Doctor Who: Every Doctor Ranked From Worst To Best

[@harryjones3821]

It's very hard to justify putting Patrick Troughton so close to the bottom. David Tennant has acknowledged how in many ways Troughton is more important than First Doctor for creating the template of what the character of the Doctor became. He was also the one who proved a change of lead actor could work.

[@tfratchet]

Troughton better than Whittaker? I’m done.

[@FallenGemini]

I agree. Even Matt Smith based Troughton's Doctor on his Doctor. Without the 2nd Doctor, the other doctor wouldn't be humorous.

[@AshtonRogers-se1zj]

Smith also credited Troughton for being the primary inspiration for his take on the character. At least as far as previous incarnations of the character go.

[@rockstermaniac]

the problem with ranking troughton is not only is he one of the silliest incarnations he also has the fewest surviving serials.

[@Jodster223]

Troughton is credited by many as a big inspiration to their incarnation of the Doctor

[@TheKiwiDragon]

Patrick Troughton being last but one is a crime Sean. He's more important to the role of the Doctor than Hartnell. Hartnell may have been the first, but Troughton had to follow him, and being the first regeneration, had to make sure the show could still work under his watch.

[@Devlinator61116]

Hartnell and Eccleston are responsible for launching and relaunching the show, respectively, but Troughton and Tennant had to, as you wrote, follow them and make sure the show could still work under their watches.

[@HariSeldon913]

This list is very biased against classic Who.

[@theemeraldboars484]

Not even to mention how influential he is. Multiple other Who actors have called him their favorite. He was the first Time Lord. THAT memory speech! The 11th Incarnation is the direct descendant of the 2nd, from the off-center bowtie to mannerisms, and I think whilst Hartnell might well be the first (depressed Cushing wasn't mentioned)....I think Troughton is the first who really gets the character. His cosmic hobo is still relatable, funny, and loveable to this day.

[@HariSeldon913]

@@theemeraldboars484 Cushing did three movies that were outside of the television series. Something where the BBC didn't have exclusive rights to the characters and Terry Nation who created the Daleks was able to license them out to a studio. Police boxes were still in use, so they couldn't copyright that any more than they could a fire hydrant.

[@theemeraldboars484]

@@HariSeldon913 was more grumpy that he wasn't mentioned as a part of this list, but thanks for the info!

[@MARVELNerd616]

Capaldi is my favorite. His arc over his 3 seasons was a fantastic transformation, and I believe he is the only actor who could’ve carried an episode like Heaven Sent.

[@longwaytotipperary]

Ditto!

[@ladycplum]

I'm right there with you. I love how they softened him up over time.

[@TheSirSpence]

If we just take TV I agree, he gets nudged out of number one spot by McGann if you take Big Finish into account

[@AuroraTheAvali3735]

Capaldi is without a doubt my favorite as well!

[@ladycplum]

@@TheSirSpence Colin Baker was also heavily redeemed by the audio adventures.

[@michaelbiscay9836]

I love you guys, but having Troughton below Whittaker is hard to stomach.

[@NileSWPhotography]

They did that purely to get engagement. That’s the only reason I can think of. They know there’ll be outrage in the comments.

[@ladyfoxwf1075]

It's just untrue, don't worry, Whittaker ain't even a Doctor. We know who our 12 Doctors (+war+metacrisis) are Troughton was wonderful

[@MyBelovedGhostAndMe]

​@@ladyfoxwf1075No. Whittaker was an amazing doctor, but ruined by chibs writing. She is an amazing actor and was a really good doctor too

[@rene370]

Troughton 😭

[@nadinefeiler9204]

@@MyBelovedGhostAndMe No she was terrible as the doctor. It was just a role she did not fit in. Every time she tried to threaten someone i started to laugh. Part of the reason why she was so terrible as the Doctor was that she never managed to develop a own take on the role.

[@nigelnash7516]

My issue with Jodie's Doctor has absolutely nothing to do with the doctors gender, or Jodie herself. I was genuinely hyped when I found out there'd be a female doctor, especially when I found out Jodie was up for the role as I think she's a great actress with the right material. But that right there is the issue, the material she was given, and the writing of the show jumped off a cliff during Jodies era, the companions are wooden, the Doctor is not written as the Doctor, some of the morals and whatnot you'd expect from the Doctor just aren't there for this era, or changed to the complete opposite. The stories themselves we're just never very well written, especially The Timeless Child. I could debate The Timeless Child for hours, but in my opinion, ripping apart the canon and doing it's best to retcon the Doctors history just doesn't sit right with me and completely breaks certain plot points all throughout the years of Doctor who just because they wanted something new. Again, nothing to do with gender, and I think with the right material, Jodie is a fantastic Doctor, I was genuinely looking forward to a female Doctor, for me it was just the writing that let Jodie's Doctor and then some, and that's a damn shame.

[@KeironCharles]

Jo Martin owned the role of the Doctor in her moments onscreen in a way Jodie Whittaker never did. Similarly, Michelle Gomez was outstanding as the Missy incarnation of the Master. The problem was never gender.

[@warrenwiley5656]

You nailed what I had wanted to say. I wanted to like Jodie's Doctor but the plots & companions were terrible. In her 1st episode, the most interesting character was the older woman who was married to Graham? She was great, but they killed her off.

[@nigelnash7516]

@@KeironCharles couldn't agree more

[@nigelnash7516]

@@warrenwiley5656 and the worst part is, as great as Grace was (I think that's her name lol), she was killed off so early, but we were then expected to care about her every time Graham bought her up in conversation, but we were never really given any time to actually care about her being gone, she was just treated as a plot device

[@friendlyotaku9525]

"the Doctor is not written as the Doctor, some of the morals and whatnot you'd expect from the Doctor just aren't there for this era" yes she is and yes they are there. "completely breaks certain plot points" no it doesn't. Like The Timeless Child doesn't "ruin" anything at all.

