Doctor Who
The serial has seen 14 iteration of the sound doctor , and there ’s always a intellect why everyDoctor Whoquit . Among some of the longstanding doctor on the series , there have been a few one - offs , such as John Hurt ’s War Doctor or Jo Martin ’s Fugitive Doctor , but longstanding single like David Tennant or Tom Baker are the most beloved . Each Doctor convey their own distinct personality to the franchise , but the premiss of the serial always stay the same : a humankind ( or woman ) from the major planet Gallifrey with a time machine takes human companions on adventures across clock time and space .
Why every Doctor Who throw in the towel ( specially after three seasons)comes down to a mixture of reason for each respective actor . Everything from on - set drama to wellness issue have contributed to unlike Doctors leaving the series . However , it was n’t always the intention to have different actors take on the role , nor was it predict that the serial would go on as long as it has . Over its 26 time of year , Doctor Whohas become a cultural staple and television phenomenon . The serial has won an astounding 163 prize and garnered 411 nominating address over the long time , proving that it ’s more than worth a vigil — but every doctor is different .
William Hartnell
Out of every understanding why every Doctor Who quit , Hartnell ’s makes the most sense . When the show began , the idea that anyone other than Hartnell could be the Doctor was n’t a serious concern . BBC had no idea they ’d launched a multigenerational science fable mental home ; they were simply managing a popular family program . The hotheaded , sometimes menacing First Doctor bring in a decidedly dissimilar energy to the show , often letting his younger associate take on most of the action .
Why William Hartnell quitDoctor Whois because his health began declining by the show ’s 2nd season , and by season 3 it was obvious he could no longer weather the hours ask to star in a weekly TV series . Rather than cancel the show , the producers follow up with the idea of the Doctor " renewing " himself , a concept that would later on be established as positive feedback . After strike on the Cybermen one last clip , Hartnell ’s Doctor crack , bathe in blinding light , and morph into Patrick Troughton , the Second Doctor .
Patrick Troughton
Patrick Troughton is much more identifiable as the Doctor than Hartnell , however , his reason out of every cause why every Dr. Who discontinue is the most unjust . Troughton sported a wacky rig and goofy charm that mask a massive mind and an even freehanded heart(s ) . Troughton would go on to establish many of the trait we most tie in with the Doctor ; Matt Smith famously based many aspect of his Doctor on Troughton ’s .
But by Troughton ’s third year in the role , the show ’s popularity was on the descent , and the BBC decided a radical reinvention was required to keepDoctor Whoafloat , including a new conduct man . Why Patrick Troughton quitDoctor Whois because he did n’t actually relinquish at all . To his credit rating , Troughton took the move in pace ; having trite of the grueling weekly schedule , he was ready to move on .
Jon Pertwee
Doctor Whowould dramatically change in 1970 . Now in color , the show ’s setting was switch to a stationary location on Earth , building block headquarters , where the Doctor served as the scientific advisor for the international military organization . The biggest change of all was the man playing the Dr. , as Jon Pertwee made the Doctor something of an action hero . Gone were easy magical spell of Troughton ’s intergalactic hobo , supercede by great fashion and karate chop , face off against classical resister like the Autons and , most famously , the Master , play with villainous gusto by Roger Delgado .
However , out of every reason why every Doctor Who chuck up the sponge , Pertwee ’s was certainly the saddest . Pertwee ’s tenure regenerate the show , make it one of Britain ’s most popular household series once again . But Roger Delgado ’s tragic death in a automobile accident , as well as the departure of familiar Jo Grant ( Katy Manning ) and producer Barry Letts led to Pertwee ’s decision to exit the part behind and restart his stage career .
Tom Baker
Often consideredthe safe Doctor onDoctor Who , Tom Baker now made the role his own . His wide - eyed bizarreness , sharp - tongued sense of humor , and penchant for jelly babies made him easy to like , and the show ’s writing was never better than in his early seasons under manufacturer Philip Hinchcliffe . Baker enjoy act as the Doctor , even routinely showing up at schools in fullDoctor Whoregalia . Out of every cause why every Doctor Who quit , Baker ’s was layer .
