While the endless story possibilities of travelling through time and space are what gives Doctor Who its universal appeal, it’s the Doctor’s ability of regeneration that has given the show its historical longevity. Other shows can replace characters or shift focus, but only Doctor Who can keep the same character going for fifty years through the eleven actors who played him and each brought a different side to the character.
There are certain truths that ring out through Doctor Who fandom. Yes, Tom Baker may be the definitive Doctor. Yes, you will always hold the first person you watch it in high regard (Peter Davison for me), but when it comes down to the nitty gritty, wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff and the greatest Doctor of them all must be chosen, one man stands tall amongst all others.
That man is Christopher Eccleston and this is why…
10. He’s An Actual Doctor
Maybe this is getting away from the core idea of him being called the Doctor (pending any upcoming Steven Moffat revelations) as this is aimed generally towards him trying to better the people around him, but I do like the Doctor to occasionally show off some medical knowledge.
The Doctor has been many things. A grumpy old man, an impish fool and a dandy action hero, but at his heart he is a healer. So why does he not, you know, heal more people? At least provide some diagnoses. I’m not calling for more medical mysteries from the show, but The Empty Child is one of the few episodes that show the Doctor actually acting like one and the sight of Eccleston healing a crowd of gas-mask zombies crying “Just this once, everybody lives!” is one of the seasons best moments.
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18 Comments
Deffo agree. He was my first Doctor and not just that – he really acted like an alien, someone who was really out of this world and found things so interesting like he’d poke a stick to see if it was alive.
No Doctor is the best doctor, it’s all personal preference but I respect your opinions why he is YOUR favourite :)
Smith and McGann, thanks to the audios, represent the doctor best to me and I love McCoy just as much but for different reasons, he’s the perfect dark doctor.
Hey, thanks for reading! I’ve been meaning to get on the whole McGann audio adventure universe. I’ve heard good things about the latest one (Dark Eyes I think it’s called?) but only reviews. Which ones would you suggest I listen to as well as a good starting point for the McGann audio adventures?
My #1 reason would be that he’s played by Christopher Eccleston. Not just because he’s a great actor but he nailed the part. Although he didn’t like the show when he was a kid he completely gets the character and the spirit of the show. Say what you want about him being too much of a workaholic but when you read through old interviews of him explaining the role and some of the decisions they made you can really see that he put a lot of thought into his performance and it shows on screen. For example: “Dalek” wouldn’t be the same without his input. Thanks to him Daleks were scary again.
I have to agree with drnavi, its all personal preference, because my dr is Tennant, and I think its because he stuck around. If Ecceleston did more than 1 series it might be different. I hate Matt Smith as the dr. Wooden acting etc.
but to me, he cant be THE Doctor because he just did 1 season, which was good but you didnt see more of him.
My drs:
1. Tennant
2. Pertwee
3. Troughton
Nine was my favourite Doctor and this was a really wonderful article. Thank you.
As a long time classic who fan I was apprehensive about who would bring the character back. Thankfully doctor nine was played by a serious actor heading a team that undrstood what made the show great. After doctors two and three being my favorites, Chris worked so well for me that he might be my all time favorite. However, I cannot actually pick a favorite since there are things I really love about almost all of them ( sorry Colin ).
100% agree
I think Christopher Eccleston was great as the Doctor. He is my Doctor Who. I thought he was so cute and charming in the part. He is a great looking guy and a great actor. He really new how to play the part.
I am guilty of having Tennant as my favourite but after having rewatched the first series Eccleston is definitely up there just under them. Eccleston is great and some of his scenes are just great. Wish he could of gone for at least one more season.
Eccleston is my Doctor, he’s the one that made me fall in love with what I thought was a kid’s show (I couldn’t be more wrong). I’ve watched every episode of all the 11 incarnations (including the reconstructed ones) and read every book I could get. Now I can’t even imagine my life without Doctor Who. My second favorite is Tennant, because although he’s not very “Doctorish” I fell in love with his almost human Doctor when he was the happy Doctor born smiling and cried with him when he became the lonely Doctor, no other incarnation had made me feel so much for the Doctor, not even my Doctor. The third one is Tom Baker. But I love all the 11 incarnations with all my heart.
I grew up in the 70s, remembered seeing Invasion:2150AD with Bernard Cribbins and Peter Cushing. that was my introduction to the Dr. but I was never a fan. I happened to catch an episode of Ecclestons Dr on Sci-fi and enjoyed it, but Tennant was and will always be the Dr. to me.
Every actor who has played the Doctor has brought something new and unique to the character. Christopher Eccleston had a big job ahead of him bringing the Doctor back to our screens after so many years, and did it fantastically. I could never pick a “best” Doctor, but he would be in my top five favorites, with Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Tom Baker, and Patrick Troughton slightly ahead of him.
I thought Eccleston was a brilliant Doctor, and wished he’d done at least one more season….
This is all true.
I may be biased, because Nine is ‘my’ Doctor, but I agree with all the points made above – and further, knowing something of how the actor felt about the show and the experience he had with it, I am even more impressed by the performance he delivered. With his humor, rage, delight, grief, terror, brilliance, he gave new life to every aspect of this ancient character. He is the reason we have Doctor Who today.
you know, i get the reason for all the doctors having various fandom, but I just want to thank whoever made this list, because even if you disagree and find others to be better doctors. This list REMINDS you of just how INSANELY underrated ecceleston was and is. (and why so many are still raging about him leaving, even at times eccleston himself!).
I absolutely love that you saved survivors guilt till the end also, it by far is the underlying characteristic that makes him such a unique doctor.
Thank you for the lovely comments! This was my first article for the website and I really enjoyed writing it. What do you think of the latest season so far?
For me, all of the Doctors have had merit. Pertwee was always my Doctor, although in recent years watching Tennant and Smith (and Troughton on DVD)has been incredibly entertaining. They brought such great depth to the character.
But I would have to agree with your assessment based entirely on Eccleston’s ability to emote and engage with the reality of a scene. There is no doubting his Doctor’s conviction for me. There often seems to be a double layer to his Doctor. When he argues with Rose in the morgue regarding the Gelth and using Gwyneth to bring them through, he adopts a very strong position that it is right. But he is equally completely sincere when he settles the matter, but still tells Gwyneth she doesn’t have to do this.
Eccelston was, if you’ll forgive me, ‘Fantastic’.