TLIAD: The Doctor Is Who?
- Thread starter rpryor03
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Peter Sellers: 1963-1966
Peter Sellers
1963-1966
The Wonk
1963-1966
The Wonk
A well known comedic actor, Sellers's take on The Doctor was smart and wonky, yet with an awkward side that endeared him to audiences quickly. During this time period, the Doctor was joined by his "granddaughter" Susan, as well as schoolteachers Ian and Barbara. During this time, the Doctor encountered the Daleks and the Cybermen, as well as many other enemies that audiences would come to know and love (sort of, in the way that you can love the villains of a show). Known for his quick thinking, his well thought out plans, and his obliviousness to most human concepts, Sellers became a favorite of Whovians. In 1966, Sellers performed the first "regeneration" into the next doctor, a man who was a masterful actor, but fell flat as the Doctor.
Derek Jacobi: 1966-1968
Derek Jacobi
1966-1968
The Flop
1966-1968
The Flop
Derek Jacobi was a departure from Sellers, as a dramatic actor with a background in Shakespeare. Playing around with the idea of regeneration, Jacobi was an in-between, with many insecurities and angsts. The Second Doctor was accompanied by Jamie McCrimmon (played by Frazer Hines), a 19th century Scottish piper who served as a foil to the Doctor, as well as Candice Mortensen, a scientist played by Lee Remick with an interest in history. Ratings went down, and took Jacobi with them in 1968. He is remembered as a Doctor who was not well liked, but grew on modern audiences.
Eric Porter: 1968-1973
Eric Porter
1968-1973
The Hero
1968-1973
The Hero
Eric Porter, coming from a dramatic background, was regarded skeptically upon his announcement, as many fans thought he would be the same as Jacobi. However, characterizing his Doctor as a man who wanted to save everyone, Porter was beloved by the BBC and fans alike. His moments of weakness have been named some of his best parts, especially at the moment of the first death of a companion in the show, when Jamie McCrimmon sacrificed himself for the Doctor in front of a barrage of Daleks, allowing the Doctor and his new companion Gwen Powell (played by the up-and-coming Julie Walters) to survive. Staying on for five years, Porter announced his departure from the show in a heartfelt letter to the fan base, regenerating two months later. His swashbuckling adventures have been said to have influenced the Lucas-Spielberg classic Illinois Jones, and he is the gold standard for dramatic Doctors.
Gordon Jackson: 1973-1976
Gordon Jackson
1973-1976
The Spymaster
1973-1976
The Spymaster
Known as a cast member on Upstairs, Downstairs, Gordon Jackson was the third straight dramatist to play the Doctor. Jackson brought a sinister side to the character, giving him the feel of a grizzled spymaster, allowing the show to become more casual with violence as the fans from the beginning started to grow up. One of the biggest developments from this time was the arrival of the character known as The Lord (played by Roger Delgado). The Lord, another member of the Doctor's species, the Time Lords, was a leader of the Council of the Time Lords, and somehow passed through the barrier separating Gallifrey (their planet) and the rest of the Universe. The companion for this time was Clarence Shaw, a young man played by Timothy Spall. Clarence took the title of "The Doctor's Apprentice." As the Doctor regenerated, his last words, "I'm so proud of you," said to Clarence, broke the stoic facade of this Doctor, and brought on a much more emotional one.
Michael Palin: 1976-1980
Michael Palin
1976-1980
The Snarker
1976-1980
The Snarker
Michael Palin had started his acting career with a failed comedy troupe known as "Monty Python," Palin had worked the standup circuit for a few years before being plucked from obscurity to be cast as the Doctor. Palin's Doctor was the stereotypical British funnyman with a dry and biting wit. Palin was known for breaking silences and odd situations with a joke or pun. Credited with bringing younger audiences to the show, Palin has "embraced his Doctor," and is a well known figure on convention circuits. As his four seasons went on, the Doctor became much more human than previous ones, and was theorized to have depression. (Both Palin and Producer Graham Williams have confirmed that this Doctor was depressed.)
Sir Alec Guinness: 1980-1986
Sir Alec Guinness
1980-1986
The Wise Old Hermit
1980-1986
The Wise Old Hermit
Getting Sir Alec Guinness was the biggest coup for Doctor Who. Famed for being in The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago, Guinness stated that his granddaughter, Sylvia, threatened that she would never talk to him again if he didn't take the role. Guinness characterized his Doctor as a loner, keeping very few companions, but very wise and always willing to dispense a word of wisdom. Staying in the job for six years, Guinness loved his Doctor and his time on the show, but ratings began to decline during the last half of his tenure. His regeneration brought a new tone to the show, one of darkness and despair.
