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Added by Stars-Are-Fire on 4 Feb 2013 06:59
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My Personal Ranking of The Doctors (1-11)

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Average listal rating (28 ratings) 5.8 IMDB Rating 0
The Sixth Doctor


Oh, where do I even begin? I don't know whether it's Colin Baker, the writers, or both who's to blame for this travesty, but either way, this Doctor makes me cringe.

The arrogance, hostility, aloofness, the eye-raping attire . . . he's everything the character SHOULDN'T be. The Doctor is someone who should make you stay up at night in hopes that the TARDIS will come to take you away on adventures as his companion. This pompous turd makes me feel SORRY for his companions - or as he likes to call them, 'disciples' (ugh!).

Take Peri for example. She didn't seem to feel comfortable around him for a single moment after his regeneration. And why should she? He tried to choke her death then proceeded to call her a liar and an inferior human! Oh, what a charming bloke.

No, screw you Six. I'd rather travel space and time with The Master. Or a dalek.
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
The First Doctor


Ah yes, the one who started it all. Surely he deserves all the respect being the trail blazer that he his, but to be honest, I did not like this Doctor one bit.

Why might this be, hmm? HMM? I guess it's because the show was still piecing together its style, but the first Doctor was just kind of . . . there. He was just this crotchety grandfather figure who provided the transport.

Not particularly clever, brave, charming, or adventurous, all he really did was utter the occasional sciencey mumbo-jumbo and slow everyone down with his frailty. In fact, he rarely wanted to even get involved in other people's problems - even if they were staring him directly in the face.

He was also, much like 6, quite arrogant and cold. Eventually he lukewarm-ed up to his companions, but too little too late for my taste. Props for being there when it all began, though.
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
Average listal rating (52 ratings) 7.2 IMDB Rating 0
The Eighth Doctor


Now, McGann is being placed at #9 by default. To be honest, I have yet to see the 90 minute TV movie that marked the entirety of his tenure, but it's proving rather difficult to get a hold of.

From what I hear, however, this Doctor was pretty good despite the crappy story that he was featured in. So YAY FOR 8!

I'm sure he would end up here even if I had seen him in action, if only for his tiny amount of screen time.
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
The Seventh Doctor


Now, this is where the list gets tricky. It's easy to pick favorites and least favorites, but when everything in between is so damn likeable, what is there to do?

So, after much internal struggle, I decided to put Seven here. Don't get me wrong - Seven was wonderful, and my hang-ups with his run are not anything to do with McCoy's performance whatsoever, but all the same...

When it was finally decided that the patchwork douche bag with the blonde curls had to go, the show was in desperate need of redemption. Enter Scot comedian Sylvester McCoy with his question mark getup and botched up phrases.

The Seventh Doctor was one of the more complex incarnations of Classic Who. At first he gave the impression of a fun, quirky, and slightly bumbling little man, speaking nonsense and gleefully playing spoons. But as his time went on, he gradually showed a more mysterious, heroic, and slightly manipulative side, making him all-the-more complex and rich in character.

A refreshing change from his immediate predecessor, Seven had a terrific relationship with his companions - Ace, in particular. In my opinion, they mad the perfect team: sharing adventures together, watching each others backs, and growing emotionally together through the exchange of personal histories. Just the ultimate friendship.

Sadly, this Doctor also suffered from some pretty silly stories, and eventually, got cut down in his prime with the show's cancellation. Seriously though, a lot of his episodes where damn near impossible to sit through. It's like the writers just gave up. Gosh, the 80s were a mess.
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
The Fifth Doctor


Peter Davison, as we all know, had some massive shoes to fill after the illustrious Tom Baker left the role. How well did he fill them? Well, there might have been a little wiggle room for his toes, but other than that, he did a pretty darn good job.

From his first episode, Five was established as a sweeter, more emotionally vulnerable Doctor than ever before. He wasn't heavy on the eccentricities (despite the odd post-regeneration delirium)or definable quirks like most of the other incarnations, but instead had a very apparent human quality that had never been seen before.

His relationship with his companions was more familial - serving as a sort of protective older brother to Team Tardis, not excluding the odd sibling rivalry. He was also less action-oriented, and generally solved whatever problems faced him through intellect - a quality that in my opinion, vastly defines The Doctor as a character throughout the show's entirety.

My only real qualm with Five is that I found a lot of his stories -and certain companions- rather dull and poorly written. Of course that's no fault on Davison's behalf, but it truly did hinder his potential for crafting an even stronger performance.

