Doctor Who has been through many forms on the television screen over the past 50 years, from the black and white adventure serial of the 1960s to the bold primary colours of the 1980s. Each production team has made its own mark on the show and added to the mythology of the Doctor.
CultBox recently asked you to tell us which era has been your favourite. Here’s how you voted…
1. RTD era (2005 – 2010)
Returning to television screens in 2005, firstly with Christopher Eccleston and subsequently David Tennant, the Russell T Davies era restored the show to its rightful status as a family favourite. With a stronger emphasis on emotional content, coupled with series-long story arcs, he found a way to connect with fans, families and crucially females in the audience by allowing us into the companions lives like never before.
Highlights included Eccleston’s epic finale ‘The Parting of the Ways’ which saw the return of the Daleks en-masse, ‘Blink’ which introduced the Weeping Angels and the terrific alternate timeline of ‘Turn Left’.
2. Moffat era (2010 – present)
Arguably responsible for the most popular stories of the previous few series, Steven Moffat’s take on the show has brought us Matt Smith’s “Mad Man in a Box”. He’s reset the universe and battled the Silence, as well as dealt with an increasingly complex relationship with the Ponds and their daughter, River Song.
Highlights have included Neil Gaiman’s superb ‘The Doctor’s Wife’ where the TARDIS became corporeal, the twists and turns of the series-long Silence arc and the phenomenal Series 5 opener ‘The Eleventh Hour’.
3. Hinchcliffe era (1975 – 1977)
With the Doctor newly minted as Tom Baker and Robert Holmes on script editing duties, gothic and horror pastiches were the order of the day as show shed its Earth-bound shackles.
First with Sarah Jane Smith and Harry, then just Sarah and finally with Leela in tow, there are an embarrassment of riches from this era of the show including ‘The Ark in Space’, ‘Genesis of the Daleks’, ‘Pyramids of Mars’, ‘Robots of Death’ and ‘The Talons of Weng-Chiang’.
4. JNT/Cartmel era (1987 – 1989)
After a shaky start, script editor Andrew Cartmel found his feet quickly. Drawing on new writers and with the introduction of popular companion Ace (Sophie Aldred), he developed Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor into a game player and master manipulator.
Highlights of the era include trips to WWII for ‘The Curse of Fenric’ and the ‘60s in ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’. Sadly, we never got to see where it was all headed as the series was canned in 1989, but Big Finish has recently taken up the mantle with their series of lost adventures…
5. Letts era (1970 – 1974)
Barry Letts, with script editor Terrance Dicks, produced Jon Pertwee’s tenure. Grounded on Earth, and newly in colour, we saw the Doctor as Scientific Advisor to the alien battling United Nations Intelligence Taskforce.
With the stalwart Brigadier, plus fan favourites like Liz, Jo and Sarah Jane, the Doctor became a dashing man of action. Reflecting Letts’ Buddhism and environmental passions, an air of mysticism and concerns for the fate of the planet coloured the stories.
Memorable tales include ‘The Daemons’, where the Master (Roger Delgado) attempts to raise a Devil like creature and harness its power, and ‘Frontier in Space’, an epic space opera.
The full results are…
1. RTD era (2005-2010) – 44.4%
2. Moffat era (2010-) – 27.9%
3. Hinchcliffe era (1974-1977) – 11.1%
4. JNT/Cartmel era (1987-1989) – 4.3%
5. Letts era (1970-1974) – 4%
6. Black and white era (1963-1969) – 3.7%
7. JNT/Saward era (1982-1986) – 2.1%
8. Williams era (1977-1980) – 1.9%
9. JNT/Bidmead era (1980-1981) – 0.6%
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