The most damning thing about Jodie is she’s the first Doctor where the character doesn’t seem to have been written around the actor, she’s just stuck with Chibnall’s general idea of what The Doctor is. Never mind that his idea of what The Doctor is is a series of traits not informed by a full blooded character, leaving the poor her with even less to work. The woman deserves fucking reparations for how this criminally unambitious chucklefuck wasted her talents.
I’m in the camp looking forward to her doing audios, but even then it’s going to be an uphill battle because they’ll need to make a full character for her from scratch. So pretty much what was done with Colin except let’s face it Big Finish ain’t what it used to be so I’m not sure we can expect the same knockout recharacterization.
Chibnall as show runner was probably the worst thing that’s happened in modern Doctor Who. Whittaker really deserved better than the lack luster writing she got that really held back her acting performance as The Doctor.
“Every time I stick my neck out for Chibnall he breaks it.” Yeah, that’s been my experience too. I want to like his characters, I want to like 13. But she never arrived, she’s a hole where a character should be. Even when I already know I’ll hate a story, I still end up disappointed in this era. I think I’m going to skip the Centenary because I can’t deal with seeing Tegan and Ace put through the Chibnall crusher.
I'm really in the same boat too. Whittaker actually won me over somewhat with her first episode, but as time's gone on, the combination of the weak dialogue, abundance of aggravating flaws (the abundant self-pitying, the cold treatment of her companions, the pious hypocritical moralising), and complete lack of character development have really dragged her down. Quite frankly, the first female Doctor deserved so much better than this
@@christianwise637 Pious hypocritical moralising is *everything* wrong with the current product. Magical Pixie Dust Doctor has set herself up as the Ultimate Authority and the problem is she undoes things we really liked, such as reversing the Family of Blood which showed there is a darker flawed side to the Doctor. But of course Ultimate moral authority Doctor can't have flaws because she's STRoNG iNDePeNDeNT and BRaVe. Also, I *loathe* the Timeless Child retcon and also loathe that they brought the Time Lords back and killed them again. Terrible. Well done to crap on the 50th anniversary. It's always risky for an inferior, tired show to take a dump on an all time classic story. They risked it. It failed.
@@christianwise637 yeah. the first episode kinda left me feeling optimistic. i didn't really like Capaldi's first episode either so i thought she also just had a bad first episode, but then it just never got good.
Thank you for your eloquence about Matt Smith's Doctor. He's not quite my favorite, but for a long time I've been amazed at Smith's acting, particularly since he's clearly *not* "playing Matt Smith" as Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker "played themselves." Are you going to do an overview/review of Eccelston's Big Finish stories? I haven't heard any of them yet.
And they had the perfect opportunity to have a Jo Martin episode with episode 3 of Flux, but nope, they had, uh, Jodie Whittaker doing a Jo Martin impression?
She was filming 4 other shows that year, including a main cast role between the availability and covid unfourtnetly wasn't possible was supposed to be focused more around jo
People are going to be mad about the ones you put in B tier, but I think between all of them, what they have in common is that they don't always have good stories but their Doctor completely carries it. Your approach to this tier list was an interesting one because it balanced the actor, the character, and the writing separately.
The fan consensus on 7 shifts the most drastically over time. It feels like right now we're in the midst of a correction to a previous period of effusive praise and hailing 7 as a blueprint for all the successful modern era Doctors. I also think the sensibilities of the time have hurt him a bit. In the 90s and 00s the idea of a Doctor with an amoral streak who's willing to all but laugh as he tricks the Daleks into genociding themselves was fresh and intriguing. In the atmosphere of the 2020s such traits might be more an unappealing downer
I’d be really interested in that video essay about the 11th. I’ve never been able to get a handle on his character, and how he has a negative effect on the universe he’s in - I’d love to hear your take.
Eccelston will be S-Tier for me, especially because of the Big Finish stuff for me. I'm too much of a fanboy and I've just enjoyed him doing his best Eccelston self even with the weaker stories. That said, your placement is well argued, and yes, you can look him in the eye when you inevitably see him on the subway.
The only things I would change here is put Six in S tier, he's my absolute favorite Doctor. You can sit me in front of the radio listening to Colin Baker and the story could be absolute shit and I'll still adore it. I adore all of his tv episodes just because Colin is that bloody good. McGann and Smith up to A. And Davison down to D. Before Whittaker, he was my least favorite Doctor. Even just on audios. He puts me to sleep. But at least he's not horribly immoral as Whittaker's Doctor. Other than that, this tier list is fairly accurate for me.
I'd have hated to have to follow Peter Capaldi's doctor the arc finally felt complete. A decent version of the Time Lord Victorious, and definite possibilities to reassess and reinvigorate. But, if the program is to survive, that falls to RTD, and he's already succeeded once. Can he manage a second time?
Sometimes you can't catch lightning in a jar twice. I don't have much hope that they will be able to achieve the quality of the revival series in the 2000s.
I feel so bad for Jodie Whittaker amongst all of this, if you watch her in things like Broadchurch you’ll see the range she has as an actress, and it goes to show it’s nothing on her part that makes her character so bad. It also sets a precedent for people who think the Doctor can’t be a woman, when we’ve seen good Time Ladies in characters like Romana, who’s one of the best written companions.
Completely agree with 7. Love so much of his era, love Ace, love Cartmel, love how it informed the revival. But the edgelord strategist is a REALLY overrated aspect. Luckily it's mostly relegated to his expanded media stuff (like in the actual show he only does one despicable thing and immediately apologises for it) Sad old man 7 is the best 7.
@@vcom741 SAME, in fact 7 in that story is so close to my own idea for a Doctor. Kinda calm and collected at the start, just observing an assassin, but just deeply melancholic and almost pathetic, even when he scheming And Geoffrey Beavers! The coolest Master: he said "do be quiet" to Death!
I love 7, especially when he's being melancholic. He's the one I would trust to get sh*t done no matter the cost (even if it means sacrificing friends). However, I don't view that as being edge lord. It's made pretty clear that he's eliminating threats pre-emptively like a slippery chess master by S25, and by the time we've gone from Genesis to Remembrance, the Daleks had plenty of time to live up to 4's "inspire good" concept -- and failed spectacularly -- so it was time to nip those pepper-pots in the bud (now that the show was edging so close to cancellation). However, I also love the melancholic, bumbling, Troughton-esque 7th. He's like a sad school teacher going on safari while trying to look happy, tipping his hat to everyone during another galaxy tour. It's just a shame that said galaxy always leaves fascists and evil governments all over the place.
