This Might Be A Recipe For Disaster...

[FlyingBeastie]

...But who is your least favorite Doctor?

This thread, of course, hopefully won't go haywire cos' everyone has a right to their opinion. However, please state your opinions and reasons clearly and without saying anything nasty or mean

So, here I go, and I KNOW I'll be totally ganged up on for saying this, but I just need to let it out:

My least favorite Doctor (I've yet to see McGann, by the way, and have only seen oh, so much of Hartnell, BUT) is Ten

I am not a David Tennant hater. I love David Tennant, he's very sexy and charming and is quite a good actor. However, it's the character of Ten that I don't like. Now, when he first came on the scene, I liked him a lot. But after a while I started to feel that something was missing about the Doctor. It was his compassion. I feel that Ten at times can be quite insincere. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" is actually starting to get on my nerves lol. Christopher Eccleston's Doctor I felt actually cared and whenever he killed anyone, felt guilty. Ten seems to just gloss over any sort of sympathy and is more vindictive, I find. Cmon, the Racnoss? That went a bit too far. And I don't like the shouting and "ohh, if you don't play by my rules I'll destroy you" attitude. (Anyone who plans to disprove me on that need to look no further than the ending of the recent Voyage of the Damned trailer)

*Skip to the End*

I find Ten a bit too pompous, insincere, and all in all full of himself. When I think of the Doctor, those aren't qualities that jump into my mind. For others, they might like that, but for me, not so much. Six may have been haughty and killed a lot of his villains, but in the end he always gave off a sense that he was vulnerable and sorry for his actions, and that he wasn't necessarily all powerful or all knowing.

That's my take on it.

[Si Hunt]

Easy. Mine is the Ninth Doctor.

For one thing, I find it easy to dislike Christopher Eccleston for what he did. I'm sure it's seen as untrendy and immature and petty to hold against the man what he did, it's "just a job" etc. But... no. It's not! Doctor Who is my greatest hobby "passion" and he almost wrecked the come-back we'd waited fifteen years for. It's easy to forget now that we went into "End of the World", the SECOND EPISODE, knowing the sour fact that the new leading man had quit and would want nothing more to do with Doctor Who or its fans ever. Git.

On a deeper level, I dislike the Ninth Doctor because we never really got to know him. The shades of Russell's Doctor were there, the stranger who never lets his guard down, but we never got to appreciate his softer side. So we were left with a gigantic secret-holder. If he'd stayed longer, perhaps we would have got to have known the REAL Ninth Doctor. But he didn't. So we didn't. He left no legacy aside from being the Doctor on the day he came from The North and wore a leather jacket, and David Tenant became our Doctor instead, as if he was meant to be all along but simply turned up late. Christopher Who?

Of the rest, I really like them all so much I wouldn't want to choose between them. It would be like choosing between your uncles. You know some have been better to you then others, some are more grouchy and some have better taste in clothes, but it would be wrong to have favourites. THE Doctor is my favourite (except the Ninth).

Si.

[Milky Tears]

They're all a bunch of hammy/gurning *****.

[FlyingBeastie]

Wow. You have a point about Chris leaving, I also hated that he just quit like that. But, I rather like the character of Nine. Yes, he was mysterious and we didn't get to know all of what happened in the Time War (the details, I mean) But I find that we can suss that out for ourselves. I found him as someone who was confused- to kill or not? He had lived to see the destruction of everyone he loved and those who were merely caught in the cross fire. He hesitated to shoot the Dalek in "Dalek" because of that very reason. He reminds me of Five, in the respect he was gutted when he thought Rose died in "Dalek" (he had a horrified look on his face-a memory of Adric dying? He failed another companion) Also, he had the attitude of "There must be another way" like Five when he hesitated with the Delta Wave.

However,

How about the coldbloodedness towards Cassandra? He just let her die, just like that.

With more time, Nine would've been fleshed out, yes. But I like him for the stranger he his. I found Boomtown to be a great reveal for him. It helped us get to know that stranger a little better. And perhaps one day, he will come back, so we can see just exactly why he is so confused-(TIME WAR MOVIE PLEASE!!!! lol)

[Si Hunt]

I found him as someone who was confused- to kill or not? He had lived to see the destruction of everyone he loved and those who were merely caught in the cross fire. He hesitated to shoot the Dalek in "Dalek" because of that very reason. He reminds me of Five, in the respect he was gutted when he thought Rose died in "Dalek" (he had a horrified look on his face-a memory of Adric dying? He failed another companion) Also, he had the attitude of "There must be another way" like Five when he hesitated with the Delta Wave.

