The Seven Doctors · 12:51pm Jun 19th, 2014
So this post is going to act as an Apology. You see most of the second chapter of Aer Vis is written. I'm just sitting on it until Turbo comes back, It's a fic STARRING him. It would just feel wrong to Publish without him here. Sorry.
So to fill the gap, I'm going to talk about something I've NEVER discussed before.
*Deftly dodges hurled tomato*
Okay, I babble about Doctor Who constantly, but for good reason.
Doctor Who was part of my child hood. I was raised on the classic series, and I was in fifth grade when "Rose" hit the airwaves. My father was a HUGE fan of the show, to the point where I think we have some of the lost episodes recorded on tape in this house somewhere. I have seen at least one adventure with every incarnation of the Doctor.
If you haven't, I beg of you to learn these three words well. "That I've Seen."
Matt Smith is your favorite Doctor THAT YOU'VE SEEN. Plaese, I beg of you, go back and watch the old stuff before you make a final judgement.
"But Light, I'm a new series fan, and I want to check out the classic stuff. I'd like to start on a Doctor I'm going to enjoy, how can I tell which Doctor is best for me?"
Glad you asked. Today I'm going to look at all the doctors from the old series, and give my take on them. I'll also give some recommendations on episodes to check out.
So what're we waiting for! Let's get started
William Hartnell: The First Doctor.
Ah, the original. What can be said?
While succeeding Doctors were either optimists or pessimists. The First was strictly a realist, and I can appreciate that.
We first met the Doctor in the 1963 serial, An Unearthly Child. Two teachers, Barbara and Ian, go to visit the Doctor out of concern for their student.
THE DOCTOR'S GRANDDAUGHTER SUSAN.
...... I just made new series fans heads implode.
Old and wizened, storied and wise, and oftentimes straight up ornery. The first Doctor started a tradition that has gone on for over half a century.
If you want to see Hartnell at his best, I would recommend The Aztecs, An Unearthly Child, or of course, The Daleks.
Hartnell however was not getting any younger, and in 1967's The Tenth Planet, something bizarre happened to the Doctor....
Patrick Troughton: The Second Doctor
I feel bad. Easily one of the most popular Doctor's and I know next to NOTHING about him. Mostly due to underexposure. I've only seen one serial in his tenure, otherwise all I know about him is from word of mouth.
Here's what I DO know. The second Doctor can be described as a grump. Often times grouchy and impatient, but still willing to crack a smile now and again.
His tenure also did a lot to define the show, he had the first sonic screwdriver, and we got the first appearance of Gallifrey and the Time Lords.
And it was in that Serial, (the only Troughton serial I ever saw, thus the only one I can reccomend) The War Game, that the Time Lords decided to screw him RIGHT the fuck over.
Jon Pertwee: The Third Doctor
Nobody rocked the Opera cape like Jon Pertwee.
While the first two Doctors were more grandfatherly figures, the Third Doctor was just straight up better than you. And wasn't ashamed to tell you.
Pertwee was as smooth as silk. The third Doctor was the kind of suave that left could con you out of your children. He also wasn't opposed to karate chopping you RIGHT IN THE NECK. (Yes, I know it's venusian Judo, get off my ass.)
For Pertwee at his best, check out the Green Death, Spearhead from Space (his premier), Terror of the Autons, and Inferno.
In the 1975 serial, Planet of the Spiders, the Doctor was hit full force with nuclear radiation, and became, as the Third Doctor would later put it "All teeth and curls"
Tom Baker: The Fourth Doctor
New series fans take note. This. IS. The Doctor.
The Fourth Doctor would become the iconic incarnation of the Time Lord. Tom Baker's lighthearted charm would define the series for TWO of the new series Doctors (Eccleston and Smith.) If you ask older non-fans of the series the first thing they will think of is that scarf.
The Fourth Doctor was.... erratic. On a dime he could shift from funny to serious to downright scary. He was gleefully impulsive, and very righteous.
