One of the most important reasons for Doctor Who's continued survival is, without a doubt, the concept of regeneration. Without this somewhat ingenious method of replacing the show's lead actor whilst maintaining the continuity that came before, it is doubtful that the show would have been able to keep going as long as it has.
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Most of these regenerations have gone relatively smoothly, with the production team making smart choices regarding the hand-over process. However, there have been odd occasions where some of the decisions have been somewhat questionable and left audiences wishing that the regeneration process had taken a different turn.
10 Best: The First Doctor's Regeneration
Whilst some of his actions in the role of 'The Doctor' wouldn't fly today, William Hartnell was still the pioneer of the regeneration procedure, as well as the original actor to play the role. A new production team coming in as well as his own worsening illness was ultimately what led to his decision to leave the program, which came in the form of the four-part serial 'The Tenth Planet.'
Whilst it is currently unknown who was responsible for the regeneration concept, it's hard to deny that it was a smart solution for writing William Hartnell out of the show. It perfectly rationalized the actor's poor health within the context of the show, with the Doctor himself dealing with illness in the lead-up to his regeneration.
9 Worst: Jon Pertwee's Absence
After a successful three years playing the Time Lord's second incarnation, Patrick Troughton made the difficult decision to step down from the role. Deciding that three years in the role was enough and not wishing to be typecast, Patrick Troughton decided to seek new career opportunities, with his final appearance as the Doctor coming in 1969's 'The War Games.'
Whilst the story is widely considered to be one of Doctor Who's greatest, the production decisions regarding Patrick Troughton's regeneration is somewhat bizarre. Forced to regenerate by the Time Lords, Patrick Troughton is strangely surrounded by versions of his own face swirling around him, and the sequence doesn't even show the transition from Troughton to incoming Doctor (played by Jon Pertwee).
8 Best: K'anpo
Jon Pertwee lasted considerably longer than his predecessors, managing an impressive five years as the Doctor. Following the tragic death of the late Roger Delgado and the departure of Katy Manning the previous season, Pertwee opted to leave the show behind in 1974's 'Planet Of The Spiders,' feeling that it was not the same without the presence of his co-stars.
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It's the addition of the Doctor's old mentor K'anpo, who assists the Doctor through his regeneration process by giving his cells 'a little push,' which really stands out here. As seen on The Final Curtain documentary, producer Barry Letts and writer Robert Sloman were inspired by Buddhism for the creation of this character, which lends a fascinating element of spirituality to the Third Doctor's regeneration.
7 Worst: Sylvester McCoy's Wig
According to DigitalSpy, one of the reasons why Colin Baker left the show was because he didn't get along with the then BBC controller, Michael Grade, who agreed to only recommission the show if he was replaced. A rather unimpressed Colin Baker had later refused his offer to return for a four-part regeneration story, which meant the series was missing the one key element needed for Season 24's opening regeneration serial 'Time And The Rani.'
Opting to dress incoming Doctor Sylvester McCoy in his predecessor's clothes and stick him in a somewhat unconvincing wig, the result was unsurprisingly not very convincing. Instead of conveying the Sixth Doctor changing into the Seventh, the final regeneration sequence just looked as though Sylvester McCoy had regenerated into himself. There must have been a more convincing way to deal with this transition.
6 Best: The Watcher
Having become the longest-serving actor to play the role, Tom Baker's decision to leave the show came as a shock for many viewers. Through a combination of health issues and creative differences with producer John Nathan Turner, the actor made the difficult decision to leave after a seven year run which has yet to be topped. His final story would come in the 1981 serial 'Logopolis.'
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The greatest production choice regarding this regeneration is arguably the inclusion of The Watcher, who offers an enigmatic presence, before merging with the Doctor in his final moments to bring in his fifth incarnation, played by Peter Davison. This adds an intriguingly mysterious vibe to proceedings and the reveal that he was 'the Doctor all along' is a genuinely jaw-dropping moment.
5 Worst: The Seventh Doctor's Final Moments
Often considered a missing link between the classic and new series, the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie featured not one but two Doctors within its main story. The film's producer Philip Segal had cast Paul McGann to play the Doctor's eighth incarnation, and in order to usher in his new lead actor, he decided to bring Sylvester McCoy back to the role.
Rather than allowing the Seventh Doctor to leave on a high after an epic confrontation with one of his enemies, Matthew Jacobs' screenplay has McCoy's Doctor shot down by gangsters, which is widely considered to be the 'worst' thing about Sylvester McCoy's Doctor. Ultimately, the reason for this regeneration feels underwhelming in comparison to previous Doctors, whose final scenes gave the actors more time to shine.
4 Best: The Fifth Doctor's Sacrifice
After becoming the then-youngest actor to play the Doctor, Peter Davison's decision to step down from the role came after he was advised by Patrick Troughton to leave after three series. To give this Doctor the send-off he deserved, John Nathan Turner enlisted the talents of writer Robert Holmes and director Graeme Harper. The end result was the 1984 serial 'The Caves Of Androzani', a story that contained this Doctor's second most memorable quote.
Opting to place this somewhat more buoyant Doctor in a grim and hopeless setting, Robert Holmes' story creates a striking contrast, which Graeme Harper's dark and murky visuals compliment superbly, offering some real weight to this Doctor's regeneration. The cause of the Doctor's change also speaks nicely to the core of the character, as the Doctor sacrifices his life in order to save his companion Peri.
3 Worst: The Eleventh Doctor's Regeneration
Deciding to leave the role of the Doctor behind in 2013, Matt Smith had led a successful three years in the part. He had been given the seemingly impossible task of taking over from the insanely popular David Tennant, and managed to bring the show to new heights stateside. Matt Smith's last story came in the form of 2013's 'Time of the Doctor,' penned by then-showrunner Steven Moffat.
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For this regeneration, Steven Moffat decided to go for a different effect to the standard golden glow. This new transition involved a quick cut between Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi, which rather than conveying the traditional feel of a regeneration instead achieved the opposite effect of making it appear as though the Doctor had sneezed his twelfth incarnation into existence.
2 Best: The Tenth Doctor's Final Words
When David Tennant appeared on screen to claim his National Television Award for 'Drama Performance' in 2008, he shocked many viewers at home by announcing his intentions to leave Doctor Who. There's no denying that showrunner Russell T Davies had a mammoth task on his hands, as he found himself with the responsibility of writing out an actor who had proven to be a hit with many fans of the show.
Sometimes simplicity is the most effective approach, and that's definitely the case here, as Russell T Davies gives his lead actor just five simple words: 'I don't want to go.' David Tennant imbues them with so much meaning, creating one of the most emotional television moments, as neither the viewers nor the Doctor himself are ready to let his tenth incarnation disappear.
1 Worst: The Thirteenth Doctor Falls
In January 2017, when Peter Capaldi announced he would be leaving the role of the Doctor, little did audiences realize that they were about to witness the most landmark regeneration since 1966. Broadchurch actor Jodie Whittaker had been cast as Peter Capaldi's successor and would become the first female actor to embody the role.
Regrettably, however, incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall's post-regeneration sequence featured some unfortunate implications for the new Doctor. In Whittaker's first moments, the TARDIS develops a system malfunction and chucks her out, leading some viewers to conclude that the TARDIS had rejected her.
NEXT: Every Single Doctor Who Regeneration, Ranked
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