10 Best TV Characters With No Name
9. The Doctor (Dr Who)
One of the most beloved creations in UK TV is also one of its most enigmatic: a shapeless, ageless, timeless, nameless humanoid from the far reaches of the galaxy who has somehow occupied our screens for coming on 60 years and is a hero to kids around the world, despite being by nature entirely unknowable.
Of course, the untethered nature of The Doctor is entirely the point: this is a character who undergoes physical regenerations every few years so that a new actor can take the mantle. We’ve had wise, serious doctors and wacky doctors, dramatic doctors and funny doctors, happy doctors and sad doctors - even, against the wishes of some of the nation’s weirdest nerds, a female doctor.
There are things each doctor has in common, and there’s even a canonic backstory which is added to and tweaked with, given freedom via the old sci-fi get-out clause of alternate dimensions and so forth.
But the freewheeling structure of Britain’s favourite teatime drama means The Doctor is open to interpretation every time they want to hit the reset button. The show is an endless playground.