I like how you've captured 3 key archetypical Doctors with your 3 S tier picks. Each of those three represents old Doctor, young Doctor, the doctor's hair, speeches, grumpinesss and compassion. About the only thing you haven't captured is that element shared by 13 and 5.
Aye, that saddens me as well. I don't get the 'one note' explanation, because he has one of the most stark personality shifts -- and it's not like he sacrificed all sense of fun when becoming the chess-master, or didn't show signs of manipulation during the campy chaos of S24. McCoy was inspired by Troughton's version, but I never considered 7 as 'another cosmic hobo'. Instead, he's like a school teacher going on a galactic safari (and dragging a student along for the experience), occasionally talking down to people when they're being a bit daft.
7 is a funny one for me because I think McCoy is one of my favourite performances for the doctor, and I quite like the scheming, but I agree that his characterisation lacks range, he really needed more scenes where he shows compassion or just fails for once
Honestly, I would give 13 a C, simply for the reason that she is the most cowardly Doctor since 2. 13 is not a Hero so much as a tour guide forced to play the hero role. It's a shame that we never got more to see what hints we got in Demons of the Punjab.
I really like the not a hero/forced to be a hero concept, and I kind of want to go one step further and say 13 is a flat out bad person, but with the mantle and responsabilities of the Doctor thrust upon her. In the same way that the person underneath 12 was a good man lamenting that he wasn't perfect, the person underneath 13 is selfish and vain and is in an extremely weird position and is scrabmling along as best as she can despite not being at all suited to the life she finds herself in. She's struggling under the expextations of others. She likes the fame and reputation, but can't manage to maintain it because she lacks the moral nuance and drives of her predecessors. She's Eleanor from The Good Place suddenly waking up as the Doctor. This is the cool and different and nuanced take I'd like to see explored more.
@@thesquire9966 I think 13 is good, or at least tries to be. She is the most flawed version in the modern Era and she reminds me a lot of 5. A little too much, as I really don't like 5. And that's almost upsetting because seeing a version of 13 where she is the tour guide, which is hinted at, could have been so cool.
I hated Davison before I listened to bf and now he's in my top 5, problem is he didn't have a clear character until his final year, over crowding of the tardis didn't help for the first year, second year gave them a chance to see they had no direction with him I never hated Colin, I loved that they tried to make him different but to me he was always on point, yes he has the worst luck with stories, hiatus etc but I like I said, loved him and he was my doctor
Somehow you've nailed a load of my thoughts also. The War Doctor is fabulous, Fugitive is unrankable as she stands (Ok maybe above 13), 13's other media stuff elevates her character... Not the same way I'd put each of these (Though Capaldi in S tier is a given) but it's startling how we agree on a lot of this... And you say this bookends the retrospectives, however I presume you'll do one for 13 at the end of the year or start of next year?
I really wish Whittaker had gotten better stuff on screen. I like her as the Doctor but for the life of me I have no idea what Chibnall’s actual vision for the show is beyond retconning the backstory. And I don't think retcons are necessarily bad, but… I don't get the point of the Timeless Child story. It kinda feels like the whole "Rey Palpatine" retcon all over again.
honestly to me - 10 only started being great after Rose left, imo she held him back so much. Same with 11 starting being sucky at the emergence of Clara. Funny how companions can influence ones perception. Again, my opinion - and since I love 10 11 and 12 the exact same ammount my opinion might kot be worth much to people.
I started watching Doctor Who in the mid 80’s. I live in the US so i watched Doctor Who on my local PBS station. They were running episodes from the 3rd, 4th and 5th Doctor Eras. Mostly Tom Baker episodes, so I guess I can say he is my first Doctor. So strange to see him and Pertwee ranked below Colin Baker, but then again I didn’t have easy access to any of the expanded universe material, particularly Big Finish. In fact, I never saw a single episode of Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy until BritBox became available to me. Most people in the US during the wilderness years had never even heard of Doctor Who. My rankings reflect my experience with the show I suppose. Tenant surprised me and became my all time favorite with Tom Baker a close second.
You nailed it on McCoy. He does well when put out of comfort zone, but it's rare for him to be out of it. Too often it's the same companion/7 thing of: "what is happening and what's your plan? I'll explain later" I honestly live for stories like Afterlife. Perfect way to showcase that he is still the doctor despite being a dick of a person and the most badass doctor of them all
@@SamyulDavis Robophobia is excellent but I think it falls into category of 7's comfort zone...though it is amazingly written and this is the best use of 7's mystique. Angel of Scuttari is also excellent. Need to pick up Muse of Fire, Margs is becoming a favorite of mine as far as EU writers are concerned.
@@vcom741 I felt a real sense of neutrality in Robophobia from him. Sure, he's ahead but it feels like he's trying to work out where he stands and who his allies are. Maybe I'm overstating it and maybe it's just Mccoy's performance but it's an odd, unique kinda 7 from memory.
S - Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton A - William Hartnell, Peter Capaldi, David Tennant B - Paul McGann, Colin Baker C - Sylvester McCoy, Matt Smith, Peter Davison, John Hurt D - NONE E - NONE F - Jodie Whittaker
Sylvester is still my favourite with his tv stories but I some of the spin off material is very mixed I think the seventh Doctor PDAs are probably my favourite continuation of his story. I quite like Jodie as the Doctor I like the that we got rid of the lonely God routine which I was so sick of and she got me be back into being a enthusiastic fan again and I like her arc even if the story mechanics to get her there don’t quite work. The Pertwee era is just comfort food who.
