Doctor Who Poll of 50,000 Fans Picks David Tennant as Top Time Lord

David Tennant is the most popular Doctor to lead Doctor Who, according to a new fan poll from Radio Times. With 50,000 votes cast, fans of Doctor Who (which is now streaming on HBO Max) chose the Scottish actor who played the Doctor from 2005 until 2010 as the best in the show’s 57-year history. Tennant’s victory isn’t surprising as he remains the most recognizable Doctor of the “new Who” era. What may be surprising is how close the current Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, came to surpassing Tennant. Both actors earned 21% of the overall fan vote, but Tennant beat Whittaker by about 100 votes in total.

Peter Capaldi, who played the Twelfth Doctor, had a strong showing and ended up in the third-place spot with 18% of the vote. His predecessor, Matt Smith, wound up in at number four with 16% of the vote. Tom Baker, the iconic Doctor of the classic Who era, rounds out the top five with 4% of the vote.

“Over a decade after he left the TARDIS behind and after nearly 50,00 votes were cast, it’s clear that David Tennant is still Doctor Who fans‘ perfect 10!” said Huw Fullerton, RadioTimes.com’s Sci-Fi and Fantasy Editor. “But with Jodie Whittaker hot on his heels and a great showing for other recent Doctors like Peter Capaldi, it looks like fans also now hold other Time Lords close to their heart(s).”

David Tennant is continuing to play his Doctor in The Tenth Doctor Adventures audio range from Big Finish, which has reunited him with Billie Piper, Catherine Tate, and Alex Kingston. Whittaker will return as the Thirteenth Doctor in the upcoming Holiday Special and again in the new season of Doctor Who.

Keep reading to see the entire ranking of Doctor Who Doctors according to this poll. Let us know what you think of the rankings in the comments.

1. David Tennant

Tenth Doctor
2005-2010
10,518 votes
21% of the vote

David Tennant debuted as the Tenth Doctor in the 2005 Christmas Special. He had three companions during his run: Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, and Donna Noble. He faced off against classic Doctor Who villains like Daleks and Cybermen and concluded his run in the two part special “The End of Time.”

2. Jodie Whittaker

Thirteenth Doctor
2018-Present
10,423 votes
21% of the vote

Jodie Whittaker is the Thirteenth Doctor, the current Doctor, and the first woman to lead the series as the Doctor. She’s two seasons into her run as the Doctor with an upcoming Holiday special and another season on the way.

3. Peter Capaldi

Twelfth Doctor
2013-2017
8,897 votes
18% of the vote

Peter Capaldi began a new era of Doctor Who as the Twelfth Doctor and the first in the Doctor’s new regeneration cycle. He traveled with companions Clara Oswald and Bill Potts, did his best to rehabilitate the Missy, and brought his wrath to Galifrey itself. 

4. Matt Smith

Eleventh Doctor
2010-2013
7,637 votes
16% of the vote

Matt Smith became the Eleventh Doctor in “The Eleventh Hours.” He traveled with Amy Pond and Rory Williams and, later, Clara Oswald. He uncovered the mystery of the SIlence, and made his last stand at Trenzalore, earning the Doctor a new cycle of regenerations. 

5. Tom Baker

Fourth Doctor
1974-1981
3,977 votes
8% of the vote

Tom Baker played the Fourth Doctor, arguably the most iconic and recognizable version of the Doctor. He met Davros at the Genesis of the Daleks and fell in battle with the Master. Baker remains the actor with the longest run playing the Doctor on television.

6. William Harnell

First Doctor
1963-1966
1,983 votes
4% of the vote

William Hartnell is the actor who started it all. The First Doctor’s legacy looms large, with David Bradley stepping into the role so the character could meet the Twelfth Doctor in Peter Capaldi’s final outing.

7. Paul McGann

Eighth Doctor
1996, 2013
1,427 votes
3% of the vote

Paul McGann’s Eight Doctor is the shortest reigning Doctor when it comes to television. His two appearances came 17 years apart, debuting in the 1996 Doctor Who television series and returning in the mini-episode “The Night of the Doctor.” But if you count McGann’s time playing the Doctor for audio stories, which he did throughout the time Doctor Who was off the air, he’s the longest reigning Doctor, and much of fans’ affections for him come from those audio stories.

8. Christopher Eccleston

Ninth Doctor
2005
1,144 votes
2% of the vote

Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor brought Doctor Who back to television. He bore the scars of the Doctor’s involvement in the Time War, and his single-season adventure with Rose Tyler in the TARDIS was, as he would say, fantastic. 

9. Jon Pertwee

Third Doctor
1970-1974
1,038 votes
2% of the vote

The Doctor bore a new face – that of Jon Pertwee – when he was sentenced by the Time Lords to Exile on Earth. That didn’t stop him from continuing his adventures, and he worked with UNIT to protect Earth from a variety of threats.

10. Patrick Troughton

Second Doctor
1966-1969
915 votes
2% of the vote

Patrick Troughton introduced the concept of regeneration to Doctor Who when he debuted as the Second Doctor in 1966. He also showed how different two Doctors can be, taking on a much more playful and fun personality than his strict, straight-faced predecessor.

11. Sylvester McCoy

Seventh Doctor
1987-1989, 1996
462 votes
1% of the vote

Sylvester McCoy came on as the Seventh Doctor as Doctor Who was floundering late in his original run. Unfortunately, he may be best remembered for being the last Doctor on television for years before the 1996 television movie. In the movie, he returned to show his Doctor’s final moments.

12. Colin Baker

Sixth Doctor
1984-1986
359 votes
1% of the votes

Colin Baker’s sixth Doctor had an ostentatious fashion sense and an offputting personality. During this era the Doctor was put on trial by the Time Lords once again.

13. Peter Davison

Fifth Doctor
1981-1984
351 votes
1% of the vote

Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor comes in at the bottom of the list. This Doctor was dapper, curious, and willing to sacrifice his life to save a friend.