Jodie Whitaker recently commented that she wouldn’t hesitate to come back to Doctor Who, for things like Doctor meet-ups, anniversaries, etc., and it got me thinking about each actor who’s portrayed the Doctor and the willingness of each to come back to the show. Of course, I’m not advocating them coming back as the new Doctor. That line has already been crossed.
With a show like Doctor Who, once you’re the Doctor, you’re always the Doctor, and it’s the very nature of the show that allows a past actor to return, if they so desire. Of the legion of past Doctors, who actually did, do, or possibly will return in future…? We have no crystal ball, but via past comments and interviews, we can make some educated guesses, factoring in the availability and/or temperament of the actors in question. We can institute a 1 to 5 rating system: From “1” meaning they have no plans to return ever, up to “5” as in they’ll return at any time, any place.
William Hartnell: He truly loved playing the character, and was fiercely loyal to the show. It reinvigorated his career, and made him the idol of millions of children. He came back for The Three Doctors, despite his extremely poor health, and I suspect, if able, he would have come back for more. He would have only been 75 when The Five Doctors went out — these days, that doesn’t even seem that old, but those were different times. Still, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and give him a 5.
Patrick Troughton: Perhaps the most important casting ever for the show itself. I suspect that if the production schedule weren’t so gruelling during his era, if it resembled something closer to what Jon Pertwee and later actors had, he might have been tempted to stick around beyond those first 3 seasons, if possible. He, like Hartnell, packed about six seasons worth of Who into three back then. A punishing routine. And yet, he happily returned for The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors, and The Two Doctors! In fact, if not for his sudden passing at age 67 — at a Who convention of all places — I imagine he could have shown up again during McCoy’s era for a spoon and recorder duet. And most likely, Dimensions in Time as well. 5
Jon Pertwee: After coming back for The Five Doctors, The Ultimate Adventure, the Dimensions in Time special, and even participating in a fan production where he was coming off a regeneration, there’s no doubt that, had he lived, he’d have also returned wherever and whenever. Because simply put, he loved the spotlight. He gets a dashing 5.
Tom Baker: Oh, that Tom. He passed on The Five Doctors, and that was incredibly unfortunate. I can only assume it would have been significantly better if he were in it. He got the shortest of cameos in Dimensions in Time. Then it was well over a decade before he would even start to do audios. But when he officially did return to the screen in The Day of the Doctor… well, even as I type this, I still get chills. The man knows how to make an entrance, and this was the first time he ever interacted with another incarnation! I was going to give him a 2 rating, but then I remembered he also came back in studio for the ending of the Shada reconstruction. Good on him! So he gets bumped up to a 3.
Peter Davison: The Fifth Doctor has done many audios, and has returned to the screen a few times, most notably in the misbegotten Dimensions in Time, Time Crash, The Power of the Doctor, and his episode from Tales of the TARDIS. He even spearheaded The Five-ish Doctors. Perhaps part of his willingness to keep coming back is that even he thought he was too young when he got the part back in ‘81, and felt he would have done a much better job if he were older. Time Crash gave him just such an opportunity and Steven Moffat delivered a great script for the special. And yes, he was better than ever. 5 gets a 5.
Colin Baker: No one was mistreated in the role more than Colin. He faced more real-life villains than his Doctor had. The BBC tampered with the show, put it on hiatus, then had the audacity to blame Baker for falling ratings, and gave him the axe. Years later, during Dimensions in Time, they even cut his big action scene! Indignity after indignity. They done him dirty, and one could understand why he might never want to come back in any capacity. Yet, he came back for Big Finish, and won over a whole new generation of Who fans. He also participated in The Ultimate Adventure, dropped in for The Five-ish Doctors, The Power of the Doctor, and Tales of the TARDIS as well. Perhaps the greatest sport of all the Doctors, he gets a 5.
Sylvester McCoy: No surprises here, Syl appeared in Dimensions in Time, audios, The Five-ish, The Power of the Doctor, and Tales of the TARDIS, just like his two predecessors, always seeming agreeable for a return. 5
Paul McGann: With only The TV Movie, The Night of the Doctor, Five-ish, and Power, McGann is one of the least well-represented Doctors on screen, yet has created a huge catalogue and fan base on the audio side. I believe he, too, might be agreeable to just about any return, if he got the chance. 5
Christopher Eccleston: His main problem has always been with Russell T Davies, but due to his mercurial nature, even though he’s finally consented to partake in the audios — after 20 years — I don’t see him ever returning to the show proper. I have to think he would be a 1.
David Tennant: He of the three existing incarnations spanning two dimensions? He recently appeared at a convention with Billie Piper, where they both said they’d love to do a Doctor Who reunion movie. Oy. There’s loving the show, there’s being agreeable to come back, and then there might come a time when you think “maybe I’ve overstayed my welcome, just a bit?” Willing to come back? I think I’d have to give him a 6 on the willingness scale.
Matt Smith: The moment he left, he regretted leaving. He loved his time on the show so much and always talks about it. He loved being the Doctor, but his one comment on returning was that he’d be “too old” now. Matt, Matt, Matt. Time differential! Plus, he could return as the older version stuck on Trenzalore! But he hasn’t even touched on the possibility of doing audios, much less coming back to the screen. More’s the pity. I can only categorise his likelihood of returning as a 1.
John Hurt: It was one of the most impressive pieces of casting in the history of the show, and when the War Doctor first appeared at the end of The Name of the Doctor, it was mind-blowing. I still get chills. He was created by Steven Moffat because Eccleston refused to return for the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor. Talk about your happy accidents. Hurt lent another level of gravitas to an already brilliant anniversary. By all counts, he enjoyed his time working on the show, but it’s very hard to say if he would ever have had any intention of returning. His passing meant we’ll never know. We’ll go with a neutral 3.
Peter Capaldi: Highly underrated during his era, yet with some of the most top-voted, beloved stories from the new era, and indeed, the entire history of Who! But sadly, the corporate nature of the biz may have soured his artistic feel for Who, and he’s been fairly straightforward in saying he’s not coming back. This 1 rating for easily my favourite NuWho era Doctor makes me incredibly sad.
Jodie Whitaker: She, on the other hand, has stated that she would definitely love to return. Considering how divisive her era was thanks to Chris Chibnall’s machinations, one wouldn’t have blamed her if she ran for the hills, or just turned her back on the show, like some. But no, she’s all in. Respect. 5.
Jo Martin: From all indications, it seems she’d be happy to return any time the Fugitive Doctor is needed. 5.
Ncuti Gatwa: This one is a bit difficult. Another divisive era. A controversial take. I’m not even sure if Ncuti was even all that familiar with the show before starring in it. It’s possible he wouldn’t even consider returning unless it was under the pen of Davies. I’m not sure he even really cares about the role itself, or Who, but a job is a job. He said he regrets not facing the Daleks, but “might just do that”, whatever that means. He’s only 32, but claims he’s old and tired, with bad knees. Not only do I not know what he’ll do, but I’m not sure even he does. Would he come back for the 75th anniversary? It’s only 13 years (!) away at this point. No clue. So…. 3?
What say you, Who fans? Do you agree with my assessment?