Hey, I just want to say that I really like this video. A lot of the comments that you make really open my eyes to how amazing this show is. I got disappointed when I hit the halfway mark because I was sad the video was beginning to end
S: 11, 8, 9 (11 -childhood doctor, 8 - doctor who got me back into the franchise and 9 - doctor I underestimated as a kid) A: 6, 4, 12 (6 - just really good BF stories, 4 - the presence and voice just dominate anything he is in, 12 - endgame doctor in a good way with my favorite heel turn arc in all of fiction) B: 13, 10, 5 (13 - With all the issues with the Era, I adore her energy through all of the franchise, 10 - First and Childhood doctor but fuck it feels like they overdid "sad boy" too much, 5 - could've been C but with me listening more to both Erimem and older Nyssa arcs, he is a charming if snarky bastard and I love him) C: War, 7 (War - while awesome in most of extended media, I feel like BBC not letting him be a bastard really hurts my enjoyment of him, 7 - same reasons as Davis - too one note even if he shines given good material) Haven't seen/heard enough of: 1,2,3
I don't know if there is enough to go on to rank the fugitive. For all we know she might not even be the Doctor. She's not really even a character right now and more of a plot device
*My Ranking:* •••••Trash Tier••••• Sylvester McCoy •••••Weak Tier••••• Colin Baker (TV) Jodi Whittaker Peter Capaldi •••••Intermediate••••• William Harnell •••••Solid Tier••••• Paul McGann Jon Pertwee Peter Davison Colin Baker (Big Finish) •••••High Tier••••• Christopher Eccleston Matt Smith •••••God Tier••••• Patrick Troughton David Tennant Tom Baker The Doctors are listed in individual order of preference (least to most), but that order is somewhat arbitrary, shifting over time. Everybody should generally be where they need to be though. What is definitive is that McCoy is my least favorite Doctor by a wide margin, and Troughton, T. Baker, and Tennant are, in whichever order I may be placing them in, the three members of my top tier of Doctors. For Paul McGann, I remember thinking he was the best thing about that terrible TV movie, but I haven't seen it in long enough that I'm mostly judging him by his Big Finish Stuff. Colin Baker's performance in Big Finish is absolutely top notch, but I'm still not as in love with the personality of the 6th Doctor as I am with some of the others, so it's hard for me to pin down exactly where he belongs. Depending on the day, I might drop him back a few ranks. The War Doctor and Fugitive Doctor don't count; they're not real Doctors. Their very existence offends me. And no offense to John Hurt, but they cast an old guy, decrepit with age, to be a frickin' warrior. That's just bad casting. In any case, a completely new incarnation of The Doctor shouldn't have been shoved in the continuity for the sake of a single episode, especially not when Paul McGann existed.
And yes, I do feel a bit cheesy putting 4 and 10 in the top spots, but I think they're as popular as they are for good reason, and I'm not going to demote them just to show how independent-minded I am (when really it would be proving the opposite).
I'd definitely move Nine and Four up two ranks. Because they are the ones who dont need to be hyped up in order to be feared and simultaneously feel like the ones who i would most want to have a beer with. Two and Six each down one rank. They are very good i just feel thats more honest placement. And Capaldi has good moments about as many as McCoy and Pertwee. but he feels like a distillation of Smith's sometimes I'm happy sometimes I'm grumpy persona just old instead of dark and when smith did it it just felt like a more boy bandish version of what Tennant did where he gets serious and the script starts calling him the oncoming storm. And i know doctor who is a very schticky show but it's kinda the same schtick for a third time in a row olny they changed being sometimes vengeful into being sometimes old. Which to be fair has worked in other shows. Dr Cox on scrubs and Nick Sachs on happy come to mind. But asid from Troughton and Eccleston none of the doctors would be able to pull that off. And while Capaldi may have had a more authentic screen presence than matt smith i felt like the scripts were getting lazier. The raven is just the cliff scene from dark shadows which is a whole thing like the cryogenics sceen in futurama that you can't just put in your own story on a whim you have to actually commit to it, and lets just say if Moffitt has a wife i pity her because Moffitt can't commit to anything.
Jo Martin is an S tier for me. She makes the Doctor more of the Doctor. I know we only have about 48 seconds of footage so far, but she establishes immediately, for me.
I can’t disagree with what you say ab seven but I think seven is a great performance, when you boil down to the pawn who thinks he is king as bf do (sometimes) it’s amazing
Davis, Im also a War Doctor fan, and I just adore him, but I mean we had Derek Jacobi as the Master, its as top tier actor wise. I like Jo Martins Doctor a lot, and not making her a future Doctor is a crime.
Hartnell was The Man, but he had some great body and personality changes. A few Doctors were undermined by generally poor material and are more difficult to judge - Colin Baker, Sylvester (two dire seasons), Jodie for most episodes, and Capaldi in his final season. The business of Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee playing themselves was somewhat exaggerated. Jon was not that serious in real life and used to muck about in a humorous manner, and if you have read Tom's startling autobiography, you will see that we did not get all of THAT in his Doctor WHO persona. Now, Peter Cushing.......
Smith is my favorite doctor, but he should not have continued without he ponds. Clara was great with 12 because her empathy and his gruffness worked, but a positive doctor did not work with clara
the 11th doctor is my favorite so the fact that he only got B sort of hurt, not saying you're wrong for your opinion it just hit me in my heart slightly, but this is of course your list so you do you, I just think you're absolutely wrong on every conceivable level :-D /j
A more unusual list than most I have encountered. Tennant being near the top and Jodie at the bottom are probably the only takes that seem common place. I like that Colin Baker was not near the bottom, but after going through a phase of thinking he was under rated I still have to conclude that the BBC let down a tallented actor and the TV show made him worse. My own list S. 11, A. 10/14, 4 B. 12, 9, 3, 2 C. 5, 1, 6, 7, 8 D. 13 E. F. Reserving judgement on 15. Not rating War.
As much as I hate the tennant fanbase I can’t deny he’s in S tier for me, ofc Capaldi is my number 1 tho, I went from a blinded hater thinking he’s the worst, to him being my absolute favourite.
Thank you! I totally agree with you about the Seventh Doctor; the trickster vibe to that incarnation of the character is just not my thing. He pales in comparison to Patrick Troughton's strategist behind the hobo/clown's face, which is probably why McCoy is C tiers and Troughton is S tier. (The Second Doctor is also clearly super intelligent as well as kind hearted; that conversation about family with Victoria in "Tomb of the Cybermen" shows how thoughtful and encouraging he could be.) What can I say except Patrick Troughton was (and still is) an absolute delight as the Doctor. As for Peter Capaldi, thank you for putting him in the S tier - he so richly deserves it. He embraced the character from the start as a fan and then "lived the dream" and embodied it so beautifully. When Twelve was snarky, there was always a little pinch of wit and warmth that glowed more brightly as his time in the blue box unfolded. Also thank you regarding Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor - I was a weird one and liked "Sixie" from the start... and most people back in the 80s when he took over the role thought I was nuts, but I could see that kinder side to the character. Watch his eyes when he's exploring a new world - he's enjoying his adventures; yes, his sense of humor is a bit dry or sarcastic, but it's also cheeky and playful. And although Six bickered with Peri, it was clear that he liked her and was protective of her ("Vengeance On Varos" anyone?) . He was encouraging her and protecting when she was in danger. And the Big Finish audios showed his true colors (no pun intended); I like that you called him a "Proto-Twelve". It would be so much fun to get Colin and Peter to collaborate as Six and Twelve in a future Big Finish title.