Tom Baker has had the longest run in the roll to date. I encourage you to watch ALL of it. Baker is my favorite classic Doctor, and any whovians education is incomplete in my opinion without having this guy burned into your hearts.
Seven years. Boy the next guy had a tough act to follow!
Peter Davison: The Fifth Doctor
And BOY did Davison nail it!
My mother's favorite classic Doctor, Davison was 29 when he got the part. The second youngest person to take up the mantle to date, (the youngest to date being Matt Smith at 23).
I would describe the fifth Doctor as dorky. He had an affinity for Cricket. He had a very Upper-Class voice and demeanor. He was very chipper, even though some of the darkest events in the series occurred during his tenure
Speaking of those, in my opinion you can't go wrong with Castrovalva or Earthshock. And the audio adventure Spare Parts
Peter Davison would give up his role after three years...
A decision he would come to regret.
Colin Baker: The Sixth Doctor
It wasn't his fault.
None of the Sixth Doctors run was ever Colin Baker's fault. The comptroller of the BBC was trying to kill the show whilst (not kidding here) FUCKING HIS EX-WIFE. As a result a lot of the Sixth Doctors episodes are GOD AWFUL. And the Sixth Doctor himself was such a departure from whatever else you have seen from this show, that I CAN'T recommend him to newcomers to the Classic Series.
Which is a shame, because I LOVE the sixth Doctor!
Baker played the Doctor as arrogant and smug. Very erudite, eyebrow always half cocked. He was an asshole. And I LOVED that. He is so much fun to watch. He claims he's smarter than you, and then proves it! He acted the role so well it almost distracts from that nightmare he calls a coat. (my EYES!!!)
There has never been a bad actor to portray the Doctor, Colin Baker was no exception. Just ease into him.
We move from the worst jumping on point to, in my opinion, the best.
Sylvester McCoy: The Seventh Doctor
The seventh Doctor planned what you had for breakfast this morning. Thanks to you eating waffles this morning the Sontarans have been soundly defeated.
The seventh Doctor was a chessmaster. Always thinking a few steps ahead of his enemies, and he was not above openly mocking them. This is an actual quote from Remembrance of the Daleks. (My recommendation, btw.)
Davros: The Daleks will ran supreme. They shall become the true lords of time! They shall-
Doctor (doing an impression of Davros): Conquer the universe. Destroy all inferior life. Unlimited rice pudding. Etcetera, Etcetera.
That's just.... oh my god. 
McCoy is my second favorite classic Doctor. And any fans of the new series who want to know what classic Who was like but are a little afraid to do so, check out Time and The Rani, his premier episode.
So, that was me babbling about classic Doctor Who. Any classic fans who disagree with me on my recommendations or analyses? Any new series fans who want me to babble about the new Doctors? Tell me so in the comments section below.
And as always, thanks for reading!
Yay! A guide to classic doctors!
I'm yet to check out the episodes you recomended (starting with Time and The Rani and Remeberance of the Daleks), but it was still fun to read your guide to the classic doctors, and it made me kind of want to check out the 3th doctor sometime. I would love to know some more about the 8th doctor, though, because he's the doctor I know the least about (he and the second doctor).
2219113 McGann....
His case was BIZARRE. The eighth Doctor only ever had ONE on-screen appearance. It was actually an early attempt to revive the series after it came to an end in 1982.
Do I count him as a "Classic" Doctor? I'm still not sure....
2219622
Mm, I'm aware that he was an early try to bring back doctor who, who failed misarebaly, but continued in diffrent radio play's for a rellly lobg time. (According to wikipedia)
As too wether or not 8th doctor counts as one of the classic doctors or not, I, after a wikipedia search, came to the conclusion that he isn't one of the new doctors, nor is he one of the classic ones. He's simplt a category for him self.
2219708 McGann's movie is up on youtube, btw. If you want to check it out!
2219770
Yay!