Doctor Who: The Complete History

William Hartnell (1963 - 1966: 29 Adventures)

In the first ever episode released way back in 1963, audiences embraced their first taste of the Doctor. This debut depiction of the Time Lord saw William Hartnell portray the titular lead as a stubborn-minded individual with an insatiable scientific curiosity. Initially, he had little time for the concerns of his fellow travellers and was not averse to resorting to deception in order to get his way, but over time, he mellowed and developed a strong sense of justice.

Volumes 1 through 8 of Doctor Who: The Complete History highlights the adventures of William Hartnell as the Doctor and offers a broad education about the early days of a sci-fi phenomenon that was just starting to find its feet.

Patrick Troughton (1966 - 1969: 21 Adventures)

Appearing in shabby clothes and an all together unkempt appearance - Patrick Troughton provided audiences with a Time Lord that was childish in his behaviour but cunning in his actions. Often underestimated by his enemies, Troughton’s reign saw his Doctor hide his keen mind behind a childish persona. Endearing audiences with a more frivolous persona than William Hartnell, Mr Troughton's Doctor Who was able to out-manoeuvre his opponents without them realising they had been fooled.

Volumes 9 through 14 of Doctor Who: The Complete History showcase the mischievous mind of a more playful lead - with fascinating insights into some fan-favourite episodes.

Jon Pertwee (1970 - 1974: 24 Adventures)

In volumes 15 through 21 of Doctor Who: The Complete History - the focus shifts to the third and arguably most flamboyant version of The Doctor, played by Jon Pertwee.

We see Pertwee’s Doctor exiled to Earth for breaking the strict laws of his own people. In the first episode featuring Mr. Pertwee, our time-travelling protagonist resents being trapped on one planet in one time period. After regaining some trust from the UNIT organisation by fighting alongside them in their war against extraterrestrial threats, John Pertwee’s Doctor Who was granted his freedom to once again travel through time and space in his beloved TARDIS.

Tom Baker (1974 - 1981: 41 Adventures)

As the longest-serving Doctor Who - Tom Baker brought a wide-eyed enthusiasm and irreverence to his portrayal as the Fourth Doctor. A true wanderer of space and time, Tom Baker’s Doctor proved infectious to many who met him on his travels but was often considered an irritating nuisance by authority figures and tyrants alike. Reluctant to form attachments and resentful of being manipulated by his fellow Time Lords, this iteration of The Doctor is considered the best by many.

This iconic incarnation is explored in chapters 22 through 33 in Doctor Who: The Complete History. With seven seasons under his belt - eleven chapters are dedicated to the Time Lord that legions of Whovians still believe is the best to have ever done it. Beloved by many, Tom Baker set a very high bar for the Doctors that followed him.

Peter Davison (1982 - 1984: 20 Adventures)

The next Doctor to be celebrated throughout chapters 34 to 39 in Doctor Who: The Complete History is Peter Davison. Considerably different to Tom Baker, and considered not as forthright as many of the other Doctors - Davison possessed a quiet charm that encouraged calm in moments of chaos. Youthful in appearance and deeply passionate about cricket, Mr Davison’s turn as The Time Lord was portrayed with a breathless enthusiasm for his travels through time and space.

Cool, calm and collected - the Fifth Doctor divided opinion amongst fans during his relatively short stay but gained a mostly stellar reputation for never shying away from making a stand against oppression and injustice.

Colin Baker (1984 - 1986: 8 Adventures)

Providing audiences with a polar opposite of the previous Doctor - Colin Baker burst onto the scene as the garishly dressed Sixth Doctor in 1984. Holding himself in high esteem and coming across as somewhat arrogant and pompous, Colin Baker’s character harboured self-doubt beneath his larger-than-life bravado and would occasionally lapse into moments of melancholia and retreat into deprecating depths of self-reflection.

