Ranking each Doctor Who based on who you’d get a pint with
By Lacy Baugher
1965: William Hartnell (1908 – 1975), the first incarnation of TV’s Dr Who, feels the hairless pates of two ticklish co-stars. They are appearing as the Teknix, bald mutated humans employed in Space Security. (Photo by Express/Express/Getty Images)
First Doctor// William Hartnell
There’s something to be said for being the person that goes first. It’s true that these days, Doctor Who, the show, doesn’t look exactly the same as it did back during William Hartnell’s run. And the Doctor, as a character, isn’t the same person he was when all the started, either. But the First Doctor started something incredible. And, honestly, he probably deserves more credit that he gets for that. I mean – you really can’t overestimate the fact that the First Doctor was so interesting and appealing that the BBC invented the concept of regeneration solely to keep the series alive when Hartnell became too ill to continue filming.
It’s true though, that the First Doctor isn’t exactly a dashing hero. He’s gruff and cross and difficult. He’s generally hard to like, unless he’s interacting with his granddaughter, Susan. And there isn’t much in the way of humor in his stories. That’s on purpose, for the most part. Back in the 1960s Doctor Who was meant to be a children’s educational program about history, not an exciting adventure through time and space. The First Doctor’s demeanor screamed stern professor, way more than cool alien you might want to hang out with.
But the First Doctor is fascinating – and possibly even more so now, when viewed through the lens of everything that came after him. How different would Doctor Who look now if someone else had played the Doctor at the start? Would the show even exist now? Maybe not. There’s so much history in this character. It makes him worth getting to know a bit. And hearing the story of how the Doctor of came to love Earth over the years would certainly have to be worth a trip down the pub.
Booze of choice: Something old fashioned and that comes in fancy glass. Brandy in a snifter seems about right.