Oh, just the sometimes-smuggery of a hero the writers consider perfect. No slight against the actor, the odd production anecdote can be a bit funny (that time he decked a crew member lmao) but it's just the style of patronising, trusty Bond hero that i'm not always in the mood for.
Troughton did alot for the doctor who character and doesnt get enough credit for it He was the first to lay the foundation of the silly classic doctor we all know and love, and alot of doctor actors clearly drew inspiration from his portrayal Acting over the top and loveable and strange, to using a classic instrument for personality to even the famous bowtie joke was from him. If it wasn't for Troughton, Doctor Who wouldn't have continued for how it did and he certainly changed how the Doctor character was presented forever The first doctor crawled so the second doctor could walk so the rest of the doctors could run
13. Third Doctor 12. Thirteenth Doctor 11. Seventh Doctor 10. Sixth Doctor 9. Fifth Doctor 8. Fourth Doctor 7. Ninth Doctor 6. Eleventh Doctor 5. First Doctor 4. Second Doctor 3. Eighth Doctor 2. Twelfth Doctor 1. Tenth Doctor
Tom Baker is the Doctor the definitive article - even his crappier episodes are better viewing than a lot of the others. JNT just screwed it up on his watch and it went effectively down hill from there - the writing is critical and you shouldn't include anything outside of the screening process - comics, audio etc less people would see that its TV and movies that should only get the ratings as and when they were on their merit at the time. Hartnell as he set the standard, Troughton who recovered and brought it up, Baker well he is the best! Davison well how do you walk in the footsteps of the best. Eccleston for the reboot and Smith like Davison how do you follow on from the modern best at the time Tenant. McGann was good too, valiant effort! and though movie was naff he was good in it as an attempt to jump start a lost series and trying to get an American audience into it. Had he been picked up would have been a good Dr a mix of the first 4 Doctors.
I adore the 12th Doctor, he's my favourite, and I'm greatly enjoying the 13th Doctor's era. So no duality here. I guess not everything is for everyone. Better luck next time. I'm also a sucker for anything to do with Gallifrey and the show's mythos. More Time Lords, less Daleks is all I ask of the show. Backseat tour guide Doctor can be a nice chance of pace from time to time, but I like them at the forefront.
The most damning thing about Jodie is she’s the first Doctor where the character doesn’t seem to have been written around the actor, she’s just stuck with Chibnall’s general idea of what The Doctor is. Never mind that his idea of what The Doctor is is a series of traits not informed by a full blooded character, leaving the poor her with even less to work.
The woman deserves fucking reparations for how this criminally unambitious chucklefuck wasted her talents.
I’m in the camp looking forward to her doing audios, but even then it’s going to be an uphill battle because they’ll need to make a full character for her from scratch.
So pretty much what was done with Colin except let’s face it Big Finish ain’t what it used to be so I’m not sure we can expect the same knockout recharacterization.
Chibnall as show runner was probably the worst thing that’s happened in modern Doctor Who. Whittaker really deserved better than the lack luster writing she got that really held back her acting performance as The Doctor.
“Every time I stick my neck out for Chibnall he breaks it.” Yeah, that’s been my experience too. I want to like his characters, I want to like 13. But she never arrived, she’s a hole where a character should be. Even when I already know I’ll hate a story, I still end up disappointed in this era. I think I’m going to skip the Centenary because I can’t deal with seeing Tegan and Ace put through the Chibnall crusher.
Same.
I'm really in the same boat too. Whittaker actually won me over somewhat with her first episode, but as time's gone on, the combination of the weak dialogue, abundance of aggravating flaws (the abundant self-pitying, the cold treatment of her companions, the pious hypocritical moralising), and complete lack of character development have really dragged her down. Quite frankly, the first female Doctor deserved so much better than this
@@christianwise637 Pious hypocritical moralising is *everything* wrong with the current product. Magical Pixie Dust Doctor has set herself up as the Ultimate Authority and the problem is she undoes things we really liked, such as reversing the Family of Blood which showed there is a darker flawed side to the Doctor.
But of course Ultimate moral authority Doctor can't have flaws because she's STRoNG iNDePeNDeNT and BRaVe.
Also, I *loathe* the Timeless Child retcon and also loathe that they brought the Time Lords back and killed them again. Terrible. Well done to crap on the 50th anniversary. It's always risky for an inferior, tired show to take a dump on an all time classic story. They risked it. It failed.
@@christianwise637 yeah. the first episode kinda left me feeling optimistic. i didn't really like Capaldi's first episode either so i thought she also just had a bad first episode, but then it just never got good.
I don't know if you watched it, but if you haven't...yeah don't, beloved characters were truly crushed
Thank you for your eloquence about Matt Smith's Doctor. He's not quite my favorite, but for a long time I've been amazed at Smith's acting, particularly since he's clearly *not* "playing Matt Smith" as Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker "played themselves." Are you going to do an overview/review of Eccelston's Big Finish stories? I haven't heard any of them yet.
That's a good shout. I'll wait for the next batch to come out, but maybe I'll do other revival BF in the meantime
Why is not your favorite? Because he is not Tennant.
And they had the perfect opportunity to have a Jo Martin episode with episode 3 of Flux, but nope, they had, uh, Jodie Whittaker doing a Jo Martin impression?
The takeaway here: Chibnall wants all the credit for creating the first black Doctor, but doesn’t actually want to have a black Doctor
Honestly flux should have used Jo WAY more (he had an episode with 3 Jodie’s and didn’t considering making 1 of them Jo)
She was filming 4 other shows that year, including a main cast role between the availability and covid unfourtnetly wasn't possible was supposed to be focused more around jo
'I wouldn't know what to do with Jo Martin's Doctor ' Careful Davis your Chibnall is showing
People are going to be mad about the ones you put in B tier, but I think between all of them, what they have in common is that they don't always have good stories but their Doctor completely carries it. Your approach to this tier list was an interesting one because it balanced the actor, the character, and the writing separately.