Baker played the Doctor for seven seasons , still the long tenure of any actor . But Baker ’s final time of year on the show was an unhappy one ; he clash with fresh manufacturer John Nathan - Turner , last health problems , and was engaging in a tumultuous offscreen relationship with Lalla Ward , who played companion Romana . After his final time of year , both Baker and the producers were happy to part ways .
Peter Davison
After the unmatched , exotic - similar Baker , the next Doctor had to be something completely unlike . That turn out to be Peter Davison , who was already a star in the U.K. thanks to the seriesAll Creatures gravid And Small . At 29 , he was at that point the unseasoned actor to play the MD , and he was far less ego - assured and infallible than some of his predecessors . However , out of every reason why every Doctor Who quit , Davidson ’s was interesting in that it was determine by someone else .
Davison did n’t have the disputative relationship with John Nathan - Turner that chevvy Tom Baker , but Davison was disappointed by the timbre of most of his stories . And while he think the show get better in his terminal year , Davison decided to take the advice fall in to him by Patrick Troughton to bow out after three years to avoid burnout and typecast .
Colin Baker
To say Colin Baker ’s tenure as the Doctor is polarise would be an understatement . By the mid-1980s the show ’s writing and production value had degenerate to the point of self - spoof , and Baker was merely unequipped to share with the shambles of a production that circumvent him . His Doctor came off as pompous , arrogant , and occasionally cruel ; he also sported what is easily the most outrageous costume in the show ’s history . At one point during Barker ’s trial , the show was to have been canceled , but it ultimately fall after a longer than usual offseason .
However , when the show return , it was with a new doc , as the BBC thought Baker was one of the show ’s handsome problems . Colin Baker holds the doubtful differentiation of being the only actor to be send away from the role . Baker ’s story is unquestionably one of the more disappointing reason why every Doctor Who resign , but it turned out to be better for the overall series in the end .
Sylvester McCoy
The last actor to limn the Doctor during the show ’s original political campaign , the deck of cards was immediately stacked against Sylvester McCoy . wan public pastime , tiny budget , and BBC leadership that despised the show meant that McCoy was fundamentally always on borrowed time , andMcCoy ’s first time of year changedDoctor Whoin a bountiful way . He ’d get to meet the Doctor for the classical run ’s terminal three seasons , with each time of year acquire a niggling better than the last . Like others , out of every reason every Doctor Who quit , McCoy ’s was through no fault of his own .
His final year , with companion Ace ( Sophie Aldred ) is a dear one byDoctor Whofanatics , and managed to let the show go out with some originative dignity . When a back door pilot was bring forth in 1996 , McCoy graciously agreed to return to regenerate into the unexampled Doctor , Paul McGann .
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is one of the great"What If?“stories inDoctor Whohistory . After laying dormant for seven years , a big budget idiot box movie was commissioned as a co - output with the American web Fox . McGann ’s movie was a relative hit in the U.K. but fail severely in the United States , dooming the enfranchisement to another decade of purgatory . Out of all the reason why every Doctor Who drop out , why Paul McGann quitDoctor Whowas chiefly due to timing .
When the show returned in 2005 , the Doctor had already restore into his next iteration , Christopher Eccleston ( give or take John Hurt ’s War Doctor ) . But during the show ’s fiftieth day of remembrance , McGann would get one more fore as the Doctor in the particular mini - installment " The Night of the Doctor , " where he regenerated into Hurt ’s unnumbered War Doctor .
Christopher Eccleston
It ’s soft to block now , but the 21st - one C iteration ofDoctor Whowas far from a surefire hit . There were still plenty at the BBC who remembered the rough moment from the show ’s nadir in the ' 80 . But hiring bonafide talents like manufacturer Russell T. Davies and run man Christopher Eccleston gave the show a gravitas it might not have otherwise enjoyed . It was to be a short - lived victory , however , as Eccleston left the show after only one season .