Leo McKern: 1986-1988
Leo McKern
1986-1988
The Jolly Captain
1986-1988
The Jolly Captain
The first non-Brit to play the Doctor, McKern allowed for a more global view in the show, bringing the Doctor to Australia, as well as America, where many fans believe is where "Whomania" started. With a new title screen and a TARDIS design, McKern's Doctor was an eternal optimist, even in the face of some gritty storylines, including the return of The Lord, this time played by Laurence Olivier. With health problems, including diabetes, McKern stayed on for two years before regenerating after dying in a duel with The Lord, who regenerated at the same time.
Paul McGann: 1988
Paul McGann
1988
The Bright Light
1988
The Bright Light
Paul McGann was maybe one of the brightest and best Doctors around, who's time on the show was tragically cut short. Regenerating right at the same time as The Lord, who was played by McGann's brother Mark, the two faced off in a battle of wits and traps during their season. Joined by Helena Manning, a scientist played by Talisa Soto, McGann had his confrontation with The Lord in the season finale, leaving a cliffhanger that would have been resolved in the new season. Unfortunately, during a press tour in the US, McGann was assassinated by one John Hinckley, Jr., who thought that it would gain the attention of actress Jodie Foster. The world mourned, and in the new season's first episode, dedicated to McGann, his brother Stephen took on the role for a few minutes for The Lord to cause another regeneration.
Kenneth Branagh: 1988-1992
Kenneth Branagh
1988-1992
The Natural Learner
1988-1992
The Natural Learner
Casted quickly after McGann's death, Kenneth Branagh was a stage actor with a few film credits, mostly in Shakespeare. Taking an approach similar to Peter Sellers, with a dash of Eric Porter and Michael Palin, Branagh provided stability for the audience and a complex character who was always eager and ready to learn from his companions, including Helena Manning, as well as Raileena, an older Time Lord played by Emma Thompson, who he later married. Mark McGann's The Lord left the show in 1990, supposedly regenerated. Branagh's Doctor faced off against the Daleks again, who caused his next regeneration.
Ian Richardson: 1992-1995
Ian Richardson
1992-1995
The Schemer
1992-1995
The Schemer
Ian Richardson, another Shakespearian actor, played his Doctor as a schemer, facing off a new villain known as "The Great Intelligence." Cerebral and analyzing, Richardson took the Doctor to new locations from the UK Parliament to the BBC in a very meta episode for Comic Relief. Upon the defeat of The Great Intelligence, the Doctor revealed he had absorbed the energy of the explosion that killed it, causing him to regenerate for the tenth time.
Colin Mochrie: 1995-2001
Colin Mochrie
1995-2001
The Master of Few, Jack of None
1995-2001
The Master of Few, Jack of None
Colin Mochrie, a regular panelist on the well known improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, was named as the 11th Doctor in 1995 as the first Doctor to come from a fully comedic background since Peter Sellers in the 60's. Known for playing up his few strengths, Mochrie played his Doctor as an awkward old man with the occasional flash of brilliance, very much based on First Mate Gilligan. Stunning critics, Mochrie stayed in the role for six years, as long as Sir Alec Guinness did. Upon his regeneration after a battle with the Cybermen, someone who seemed familiar to the show was cast.
Mark Gatiss: 2001-2005
Mark Gatiss
2001-2005
The Powerbroker
2001-2005
The Powerbroker
A sketch comedian, Gatiss, who had formerly appeared on Who as Professor Lazarus during the Richardson years, was very clearly influenced by Richardson. Very similar, Gatiss's Doctor worked with powerful departments such as UNIT and Torchwood. With new Executive Producer Steven Moffat, focus was placed on to new alien species, such as the Carrionites and the Adipose. A popular companion during this time was Martha Pond, played by Louise Brealey (who eventually became the Doctor's Wife), as well as Sgt. Jake Harkness, played by John Barrowman. Both eventually got spin-off series in Torchwood (for Harkness/Barrowman) and Sons of Gallifrey (for Brealey and Luke Mochrie as the Doctor's Son). After a season long conflict with the Carrionites, the Doctor regenerated, with his next incarnation having a good deal of controversy in his time.
I'm sorry. For what it's worth, I love the Pythons too.
It was the only one I was relatively sure of before starting, as I was watching some WLIIA reruns.
Idris Elba: 2005-2010
Idris Elba
2005-2010
The Cop
2005-2010
The Cop
Another dramatist, Idris Elba was known for his portrayal of Defective John Luther in Luther and Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. Elba has stated that he was inspired Lance Reddick's performance of Cedric Daniels in the American show The Wire, about drug kingpins in Newark. Very stern yet very flawed, Elba's portrayal returned Who to the grittiness fans were accustomed to in the 70s and 80s. However, a black doctor wasn't the problem. A female version of The Lord was, however. Called "The Lady", as well as "Linda", the new version of the well known character, played by Lena Headey with a seductive sliminess. This caused many debates to spring up in the UK and US about transgender rights, with the Harman Government passing a bill to give support to that community, as well as President Kerry doing the same through Executive Order in the US. Upon his regeneration, Elba had stabilized himself in the pantheon of Doctors.
