Some really interesting and unexpected choices here, and reflective of your own reaction to the various eras of modern Who. For what it’s worth here are my own choices: Eccleston: Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways, Dalek, Father’s Day Tennant (10th): Human Nature / The Family of Blood, The Girl in the Fireplace, Midnight Smith: Amy’s Choice, Vincent and the Doctor, The Doctor’s Wife Capaldi: Listen, Mummy on the Orient Express, Heaven Sent Whittaker: Rosa, It Takes You Away, The Haunting of Vila Diodati Tennant (14th): The Star Beast, The Giggle, Wild Blue Yonder Gatwa: The Devil’s Chord, Dot and Bubble, 73 Yards
Hi Paul! I think for me I'd go with your choices for Paul McGann. Not that there are a great many options on TV. For Eccleston I agree with Dalek as his best but I'd go with Father's Day and Empty Child/Doctor Dances (jointly) as second and third. For the Tenth Doctor era I'd put Midnight first, Turn Left second and Human Nature/Family of Blood third. As you said though, there are so many excellent stories in his era, even if i don't always appreciate the way the Doctor is written. I like Matt Smith's era more than you but I do feel his Doctor was written to be far more comedic than i would have preferred. His acting in the unfortunately too few dramatic moments he was given is excellent so he could have pulled off a more serious performance. For me I'd have The Doctor's Wife as first, Vincent and the Doctor in second and The Girl Who Waited in third. I love Peter Capaldi as an actor. I think him and Patrick Troughton are the best actors to have played the part. I agree that he didn't always have the greatest material to work with but again i like his era a lot more than you. I'd have Heaven Sent in first, The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion next and World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls in third. Again we have differing views on the Jodie Whittaker era. I found this period of the programme incredibly dull for the most part. It just felt so bland and like a paint-by-numbers version of Doctor Who. Like an AI trying to write a version of the Tenth Doctor's era. It's a shame as Whittaker deserved better and the companion actors deserved actual characters to play. There were some decent episodes in there for me though. The Haunting of Villa Diodati was the best of the era. The Demons of Punjab is second with The Power of the Doctor third. For Tennant Mk.2 I'd have Wild Blue Yonder in first, The Giggle second and The Star Beast third. In my opinion the jury is still out on Ncuti Gatwa's era. He is excellent in the role but I'm yet to be convinced by the stories he's had so far. The best of his era so far is 73 Yards. Next is Dot and Bubble and third is Boom.
Hi Paul like the others so far I think that your analysis of the 21st Century Doctors and their respective seasons is pretty much spot on. For me, David Tennant gave the finest portrayal very closely followed by Christopher Eccleston although they clearly had the best material to work with. I think Paul McGann may well have challenged them had he been given the opportunity. I have always been very fond of the tv movie which I have watched on multiple occasions albeit it is always somewhat bittersweet as it's release coincided with the loss of the great Jon Pertwee. As for your episode choices I pretty much agree although I would have to include Human Nature/Family of Blood and 73 Yards as the standout episodes of their respective eras. For me the former is Tennant's finest performance although the latter is somewhat contentious as of course Ncuti is barely in it so I understand why you perhaps didn't include it. Nonetheless the finest episode of the recent series for me. As you say this is all personal choice and therefore entirely subjective. A brilliant review which has stimulated this conversation. Hopefully it will get the views it deserves. Well done Paul👍👌
I think we all see something different or perhaps we get something different from Doctor Who. I must admit that i do not like the "new" series as much as the classic although i think that the mainly 1 episode per story is the way that the BBC has gone ( generally) with its drama is at fault i prefer multi-parters as there is more time to develop the story. I also think that when i rank something its not just the story writing, the doctor or the companions its more of a mix. And something i struggle to explain. And everyones mileage varies so . I did actally like Matt Smith as the doctor i thought he had flavours of Patrick Troughton. So if i was ranking modern Doctors era's( as a package not just the actual doctors ) I would rank him is number 1, David Tenant as 2 and Christopher Eccleston as third.
