Image via BBC
12. War Doctor: John Hurt
I may have my quibbles with the existence and counting of Double Ten. And I know perfectly well that John Hurt’s existence would never have happened had Christopher Eccleston agreed to play ball and return for the 50th Anniversary. But what’s done is done, and here he is, stuck awkwardly between McGann and Eccleston in order for things to work the way Moffat had planned.
But he was brilliant. In many ways, Hurt was “The Doctor” in the 50th Anniversary special, and Smith and Tennant were his companions. After eight years of younger, handsome Doctors for the companions to sigh over, Hurt’s crotchety, irritable and above all tragic Doctor figure was a reminder of the character the Doctor used to be in the older serials. His performance tied the show back through the years in a way bringing back Eccleston wouldn’t have. (No offense, I love Eccleston. But if he had come back and played this role, the 50th Anniversary special would have been a little too “reboot heavy” and not enough “50th Anniversary.”) I’m only sorry we only got him for one episode. I think if he had been given more time, he could have been one of the greats. We’ll never know.