The fan consensus on 7 shifts the most drastically over time. It feels like right now we're in the midst of a correction to a previous period of effusive praise and hailing 7 as a blueprint for all the successful modern era Doctors. I also think the sensibilities of the time have hurt him a bit. In the 90s and 00s the idea of a Doctor with an amoral streak who's willing to all but laugh as he tricks the Daleks into genociding themselves was fresh and intriguing. In the atmosphere of the 2020s such traits might be more an unappealing downer
I disagree. I LOVED McCoy as the Doctor and thought he was one of the best, just didn't get that good scripts.
I’d be really interested in that video essay about the 11th. I’ve never been able to get a handle on his character, and how he has a negative effect on the universe he’s in - I’d love to hear your take.
Tom is just the best for me. Every trait I want in a Doctor, he has. Even the vulnerability in stories like Pyramids or Seeds.
Tom Baker was an a-hole Doctor. Couldn't stand him, the way he talked to Harry Sullivan and even Adric.
@@cdle007 for example?
Love to see a tier list on all the seasons
This
Same!
Inst there a good 40 seasons of who?
@@somerandomyoutubeaccount5895 No, no, no, only 39.
@@miguelbranquinho7235 and the tv movie!
Eccelston will be S-Tier for me, especially because of the Big Finish stuff for me. I'm too much of a fanboy and I've just enjoyed him doing his best Eccelston self even with the weaker stories.
That said, your placement is well argued, and yes, you can look him in the eye when you inevitably see him on the subway.
The only things I would change here is put Six in S tier, he's my absolute favorite Doctor. You can sit me in front of the radio listening to Colin Baker and the story could be absolute shit and I'll still adore it. I adore all of his tv episodes just because Colin is that bloody good. McGann and Smith up to A. And Davison down to D. Before Whittaker, he was my least favorite Doctor. Even just on audios. He puts me to sleep. But at least he's not horribly immoral as Whittaker's Doctor. Other than that, this tier list is fairly accurate for me.
I'd have hated to have to follow Peter Capaldi's doctor the arc finally felt complete. A decent version of the Time Lord Victorious, and definite possibilities to reassess and reinvigorate. But, if the program is to survive, that falls to RTD, and he's already succeeded once. Can he manage a second time?
what?
Sometimes you can't catch lightning in a jar twice. I don't have much hope that they will be able to achieve the quality of the revival series in the 2000s.
Genuinely loved seeing your reasoning for all of these, I agree on a lot of points, but even when I don't you make a great case for it
I feel so bad for Jodie Whittaker amongst all of this, if you watch her in things like Broadchurch you’ll see the range she has as an actress, and it goes to show it’s nothing on her part that makes her character so bad. It also sets a precedent for people who think the Doctor can’t be a woman, when we’ve seen good Time Ladies in characters like Romana, who’s one of the best written companions.
Completely agree with 7. Love so much of his era, love Ace, love Cartmel, love how it informed the revival. But the edgelord strategist is a REALLY overrated aspect. Luckily it's mostly relegated to his expanded media stuff (like in the actual show he only does one despicable thing and immediately apologises for it) Sad old man 7 is the best 7.
Actual fucking Death be like: "lol u sad and u old" to 7 while Master is there telling Death to get out is peak who for me, no joke
@@vcom741 SAME, in fact 7 in that story is so close to my own idea for a Doctor. Kinda calm and collected at the start, just observing an assassin, but just deeply melancholic and almost pathetic, even when he scheming
And Geoffrey Beavers! The coolest Master: he said "do be quiet" to Death!
I love 7, especially when he's being melancholic. He's the one I would trust to get sh*t done no matter the cost (even if it means sacrificing friends). However, I don't view that as being edge lord. It's made pretty clear that he's eliminating threats pre-emptively like a slippery chess master by S25, and by the time we've gone from Genesis to Remembrance, the Daleks had plenty of time to live up to 4's "inspire good" concept -- and failed spectacularly -- so it was time to nip those pepper-pots in the bud (now that the show was edging so close to cancellation).
However, I also love the melancholic, bumbling, Troughton-esque 7th. He's like a sad school teacher going on safari while trying to look happy, tipping his hat to everyone during another galaxy tour. It's just a shame that said galaxy always leaves fascists and evil governments all over the place.
I like how you've captured 3 key archetypical Doctors with your 3 S tier picks. Each of those three represents old Doctor, young Doctor, the doctor's hair, speeches, grumpinesss and compassion. About the only thing you haven't captured is that element shared by 13 and 5.
Capaldi and Troughton in S Tier, Mwah.
McCoy in *C* and not A? Bruh
Aye, that saddens me as well. I don't get the 'one note' explanation, because he has one of the most stark personality shifts -- and it's not like he sacrificed all sense of fun when becoming the chess-master, or didn't show signs of manipulation during the campy chaos of S24. McCoy was inspired by Troughton's version, but I never considered 7 as 'another cosmic hobo'. Instead, he's like a school teacher going on a galactic safari (and dragging a student along for the experience), occasionally talking down to people when they're being a bit daft.
9 is my favourite doctor 👨⚕️ my psychiatrist is a close second tho
im high as hell watching this right after wild blue yonder dropped, the beat goes hard, no notes on the list
7 is a funny one for me because I think McCoy is one of my favourite performances for the doctor, and I quite like the scheming, but I agree that his characterisation lacks range, he really needed more scenes where he shows compassion or just fails for once
Finally, someone else who recognizes the absolute brilliance of the War Doctor
Honestly, I would give 13 a C, simply for the reason that she is the most cowardly Doctor since 2. 13 is not a Hero so much as a tour guide forced to play the hero role. It's a shame that we never got more to see what hints we got in Demons of the Punjab.
I really like the not a hero/forced to be a hero concept, and I kind of want to go one step further and say 13 is a flat out bad person, but with the mantle and responsabilities of the Doctor thrust upon her. In the same way that the person underneath 12 was a good man lamenting that he wasn't perfect, the person underneath 13 is selfish and vain and is in an extremely weird position and is scrabmling along as best as she can despite not being at all suited to the life she finds herself in. She's struggling under the expextations of others. She likes the fame and reputation, but can't manage to maintain it because she lacks the moral nuance and drives of her predecessors. She's Eleanor from The Good Place suddenly waking up as the Doctor. This is the cool and different and nuanced take I'd like to see explored more.
