Geek Syndicate Issue 7 | Page 7

Geek Syndicate
and always will. This was the first time that Doctor Who was ever on TV for me and therefore my first taste of the Doctor.

6. The First Doctor – William Hartnell. (1963-1966)
William Hartnell’s depiction of the Doctor will probably come as a shock to the system if you are used to later incarnations. A grumpy old man, he begins life as a reluctant hero, whilst fluffing his lines: a trait the writers seemed to accept as being a character trait of the Doctor. Hartnell played the role with gravitas, the old idealist who has never let his beliefs die. This Doctor doesn’t just meet the Daleks for the first time but also had some of the best Dalek stories to ever be made. From the truly terrifying opener, The Daleks, to the fantastic Dalek Invasion of Earth, this Doctor had his hands full. Hartnell should be credited for never limiting the role. We saw a man that was grumpy, angry and yet could be warm, happy, funny and kind. Hartnell’s Doctor faced off against other classic foes like fellow Time Lord (not that the production team had even thought of the Time Lords at this point!), the Meddling Monk, and the Cybermen before finally regenerating.
Jon Pertwee, The Action Dandy Image © BBC

5. The Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker (1975-1981)

ot legs. s! I’ve still g “Aaargh! Leg ingers, hands, ooh f Good. Arms, es, two, s. Ears, yes ey lots of finger in...bliad worse. Ch nose...I’ve h No, I’m m a girl! No! mey! Hair! I’ ger!” d still not gin not a girl… an

To many people Tom Baker would be number one on a list such as this, but he isn’t for me. Yes he is wonderful to watch but there is just something about him that I don’t feel as connected to as I do with other Doctors. Baker is probably the most eccentric Doctor there has been and is often heralded as the man that completely changed the way that we look at the Doctor. Tom Baker always has said that he basically played the Doctor as himself and this is clear especially if you watch any interview with him since he left the programme. This Doctor is fearless and often he literally just laughs at his The Doctor tries to talk Davros out of creating the Daleks enemies. He would rather offer them a jelly belly than even consider fear. The Doctor’s stance against genocide evolves from Baker’s Doctor in the classic, arguably the best Dalek story, Genesis of the Daleks. This is television magic as we watch the Doctor struggle with the thought of committing genocide to the Daleks before they have even really become a threat, right at their creation.
Image © BBC

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