I've always been intrigued by the "My Doctor" effect, which is that depending on your age you tend to have a particular Doctor who you regard as "yours". Although it does depend on when in the year you were born, and when you started watching the programme, I think it can roughly be equated to the Doctor you saw the most of between the ages of 6 and 10.
For example, if you were 6 in 1970, Jon Pertwee would be "your" Doctor, since Tom Baker didn't arrive until 4 years later. However if you were 6 in 1973 you would have had 2 years of Pertwee, followed by the next 3 of Baker. Your Doctor would therefore be the 4th.
in my case (I was born in 1961) "my" Doctor would be expected to be Patrick Troughton, except we didn't get a TV until 1968 so I only saw two Troughton seasons, and since I was still watching Doctor Who at age 15 (but only just) Jon Pertwee is my Doctor.
For example, if you were 6 in 1970, Jon Pertwee would be "your" Doctor, since Tom Baker didn't arrive until 4 years later. However if you were 6 in 1973 you would have had 2 years of Pertwee, followed by the next 3 of Baker. Your Doctor would therefore be the 4th.
in my case (I was born in 1961) "my" Doctor would be expected to be Patrick Troughton, except we didn't get a TV until 1968 so I only saw two Troughton seasons, and since I was still watching Doctor Who at age 15 (but only just) Jon Pertwee is my Doctor.
I've even done a spreadsheet, and here are my findings.
- If you were born between 1957 & 1958 (and assuming you began watching Doctor Who at roughly age six), your Doctor should be the 1st Doctor;
- Between 1959 and 1961 it's the 2nd Doctor;
- 3rd Doctor, 1962 to 1966;
- 4th Doctor, 1967 to 1974;
- 5th Doctor, 1975-77;
- 6th Doctor, 1978-79;
- 7th Doctor, 80-83;
The New Series revival in 2005 should be no different, with the exception that although the 9th Doctor might have been "your" Doctor when he was on, because it was only for a year he was quickly overshadowed by the 10th.
- 10th Doctor 1997-99;
- 11th Doctor 2000-2003 (although she remembers the 10th, the 11th is Amy's Doctor);
- 12th Doctor 2004 onwards;
There is a similar correlation with "Cyberman Scariness". Fans always argue about when the Cybermen were at their best. I tend to think late '60s (when I was 7 or 8), and was quite disappointed by "Revenge of the Cybermen" in 1975 (when I was 14). Fans born between 1969 and about 1974 however, think "Revenge" was the scariest thing on TV at the time. While those born after about 1975 think that "Earthshock" and "Silver Nemesis" are the absolute zenith of the Cybermen.
Of course anyone born prior to 1960 tends to think they were at their best in "The Tenth Planet" and it's been steadily downhill ever since.