@@thesquire9966 I think 13 is good, or at least tries to be. She is the most flawed version in the modern Era and she reminds me a lot of 5. A little too much, as I really don't like 5. And that's almost upsetting because seeing a version of 13 where she is the tour guide, which is hinted at, could have been so cool.
S - 4, 10, 11, 12
A - 9, 3, 2
B - 1, 7, 5
C - 6, 8, 13
I don't count expanded material.
I'm watching the second doctor just finished the 1st and man William was excellent and Ive finished power of the daleks and troughton is amazing.
It's great to see in the video and the comments that every Doctor has their advocates, even if the exact number of the supporters vary quite a bit.
I hated Davison before I listened to bf and now he's in my top 5, problem is he didn't have a clear character until his final year, over crowding of the tardis didn't help for the first year, second year gave them a chance to see they had no direction with him
I never hated Colin, I loved that they tried to make him different but to me he was always on point, yes he has the worst luck with stories, hiatus etc but I like I said, loved him and he was my doctor
Somehow you've nailed a load of my thoughts also. The War Doctor is fabulous, Fugitive is unrankable as she stands (Ok maybe above 13), 13's other media stuff elevates her character... Not the same way I'd put each of these (Though Capaldi in S tier is a given) but it's startling how we agree on a lot of this... And you say this bookends the retrospectives, however I presume you'll do one for 13 at the end of the year or start of next year?
S : Pertwee Tennant Tom
A : Patrick Paul William
B Colin McCoy Matt Peter Peter
C Chris
D Hurt
E
F 13 14 15
S: 2, 4, 10, 11
A: 1, 8, 9, 12
B: 6, War
C: 3, 5, 7
D: 13
I really wish Whittaker had gotten better stuff on screen. I like her as the Doctor but for the life of me I have no idea what Chibnall’s actual vision for the show is beyond retconning the backstory. And I don't think retcons are necessarily bad, but… I don't get the point of the Timeless Child story. It kinda feels like the whole "Rey Palpatine" retcon all over again.
Great ranking, tbh even though it’s completely different to my list I still agree if you get me, nobody’s ever wrong with these!
honestly to me - 10 only started being great after Rose left, imo she held him back so much.
Same with 11 starting being sucky at the emergence of Clara.
Funny how companions can influence ones perception.
Again, my opinion - and since I love 10 11 and 12 the exact same ammount my opinion might kot be worth much to people.
My personal S Tier/ A Tier doctor's are 12, 8, and 3, but deep down, I love all the original 12
I can not fathom the fact that you put Collin Baker above Tom Baker 🤦🏻♂️
I agree even if I think Colin is great, I even taked him over Whittaker and Davison but Tom is the Goat in general.
I started watching Doctor Who in the mid 80’s. I live in the US so i watched Doctor Who on my local PBS station. They were running episodes from the 3rd, 4th and 5th Doctor Eras. Mostly Tom Baker episodes, so I guess I can say he is my first Doctor. So strange to see him and Pertwee ranked below Colin Baker, but then again I didn’t have easy access to any of the expanded universe material, particularly Big Finish. In fact, I never saw a single episode of Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy until BritBox became available to me. Most people in the US during the wilderness years had never even heard of Doctor Who. My rankings reflect my experience with the show I suppose. Tenant surprised me and became my all time favorite with Tom Baker a close second.
A 27 minute DVAIS tier list video, ranking the Doctor's? Is it Christmas already?
Yay. I love when you do rankings. Not far from my own either. More big finish rankings please!
Honestly, keep taking these holidays. I just love hearing your takes. You don’t have a podcast by any chance? I’d listen if you did
Hi sam, can you put a link to the tiermaker in the description or the comments please?
You nailed it on McCoy. He does well when put out of comfort zone, but it's rare for him to be out of it. Too often it's the same companion/7 thing of: "what is happening and what's your plan? I'll explain later"
I honestly live for stories like Afterlife. Perfect way to showcase that he is still the doctor despite being a dick of a person and the most badass doctor of them all
The examples I was trying to think of included Muse of Fire, Robophobia and Angel of scutari
@@SamyulDavis Robophobia is excellent but I think it falls into category of 7's comfort zone...though it is amazingly written and this is the best use of 7's mystique. Angel of Scuttari is also excellent. Need to pick up Muse of Fire, Margs is becoming a favorite of mine as far as EU writers are concerned.
@@vcom741 I felt a real sense of neutrality in Robophobia from him. Sure, he's ahead but it feels like he's trying to work out where he stands and who his allies are. Maybe I'm overstating it and maybe it's just Mccoy's performance but it's an odd, unique kinda 7 from memory.
I'm excited seeing something Doctor Who related that isn't broke cannon or Anime OP.
I completely agree with the thing you said about the 8th Doctor comics. It’s a very different character and I’m all for it
I understand why you put him in C... but Pertwee is hands down my fave classic doc and it's my fave classic doc era
I am so surprised about 9. Now I really want to see a redux of the 9 retrospective
I love the generic 2015 ncs music
S - Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton
A - William Hartnell, Peter Capaldi, David Tennant
B - Paul McGann, Colin Baker
C - Sylvester McCoy, Matt Smith, Peter Davison, John Hurt
D - NONE
E - NONE
F - Jodie Whittaker
I can get behind this
Sylvester is still my favourite with his tv stories but I some of the spin off material is very mixed I think the seventh Doctor PDAs are probably my favourite continuation of his story.
I quite like Jodie as the Doctor I like the that we got rid of the lonely God routine which I was so sick of and she got me be back into being a enthusiastic fan again and I like her arc even if the story mechanics to get her there don’t quite work.
The Pertwee era is just comfort food who.
I'm only part way in, but if Sylvester doesn't go to the top with Peter then I'll cry. I'll assume Tom baker joins Capaldi.
Calling us Fighting Dreamers is some weapons grade nostalgia to drop on this unsuspecting old millenial
S - T Baker, McGann, Eccleston, Capaldi
A - Troughton, C Baker, Tennant
B - McCoy, Hurt, Smith
C - Pertwee, Davison
D - Hartnell, Whittaker
wow, you really don't like Hartnell, do ya.