Out of every reason why every MD Who depart , Eccleston ’s is the most mysterious . He ’s never explained in particular why he leave , only citing unexpected difficulties during the first season ’s product . Eccleston has always decline to give for anniversary specials and did n’t hit the convention circuit until very recently , but his Doctor is still the grounds the show get off the ground again .
David Tennant
Sir Humphrey Davy made his second superb pick of Doctor with David Tennant , andDavid Tennant was a very unlike 14th medico . lack Eccleston ’s name recognition , Tennant still immediately made the use his own with his gentle charm , quick wit , and , for the first fourth dimension , his penchant for romance . His maven - cross kinship with fellow traveller Rose Tyler ( Billie Piper ) is one of the more polarizing aspects of his footrace , but it bring in in a massive new audience ofDoctor Whofans .
Tennant stay in the role for three seasons and an additional yr of special , but decide to straggle the character when Davies stepped down as the show ’s producer . He was tempted to stay on one more yr with new manufacturer Steven Moffat , but finally decided it was time to move on . So , out of every reason why every Doctor Who quit , Tennant ’s had more to do with originative differences .
Matt Smith
Matt Smith had some giant Converse sneakers to fill . After Tennant ’s dizzyingly successful run , there was some trepidation over how the show would flourish without the Tenth Doctor and Russel T. Davies . Those concern were almost like a shot ease when it became apparent Smith - the youngest actor to take on the Dr. at 26 - was born for the role . His first time of year is still among the show ’s very unspoilt , and his land tenure saw the show ’s popularity explode in America .
Why Matt Smith quitDoctor Whowas essentially burnout . After three years in the role , and finding himself hackneyed from the show ’s intense shot schedule , Smith decided to bend out , copying the " three years and out " rule established by Troughton and Davison . Smith has admitted he may have left the role sooner than he should have and seems like a sure affair to be back in the TARDIS for day of remembrance specials in the future . Either style , out of every understanding why every Doctor Who cease , Smith ’s was the smart for the player in person .
Peter Capaldi
After the unseasoned , manic Matt Smith , producer Steven Moffat wanted an older , slightly less friendly face behind the TARDIS controls . He found his homo in Peter Capaldi , the actor best know for his bloody-minded character as Malcolm Tucker from inThe Thick Of It . A lifelongDoctor Whofan , Capaldi was the oldest histrion since William Hartnell to toy the theatrical role , and bring an foreign , slightly scratchy energy to the show that puzzle out curiosity .
Like so many before him , Capaldi adjudicate to lead the TARDIS behind after his third year in the role , citing the show ’s grueling agenda and a desire to work on other projects . Most importantly , he wanted to leave the function while he still loved it , refusing to allow his kinship withDoctor Whodegenerate as it did for Tom Baker and others . Like everyone else , Peter Capaldi wants to always loveDoctor Who , which is knotty to argue against .
Jodie Whittaker
Out of every ground every Doctor Who quit , Jodie Whittaker ’s stands the most firmly in line : " Three serial and out . " Whittaker grade the very first female person to take over as the Doctor , and she nailed the role . incarnate all of the fatuity , manic disorder , and over - confidence of the looping before her , Whittaker stands out as she work something definitively womanly to the character . Whittaker manifest a point of empathy and humanity that other regeneration have n’t , showing genuine care for her comrade and everyone else she has to deal with .
Why Jodie Whittaker quitDoctor Whohas to do with a deal she made with showrunner Chris Chibnall . Both decided to join the series and leave it at the precise same time , so , three series . Whittaker was clearly sad to go , but is looking forwards to passing the buck to Ncuti Gatwa ( Sex Education ) . Gatwa is the next re-formation of Doctor Who , and it ’s unclear how long the histrion will stick around on . In a serial of low gear for the show , Gatwa will be the first black-market actor to play Doctor Who , and will assuredly bring his own stigma to the series , like all the otherDoctor Whoactors before him .