Unfortunately the Doctor's vulnerability quite often translates into unlikeable traits; for example hostile behaviour towards his companions. He's not a man who faces any of his failings, instead he just gets nasty towards others. In particular, the Fifth Doctor just acts aloof towards Tegan and Nyssa when Adric dies rather than grieving; the Fourth won't even look Leela in the eye when she leaves. So a Doctor based on the trait of being confused and hurt unfortunately means one we can't know or love because he refuses to show any emotion.

Si.

[duncan]

Sorry to his army of fans out there but my least favourite Doctor has to be the 7th. I hated Sylvester's portrayal, especially in his first season. His poor acting skills helped the show descend into the realms of panto at times and he just couldn't play serious or dark in any way at all. (The "I hear you" scene in Battlefield being a prime example). However, it's not all doom and gloom, as the TV Movie saw the 7th Doctor at his very best and I wish he had played it like that in seasons 24-26.

[davethesailor]

Easy. Mine is the Ninth Doctor.

For one thing, I find it easy to dislike Christopher Eccleston for what he did. I'm sure it's seen as untrendy and immature and petty to hold against the man what he did, it's "just a job" etc. But... no. It's not! Doctor Who is my greatest hobby "passion" and he almost wrecked the come-back we'd waited fifteen years for. It's easy to forget now that we went into "End of the World", the SECOND EPISODE, knowing the sour fact that the new leading man had quit and would want nothing more to do with Doctor Who or its fans ever. Git.


Si.

I'm probably missing something really obvious here, but what was it that he did?

[FlyingBeastie]

He quit the show.

[davethesailor]

He quit the show.

Sorry, still not quite getting it. What exactly did he quit? Was he booked to do more and then pull out?

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I think he just left, like pretty much everyone apart from Colin Baker. Not that much of a crime in my book, and certianly not something to judge his portrayal on.

However I DID dislike the ninth Doctor because his portrayal was rubbish. Much as everyone likes to go on about how great an actor Eccleston was, not much of that seemed in evidence while he played the gurning idiot ninth Doctor to me. I also dislike the 10th, for all the reasons listed above, but he still seems to actually be the Doctor (for the most part) in a way that the 9th never did.

[FlyingBeastie]

Really? I always got the vibe from Ninth that he was Doctor. I felt that he was this lonely, homeless, Timelord who had this knowledge about all of these things in the universe. I don't feel that with Ten.

As for Eccleston leaving, I don't like that he up and left, because he should've stayed for at least one more season. To him it was just a job, but he should've realized that Doctor Who is much more than just a t.v. series-especially since he was the leading man of it's long awaited revival. It's not Heroes. Doctor Who is probably the top sci-fi series in existence because it's been running since 1963 and has been a part of British culture since then. It seemed he didn't realize just how big it was, then again, early reviews of his portrayal were hurtful and he probably felt unwanted-which he wasn't to me.

Colin wasn't the only one who didn't leave, McCoy was going to stay if there was another season, wasn't he? I've only seen his episodes up until ROTD, which I thought was brilliant, and actually like his Doctor. He can be dramatic.

[Andrew Curnow]

To be honest, I was always of the opinion that Eccleston was miscast... until I'd seen about ten minutes of "Rose" and from that point on I absolutely adored his Doctor. And for the record, when he was cast I was surprised, because I could never imagine him wanting to do a regular role; so his quick departure actually didn't surprise me that much.

My least favourite DOCTOR is the third. I don't know quite why, but somehow I don't warm to him as much as the others. Maybe because at times he seems a bit too smug, sometimes he's rather rude to all those around him, I don't know what it is, but he just doesn't quite 'do it' for me as much as the others.

Just to qualify that remark, though, I think that Jon Pertwee is probably the best actor in the role, as unlike ALL the other incumbents in the role I can't think of one instant where he gives a weak or poor performance. So it's the character, definitely not the actor, that languishes at the bottom of my list.

[FlyingBeastie]

Maybe because at times he seems a bit too smug, sometimes he's rather rude to all those around him, I don't know what it is, but he just doesn't quite 'do it' for me as much as the others.

That's Ten for me lol. Pertwee is cool though, cos' he's one of the few actors who played the Doctor who WAS HIS CHARACTER. It's like he was playing himself. Only him, and Tom Baker I think didn't have to go too far to act as the Doctor "Do you know where I'm from? I'm from Galifrey in the constellation of Kasteberos. And its well known custom that a Timelord picks up a glass of water and listens to it."

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Really? I always got the vibe from Ninth that he was Doctor. I felt that he was this lonely, homeless, Timelord who had this knowledge about all of these things in the universe. I don't feel that with Ten.

He was always going on about beans on toast and stupid apes, which wasn't very much like the doctor to me. And for someone who was so pained and lonely, he did a lot of inane grinning and mucking about. And he was just "common" in a way none of the others were.