[@henrikhanssen6321]

I was stunned by the Troughton placement. He’s my fav by miles. (I also know every Doctor is someone’s favourite.) PT was smart, funny, wise and his double act with Jamie was sublime. His interplay with The Third Doctor in The Three Doctors and The Five Doctors was such fun. There! Glad to get that out of my system. Carry on.

[@Tortoiz07]

Agreed, he is my favourite classic Doctor followed by Sylvester Mccoy. I know it's just an opinion but placing Troughton, Pertwee AND Hartnell before Jodie Whittaker is criminal XD No hate to Jodie but she was let down much like Colin Baker but I wouldn't be surprised if she gets to do some great Big Finish audios to almost redeem her Doctor (like Colin Baker)

[@hereticosjc]

Troughton is in my top 3 he's 2nd for me but if you take feelings out of it I think just for what he did he deserves to be far higher on the list than he is. I get this is personal list but it also shows a bias to the new who placing some of the best doctors so low. 3rd Doctor not being higher was weird to. Anyway my point here is Troughton deserves better on merit alone and this is very much proof he's never really watched any of his stuff.

[@mikedavenport47]

Pure bollocks from someone who clearly doesn't know much about the show prior to 2005.

[@petertrudelljr]

For me, Troughton is so low because so little of his tenure remains. It kills me that I can't watch Doctors 1 and 2. I grew up watching 3 through 7 and hoped to hell 8 would get more (THANK-YOU Big Finish!) Colin, Sylvester, and Paul get a lot of love in the Big Finish audio dramas that really raise them to my favourites.

[@OscarOSullivan]

John Simms was a great master my favourite

[@RachelW042]

2nd is my favorite. He has so many good episodes, and his relationship with Jamie is absolutely the best!

[@zyg9]

just a couple of bros, bro-in' out, eating sandwiches around the tardis console

[@Donnagata1409]

2nd, Jamie and Zoe are a perfect combination!!!!

[@danielrussell3408]

12 is 100% my favourite doctor bc of his 3 season arc of being an arrogant old man to a loveable grandad. His relationship with Clara his first season is strained but the relationship he has with Bill and Nardol is one of the best throughout the entire series. His speeches are brilliant and has some of best one-liners and comebacks.

[@AxelaxiB]

I had the same reaction Clara did when 11 turned into 12. But I continued the series because of what 11 tells Clara on the phone. And Peter's "you look at me and you don't see me" got me intrigued to keep watching and GOD DAMN never would I ever say I loved another companion more than Amy & Rory; Clara managed all that.

[@wabbajack2]

"I came the long way round." I came.

[@mehdiaqarabi5369]

His speech in "The Zygon Invasion" is one of the best monologues of the doctor.

[@thedimensionalcat]

I’m so overwhelmed by how many people love Capaldi now. He was my first Doctor. Thanks to him, I’m right now rewatching the show for the 6th time! I remember there wasn’t much love during his era. A lot of fans (I remember) were very critical about Steven Moffat’s decisions. I’m one of those fans that never had a problem and to this day, I speak about Capaldi as the one actor I’d love to meet before I kick the bucket. His last lines became a core memory instantly.

[@idrisatardis5553]

I dropped off after 12th finished his tenure. I had always kind of thought that 11th was my doctor but recently coming back to Doctor Who, I find that the good episodes with 12th stand out the most to me. They are the ones I long to go back to. I think 11th’s run has so much convoluted writing, it really appealed to fangirl me who wanted to dig deep into everything. But 12th has the best and most immaculate acting. The writing quality fluctuated from time to time but he had the goofiness as well as the gravitas. I think those are the core contradictions of the doctor. He was so convincing as the doctor. I think I’ll go back and revisit his era before the 60th (still haven’t watched any of 13th tho😮‍💨)

[@jameskinzer9476]

He was technically my first doctor too. The first time I ever seen doctor who is the one where he passes away at the end of the episode.

[@SatiricalAcuteMeta4]

Ive watched all of the current era dozens of times or more and Capaldi is my absolute favourite. I love his darker incarnation. I know he lightened up eventually but it was refreshing to see. I honestly thought they would bring back The Valeyard during his run.

[@sashaanne703]

I have many issues with Steven Moffat: his choices of actors to play the Doctor are not among them. Heaven Sent is one of the best episodes of television I’ve ever seen.

[@BrunoCaruso-wz7pg]

some of the female audience really struggled to accept The Doctor could´t be a cheap young actor forever, some of them got way too comfortable projecting their childish dreams into Amy Pond´s image travelling with the babyface Doctor, and then Capaldi came and remind those girls that The Doctor is OLD and grumpy and intellectual (not merely a clever boy), and all his moments with River Song felt WAY MORE charming than Matt Smith´s making River look like a MILF rathar than a mature, intelligent, confident woman

[@mrjnebula7558]

Putting 2 second to last and 11 at number 1 is hilarious given how similar they are

[@HermanFalckHow]

11 is the best though.

[@ozmond]

@@HermanFalckHownot even close

[@mashedpotatoes1124]

​@@HermanFalckHowagreed 11 is the goat

[@joshberninger8355]

Glad to see Matt Smith’s 11 at the top as he’s my favorite. Capaldi is an extremely close second. Great arc for his Doctor and loved him and Missy. Thought there was great progression with Clara and him and Bill worked great too.

[@thesolarengineer]

So say all of the weak sisters of the Order 😂

[@therealkev5736]

Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor is perfection. The balance between his goofiness and gravitas is flawless and his character development, especially alongside Clara, is the best in the series for me. I really hope he comes back for a cameo in the 60th

[@lorenzpatorenz7493]

Well he said he definitely does not want to play the doctor in multi doctor stories, so I don't think so

[@catchaser52]

@therealkev5736 Capaldi's "Goofiness" is exactly why I M O, he was not the Dr he said he wanted to be. IMO, he realized the previous 2 Drs were younger and very popular, and Capaldi imitated them, much to my dismay.

