Really how many people have said that and how does it skew this poll.

Well that's how polling works. The people who take part in political opinion polls - and indeed those of us who vote in elections - aren't required to have an understanding of each candidate/party's ideology and track record.

It isn't preposterous. What is preposterous is saying people prefer David Tennant over William Hartnell when most of the people haven't seen William Hartnell. You cannot draw any meaningful conclusion from that poll about who the best or favourite doctor is. And as I said before people may not be voting for acting ability. That is why it is pointless doing this poll.

And no they don't have to see every episode but they should see at least five episodes from every doctor which covers the whole of their era before voting .

And yet Tom Baker still has a massive impact (and came second in the YouGov poll), despite leaving the role over three decades ago.

Five episodes or five stories? Would five classic episodes equate to two and a half new episodes? How could you possibly enforce such a rule? Would there be a test or something?

Personally don't agree with the result but like David T so it's all (Probably Smith/Tate for me. Today.)

Looking forward (understatement) to how Ten and 11 interact. (Just watched the CIN clip, couldn't resist, and glad it didn't give much away....just love the looks they give each other. I have a good feeling about this. )

5 million. It skews it a lot.


I fully understand this but it is frustrating when people dismiss a Doctor for stupid reasons like not being sexy enough.

IMO Tennant is a good choice for being the nations favourite Doctor.

And yet in fandom itself that have seen the 'classics' Tennant is still far far more popular than Hartnell! what makes you think the result would be different if Joe public had seen 5 episodes or whatever made up number.

The result would still be the same.

How do you know that? What evidence do you have?

Someone should make a poll in this very forum I bet tennant would come out on top

I would've picked Three and Sarah Jane but congrats to them.

Tennant / Tate - yes!
Eccleston / Piper - yes!

But Tennant / Piper?? Really? Did people like the idea of the love story so much that it blinded them to the reality? It was an awful smug combination. Tennant really grew into the role AFTER Piper left!

The expected result, really.

I'm happy to accept Tennant is the most popular Doctor, even if for many of his fans it might not necessarily be for the right reasons (a shocking number of people only know him as the Doctor...perhaps Eccleston too if they're particularly ambitious). Personally, I was glad to see the back of him and never much warmed to him in the first place compared to McGann, Eccleston or Smith.

I liked Rose myself, but I preferred Donna for sure.

To be fair, all the polls are pretty consistent - whether it be readers of Radio Times, Entertainment Weekly or Doctor Who Magazine or a YouGov survey. It's not about who's best but who's most loved/popular.

Tennant always gets well over half the vote with Tom or Matt second. Same really with the companions, although usually Sarah Jane comes first.

It's a shame Matt and his companions weren't able to establish themselves as well as Tennant and co in the public's consciousness but I do think the way the show's been mucked about over the past few years hasn't helped.

I thought so too... really. The two pairings you mention happen to be my favourites across all seven series (though Eleven/Clara isn't too far behind if they can flesh out her character more).

I appreciated Tennant's Doctor a lot more when Rose was out of the way. But then when Martha and Donna were also out of the way I had a whole year of 'Specials' to see how Tennant's was a Doctor so dreary and dull in characterisation (in my opinion of course, and I still believe the guy can act) and that I really didn't care for him, rather than his assistants.

Exactly, Tennant-Piper just didn't work in season 2.
Eccleston-Piper -> YES
Tennant-Tate -> YES
Tennant-Agyeman -> THE BEST
but Tennant-Piper -> NOT REALLY

Also, I can't understand why are Martha and Clara unpopular???

My friends are all of the opinion that Matt Smith is part of the budgeting cuts at the BBC as "the guy can't act". It makes me note how subjective all of this is as I think he's a far superior actor to Tennant, who is still admittedly decent anyway.

My sister stopped watching early on in Series 5 because she missed Tennant... she liked Smith, but she missed Tennant. Totally ridiculous reasoning really, but there you go

Snap. My sister done the same (and she was brought up a classic series fan).

During Tennants time, the nation treated Doctor Who like a popular soap and I think that is the reason why 10 & Rose are so popular and ingrained on the nations brain, they are Den & Angie, Ken & Deirdre etc...

The modern audience have Tennant as their favourite. Not suprising as he was one of the best of the newer actors to play the Doctor. If this vote was in the early 1980's, then Tom Baker would have won. If it was in early 1970's, Pertwee would have won with Troughton second probably. Or the other way round. Who knows, in 5 years time, Capali might win.

I'm 42, my older sister is 55, and my Dad is 75. We all watched Dr Who back in the day, and all had different favourites (me: T. Baker; sister: Pertwee; Dad: Troughton).

And we've all watched the new series, and all now think David Tennant is the best ever Dr Who. (My sister was not keen at all on Eccleston Dr; whilst me & my Dad both think Smith's Dr is too McCoy nerd-like and lacking in gravitas)...

So (much like as a huge Bowie fan, when I defend Gaga on the internet) it irritates me when my opinion get lumped in and dismissed with teenage fangirls.

The polls themselves over the years and fandom, Im not sure how you have missed it.

When was the last time Hartnell topped a best Doctor poll, and yet you think that if joe public saw 5 classic Hartnell episodes it would change future polls so much that he would come out on top.

Now if you want you can put two and two together to make 5 but I find it simpler if it makes 4. Unless you can predict a massive upsurge in Hartnells popularity in the upcoming years that he will over take Tennant , Tom baker and Matt Smith then good on you but regardless of how many people watch the
'classics' it will not make a single jot in terms of popular Doctors in polls.

deleted.

These are the same Radio Times Polls that had Adric as the runaway victor of the companion poll till all his (admittedly hacked) votes were taken off him




It would probably be McGann if the Vote had been yesterday, he was even in 2nd place on the Radio Time Poll for a while.

Out of the (so far) 11 Doctors, my top 5 are Smith, Davison, T Baker with a Hartnell/Troughton tie for 4th...but do like them all. But yeah, it can be in a state of flux. When I got the chance to see (ahem, quite fuzzy ) 'old' stories in my teens I didn't really bother with the Hartnell era for some reason...love it to death now!

But I guess Tom Baker and David Tennant are probably the ones most embedded in the 'general' public consciousness...which is fine by me.

I fully agree. Season 2 wasn't exactly as popular as season 1 when it was first transmitted. Doomsday's ending is what made a lot of people really 'ship' 10/Rose. Tennant was much better in seasons 3 & 4 and the specials, and Piper was more likable alongside Eccleston. However, a modern audiences is a sucker for shipping relationships, and that's a major reason 10 + Rose have their following.

No, it really is not.