A lofty statement, but bare with it. Firstly, this article was inspired by the recent article ranking each iteration of the Doctor from day one to the present day. The debate raised by this article about just who was the greatest Doctor of all time between fans was spectacular - but in such lists, the outcome is always somewhat predictable. David Tennant - one of the new era Doctors, and arguably its most iconic - always tends to come out on top. No surprises there, then. It's a testament to Tennant's brilliantly realised portrayal of the Time Lord that he has managed to become widely regarded as the fan favourite of all time, but of course there were many Doctors before him who usually find themselves being unfortunately overlooked by the millions of fans who joined the show when it returned to screens in 2005. Most Classic Series fans have accepted Christopher Eccleston, Tennant, Matt Smith, and now Peter Capaldi, as part of the show's ongoing legacy, but unfortunately the appreciation of its far-reaching mythology doesn't always work both ways. Modern fans can't be blamed for regarding 'their' Doctors as the greatest of all time, though. Every fan has their own Doctor, of course, whether that's the first they watched or another incarnation who left a particular lasting impression. If a new era Doctor is already one of the favourites of all time, though, its not a huge leap to suggest that if Peter Capaldi can stand tall above David Tennant, he might even have a good chance of being the best ever. This list includes nine ways he might just do it.