[@StreetNoise]

I love all the Doctors and it's always interesting to see people's rankings as we all have different faves WAIT A MINUTE TWO IS IN 12TH PLACE???? No, no, I will respect it. Not traumatizing at all.

[@blastfromthepast-o1d]

If you love Whittaker then you are not a true Doctor Who fan. And that is actually a fact.

[@StreetNoise]

@@blastfromthepast-o1d You're cute.

[@alim.9801]

​@@blastfromthepast-o1d nobody has to like her for sure, but liking her doesn't make you less of a fan. Gatekeeping is very weird dude

[@blastfromthepast-o1d]

@@alim.9801 No, what's weird, dude, is liking the 13th Doctor and all that she symbolized and took away from the show. That's what's weird... dude. LOL

[@tazdivil6527]

@@blastfromthepast-o1dcry me a river, wanker. Jodie herself was great! It’s the writing which was fucking terrible

[@Nennius01]

I think the biggest problem with Jodie's tenure was the writing. I'm guessing that the 60th anniversary special is too soon, but I can't wait to see her in a special not written/show run by Chibnal. Her doctor had all the elements and more, but her skills were badly underutilized and the release dates by the BBC (and Chibnal's production) prevented her from getting any momentum.

[@MrHazD]

Jodie already regenerated what do you mean?

[@Nennius01]

@@MrHazD Yes, but many Doctors come back for specials thanks to wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff. As I said, the 60th is probably too soon to have her back, but I'm hopeful there will be a chance for her to return at some point.

[@marshelldoonan7798]

Exactly, she wasn't a bad doctor she just had bad stories with her overcrowded tardis

[@saintjohn8603]

Capaldi. Great actor, great writing, great companions, great directing...music...etc etc etc.

[@dazzle1545]

Calpadi terrible actor, terrible writing useless companions

[@dazzle1545]

Are you serious or trolling. Calpadi can't act his way out of a paper bag, the stories area sucked he had the worst companion in Bill Potts

[@TheImmediatePastPrez]

Troughton is my favorite Doctor and seeing him ranked so low with little explanation hurts man. He's such a phenomenal actor and is so Integral to how the Doctor is portrayed now. Ain't no way man 😭

[@hekitek_]

Peter Capaldi's incarnation of the doctor is very underrated in my opinion. It gave a more darker tone that I liked, also he gives a cool grandpa vibe.

[@RedDevil0902]

David Tennant and Peter Capaldi are my two favorites David Tennant was my childhood hero growing up, when he was the doctor I loved the writing, the stories, the monsters, the music, the atmosphere, his Tardis, his sonic Screwdriver, his companions. Everything about David Tennant’s era (RTD era) I thought was perfection. That was when Doctor Who was at its absolute golden peak.

[@giraykarabulut6667]

They can not be trusted ven Close to Smith

[@eugeneshadwell6596]

Gonna say it, Colin Baker is the Timothy Dalton of Doctor Who. Playing a much harsher version of a beloved character back in the 80's when people just weren't ready for such a thing. Of course, it didn't help that the stories often weren't very good and the costume was just f-ing stupid and made him look like a clown... but I maintain that his performance was solid and would have been far better regarded if he had better material to work with.

[@zyg9]

Such an interesting take considering we've always called paul mcgann the george lazenby of doctor who. I wonder what other james bond parallels we can make?

[@secondroad11]

I would say closer to a Quinton Tarentino of Doctor Who, from my perspective.

[@therakshasan8547]

The DOCTOR is a multi faceted diamond. How can you rank one facet over another ?

[@elliesteele2027]

Actually this is factually incorrect. Source: I disagree.

[@samuelphillips7369]

Personally I love Hartnell's first doctor and would probably rank him in my top 5. I think his character arc across his tenure while not as amazing as capaldi's is so touching as he gradually becomes more comfortable and friendly with Ian and Barbara, and then growing and developing through his relations with his later companions, and has really touching moments throughout. He also managed to show such a childish excitement and wonder when exploring and discovering new things that makes him so endearing to me. Curious to see what others think

[@ade1665]

I do think Hartnell & Troughton should be higher- the person who started it all, & the one who proved it was possible to successfully change your leading actor? Genuinely think they should both be top 5...

[@chrissiemacalister6835]

Amen!

[@doctorpaul0209]

Echoing a few on here- I can’t believe that Troughton is so low. He’s THE proto Doctor, the one that inspired the many. I appreciate that these lists are subjective, but even standing back from personal views this one hurts!! Also, purely subjectively, Pertwee should be higher too!

[@doctorpaul0209]

It’s an even more bizarre position considering Matt Smith is (rightly!) at number 1, they are so similar in many ways.

[@27newyorker]

12 is my absolute favorite. His range as the Doctor was incredible.

[@chrisf7189]

As much as I like David Tennant I agree about Matt Smith, he was so good as the Doctor and Tennant was a tough act to follow.

[@AllyCraig]

Patrick Troughton is my favourite classic Doctor. I’m sad to see him so far down in this list - but the beauty of DW is it’s so huge and varied, different people love it in different ways.

[@wabbajack2]

Tom Baker > Troughton. Fight me.

[@AllyCraig]

@@wabbajack2 I won’t fight you, Tom Baker is amazing and it’s easy to see why he’d be someone’s favourite. He’s high on my list too.

[@stuffyouotterlistento1461]

​@@wabbajack2 If forced to rank Doctors right now, I'd go Tom Baker, then David Tennant, then Patrick Troughton, but it's really close between them, at other times I might shift the order around, and I consider them to be the three top tier Doctors. I really can't disagree with somebody putting any one of them first. I can, however, disagree very strongly with somebody putting one of the twelfth. That's just all kinds of wrong. It's like saying A New Hope is the second worst Star Wars movie.