I'm intrigued to hear why hartnell in D
please do this with classic seasons need more arbitrary ranking content
S: Capaldi, Tom Baker, McCoy
A: Tennant, Troughton, Smith, Davison
B: Pertwee, Colin Baker, Eccleston
C: McGann, Hartnell
D: Whitaker
I wonder if Anyone remembers Shalka Doctor
This was a fun vid, nice to spend some time in someone elses head revisiting all the Doctors.
Big Finish *absolutely* put Davidson near the top for me as the Doctor. But. yeah. TV! 5 was a petty bitch xD
Hey, I just want to say that I really like this video. A lot of the comments that you make really open my eyes to how amazing this show is. I got disappointed when I hit the halfway mark because I was sad the video was beginning to end
So what tier would Jo Martin go in? She counts as far as I’m concerned.
S: 11, 8, 9 (11 -childhood doctor, 8 - doctor who got me back into the franchise and 9 - doctor I underestimated as a kid)
A: 6, 4, 12 (6 - just really good BF stories, 4 - the presence and voice just dominate anything he is in, 12 - endgame doctor in a good way with my favorite heel turn arc in all of fiction)
B: 13, 10, 5 (13 - With all the issues with the Era, I adore her energy through all of the franchise, 10 - First and Childhood doctor but fuck it feels like they overdid "sad boy" too much, 5 - could've been C but with me listening more to both Erimem and older Nyssa arcs, he is a charming if snarky bastard and I love him)
C: War, 7 (War - while awesome in most of extended media, I feel like BBC not letting him be a bastard really hurts my enjoyment of him, 7 - same reasons as Davis - too one note even if he shines given good material)
Haven't seen/heard enough of: 1,2,3
smith in b tier is criminal
S - 12 9
A - War
B - 10 8 3
C - 4 11 13
D - Fugitive
Not seen the others well enough for judgement yet. I predict 1 will be high, 7 will be low. Others in the middle.
@@nightowl8477 Ah, not hyped for the edgelord Doctor?
4 on the same tier as 13 thats certianly one of the opinions ever
I don't know if there is enough to go on to rank the fugitive. For all we know she might not even be the Doctor. She's not really even a character right now and more of a plot device
*My Ranking:*
•••••Trash Tier•••••
Sylvester McCoy
•••••Weak Tier•••••
Colin Baker (TV)
Jodi Whittaker
Peter Capaldi
•••••Intermediate•••••
William Harnell
•••••Solid Tier•••••
Paul McGann
Jon Pertwee
Peter Davison
Colin Baker (Big Finish)
•••••High Tier•••••
Christopher Eccleston
Matt Smith
•••••God Tier•••••
Patrick Troughton
David Tennant
Tom Baker
The Doctors are listed in individual order of preference (least to most), but that order is somewhat arbitrary, shifting over time. Everybody should generally be where they need to be though. What is definitive is that McCoy is my least favorite Doctor by a wide margin, and Troughton, T. Baker, and Tennant are, in whichever order I may be placing them in, the three members of my top tier of Doctors.
For Paul McGann, I remember thinking he was the best thing about that terrible TV movie, but I haven't seen it in long enough that I'm mostly judging him by his Big Finish Stuff.
Colin Baker's performance in Big Finish is absolutely top notch, but I'm still not as in love with the personality of the 6th Doctor as I am with some of the others, so it's hard for me to pin down exactly where he belongs. Depending on the day, I might drop him back a few ranks.
The War Doctor and Fugitive Doctor don't count; they're not real Doctors. Their very existence offends me. And no offense to John Hurt, but they cast an old guy, decrepit with age, to be a frickin' warrior. That's just bad casting. In any case, a completely new incarnation of The Doctor shouldn't have been shoved in the continuity for the sake of a single episode, especially not when Paul McGann existed.
And yes, I do feel a bit cheesy putting 4 and 10 in the top spots, but I think they're as popular as they are for good reason, and I'm not going to demote them just to show how independent-minded I am (when really it would be proving the opposite).
Quieter and more chill music next time please dad
I'd definitely move Nine and Four up two ranks. Because they are the ones who dont need to be hyped up in order to be feared and simultaneously feel like the ones who i would most want to have a beer with.
Two and Six each down one rank. They are very good i just feel thats more honest placement.
And Capaldi has good moments about as many as McCoy and Pertwee. but he feels like a distillation of Smith's sometimes I'm happy sometimes I'm grumpy persona just old instead of dark and when smith did it it just felt like a more boy bandish version of what Tennant did where he gets serious and the script starts calling him the oncoming storm. And i know doctor who is a very schticky show but it's kinda the same schtick for a third time in a row olny they changed being sometimes vengeful into being sometimes old. Which to be fair has worked in other shows. Dr Cox on scrubs and Nick Sachs on happy come to mind. But asid from Troughton and Eccleston none of the doctors would be able to pull that off.
And while Capaldi may have had a more authentic screen presence than matt smith i felt like the scripts were getting lazier. The raven is just the cliff scene from dark shadows which is a whole thing like the cryogenics sceen in futurama that you can't just put in your own story on a whim you have to actually commit to it, and lets just say if Moffitt has a wife i pity her because Moffitt can't commit to anything.
Jo Martin is an S tier for me. She makes the Doctor more of the Doctor. I know we only have about 48 seconds of footage so far, but she establishes immediately, for me.
I can’t disagree with what you say ab seven but I think seven is a great performance, when you boil down to the pawn who thinks he is king as bf do (sometimes) it’s amazing
Not bad. I'd have Smith in S with Capaldi, and Tenant in A. But yeah. Nice ranking
Davis, Im also a War Doctor fan, and I just adore him, but I mean we had Derek Jacobi as the Master, its as top tier actor wise. I like Jo Martins Doctor a lot, and not making her a future Doctor is a crime.
Hartnell was The Man, but he had some great body and personality changes. A few Doctors were undermined by generally poor material and are more difficult to judge - Colin Baker, Sylvester (two dire seasons), Jodie for most episodes, and Capaldi in his final season. The business of Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee playing themselves was somewhat exaggerated. Jon was not that serious in real life and used to muck about in a humorous manner, and if you have read Tom's startling autobiography, you will see that we did not get all of THAT in his Doctor WHO persona. Now, Peter Cushing.......
Smith is my favorite doctor, but he should not have continued without he ponds. Clara was great with 12 because her empathy and his gruffness worked, but a positive doctor did not work with clara
Finally some Capaldi respect
Would love to hear your thoughts on the dalek films in a video!
