The Daily Telegraph website yesterday published a trio of Doctor Who articles. Firstly, actress Arabella Weir was asked to write about her new role [of Bilis] in "the biggest, coolest show on television." Working with Bill Bailey on The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe was the highlight of her career. And Weir's co-star, Alexander Armstrong, has revealed his favourite Doctor today - the present incumbent, Matt Smith.
Writer Gavin Fuller then lists his "top ten female assistants" from the programme:
- Zoe Heriot "was played with great charm by Wendy Padbury, who had to don some interesting costumes"
- Nyssa "was the perfect foil for the Fifth Doctor"
- Jo Grant was "the clumsy UNIT operative" and part of "one of the "warmest Doctor-companion pairings"
- Ace was "the streetwise tomboy" and the first, pre-RTD era companion "given an emotional journey"
- Barbara Wright played "an integral part of establishing the series"
- Donna Noble "was a mature woman.. able to.. keep the Tenth Doctor in much-needed check"
- Peri Brown was "the most physically attractive of all" TARDIS travellers
- Leela was "an Eliza Doolittle figure" who's "success was due to Louise Jameson's fine performance"
- Rose Tyler was given "a very fine, naturalistic performance" from Billie Piper
- and unsurprisingly, Sarah Jane Smith is revealed as "the best of companions"
- Paul McGann is described as "the George Lazenby" of Doctors, who "instantly nailed how to play" him
- Christopher Eccleston - here given the usual "serious" tag again - played "a different kind of Doctor"
- Sylvester McCoy "brought a Troughton-esqe eccentricity to the role with this most Scottish of Doctors, and.. tried to bring back an element to the part"
- Matt Smith "has charisma to burn in the role, looks suitably alien, and has brought a subtlety.. not seen since Troughton" but, like McCoy, seems "too light-hearted at times" and currently lacks gravitas
- William Hartnell "was a Doctor who mellowed from crotchety anti-hero to benevolent old sage"
- Peter Davison had the "most difficult task in taking on the role" and seemed "to be more of a big brother to his companions"
- "For many the definitive Doctor" Tom Baker only polls here at #4! Baker's "natural eccentricity" was "helped by a memorable hat and scarf costume" and his "first three years.. were possibly the strongest consistent run of serials in the programme's history"
- Patrick Troughton "brought a huge degree of subtlety to the role, which makes it a terrible shame that so many of his episodes were lost"
- David Tennant was able "to show us just what a good actor he is" and is "easily one of the great Doctors"
- and the best Doctor here (thereby pushing Colin Baker out of the rundown) is Jon Pertwee - "an action hero.. with a strong moral slant" and "a panache that has never been bettered"
