I can only, myself, rate Three, Four, Eight, Nine, Ten, and Eleven (I've seem bits and bobs of the others, but not enough for a fair comparison). I'd be hard-pressed to force-rank them (a technique I generally dislike), but I'd probably put Three, Four, Nine, and Ten toward the top, Eight and Eleven further down (after three series, Smith remains too much of a zany for my taste, though a huge part of that is the writing as well). I'd (if forced) tentatively put Tennant at the top of the list, largely on the strength of a broad array of dramatic situations and seized-upon acting opportunities, but all of the top four have had their moments. As have the others, for that matter.
Doctor Who – the top ten best Doctors – Telegraph
Our resident Doctor Who expert Gavin Fuller gives his rundown of the best-ever Doctors.
Overall I think the list is reasonable enough, but it is an entirely subjective one. I think McCoy is underrated and would've put him higher on the list. Hartnell as well even though he starts off just being a crotchety old man. Of course, Tom Baker is my Doctor so he'd rank higher as well. Not sure who I'd make number one, probably a toss up between McCoy and Baker.
My secret favorite — since he was my first — is Three. Though everyone points to him as the "action figure" Doctor, I enjoyed Pertwee's being unpleasantly (but delightfully) arrogant and endlessly frustrated at being trapped on Earth, but still a passionate defender of humanity. Plus that fashion sense …
My top ten would be:
10) Paul McGann
9) Christopher Eccleston
8) David Tennant
7) William Hartnell
6) Matt Smith
5) Patrick Troughton
4) Jon Pertwee
3) Sylvester McCoy
2) Peter Davison
1) Tom Baker
10) Peter Davison (Not his fault, I just couldn’t make the switch from Tristan Farnon)
9) Sylvester McCoy
8) Christopher Eccleston
7) Paul McGann
6) Patrick Troughton
5) Matt Smith
4) William Hartnell
3) David Tennant
2) Jon Pertwee
1) Tom Baker
And thank you. That was fun and I enjoyed seeing how others ranked them.
@ Ellie
Ha!
The only series of Doctor Who my Mom ever sat down and watched with me on Sunday Mornings were the ones with Peter Davison…exactly because of him being Tristan Farnon on All Creatures Great and Small.
Which is the main reason I’ve always regretted not seeing much of the 5th Doctor, since I loved ACGS.
I’m always suprised by the lack of love for Chris Eccleston.
Okay, having watched the Seventh Doctor special this week, I am going to have to rerank my Doctor Ranking. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed how McCoy portrayed the Doctor and how much fun Ace was as a Companion. Some great stuff there, that was sadly never fully realized.
10) Paul McGann
9) Christopher Eccleston
8) David Tennant
7) William Hartnell
6) Patrick Troughton
5) Matt Smith
4) Jon Pertwee
3) Peter Davison
2) Sylvester McCoy
1) Tom Baker