Are we getting an essay on 13
11 as B? wtf
the 11th doctor is my favorite so the fact that he only got B sort of hurt, not saying you're wrong for your opinion it just hit me in my heart slightly, but this is of course your list so you do you, I just think you're absolutely wrong on every conceivable level :-D /j
A more unusual list than most I have encountered. Tennant being near the top and Jodie at the bottom are probably the only takes that seem common place.
I like that Colin Baker was not near the bottom, but after going through a phase of thinking he was under rated I still have to conclude that the BBC let down a tallented actor and the TV show made him worse.
My own list
S. 11,
A. 10/14, 4
B. 12, 9, 3, 2
C. 5, 1, 6, 7, 8
D. 13
E.
F.
Reserving judgement on 15. Not rating War.
Personally I’d put smiths up top lol but nice list
As much as I hate the tennant fanbase I can’t deny he’s in S tier for me, ofc Capaldi is my number 1 tho, I went from a blinded hater thinking he’s the worst, to him being my absolute favourite.
Thank you! I totally agree with you about the Seventh Doctor; the trickster vibe to that incarnation of the character is just not my thing. He pales in comparison to Patrick Troughton's strategist behind the hobo/clown's face, which is probably why McCoy is C tiers and Troughton is S tier. (The Second Doctor is also clearly super intelligent as well as kind hearted; that conversation about family with Victoria in "Tomb of the Cybermen" shows how thoughtful and encouraging he could be.) What can I say except Patrick Troughton was (and still is) an absolute delight as the Doctor. As for Peter Capaldi, thank you for putting him in the S tier - he so richly deserves it. He embraced the character from the start as a fan and then "lived the dream" and embodied it so beautifully. When Twelve was snarky, there was always a little pinch of wit and warmth that glowed more brightly as his time in the blue box unfolded. Also thank you regarding Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor - I was a weird one and liked "Sixie" from the start... and most people back in the 80s when he took over the role thought I was nuts, but I could see that kinder side to the character. Watch his eyes when he's exploring a new world - he's enjoying his adventures; yes, his sense of humor is a bit dry or sarcastic, but it's also cheeky and playful. And although Six bickered with Peri, it was clear that he liked her and was protective of her ("Vengeance On Varos" anyone?) . He was encouraging her and protecting when she was in danger. And the Big Finish audios showed his true colors (no pun intended); I like that you called him a "Proto-Twelve". It would be so much fun to get Colin and Peter to collaborate as Six and Twelve in a future Big Finish title.
The fucking outro music
Me from 20:26-21:19
no no no no no no uh-uh no
I can fix this in Shotcut for you
Yo, hold up, backtrack.
Explain your disliking of Pertwee (the man not his doctor)???
Oh, just the sometimes-smuggery of a hero the writers consider perfect. No slight against the actor, the odd production anecdote can be a bit funny (that time he decked a crew member lmao) but it's just the style of patronising, trusty Bond hero that i'm not always in the mood for.
Five fourth third sixth and seventh are all s tiers for me also 11 12 10 9
Jodie's Doctor is not amazing but series 12 is one of my favorites in modem who.
Doctors ranked on their portrayal, not their stories.
S: 3, 4, 7
A: 2, 6
B: 5, 8
C: 1, 13, War
D: 10, 12,
E: 9
F: 11
What's the music??
Who's your pick for the new Doctor fella
- A lesson on the importance of commas !
Female Doctors still work just as good 👍
Ruth Wilson or Adrian Lester. Best case dream scenario Lily James.
How could you? Insane absolutely insane. You cannot rank these 14 heroes. There's only three tiers. S, A and totally let down by others.
0:43 um what
For me:
S- Troughton, Capaldi, Colin
A- Eccelston, Hartnell, McCoy
B- Tom, John, McGann, Smith, Pertwee
C- Tennant, Davison, Whitaker
S: 2,4,10,12
A: 6,8,11
B: 1,7,9
C: 3,5
D: 13
s tier for me are 4 8 and 9
Christopher Ecclston number 1Tom Baker in 3 are you nuts 1 for Tom Baker the best thing troughton did for doctor who was die
Troughton did alot for the doctor who character and doesnt get enough credit for it
He was the first to lay the foundation of the silly classic doctor we all know and love, and alot of doctor actors clearly drew inspiration from his portrayal
Acting over the top and loveable and strange, to using a classic instrument for personality to even the famous bowtie joke was from him.
If it wasn't for Troughton, Doctor Who wouldn't have continued for how it did and he certainly changed how the Doctor character was presented forever
The first doctor crawled so the second doctor could walk so the rest of the doctors could run
Capaldi/12th in S:) I approve.
13. Third Doctor
12. Thirteenth Doctor
11. Seventh Doctor
10. Sixth Doctor
9. Fifth Doctor
8. Fourth Doctor
7. Ninth Doctor
6. Eleventh Doctor
5. First Doctor
4. Second Doctor
3. Eighth Doctor
2. Twelfth Doctor
1. Tenth Doctor
Why the third doctor last?
@@CometStar100 why not? He's just that doctor for a one of a kind generation i never wanted.
Finally
Tom Baker is the Doctor the definitive article - even his crappier episodes are better viewing than a lot of the others. JNT just screwed it up on his watch and it went effectively down hill from there - the writing is critical and you shouldn't include anything outside of the screening process - comics, audio etc less people would see that its TV and movies that should only get the ratings as and when they were on their merit at the time.
Hartnell as he set the standard, Troughton who recovered and brought it up, Baker well he is the best! Davison well how do you walk in the footsteps of the best. Eccleston for the reboot and Smith like Davison how do you follow on from the modern best at the time Tenant.
McGann was good too, valiant effort! and though movie was naff he was good in it as an attempt to jump start a lost series and trying to get an American audience into it. Had he been picked up would have been a good Dr a mix of the first 4 Doctors.
I adore the 12th Doctor, he's my favourite, and I'm greatly enjoying the 13th Doctor's era. So no duality here. I guess not everything is for everyone. Better luck next time. I'm also a sucker for anything to do with Gallifrey and the show's mythos. More Time Lords, less Daleks is all I ask of the show. Backseat tour guide Doctor can be a nice chance of pace from time to time, but I like them at the forefront.
Tom baker is A or S
Jodie should be at a solid F ranking