Doctor Who: Jon Pertwee centenary – One hundred years of a legendary Doctor
By James Aggas
On July 7th, 1919, Jon Pertwee was born. We look back on what made him such a great actor, as well as why his time on Doctor Who is still so fondly remembered.
There’s never been another Doctor quite like Jon Pertwee in Doctor Who. In fact, it’s fair to say that there’s never been any other actor quite like him.
Before he was cast in Doctor Who, Jon Pertwee had performed in a wide variety of roles, both on and off the screen. He was particularly popular as a voice actor on the radio, and one of his more long-running roles was playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee in radio sitcom The Navy Lark. He’d had a few parts on-screen, perhaps most notably in Will Any Gentleman…?, which also starred another future Doctor, William Hartnell.
But it was in 1969 when he found arguably his greatest role. When it was announced that Patrick Troughton was leaving Doctor Who as the Second Doctor, Pertwee was keen to apply for the part. His agent was surprised to learn that Pertwee was already on the shortlist. In fact, the outgoing producer for the series, Derrick Sherwin, already had Pertwee as his second choice for the role. When his first choice Ron Moody turned it down, Pertwee won the part.
A new kind of Doctor
Jon Pertwee’s Doctor was in some ways radically different to what had come before. While the Doctor was still highly intelligent and eccentric, he was also much more of an action hero compared to Hartnell and Troughton. Pertwee’s Doctor was the kind of man who’d end up in car chases and sword fights – certainly not the kind of thing that you could imagine his predecessors doing! (It’s perhaps unsurprising to know that, during his time in the navy, he worked with James Bond creator Ian Fleming!)
Pertwee’s Doctor also had a fresh sense of style. The kind of man who enjoyed wearing capes and frilled shirts, Pertwee’s Doctor was a true dandy. He was also someone who’d never say no to a good glass of wine, either!
When Troughton left Doctor Who, the series was in danger of cancellation. Thankfully, along with new producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks, Pertwee helped to revive the series in a big way. Season Seven was unlike any season that had come before, giving Doctor Who a somewhat grittier style. It also proved successful enough to avoid cancellation completely.
Later seasons of Jon Pertwee’s era were somewhat lighter. After Caroline John left the series as companion Liz Shaw, a new companion was introduced with Jo Grant, played by Katy Manning, and even a new enemy: the Master, as played by Roger Delgado. The villain worked well enough to be the main enemy for the entire season, and would reappear several times in following seasons.
Leaving the series
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Pertwee became quite close to both Manning and Delgado over the course of those three seasons. He also found considerable success playing the Third Doctor.
However, when Delgado suddenly died in a road accident in Turkey, and with Katy Manning and Barry Letts leaving, Pertwee decided it was time for him to leave as well. After one season working with Elisabeth Sladen as new companion Sarah Jane Smith, Pertwee’s Doctor had his exit story in Planet of the Spiders.
Pertwee would continue to play a large number of roles after Doctor Who. Most notably, he found considerable success in Worzel Gummidge as the titular scarecrow. But it will always be his iconic role of the Third Doctor that he will be most remembered for. When he passed away on 20th May 1996, the new Doctor Who TV movie starring Paul McGann featured a dedication to him at the end of its UK broadcast a week later.
One hundred years after his birth, and Jon Pertwee is still an icon. We had never had a Doctor quite like him before, and we never will again.
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What are your memories of Jon Pertwee’s Doctor? What did you think of him in the role? What’s your favorite Third Doctor story? Let us know in the comments below.