[@neilhenwood8019]

So refreshing to see Matt Smith ranked above David Tennant. My three favourite Doctors are in your top three. Tennant was superb and I loved his tenure. Smith was my favourite Doctor from New Who though. For a fan of Classic Who he bought so much of that era to the role. Nailing the old man in a young body vibe but then cherry picking and dropping in nods to previous doctors throughout his performance just cemented it for me. That said I would not have ranked him above Tom Baker. Tom was my Doctor, the one I grew up with and will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you Tom.

[@cmaples]

To place the Thirteenth Doctor ahead of the First, Second and or Sixth Doctor leads me to roll my eyes and dismiss this list.

[@waz207]

Troughton being so low is painful, as he “set the standard” for so many of his successors, such as the 3 seasons and done aspect (Davison specifically mentions a conversation with Troughton about not overstaying in the role). Another is how he tended to play the fool, or at least clueless, but instead was manipulating or planning (7th and 11th immediately come to mind for those that keep that mentality). Finally, he (along with Pertwee) was the one who began the idea of the Doctors incarnations not getting along, or at least trying to one up and/or just being snippy with each other, which has been the standard in many multi Doctor stories. Without Troughton establishing his version of the Doctor, most subsequent ones could’ve been much different.

[@Sir_Gerald_Nosehairs.]

I read somewhere it was deliberate, as Pertwee and Troughton had very different acting styles (Troughton being keener on ad-libbing) and they were a bit curt with each other, but later became very good friends.

[@KingOfDoma]

Now do non-main and non-canon Doctors! The Curse of Fatal Death Docs, Peter Cushing, the works!

[@WhoCulture]

This would be really fun and is something we've discussed!

[@npc310177]

Jim Broadbent should be number 1 :)

[@chezsnailez]

@@WhoCulture ~ in that case, Joanna Lumley would've been an absolutely fabulous Doctor.

[@Yetaxa]

@@chezsnailez I believe her name was thrown around at the time of casting the fifth Doctor (when there was consideration for having a woman)

[@thetadoesstuff]

nah patrick troughton second from bottom is absolutely ridiculous to me considering he is the blueprint for arguably every doctor that came after him (bar maybe pertwee)

[@Brychan1102]

Tell me you haven't watched any of Troughton's episodes without telling me you haven't watched any of Troughton's episodes. Arguably the most talented actor to have played the Doctor

[@davidclarey4461]

He became my one of my favorite doctors just by watching clips on youtube

[@cianlynam7269]

Totally agree, always considered him the most underrated doctor. The second doctor literally laid the foundation for every doctor after. Intelligent, quirky, witty, resourceful, and compassionate. If not for the second doctor/ Patrick Troughton, Doctor Who would be a vastly, and arguably worse tv show.

[@TomCoates]

Very definitely think they got this one wrong.

[@ladycplum]

Oh my giddy aunt!

[@nearfallreview6815]

I fully agree with this statement all you have to do is watch him in the end of the world where he plays the villain and the doctor what a fantastic story as well as the war games even though it is a bit p too long

[@DEBest95]

Couldn't help myself smiling when you mentioned River Song and dropping Ellie's name, her love for River has passed noone ☺️

[@tearsfort]

My favorite doctor is Pertwee, no question asked. Just this perfect mix of dandy and gentleman.

[@frankmoniz1467]

Mr. Pertwee is my all time favorite Time Lord. To me, he is a Time God.

[@julianaylor4351]

I don't rank them, it's like insulting your mum's cooking, if she's a good cook. All of them. ♥️

[@bus249a9]

I have to agree. I have like them all. Each brings something different to the show and i except them for who they are. A show to last 60 years is quite a feat. Hope to see it last another 60 years.

[@friendlyotaku9525]

Exactly, they're all amazing in their own rights.

[@CrazyEnglishman]

Finally Eleven get his praise. Matt (who I'm meeting on Saturday can't wait!) In my eyes imbued everything that the Doctor is. He showed the incredible age through a young man's form. He was a Doctor that could make you smile if you were down. He also had my favourite Sonic design as well as Tardis interior. His tenure in my eyes has been one of the best and he has the best opening episode and leaving episode in new Who. But at the end all the Doctor's are brilliant. As the Brigadier once said "Wonderful Chaps, all of them"

[@delladearest2511]

You’re meeting him in person! Awesome 🤩 please let me know how it goes ❣️ three seasons was not enough 😢

[@CrazyEnglishman]

@@delladearest2511 Yeah for London Film and Comic Con I got the Diamond pass to get priority Autograph and photo. Been waiting 13 years since series 5 to meet him XD Yeah Matt should have stayed for another series, especially meeting The Master (or missy).

[@delladearest2511]

@@CrazyEnglishman yay! Please let me know if there’s a way he keeps in touch with his fans!

[@alim.9801]

I hope meeting him was awesome!!

[@AlleyRose]

McGann carried the banner for the franchise nearly a decade, without the benefit and exposure of an actual series. Eight deserves every ounce of praise heaped on him.

[@Joseph-gp2fq]

11 is the goat and always will be. He is everything the doctor should be

[@DanielWright-np3fq]

I think Sean settled the Jodie Whitaker era question with his Tennant and Smith comments: He consistently points to the quality of writing that the actor uses to elevate their Doctor to a higher ground. I would give a lot to see the incredibly talented Whitaker doing a Davies script. Could you imagine the epic levels it would reach?

[@stuffyouotterlistento1461]

While the writing for Whittaker's era was inconsistent at best, and she was often crowded by an overly large TARDIS crew, I also feel like she failed to really capture the role. She's not painful to watch or anything, but it just feels like she's play-acting rather than convincingly inhabiting the character. Maybe a better showrunner could've helped her focus and shape the character though, and maybe if I'd liked the show more at the time, that would've helped boost my opinion of her. She's not at the bottom of my list (that would be McCoy's Doctor, who I actively dislike), but she's definitely at the "could use improvement" end of things.

