7 Classic Eras of Doctor Who You Can Stream for Free

From cheap TV sets to slightly more expensive ones, Doctor Who has been a constant icon of sci-fi television. The time-traveling hero, known only as The Doctor, has been saving galaxies for decades (perhaps millennia, from his perspective). With his TARDIS, disguised as a police box, he’s encountered everything from dinosaurs to Daleks.

To keep the show going for hundreds of episodes, there has been more than one actor playing The Doctor, thanks to his regeneration ability, which has him shed his appearance every few years. With so many iterations of the time traveler, there’s something new with each generation from the classic era of the show. These are the seven men who made classic Doctor Who the most intoxicating of sci-fi to watch on a Saturday afternoon, and you can watch all of them for free on Tubi (and Pluto TV).

7

Colin Baker, The Sixth Doctor

The Colin Baker era can best be defined by the Doctor’s outfit: A mess. Baker made his Doctor louder, meaner, and more violent with his solutions. Despite his clownish appearance, this era portrayed the Doctor more like an action hero, more likely to stop Cybermen with guns than gumption.

It’s hard to say anything that nice about this era of Doctor Who. While these episodes did take some bigger swings, making The Doctor more brash and delving into darker storytelling, there were more misses than hits. The attempts at making gruesome Daleks and having a Time Lord trial were admirable efforts, but it was clear this iteration wasn’t working, considering the show went on hiatus and Colin Baker refused to film the regeneration sequence with the next actor (a first for Doctor Who).

6

William Hartnell, The First Doctor

William Hartnell played the first iteration of The Doctor as a grumpy old man who eventually harmed humans and their history. He could be stubborn, but also rather kind with a grandfatherly touch to his approach. With his strong rapport with his traveling companions, Hartnell is most fondly remembered for his parting speech, in which he encouraged bravery and openness to exploration.

While Hartnell was stylish in his old-fashioned and refined suit, he was too old for the job. With his struggling health, it was a challenge for him to remember and deliver his lines, making some of these episodes a little hard to watch. Hartnell’s retirement from the role led to the regeneration concept, however, which has preserved the show ever since, expanding the Doctor to be more than just an old man.

5

Peter Davison, The Fifth Doctor

While not as intimidating as Tom Baker’s previous portrayal, Peter Davison made The Doctor a more human hero. Dressed in a bright cricket outfit with a celery stalk garnish (no, really), Davison portrayed a character who was emotional and often more uncertain about dangerous situations. This relatable aspect allowed for darker stories that could be taken more seriously than those that were silly.

Davison is a bit of an underdog Doctor for looking less like a time-traveling adventurer and more like a cricketer (he does play cricket in the show, if you’re wondering). But he also brought real desperation and fear to the character, making for a solidly dramatic Doctor. He perfectly nailed the most memorable line after the rare death of a companion in Doctor Who: “There should have been another way.” For a time when the show still looked cheap, but wanted to be a little darker, Davison filled out the role nicely.

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4

Patrick Troughton, The Second Doctor

Following William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton’s Doctor was less of a refined grandfather and more of a scruffy tramp, usually labeled as a cosmic hobo. He would often bumble through danger while exclaiming “Oh my giddy aunt,” but could also be a masterful manipulator when his darker side was revealed. He was more than willing to break rules, especially in his finale, where he took on the Time Lords themselves.

Troughton made The Doctor more daring in his adventures, enabling him to fool his enemies more effectively and defeat them, such as the Daleks and Cybermen. Greater dangers also faced the character during this time, with the TARDIS often being hijacked or forced into a war. However, perhaps the most notable aspect of Troughton was how his Doctor became increasingly unpredictable, as his cunning plans frequently involved deceiving both his enemies and allies to save the universe.

3

Sylvester McCoy, The Seventh Doctor

Although arriving during a turbulent era in the final years of classic Doctor Who, Sylvester McCoy still managed to create his charming version of The Doctor, going out with class and style. There was more mystery to McCoy’s Doctor, and not just because he had a question mark on his umbrella and shirt. While it took him a few episodes to find his personality, McCoy settled on a whimsical figure that concealed his most devious aspects until his enemies drew near.

McCoy’s performance was incredibly layered, as he made the Doctor sweet around his companions and dangerous around his adversaries. He could banter with the rebellious companion Ace, but also stare down a gun-toting soldier with a vicious monologue about the emptiness of violence. The Seventh Doctor made for the perfect pal you’d want on either the battlefield or a Sunday brunch, where wisdom and wit were his sharpest weapons.

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2

Jon Pertwee, The Third Doctor

Perhaps the best comparison for Jon Pertwee’s Doctor would be James Bond. Dressed in a dapper suit, Pertwee adopted a dandy approach to tackling the troublesome alien threats posed by Daleks, dinosaurs, and even spiders. He’d handle these threats with class, gadgets, and his suave way of delivering technobabble about “reversing the polarity of the neutron flow.”

As the first color version of Doctor Who, Pertwee’s era felt more cinematic, featuring many scenes shot on location with film rather than studio tapes. There was a greater spirit of adventure in the way Pertwee would pilot all sorts of cars and boats for his travels. Although much of Pertwee’s stories were set on Earth (since the character had been banished to the planet previously), they were still engaging arcs that made great use of the UNIT military force and the conspiring rival of The Master.

1

Tom Baker, The Fourth Doctor

There’s a good reason why the Tom Baker era lasted the longest. He didn’t just steer The Doctor towards a more bohemian route, but made the character his own with a charm and command in his presence. He’d take more delight in the weirdness of his adventures while always feeling in control of the situation. His eccentricities and determined nature made him an unpredictable force.

With his ludicrously long scarf and dapper hat, Baker’s Doctor became one of the most iconic. Beyond his stylish look, this version of the Doctor was loud and proud, able to shout over alien threats or offer them candy. With Baker taking charge amid the strongest episodes of the saga (including an episode edited by Douglas Adams), it’s hard not to recommend this long-running Doctor as Time Lord supreme.

Fans often believe that the first version of Doctor Who you watch is going to end up being your favorite Doctor because that’s how you’ll remember him most fondly. For an entire generation that grew up without Who gracing their BBC or PBS stations, they’re likely to favor the newest versions that have emerged since the show’s revival on Disney+. But with this guide, you’ll hopefully be able to find the right Doctor for you and maybe make a classic choice for “your Doctor.”