Dr Who Named Lord Of The Sci-Fi Heroes
- Publication: The Scotsman
- Date: 2002-12-28
- Author: Corrie Knight
- Page: 6
- Language: English
DOCTOR Who, whose screen exploits prompted a generation to hide behind their sofas in terror every Saturday, has been named the greatest science fiction character of all time.
The Time Lord, played by a range of actors during the show's three decades on screen, was voted top by television and movie buffs.
The programme Buffy The Vampire Slayer proved to be the biggest hit in the poll of sci-fi and fantasy figures for SFX magazine, with four of its leading figures making the top ten. However, Buffy - played by Sarah Michelle Gellar - was not the show's highest ranked character. She is beaten by the cocky vampire Spike, played by James Marsters, who came second in the list.
Although axed by the BBC in 1989, Doctor Who has a devoted fanbase around the world.
Since his television debut in 1963, the Time Lord has been played by actors such as Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker and Sylvester McCoy, using the concept of regeneration to allow new faces to take on the role. In 1996, the Doctor, played by Paul McGann, was revived for a television movie. However, the lack of global interest destined the film to become a one-off.
However, there continues to be talk of further adventures for the eccentric character, who travels through time and space in an old police box .
Dave Golder, the editor of SFX, said: "It just goes to prove that there is a certain magic to the character and the idea of the face-changing Doctor is one that strikes a chord with the public's imagination."
Forbidden Planet, one of Britain's most prominent science fiction stores, sells Doctor Who merchandise.
Leo Anderson, the assistant manager at the Edinburgh branch, said: "As a character, Doctor Who is quintessentially British and he now holds a retro charm amongst his mainly adult fan base.
"I'd say his popularity has remained strong because of the continual merchandise being released. Programmes are still being broadcast on satellite and re-issued on DVD."
Han Solo and Darth Vader from the hit Star Wars films made it into the top ten, as did two characters from the television series Farscape. The list ends with Gandalf from the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, portrayed most recently by Sir Ian McKellen.
SFX readers chose their favourite characters, which were listed as a top 100 to be published in the new edition today.
The top ten are: Doctor Who; Spike; Buffy; John Crichton and Aeryn Sun from Farscape; Han Solo; Willow (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer); Darth Vader; Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel); Gandalf.
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- APA 6th ed.: Knight, Corrie (2002-12-28). Dr Who Named Lord Of The Sci-Fi Heroes. The Scotsman p. 6.
- MLA 7th ed.: Knight, Corrie. "Dr Who Named Lord Of The Sci-Fi Heroes." The Scotsman [add city] 2002-12-28, 6. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Knight, Corrie. "Dr Who Named Lord Of The Sci-Fi Heroes." The Scotsman, edition, sec., 2002-12-28
- Turabian: Knight, Corrie. "Dr Who Named Lord Of The Sci-Fi Heroes." The Scotsman, 2002-12-28, section, 6 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr Who Named Lord Of The Sci-Fi Heroes | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_Named_Lord_Of_The_Sci-Fi_Heroes | work=The Scotsman | pages=6 | date=2002-12-28 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=17 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr Who Named Lord Of The Sci-Fi Heroes | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr_Who_Named_Lord_Of_The_Sci-Fi_Heroes | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=17 April 2025}}</ref>