[@Charlesingworth]

My main problem with Jodie was just that she didn't feel like the doctor. She didn't have that doctor charm. She just felt like a generic hero that helps people.

[@friendlyotaku9525]

"She didn't feel like the Doctor" yes she did, what?

[@Marta_is_here]

She felt like a “we HAVE to have a woman The Doctor” so ummm, let’s pick this one Doctor.

[@miles510]

I agree, Jodie is great but compared to her predecessors she really doesn’t have any screen presence. Partly CC’s fault I’m sure.

[@friendlyotaku9525]

@@Marta_is_here that's literally how casting works.

[@Marta_is_here]

@@friendlyotaku9525 and it literally almost destroyed Doctor Who

[@setharagon9290]

Tenth doctor was the best. Both cool, funny, and serious when needed. You felt his emotions, you saw his emotions of not being able to love. Tom Baker is number 2. But by a very very short margin, and capaldi is my 3rd favorite.

[@anaramakatova1830]

Twelfth and Eighth are my favorites. I'd have a huge problem putting someone at the bottom of the list. I think you are unfair towards the Sixth, his BF audios are amazing, especially with Evelyn Smythe as the companion

[@Donnagata1409]

Very unfair...

[@samitdavid995]

Capaldi is my favourite by a long way, his arc and the characters around him were perfect

[@frankmoniz1467]

And those eyebrows!!! I get tingles, he was phenomenal.

[@AshtonRogers-se1zj]

Matt Smith is my favorite Doctor too. I really didn't think he'd actually top the list though.

[@olirothers]

That makes little sense

[@AshtonRogers-se1zj]

@@olirothers is the concept that my favorite Doctor isn't ALSO everyone else's favorite really THAT difficult to grasp!? ....it IS the internet,so maybe...

[@theunknowntimelord8494]

Predicable list that most of the classic doctors would be in the bottom half. A bit of research would tell you that it was 7 & not 10 years of Tom Baker when Peter Davison took over.

[@robalexander8065]

Basic stuff really. A decent edit would have caught such a howler.

[@watermeloxn]

i think when he was talking about Tom Baker he said tenure, not ten years, which can be used to refer to any amount of time someone is employed for

[@robalexander8065]

@@watermeloxn Just checked and he clearly says "We'd just had ten years of Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor". Tenure wouldn't make grammatical sense in this sentence. Also he emphasises the word "years".

[@watermeloxn]

@@robalexander8065oh yeah he did, my bad i was talking about when he was doing the ranking of the fourth doctor and he was saying tenure, i missed that bit during Peter Davison’s ranking

[@Yetaxa]

almost as if they didn't actually watch the episodes and have just seen a few clips and are making the rest up

[@theevildalek5425]

Nah…Nah!…NAH! Patrick Troughton at the near bottom???!!! The most influential Doctor ever, the one who created the archetypal Doctor & the one who has influenced every future Doctor (Davison, C.Baker, McCoy & Smith have all said that Troughton’s Doctor was what influenced them), near last?!WHAT???!!! I know this is a subjective list & respecting other people’s opinions…But Troughton at 12th place?! Second lowest?! 👎 EDIT: Smith being No. 1 & Troughton being No. 12 makes no sense! Smith has said that Troughton is his favourite & is what influenced his take on The Doctor! Troughton’s Doctor is what made Smith’s Doctor! …

[@Luvias0415]

Christopher Eccleston's doctor will always have a place in my heart because his run was the first of Doctor Who I had ever seen.

[@ahsokaxtan0]

Capaldi will always be my favourite such a brilliant actor and will always have heaven sent as my favourite episode and the zygon inversion as my favourite speech

[@doctorgamer011]

I couldn’t agree more with The Eleventh Doctor being number one on the list! He was my first and will always be my favorite Doctor! Because of him, I’m the Whovian I am today. Praying we see that raggedy man running around in a bow tie and fez once more hopefully in the 60th! 💙💙

[@wabbajack2]

Capaldi > Smith. Fight me.

[@HOTD108_]

​@@wabbajack2Fighting over subjective taste has no place among healthy fans.

[@lindsay3614]

Two at number twelve?? 😲 I'm trying not to be offended by that but I am. Especially when Eleven is number one. Two is my favorite. Followed closely by Eleven in second place because they are quite similar to each other.

[@zyg9]

especially when 11 is a complete and total and admitted copy of 2. Smith had been cast and had not figured out how to approach the character. Then he saw Tomb of the Cybermen and decided to copy every single thing about troughton

[@cthulhuscot3940]

It gets annoying when people peddle the false assumption that the 3rd Doctor is stuck on Earth in the 1970s for most of his stories. He has 24 stories, 11 of these he visits another planet, another 3 he travels to a different time periods of Earth's history, he also goes to an alternate earth in one and goes into space in a rocket in another. That's 16 out of 24 stories.

[@thelegendthemyththeman4772]

Troughton at 12th is genuinely criminal.

[@Extinguisher10]

The 9th Doctor was Fantastic!

[@petercox1925]

My two favourites are Tom Baker (my first Doctor) and Matt Smith (incredible acting, and brilliant story arcs - his time was as much the story of his companions as it was his story). I can't rank these two against each other though.

[@chrissiemacalister6835]

Absolutely! My thoughts too.

[@thejaysusnetwork6102]

For one of the few times I agree with a countdown list, I concur. Matt Smith's 11th Doctor was, imo, the best Doctor there has ever been.

[@WhoCulture]

Let us know your own ranking, we're interested to see them! Something else we've talked about doing is a ranking of every alternate Doctor - for example Metacrisis, the Valeyard, the MasterDoctor. If that's something you'd like to see then let us know that too!

