Doctor Who: EVERY Doctor Ranked Worst To Best

The other Doctor that regularly tops “Best Doctor” lists is Tom Baker, whose portrayal won over viewers up and down the country during his record-breaking seven-year tenure.

Baker’s detached, aloof nature – as well as his unruly curls, booming voice and big grin – made him perfect for the role. Indeed, in behind the scenes interviews, it’s often difficult to work out where the Doctor ends and Tom Baker begins.

He wasn’t the same Doctor throughout though. On the contrary, his characterisation shifted under different producers/script editors – from wide-eyed and eccentric to frivolous and witty to brooding and mournful.

But generally speaking he was bohemian, somewhat intimidating and utterly alien – an incarnation who, by contrast to his Earthbound predecessor, is at his happiest when he’s venturing through time and space.

There’s also his playful streak – manifested most strongly through his tendency to offer jelly babies to everyone he meets, and his unpractically-long multicoloured scarf (which, hilariously, actually gets longer as the era goes on).

Fifty years on from his debut Baker remains as popular as ever. For many, he’s never been matched. He’s not quite topped our list – but when it comes to the best classic Doctor, there’s no competition really.