That being said, he would have probably been higher up on my list if he had possessed a few more definable traits, but hey. He's nice, compassionate, relatable, intellectual, and just all-together a very likeable Doctor.
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
Average listal rating (51 ratings) 7.6 IMDB Rating 0
The Third Doctor


A favorite of many, Pertwee certainly was an iconic Doc. With his dapper fashion sense, gentlemanly demeanor, and knack for martial arts and yellow classic cars, Three was pretty freaking cool.

From his very first appearance, he was full of surprises. Initially we see this weak, silver-haired man who seems to be going through a pretty rough regeneration. Then we see him hilariously spazzing out over his shoes, followed by a high-speed escape via wheelchair out of the hospital. Cool.

He was brainy, kind, mature, and boy could he kick alien ass! Never a coward, he would rather ka-ra-te his way out of peril than take the more standard Doctor approach (aka RUN!). Yet he still remained true to his non-violent nature, only ever doing enough harm to get out of harms way, and only if necessary.

The problem? Again, not the actor's fault, but that wonderful BBC budget cut. Lack of money meant that most of his stories had to be set on good ol' Earth in the 20th century. OH THE EXCITEMENT. Lame, BBC. Lame.
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
The Ninth Doctor


Given the daunting task of pleasing fans of the classic series after nearly a decade since the last dose of Doctor Who, while at the same time having to get a whole new generation of fans on board, Eccleston deserves a ton of respect for his Ninth Doctor.

Naturally, there were some pretty ridiculous things in his tenure - such as farting aliens and an emo Dalek (WHO JUST WANTED TO FEEL THE SUNLIGHT), but all the same, I absolutely LOVED this war-torn Northerner. He was fierce when he had to be, kind when he wanted to be, witty, chummy, and sometimes just downright INTENSE. Faced with the internal struggle of resentfulness and violence vs compassion and mercy, it was very interesting watching Nine grow and heal as he approached his regeneration.

I guess my only problem with Nine was that Eccleston sometimes didn't quite seem to know exactly who he wanted his Doctor to be. One moment he would be a bitter, resentful type, only to be a sort of goofy alien type the next. I understand that he didn't have a lot of time to develop the character, but the portrayal seemed a touch insincere at times.

That being said, I will always have a soft-spot for this dark, yet genuinely good Doctor. Plus, Eccleston is a damn good actor, and really knows how to emote. An awesome way to kick off NuWho
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
Average listal rating (310 ratings) 8.4 IMDB Rating 0
The Eleventh Doctor


Currently taking charge of the flying blue box, Matt Smith is the face that most young Who fans today will know and love.

Drawing much of his inspiration from Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor (we'll get to him in a moment), Eleven is an eccentric, bumbling, and charmingly antisocial character.

Despite being at the latest stage of the Doctor's life, he's easily the most childish and playful - constantly finding new enthusiasms (be it hats or wii games)and hobbies. In fact, this Doctor seems to be all about change. He seems to switch 'desktop themes' in the Tardis on an annual basis, and find new ways to upgrade his gadgets at an equal rate.

It could be said that he's doing this to escape his dark past, but ultimately failing as is made evident in his moments of sullen contemplation and sometimes violent spells of denial.

Eleven is a remarkably well-written character, being both complex and a joy to watch. He's given some of the most giggle-worthy dialogue to date, and plenty of gorgeously inventive adventures to go around.

BUT I think Matt Smith could kick his performance up a notch. He's got the quirky comedy side of the character down to a T, but when shit gets real for the Doctor, his emotional range is lacking. With writing that's more mind bending than ever before, the performance needs a little more than just silly and serious.
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
The Second Doctor


What can I say? I effing adore this Doctor. Widely dubbed as the 'Cosmic Hobo' (ACCURATE), this dotty, spunky, and often difficult little guy brought a whole new life to the show after the original Doctor peaced out.

Arguably the most important Doctor considering his obligation to sell an entire audience on the concept of regeneration, he could have easily brought the show to an end right then and there. Instead, he gave it more humor, more energy, and most importantly, more joy, keeping the ratings right where they needed to be.

Given the unfortunate lack of remaining stories from Troughton's tenure (again, thanks BBC), it's difficult to put my finger on exactly why I love his Doctor so freaking much. It could be his ultra-sassy attitude (I see you've redecorated... I don't like it), his tendency to run away from danger like a little bitch, or maybe it's his remarkable ability to change his expression from one extreme to the next in a blink of an eye. Whatever it is, it just works.

The Second Doctor was far more involved and selfless than the first, taking initiatives and going through greater risks to save the lives of those in danger. That does not, however, by any stretch of the imagination mean that he was an action hero. On the contrary, he commonly relied on intellectual cunning and trickery to overcome foes - convincing them that he's nothing more than an threatless idiot and a coward, and then BAM! Foiled.

