, although he might look human, he _wasn’t_ human, and while he might have empathy for us, he was(and ever will be) alien. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/35 "2009-11-19T15:11:48Z")
[QUOTE=Yossarian] I’m forced to admit that my vote for Colin Baker is really a vote for Peri. [/QUOTE] Oi! Hands off! I made a grab for her back in post 25. I’d suggest a companions thread but hasn’t that been done here rather recently? ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/36 "2009-11-19T18:38:29Z")
I never watched much as a kid and only got hooked with Eccleston who was _Great_, but I have to admit Tennant is my favorite. And Rose. ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/37 "2009-11-19T18:51:59Z")
I like 'em all, but Tennant just tries too hard. He vacillates between glee and angst, which is draining to watch. Davison for the win. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/38 "2009-11-20T10:10:27Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > I adore Tennant. I think he’s fantastic in every way, and watching him as the Doctor is always a delightful experience (he seriously delights me) regardless of the general strength of the script. But I had to vote for Eccleston. He was my first Doctor, since I never watched the previous incarnations of Who. So of course, there’s that factor. But more than that, he made me _understand_ the Doctor with just a simple expression, or a small smile, or a teasing word that just wasn’t quite a joke. Tennant’s Doctor is always right there on the edge of insanity and the audience isn’t allowed to forget that. We still love him because Tennant walks that line so expertly, but Eccleston’s Doctor was in a much darker place. He was in a great deal more pain, yet his capacity for joy and his appreciation of life hadn’t diminished. At the end of the day, Nine simply feels more real to me. My thoughts exactly, bring back the Northern Doctor! “Lots of planets have a north.” ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/39 "2009-11-20T10:30:32Z")
I’ve watched since the start (my early days were genuinely spent behind the couch! :eek: ). For me, two stand head and shoulders above the rest: - Tom Baker, because you were never sure what he would do next - he felt ‘alien’ - David Tennant, because he was completely believable, whichever emotion he was portraying I voted for Tennant because of the glorious modern special effects added to the quality (Baker had to put up with rickety scenery and monsters in rubber costumes). P.S. You could have a poll for best companion / best monster next… ---
**Author:** ![Elysium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@Elysium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysium)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052/40 "2009-11-20T17:14:30Z")
Definitely Tennant. Eccleson was my first Doc, and I loved him, but once Tennant took over I just found I loved his portrayal so much more. Plus, he has some outstandingly written episodes to work with. Then came Donna. Can I vote for the Doctor Donna? D+T are the best team ever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-doctor-who/518052.md?page=3)