Geek Syndicate Issue 7 | Page 6

Geek Syndicate
final spark needed for the oncoming Time War and the idea of “The First Question” that Moffat played with this year: there is more to The Doctor. In Silver Nemesis, the Doctor’s companion, Ace explicitly asks “who are you?” as the story ends. Speaking of Ace, she is an intriguing companion. It’s clear that the Doctor knows more about his companion than he lets on.

“Doctor, Who ARE you?”

8. The Ninth Doctor - Christopher Eccleston – (2005)
Eccelston is the man that should be congratulated for bringing Doctor Who back to our television screens. In the same way that Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale gave Batman his edge through gritty realism, Russell T Davies and Eccelston made us believe in the Doctor again in a serious manner that destroyed the image of bad sets and bad plots from the end of the classic series. Eccelston’s Doctor was a tough, damaged soul, more so than any other Doctor before or since. Having survived The Time War, this is a darker Doctor than we had ever seen before, yet still distinctly the man we have always known. Having a truly twenty-first century edge to him, we saw Eccelston grow as he recovered from his past and started to live life more, thanks to his companion Rose. Eccelston portrayed this Doctor as weary traveller who started cynical yet managed to become the warmer man we knew. His shock exit at the end of his first season was, with hindsight, just what was needed for the show. Eccelston had given the series the shot in the arm, grounding it and giving it a solid base, whilst leaving at a time where the fans would want more.

“Who am I?

Unfortunately for McCoy, the damage from the Colin Baker era had already been done. The viewers had talked with their feet and it ironically wasn’t until near the end of the series that McCoy managed to get the series back on its feet. And then it was cancelled. In the 1996 televised movie the Seventh Doctor was shot down in his prime.

WHO ... AM ... I?”

Image © BBC

Patrick Troughton, Mischevious Wanderer

7. The Eighth Doctor – Paul McGann (1996)

If McGann had been given more time in the TARDIS, I’ve no doubt he would be higher up on my list. McGann in just over an hour managed to embody everything that the Doctor should be. He was kind, compassionate and this particular Doctor was a romantic. A funny Time Lord, McGann’s Doctor encouraged his companions to become better people, to become what they should be. The Eighth Doctor always saw the best in people which makes it even sadder that this Doctor is the one that will face The Time War and make the most difficult decision in all of his lives. For many people the television movie was a blip best forgotten, McGann’s performance being the only saving grace. But I really liked it
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