Also, his partnership with the cute-but-kinda-dim Scotsman, Jamie, is one of the best in the show's history. Despite the odd amusing quibble, you can always tell how much they care for each other. It's heinously adorable.

OhOhOh! But there's more! His rivalry with 'Fancy-pants', aka. the Third Doctor is one of the highlights of the entire show. I mentioned sass earlier, well, when faced with his future self, Two becomes Sass Master 3000. Hilarity ensues. Seriously, Troughton and Pertwee have the best antagonistic chemistry you'll ever witness.

Okay, I'll stop there. I only wish that I could have seen his earlier stories - especially the ones that featured his precious recorder. Sigh.
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
Average listal rating (75 ratings) 8.3 IMDB Rating 0
The Fourth Doctor


Even if you don't know anything about Doctor Who, you must be at least slightly familiar with the mile-long scarf, floppy hat, and buggy eyes of the Fourth Doctor. Widely regarded as one of the best, (if not THE best) Doctors ever, Tom Baker's take on the character is easily the most iconic to date.

The Fourth Doctor was always all-engines-go; constantly fighting off vicious aliens, saving planets, handing out jelly babies, and getting captured, tortured, and beaten on a weekly basis. There was rarely a dull moment throughout his 7 year run - well, that is until the 80s happened - but nevertheless, Baker always saved the day with his awesome screen presence.

Bearing more eccentricities than skin cells, the Fourth Doctor was never predictable. This is mostly thanks to Baker's brilliant ad-libbing and sometimes surprising choices of line delivery (my favorite being his bout of manic laughter after companion Harry nearly gets him killed, followed by a wide-eyed declaration that "HARRY SULLIVAN IS AN IMBECILE" before dramatically dropping to the ground). Yet at the same time, Baker brought this undeniable sense of cool classiness to his performance, making him the ultimate intellectual hero.

Fun, playful, goofy, and yet always serious when it came to saving the day, Baker became the king of Doctor Who. With some of the best stories the show has to offer, TV's most perfect weirdo, the Fourth Doctor, will always be a fan favorite.
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:
The Tenth Doctor


Okay, let's get one thing cleared up: I am a woman. I'd be the last person to deny how sexy David Tennant is. BUT THAT IS NOT WHY TEN IS MY FAVORITE.

Being the first face of the Doctor that I was exposed to in my young teenaged life, Ten is 'My Doctor', and the one that got me hooked on the show in the first place. His fast-talking, whimsical, funny, energetic, and emotional take on the role got me over the fact that this was a sci-fi show, and made some of the silly alien prosthetics and over-the-top stories that characterized RTD's era more accessible to a reluctant viewer like myself.

One of my favorite things about him was that he was just so positive. He always saw the good in everyone, and would always give even the most vile foes a chance to redeem themselves (but no second chances). Unlike a number of his predecessors, he saw every individual in the universe as important. Ten was a beautiful Doctor through and through, making it heart breaking when awful things happened to him - and boy, did they ever. And when they did, he reacted to them as you or I would, making him extremely relatable.

To be honest, there's really nothing that I DON'T like about the Tenth Doctor. Oh, he can be a ham at times, but that just seems to suit the character. Some people are put off by Tennant's caffeine-induced performance, but I found him to have the most incredible emotional range and comedic prowess of any other actor to play the part (okay, well he shares top spot for the latter with Baker and Troughton).

Tennant, being a super-Whovian himself, seems to have brought the best of each incarnation to his own. He even seems to utilize Colin Baker's appalling arrogance to form the darker side of the Doctor - most evident in his chilling Time Lord Victorious moment. The result is a multidimensional, charismatic, flamboyant, eccentric, brilliant, kind, heroic, compassionate, very alien, very human, adorable, frightening, tortured, friendly, lonely ... You know what? Just think of an adjective. It probably applies to him.

I was completely devastated when 10 became 11, but that's the beauty Doctor Who. With every new actor to step into the old one's place, there are an infinite number of new and exciting things to be brought to the show. They could be things that you absolutely love, or they could be Colin Baker. Either way, each new regeneration is bound to be an interesting ride.

So that's my opinion. How would you rank them? Share in the comments!
Stars-Are-Fire's rating:

Voters of this person list - View all
Kyle EllisMimiMichael S
The unthinkable has happened: I, hater of all things sci-fi, have somehow gotten hooked on one of the longest-running and most iconic representations of the genre in the world of nerd, Doctor Who.

Now, I confess that I'm far more familiar with the new series than the classic, but I think I've seen enough of each incarnation of everyone's favorite Time Lord (with 1 exception) to form a valid enough opinion.

So without further ado, here's my list of The Doctors from *what I think* is the worst to the best - plus their South Park'd selves just for funsies

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