Some really interesting and unexpected choices here, and reflective of your own reaction to the various eras of modern Who. For what it’s worth here are my own choices:
Eccleston: Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways, Dalek, Father’s Day
Tennant (10th): Human Nature / The Family of Blood, The Girl in the Fireplace, Midnight
Smith: Amy’s Choice, Vincent and the Doctor, The Doctor’s Wife
Capaldi: Listen, Mummy on the Orient Express, Heaven Sent
Whittaker: Rosa, It Takes You Away, The Haunting of Vila Diodati
Tennant (14th): The Star Beast, The Giggle, Wild Blue Yonder
Gatwa: The Devil’s Chord, Dot and Bubble, 73 Yards
Hi Paul!
I think for me I'd go with your choices for Paul McGann. Not that there are a great many options on TV.
For Eccleston I agree with Dalek as his best but I'd go with Father's Day and Empty Child/Doctor Dances (jointly) as second and third.
For the Tenth Doctor era I'd put Midnight first, Turn Left second and Human Nature/Family of Blood third. As you said though, there are so many excellent stories in his era, even if i don't always appreciate the way the Doctor is written.
I like Matt Smith's era more than you but I do feel his Doctor was written to be far more comedic than i would have preferred. His acting in the unfortunately too few dramatic moments he was given is excellent so he could have pulled off a more serious performance. For me I'd have The Doctor's Wife as first, Vincent and the Doctor in second and The Girl Who Waited in third.
I love Peter Capaldi as an actor. I think him and Patrick Troughton are the best actors to have played the part. I agree that he didn't always have the greatest material to work with but again i like his era a lot more than you.
I'd have Heaven Sent in first, The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion next and World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls in third.
Again we have differing views on the Jodie Whittaker era. I found this period of the programme incredibly dull for the most part. It just felt so bland and like a paint-by-numbers version of Doctor Who. Like an AI trying to write a version of the Tenth Doctor's era. It's a shame as Whittaker deserved better and the companion actors deserved actual characters to play. There were some decent episodes in there for me though. The Haunting of Villa Diodati was the best of the era. The Demons of Punjab is second with The Power of the Doctor third.
For Tennant Mk.2 I'd have Wild Blue Yonder in first, The Giggle second and The Star Beast third.
In my opinion the jury is still out on Ncuti Gatwa's era. He is excellent in the role but I'm yet to be convinced by the stories he's had so far. The best of his era so far is 73 Yards. Next is Dot and Bubble and third is Boom.
Thanks very much for your balanced and considered response!
Hi Paul like the others so far I think that your analysis of the 21st Century Doctors and their respective seasons is pretty much spot on. For me, David Tennant gave the finest portrayal very closely followed by Christopher Eccleston although they clearly had the best material to work with. I think Paul McGann may well have challenged them had he been given the opportunity. I have always been very fond of the tv movie which I have watched on multiple occasions albeit it is always somewhat bittersweet as it's release coincided with the loss of the great Jon Pertwee. As for your episode choices I pretty much agree although I would have to include Human Nature/Family of Blood and 73 Yards as the standout episodes of their respective eras. For me the former is Tennant's finest performance although the latter is somewhat contentious as of course Ncuti is barely in it so I understand why you perhaps didn't include it. Nonetheless the finest episode of the recent series for me. As you say this is all personal choice and therefore entirely subjective. A brilliant review which has stimulated this conversation. Hopefully it will get the views it deserves. Well done Paul👍👌
I think we all see something different or perhaps we get something different from Doctor Who. I must admit that i do not like the "new" series as much as the classic although i think that the mainly 1 episode per story is the way that the BBC has gone ( generally) with its drama is at fault i prefer multi-parters as there is more time to develop the story. I also think that when i rank something its not just the story writing, the doctor or the companions its more of a mix. And something i struggle to explain. And everyones mileage varies so . I did actally like Matt Smith as the doctor i thought he had flavours of Patrick Troughton. So if i was ranking modern Doctors era's( as a package not just the actual doctors ) I would rank him is number 1, David Tenant as 2 and Christopher Eccleston as third.