4. Malcolm Taylor
The 2009 Easter 'special' Planet of the Dead is widely cited as one of the worst episodes in NuWho history but at least all the disgruntled fans can be forever thankful that it introduced them to the loveable cotton headed ninny muggins that is Malcolm Taylor. Acclaimed comedian Lee Evans' guest spin in the series was always going to be a sight to behold and he certainly didn't disappoint as he proceeded to steal the entire show by bringing this whimsical Welshman to life before our very eyes. And he managed to leave a unique lasting impression on the Doctor Who mythology, too, as the UNIT scientific advisor who was basically responsible for saving the entire human race from the formidable Swarm. No biggie, then. While Malcolm has only appeared in one episode to date (in which, it is universally agreed, he was tragically underused), he has been alluded to in subsequent stories. In the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, UNIT's Chief Scientific Officer Kate Stewart mentions him on multiple occasions and the 2009 comic adventure, Don't Step on the Grass, established that he had formed a close friendship with Martha Jones who had been working as UNIT's medical officer before she randomly decided to marry Mickey Smith and ditch the confines of alien organisations to fight the good fight as a freelance Earth defender. But that's a story for a different day... The Doctor is Malcolm's greatest hero and Malcolm is one of ours. We bloody love you!
Dan Butler
Doctor Who Editor
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
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