Throughout the fiercely loyal Doctor Who fanbase, many believe that Baker should have been given more time as a loud and proud Doctor who would never come up short when it came to righting wrongs and fighting the forces of evil. Despite only appearing in eight adventures, his turn is comprehensively covered and celebrated throughout volumes 40 - 42 of Doctor Who: The Complete History.

Sylvester McCoy (1987 - 1989: 12 Adventures)

The Seventh Doctor featured in volumes 43 - 46 of Doctor Who: The Complete History showcases a Time Lord who used a whimsical persona to conceal the calculating mind of a master manipulator. Leading the line in the late 80’s, Sylvester McCoy’s incarnation of The Doctor is largely considered as one of the most underrated performances in the history of the series.

Far more devious and cunning than his six predecessors, the Seventh Doctor opted to play the long game by keeping his plans close to his chest and using allies as pawns for the greater good in his complex mind games and schemes.

Paul McGann (1996: 1 Adventure)

After a nine-year hiatus, Paul McGann brought the franchise back to life with a one-off TV movie in 1996. The Eighth Doctor matched his Byronic appearance and elegant dress sense by being a true romantic.

Volume 47 of Doctor Who: The Complete History explores an energetic and eager Doctor that many would like to have seen do more within the franchise and takes a deep dive into a Doctor who admitted to being half-human (on his mother’s side.) Eager to protect the weak from the forces of evil, McGann’s interpretation of the Doctor went on to appear in a number of follow-up novels and audio appearances.

Christopher Eccleston (2005: 10 Adventures)

After another lengthy absence of almost a decade - Christopher Eccleston brought the franchise into the 21st century with a warmly welcomed and widely well-received return of Doctor Who in 2005. The Ninth Doctor had an intense thirst for knowledge and was eager to share the many wonders of the universe with his travelling companion, Rose.

Open to sharing his adventures, Eccleston’s Doctor Who carried with him a great sadness for the recent loss of his fellow Time Lords. Doctor Who: The Complete History uses volumes 48 to 50 to reminisce on the exciting adventures of a Doctor who had zero tolerance when confronting oppressors, fools, and cowards.

David Tennant (2005 - 2010: 36 Adventures)

Widely regarded by contemporary Whovians as the best Doctor to ever grace the TARDIS - David Tennant exposed a whole new generation of fans to a franchise that felt like the perfect match for his interpretation of the character.

The Tenth Doctor was a seemingly fun-loving, happy-go-lucky individual who enjoyed nothing more than touring the universe with his adventurous companions. Underneath that chirpy persona, however - he carried the guilt of being the only surviving Time Lord. Volumes 51 - 62 of Doctor Who: The Complete History provides insights into the Doctor responsible for the destruction of his fellow Time Lords in the Last Great Time War.

Matt Smith (2010 - 2013: 39 Adventures)

With the second-highest number of adventures within the franchise - Matt Smith took the tricky job of following David Tennant in 2010. Possessed with the boundless energy of a young child, the Eleventh Doctor would meet every new situation with unbridled excitement and enthusiasm. Beloved by many younger Whovians, the reputation of this Time Lord alone would be enough to send the many villains he encountered running fast and running far.

Having lived for over a thousand years, volumes 63 - 75 of Doctor Who: The Complete History takes an in-depth look into the most long-lived of the Doctor’s incarnations.

Peter Capaldi (2014 - 2017: 36 Adventures)

The last Doctor to feature in Doctor Who: The Complete History is Peter Capaldi’s emotionally distant Twelfth Doctor. Breaking the more modern trend of younger, more energetic Doctors - Capaldi brought a sterner, more complex character with a persona somewhat lacking in sentiment. Often struggling to empathise with others and adhere to social etiquette, this Time Lord was more focused on results than making friends.

The last 15 volumes (76 -90) hold a magnifying glass up to a Doctor who utilised the ruthless application of cold logic to solve situations. Often appearing heartless and cruel, Capaldi’s fierce opposition to tyranny and injustice is uncompromising and incomparable among the eleven Doctors who preceded him.