David Tennant Voted Favorite Doctor Who In Fan Poll

Forum 3 years ago

David Tennant Voted Favorite Doctor Who In Fan Poll

In a new fan poll of nearly 50,000 participants, David Tennant has been voted Doctor Who’s all-time best Doctor. Tennant has been a fan-favorite since first taking on the Doctor's mantle in 2006. His distinct brand of intensity, charisma, and silliness is a major reason why the show’s 21st-century reboot became so widely successful.

While Christopher Eccleston set the stage for Doctor Who’s return with the reboot’s first series in 2006 – a series which, in itself, was well-received by fans – Tennant’s turn as the time-traveling, constantly-regenerating alien firmly established the new Doctor Who as a modern sci-fi classic. Tennant’s run from 2006 to 2010 included three full series and several extended specials, including a two-part farewell episode, The End of Time, that is among the show’s highest-rated episodes. Tennant’s ability to seamlessly transition from quirky comedy to heavier storylines captivated fans, and he left an indelible mark on the Doctor Who canon.

On Sunday, The Radio Times announced the results of its recent fan poll for the best Doctor. Tennant was voted to the top spot, with 21 percent of the nearly 50,000 votes. Jodie Whittaker, the current Doctor, finished a close second with just 100 votes less than Tennant. Peter Capaldi, Matt Smith, and classic Doctor Tom Baker finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, with Capaldi receiving 18 percent of the vote. William Hartnell, who played the very first Doctor in 1963, placed sixth with 4 percent of the vote, and Paul McGann, who played the Doctor in the 1996 TV movie that ended the series until 2005, placed seventh. Christopher Eccleston placed eighth.

The fact that the second, third, and fourth place honors went to the three most recent stars to play the role, in descending order. This suggests some level of inevitable recency bias in the voting (though Whittaker, Capaldi, and Smith have each been celebrated in their tenures by large segments of the fan base). Given that, it’s interesting to see that even a decade after leaving the role, Tennant’s incarnation of the Doctor remains such an actively beloved character.

Fans of the old series should also be happy to see Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor receive the most votes of all the classic incarnations. Baker was a favorite during his time as the Doctor and Tennant frequently received favorable comparisons while playing the role. The ten-thousand fans who voted for Whittaker can look forward to the actress’s third series, which will hopefully resume filming soon.