Culturess’ Official Ranking of Doctors in Doctor Who
By Ani Bundel
Image via BBC
9. Third Doctor: John Pertwee
Speaking of campy! John Pertwee’s Doctor had the misfortune of being the Second regeneration in. The first took the show in the direction that landed it where it is today. The second did the opposite. In light of the overwhelming popularity of James Bond and shows that derived from it like Secret Agent Man, the BBC decided to reconceive Doctor Who to fit the times and follow the trend. Suddenly, the TARDIS was no longer travelling through all of time and space. Instead the Doctor was stranded on Earth, punished by his Time Lord people for breaking their laws of non-interference.
The show gave him a job working for UNIT (a fact that Moffat loves to reference ever chance he gets). They brought aboard Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart as a full time cast member instead of a vaguely reoccurring earth bound figure. (Yes, this is the often remembered Kate’s father.) This is the Doctor as dashing Alien Spy Hunter. He has a lab with the TARDIS is parked in a corner. He also has a variety of tricked out vehicles, including Bessie, the vintage yellow roadster, and a hovercraft thing known as “The Whomobile.” He is nearly unrecognizable as the Time Lord as we know him now. The only holdover from his era—The Master, who was the “Criminal Mastermind” figure. It turns out every Good Guy needs a Moriarty, even the Doctor. The Third gets points for his accessories and his nemesis, but the character himself doesn’t rank very high.