[@mattthesilent777RED]

Jodie Whittaker isn't the Thirteenth Doctor, even if she was, she is infinitely the worst. You missed out a few incarnations, the Thirteenth Doctor (Simon Farnaby), the Fourteenth Doctor (Martin Freeman), the Fifteenth Doctor (Mike Wozniak) and the Sixteenth Doctor (Jay Foreman). Please correct your list and change it

[@DrWhoFanJ]

@@mattthesilent777REDWrong on all counts. Jodie is the Thirteenth Doctor, and none of those people you have named have ever played the Doctor at all. Cope harder.

[@jacobster5126]

I think that could be a good idea but you know that someone will be raging in the comments if you don't count all the morbius doctors.

[@mattthesilent777RED]

@@DrWhoFanJ STOP STALKING ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!

[@DrWhoFanJ]

@@mattthesilent777RED I’M NOT STALKING YOU! You keep posting your deluded ravings in public fora you know I frequent; you really shouldn’t be surprised when I arrive here and call you out on it.

[@zachsmith5342]

I personally can’t fathom not having Troughton in the top 5, or even top half of the list, but placing him at the second worst is an offense to the fandom. The First Doctor is iconic and he will always be the actor who started the role and laid down the foundation, but it’s a rather common understanding that he had to settle into the groundwork of what we see the character as today over time and even still there are some who feel his portrayal is out of character with the Doctor overall. His take is spectacular in its own right, but Patrick Troughton’s second Doctor is truly the basis of all the mannerisms we associate with the Doctor. Wise cracking, agelessness, confrontational, kindhearted, and a genius who was happy to be seen as an idiot are just a handful of the traits he established. Patrick Troughton was brilliant, his era was phenomenal, and his Doctor is arguably The Doctor. To place him below other Doctors who’s times on the show are questionable in quality, or are debated amongst the fans as such, is nothing short of a travesty. Plus, without Troughton we wouldn’t have Doctor Who today; without his success and ability to convince people he was the Doctor and could still helm this show there would be nothing more than 60’s era Doctor Who. At the end of the day your opinion is your own but I would urge you to sincerely reconsider his placement on any future list you make

[@ladycplum]

Oh you are taking a big risk with this list. Peter Capaldi will always be #1 for me, followed by Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Chris Eccleston, and Jon Pertwee. Matt Smith is towards the bottom of my list because of his tendency to spew out enough ham while making grandiose speeches that he could fill a football field-size pig sty! I never felt he did anger very well, and his default setting seemed to be "Wave your arms around and act like a wacky children's show presenter!" Tennant's not much higher up, but for me it's because I am just so sick of seeing him practically EVERYWHERE! He's spread himself too thin, he's ubiquitous! His performances of anger were also very unbalanced. He was at his best while being somber and quiet (think of the confrontation with Mr. Finch by the pool in School Reunion), but it was almost embarrassing when he defaulted to "Shout really loud in someone's face". Capaldi, in the meantime, had me at "KIDNEYS"

[@ianotimelord]

With the 13th Doctor, you didn't mention how her fans would really lay into you if you said you were not a fan of hers. It's nothing to do with a female Dr. Some had Twitter accounts cult of Jodie. Yes, there was not my Dr lot too. Her regeneration story was good and her regeneration was spot on.

[@sarahakin]

It seems to me, there’s always backlash with a new Doctor. But people were SO protective of Jodie, it ultimately undermined her. (And the writing didn’t help.)

[@deadpooldan9862]

Personally, I like 13, just wish the episodes were less boring. She’s not bad, but all of season 11 was just fillers, and that’s the most boring season. It had good moments, but overall was just boring. I like season 12, even the Timeless Child, and Flux and the 2 specials were good, except the Sea Devils one

[@zyg9]

WOW, that is the complete opposite of what i have seen. Pretty much every single time i see someone say they like jodie or chibnall, the haters lay into them. Its sad that people arent allowed to have their own opinions. I have never seen what you have described, i guess we're on diff corners of the internet. Im not on twitter

[@polgarauk5606]

​@@zyg9I had the same experience as you, the moment I said I liked Jodi I was inflicted with a barrage of hate, told I wasn't a true fan, I must be a new fan ( been a fan since Jon Pertwee) and they are the nicer ones. I ended up stopping commenting or going anywhere near Dr Who things because of it. Just to clarify I didn't stop watching Dr Who. I Don't do twitter and haven't in years but I now don't go on any social media but KZbin just far too toxic

[@ianotimelord]

@deadpooldan9862 I think if she'd have been.on her own, it would have been better. Or just one companion, but not Yazz.

[@MovieForever124]

12 is one of my favourite doctor.

[@rosamoon8182]

I watched the 11th and 12th doctor when i was in a bad place mentally. The weekly doctor who episodes were my time of comfort around that time so noone can ever beat them for me. I also really love clara contrary to many as far as i've seen and heard. The writing really was excellent. Many massages of hope and kindness and emotion. The 11th doctors departure did shatter me as well and i'll always love those 2 and their run.

[@margarethall1625]

I love all the Doctors for various reasons. My friend introduced me to the series when we were in highschool. The one I first watched was William Hartnell. It was awhile later that I really got into the series with Tom Baker and even more so with Sylvester McCoy. That would be because of Ace. It's always been with trepidation that I've approached the regeneration stories, but I've always given the new Doctor the benefit of the doubt. I've enjoyed each one. During the pandemic it was revisiting old episodes that I gained a greater appreciation for the first doctor and later realized that my favourite is Thirteen despite all the negativity surrounding her tenure. It turned out that while I needed the Doctor in my life, the one I needed at that moment with Thirteen. I think it's that way with each of us.

[@jonathanlee2995]

Capaldi and Eccleston were the two must unseated doctors in new who

[@BritishBeachcomber]

I'm over the moon that you chose Matt Smith as #1. Great storylines, sense of humour, The Ponds, happiness and tragedy. I've watched every episode. Time after Timey Wimey time.

