9. The Ninth Doctor
BBCIf one believes the discussion on the DVD commentary tracks (and there doesn't appear to be any particular reason not to do so) then the production team had quite a series of discussions on how exactly Christopher Eccleston's doctor should first appear. The obvious way to go would have been to go with a big dramatic reveal just as Rose is in her greatest peril. Cue the big dramatic music, the back-lighting, perhaps some smoke or explosions; All of which designed to announce - 'Here he is, the
important character!' What we get instead is an inexplicable man who is just suddenly
there. Suddenly Rose (who is our point of view, remember) is running with him for her life. It's deliberately presented to us to feel as bewildering and out-of-nowhere for us as it does for Rose. It was the perfect way to re-introduce The Doctor, since it works equally well for both new viewers and old ones. The Doctor isn't a big dramatic hero to be introduced with a fanfare. He's a whirlwind that shows up in your life out of nowhere. Presenting him that way for his first appearance in the new series was absolutely the right way to go.