[Wayne]

Number 10.
For most of the reasons already listed. He grew on me a bit more during S3, but there's no escaping the fact that i have to work hard to find things to enjoy about Tennant's Doc. It doesn't just come naturally to me like it did with Eccleston's Doc, who is high on my list of favourites, & certainly was a big part of me accepting the New Series. I've been a bit less enthusiastic about the New Series ever since Tennant took over.

[FlyingBeastie]

He was always going on about beans on toast and stupid apes, which wasn't very much like the doctor to me. And for someone who was so pained and lonely, he did a lot of inane grinning and mucking about. And he was just "common" in a way none of the others were.

You have to remember he had just destroyed half the universe to save everyone and was yelling at Rose because she had just messed with time royally. As for the grinning, he was always trying to find an adventure or just kept moving on so he wouldn't have to have to come face to face with his memories of the Time War. Plenty of people in real life pretend to be happy and occupy their time so they won't have to come face to face with their fears. I liked that with Nine-it was a new, deeper and darker aspect of the Doctor-he's not just alien, but human as well.

And I totally agree with you Wayne.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I presume from your "messed with time royally" you must be thinking of Father's Day. I was thinking of "Rose", which jsut shows how often he said that kind of thing

Also... I get the concept of the "tears behind the mask" (or whatever the phrase is), I just don't think it was ever done very well. Or at least not for the vast majority of the time. It was just gurning.

[SiHart]

I think Christopher settled into the role about half way through the season. From Dalek onwards he seemed more at ease with what he was doing, and the grinning seemed less forced than in his early episodes. I quite liked him and his year long journey- I think we got to know him better than several other Doctors with their longer screen times...

But like Andrew, I don't like the third a great deal. His pomposity and rudeness really irritatate me at times- like in The Daemons where if he'd actually bothered to be pleasent to anyone around him, he'd have had the whole thing solved a whole lot quicker than he did. Yes, it was entertaining at times when he had his pomposity deflated, but for most of the time it just doesn't feel right to me.
Still, I do like him a lot more than I used to, and I know that if I'd seen him in action when I was 8 I'd have probably liked him a whole lot more than I did.

Si xx

[Antony Cox]

I'd have to agree that Ten is probably my least fave Doctor, simply because he's too smug, a know-it-all and is quite OTT most of the time. Doctor Seven is probably a close second but this is more to do with the limits of the actor.

[WhiteCrow]

Easy. Mine is the Ninth Doctor.

For one thing, I find it easy to dislike Christopher Eccleston for what he did. I'm sure it's seen as untrendy and immature and petty to hold against the man what he did, it's "just a job" etc. But... no.

I never really got into Chris Eccleston's Doctor.

The problem was, with him announcing his departure after the first episode, you went through all that series going "don't get to like him, cos he leaves". It was always in my mind, which is a shame. At least with Dave Tennant, you can look at S4 as a farewell season. And you've had 2 seasons now to get to love or loathe him.

Not so with Chris, he always felt like a "fill in Doctor". Although he put a lot of energy into the role, and did a good job, the news really spoiled it.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

But like Andrew, I don't like the third a great deal. His pomposity and rudeness really irritatate me at times

Although this is true, I think the 4th Doctor out-ruded the 3rd on many, many occasions. Maybe not so pompous, but he could be INCREDIBLY rude.

[Andrew Curnow]

That's true, but he usually did it with such style and, and well style!

More seriously, I think Tom seriously misplays the scenes in The Seeds of Doom with the head of the Ecology Bureau (Thackeray?) where he comes across as just very rude and objectionable for no good reason. But in general, I find the fourth Doctor's 'rudeness' more appealing than the third's.

[SiHart]

Although this is true, I think the 4th Doctor out-ruded the 3rd on many, many occasions. Maybe not so pompous, but he could be INCREDIBLY rude.

True, but at least he made it entertaining. Often the Third Doctor's rudeness seemed to real to be fun to watch.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

To be fair, Pertwee's Doctor is often rude to bigots who deserve it - and it's INCREDIBLY fun to see them put in their place. My favourite bit is when he goads the Marshall into giving away his racist attitude.
"They're mutants! A disease! To be wiped from the...."
And the camera cuts back to Pertwee's smug grin. Marvellous!

Pertwee's Doctor was the ultimate anti-establishment figure (despite what Verity Lambert used to say) and his Doctor battles more beaurocratic nonsense and suits than a lot of the other Doctors... so it's no wonder he's rude! He's the viewers identification point in this situations, the part of us that wants to shout out obscenities when we're given a parking ticket on a technicality.

Si.

[SiHart]

Yes, but it's when he's rude to the people who don't deserve that I don't like it. Anyway, this is only my opinion. Anti-Pertwee sentiments are always controversial on PS.

Si xx