10 Jon Pertwee/Sylvester McCoy

The Third Doctor/the Seventh Doctor
Best known for: The Navy Lark/shoving ferrets down his trousers

And lest we forget, two of the Doctors themselves came from a solidly light entertainment background. If the internet had been around when Pertwee was cast, we can guarantee there would be have been outrage in comments sections and forums: “What the HELL are they doing casting that idiot who does silly voices on the radio?” Thank God they did, because Pertwee decided to play totally against expectations and give us the nearest the show has ever had to James Bind in the lead role.

The world wide web may not have been quite up to speed when Sylvester McCoy took over the role in 1987 but the interconnectivity of fandom was already happening, and the news that the former Tiswas prat-faller and spoons-player was the new owner of the TARDIS was not initially met with much enthusiasm. A frankly terrible debut story didn’t help. But by the end of his run, McCoy’s Doctor had darkened and deepened impressively. So when the show was cancelled he achieved what all actors want: he left us wanting more.

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