[@michellegiacalone1079]

My biggest difference from your list? Twelve is one. I mean- Heaven Sent? The Doctor Falls? he had so many epic episodes and moments.

[@michellegiacalone1079]

Oh, for me, Nine is two, Ten and Eleven are tied at three.

[@gibbnasta]

Putting Troughton so low is a punishiable crime! He made The Doctor non-human and did a wonderful of that. 6 and 1 would be my bottom two. Also I LOVE Jodie's Doctor. She was very stunted by bad writing. Id give a finger to see her in some RTD stories.

[@Donnagata1409]

How can I give you half a like? Agree with the first part, disagree with the second, agree with the third. So, 66% of a like?

[@JoeSiegler]

2:40 - The reason Colin didn't do a regen as stated in the video isn't correct. They fired him, then offered him a single story in S24 to regenerate. He countered with "gimme the whole series then I'll leave" (as he didn't want to wait that long for a short amount of work), they said no deal and that was the end of it.

[@markh.williamsauthor7286]

I have a real soft spot for Peter Davison as the Dr. because he was the first one I watched.

[@waverleyproductions1947]

My list (though it often changes) 1. David Tennant 2. Peter Capaldi 3. Tom Baker 4. Christopher Eccleston 5. Matt Smith 6. Jon Pertwee 7. Patrick Troughton 8. Paul McGann 9. William Hartnell 10. Colin Baker 11. Sylvester McCoy 12. Jodie Whittaker 13. Peter Davison

[@christopherwilliams3315]

I'm so glad to finally see this doctor at the top of a 'best doctors' list. What a fantastic job he did; not easy following on from the previous doctor either. Wonderful!

[@cdub31613]

I should start off by saying that Troughton is my favorite Doctor, but I’m shocked that y’all have him so low in your rankings. Opinions aside, his run is often seen as the best in the classic series aside from Tom Baker. Maybe because of how many missing episodes? 3:43

[@dexterhill5843]

Refreshingly interesting to see McGann at 5th spot though, he was good and if he had a fully-fledge TV era I think he could have been a real fan fav given how popular he is purely from 2 on screen appearances and on audio. I also saw him in Bristol today xD

[@dogswifty7800]

I only ever saw McGann as The Doctor in Night of The Doctor. His opening line of "I'm a Doctor, though probably not the one you were expecting" was brilliant. Literally sold me that he was The Doctor much like any other

[@dexterhill5843]

@@dogswifty7800 yeah he's underrated although I get it that most lists don't put him higher since there's just less of him which is a shame! Funnily enough I'm going to see a new film called the undertaker soon which he's in and is also doing a Q&A at the screening so looking forward to seeing and hearing him there!

[@gobatron6589]

Troughton is so crucial to the doctors characterisation I’m as unsure as everyone else that having him so low and below Whittaker is acceptable

[@Vobatho]

Looking back, Twelve was better than I gave him credit for. You just don’t know what you have until it’s gone sometimes. 😢 Heaven Sent is up there with Blink for me. ❤

[@Extinguisher10]

I stopped watching Doctor Who about halfway through the Capaldi era. From what I've gathered from hearing many people talk about the Whittaker era, the problem was with the writing, not with Whittaker herself.

[@iabconsulting]

I liked the 11th Doctor as well. WHat I loved was the look he would give when someone hurt his friends, you knew all heck would be released.

[@pre-debutera6941]

1. Tennant 2. Tom Baker 3. Smith 4. Capaldi 5. Hartnell 6. Pertwee 7. Eccleston 8. Davidson 9. Troughton 10. McGann 11. McCoy 12. Colin Baker 13. Whittaker

[@legocustomreviews6492]

Definitely a risky video to make. Good luck, Sean

[@JeremyDuncan]

Colin Baker at the Bottom? Predictable, but sadly understandable, but TROUGHTON IN SECOND TO LAST? My goodness. How did this list put all my favorites at the bottom. 😥Also if you take McGann's audios into account, but not Colin's, I can't think this list was fair.

[@s0n0fm4n3]

Mine will be 13. Jodie Whittaker 12. Paul McGann 11. Peter Davison 10. Colin Baker 9. William Hartnell 8. Patrick Troughton 7. Sylvester McCoy 6. David Tennant 5. Jon Pertwee 4. Matt Smith 3. Peter Capaldi 2. Christopher Eccleston 1. Tom Baker

[@VJacquette]

I agree with the general trend of this, but 12 should be higher. Most importantly, though -- and others have already said this -- Troughton needs to be very near the top. That's the one that you've just got waaaaaay too far off. Maybe it's just too far before your time and/or the few surviving episodes, but Troughton is brilliant AND he's the one who proved that this whole regeneration thing could be done. The correct order from the top is: 10, 11, 2, 4....

[@pluck8913]

My issue with Jodi as the doctor, wasn't because of her gender. It was that they first of all wrote terrible scripts. The companions were both too many and not interesting, but the biggest issue was the fact that they made the Doctor a woman, but didn't have her play it as a woman. She dresses like a man, expects everyone throughout history to treat her like a man, no matter how historically innaccurate that was, and never showed a softer side. The proof is in the Master. When they changed him up to Missy, there was a clear difference in the character. Missy BTW is one of my favorite characters from Doctor Who. Missy was just as evil as the rest of the Masters, but she was also flirty and playful. Dressed like a woman, and didn't pretend to be a man.

