10 Doctor Who Characters Who Don't Deserve The Hate

3. Malcolm Taylor

Doctor Who Malcolm Taylor
BBC Studios

Malcolm Taylor made his first and only appearance in the 2009 Easter special Planet of the Dead. Played by comedian Lee Evans, Malcolm is an overly-eccentric UNIT science officer with a strong (and slightly creepy) devotion to the Doctor.

Comedians are always going to be divisive, so it's no surprise that Malcolm has fans on both sides. And while some viewers found his hyper-personality to be rather irritating, he was a refreshing comedic presence in an episode that otherwise lacked any sort of spark.

Further still, this guy's a bloody genius, and it's him who saves the day! Without him, the wormhole would never have been closed, and the Earth would've been destroyed. Don't tell us that that scene where he finally meets his idol, the Doctor, doesn't make you crack a smile.

As UNIT characters go, he's certainly no Brigadier, Kate, Osgood, or even Mike Yates, but it feels like there's nobody out there who even likes poor Malcolm, so we thought we'd fly the flag for him a little.

 
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Ellie has been part of the WhatCulture team since 2021 where she began as a freelance presenter for the WhoCulture channel. As a diehard Whovian with a BA (hons) degree in Drama and Acting, this role was the perfect opportunity for her to combine her screen presence training with her extensive Doctor Who knowledge. From there, she branched out to various other WhatCulture channels, including TrekCulture, and became a full time Content Producer/Video Presenter in 2023. Ellie is now a regular fixture on both WhoCulture and TrekCulture and has become a well respected public figure within both fandoms, building up a substantial following across her social media platforms and being given the opportunity to represent the channels and the wider communities at several industry events. Her favourite Doctor Who character is River Song and her favourite Star Trek character is Captain Janeway - which tells you everything you need to know about how she approaches her role within a generally male dominated field.