[@Grand_Kaiserin_Elysium]

ive watched some of 13 and 15 and i gotta say they definitely improved in actually using the fact the doctor is not a white guy since 13, while they basically only used 13 being a woman for some jokes they actually used 15 being black to add to the story, like i didnt see the episode but i saw clips of it where it was like a girl who couldnt walk without a system of arrows or something like that, and after saving the girl and some others i think from some weird monsters, the girl and her friends actively refuse the doctors offer to save them from a ship (i think it was like a ship that was gonna explode or something idk i only saw clips) because the girl and her friends are RACIST ASSHOLES and you can see the doctors desperation to convince them cause saving people is what he does, i dont think we saw anything close to that during 13’s run

[@1967foghorn]

12th Doctor...loved Deep Breath, Sherwood, Time Heist which got him off to a great start

[@TomCoates]

Based purely on their appearances on the TV show, my ranking (as someone who started watching with Tom Baker) would be as follows: 1. Eleventh doctor 2. Tenth doctor 3. Fourth doctor 4. Twelfth doctor 5. Second doctor 6. Ninth doctor 7. Third doctor 8. Fifth doctor 9. Eighth doctor 10. Thirteenth doctor 11. Seventh doctor 12. First doctor 13. Sixth doctor

[@WhoCulture]

Thanks for sharing!

[@TomCoates]

I don’t think you can give the eighth doctor as high a ranking as you’ve done based purely on one TV movie (bad), one amazing Minisode and one appearance on the Edge. And if you added in his amazing big finish stuff then you have to bring the Sixth doctor WAAAAAY up.

[@305Independent]

Shame on you for putting Whittaker in any position but the bottom

[@12Doctor]

14. 13th Doctor (I didn't like her era😅) 13. 6th Doctor 12. 7th Doctor 11. 5th Doctor 10. 8th Doctor 9. 1st Doctor 8. 9th Doctor 7. War Doctor 6. 2nd Doctor 5. 11th Doctor 4. 3rd Doctor 3. 4th ("He was the Doctor all the time."😅) (For the longest time😅😂) 2. 10th Doctor 1. 12th Doctor If I think about the Doctor, I think about 12th. I LOVE his quotes! And I like to quote him😅😂

[@zappa5162]

Always be kind. And don't eat pears!

[@pipsdontlie3031]

My rage at Capaldi at 6th was appeased by my joy at Smith at 1

[@thatjeff7550]

My issue with Whittaker was that she was half the time incomprehensible, the stories were....sigh, and the companions were a bit meh. I blame the writer more than anything Whittaker did.

[@H2E47]

She was terrible regardless. People always blame Chibnall but they’re both just as bad.

[@DrWhoFanJ]

And literally none of that is true at all.

[@friendlyotaku9525]

@@H2E47 "she was terrible" no she wasn't.

[@DoctorJohnSmith9]

For me, there is no worst or best Doctor, no worst or best companion, no best or worst episode. All are great for their own reasons for each fan. Why even rank when each Doctor is defended with reasons why they were great? Putting the first three at the bottom is ridiculous. Doing worst/first lists for Doctor Who just don't work. For me, there's no "worst", just aspects that aren't as good as others.

[@Wayward-Son]

The way Sean describes his relationship with the 11th doctor is how I experienced the 10th. I absolutely adored Tennant's doctor and "I don't wanna go" triggers waterworks every god damn time, and yet, and yet, I have to place 12 as my favorite doctor. I absolutely loved his characterization of just the man who has lived far too long, loved so much, and lost far far far too much. The sheer monologuing power of that man? A scale model of war! I can't handle it. It's too good. Plus, regardless of how you feel about Clara's storyline, (I personally enjoyed it) the banter between those two is (I think) the best in the show. "Any comments about my hips will not be appreciated" "ACH your hips are fine, you're built like a man" "Thanks -_-" While I think unfortunately some of the story writing during his tenure suffered a bit, his character arc, and his portrayal of the doctor is the one I would go back to any day of the week, and I hope we see him again soon.

[@sajirshad2261]

Christopher ecclestone is by far the best of them all

[@michaeltortorice9876]

I hate being so late. No one reads comments after the first hour or so. And that's a shame, because I'm delightful. That being said, you can't rank the Doctors because there is only one Doctor. If you mean actors, I almost categorically disagree with almost every placement. And that's fantastic, becuase it's entirely subjective, and this is how y'all saw it. Never apologize for your opinion, even to me. P.S. "Beloved fan favorite Adric..." Lol! Also, we know there are more outtakes than that.

[@michaelantonyaustin]

Some people on here seem to forget that this list is just Seán’s opinion. It’s not conditional or etched in stone - it’s just an opinion. I’ve watched Doctor Who since I was around 5 or 6 years old, which means I grew up with the end of the Jon Pertwee era and the main run of Tom Baker’s. I’d still chose David Tennant over them both …and then change my mind next day! 😅

[@figmillenium]

Well said!

[@leejnew]

I respectfully disagree

[@hazman68]

Absolutely shocking order. Having 2nd as the 2nd bottom is behind a joke (as is the 1st and 3rd). Yes everyone is going to have a different opinion which is why these rankings only work if you’ve either polled the fans . It may work as your own opinion but it’s hard to tell if this is your own opinion or the consensus of WhoCulture.

[@anutrof]

How are you going to use Big Finish to justify a high ranking for McGann, but still rank Colin Baker dead last? While I personally think you should include audio just as well as you would include the tv series (and novels and comics too), but you can't do for one and not the other.

[@anthonybernacchi2732]

I think the intended justification was that "Night of the Doctor" allowed McGann to complete his character arc from Big Finish on screen, whereas Colin never got an equivalent opportunity. But I also thought it was fishy. (And as much as I love McGann's Doctor, he didn't have all that much more screentime than Hurt's.)

[@Elnont]

Capaldi and Tom baker are my top 2. No one comes close imo.

[@Tardisius]

Tom Baker, D. Tennent & Matt Smith.........Pass the Jelly Babies....=))

[@CAFLTtv]

Seeing 2 & particularly 3 & 12 so low is tragic. Probably my least favourite Who Culture video ever - I love ranking stories and monsters, etc but ranking Doctors is so divisive. I have my favourites, just like Sean, and that’s fine, but the idea that there’s a worst Doctor doesn’t sit right with me, especially when the show’s all about acceptable and it being fine to reinvent yourself.