Doctor Who: Why William Hartnell needs to remain as the true original incarnation

A new Doctor has been revealed, but where does she fit into Doctor Who’s long history? Before William Hartnell’s iconic First Doctor? We certainly hope not…

Over a week after the shocking revelations in Fugitive of the Judoon, and we still don’t know much about Jo Martin’s new incarnation of the Doctor. We certainly know the implications, at least – that she’s an incarnation from the Doctor’s past that even Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor has no idea about. Certainly, Martin’s Doctor is one of the boldest additions to Doctor Who mythology in recent years.

But if she is from the Doctor’s past, where does she come from? There really are hardly any gaps in the mythology for her to take place in. That’s what makes her such a mystery – she shouldn’t even exist. (Oh, Chris Chibnall haters are going to have a field day with that sentence.)

There is a possibility of her taking place before the First Doctor, of course. There are admittedly a few key discrepancies, especially the TARDIS looking like a police box already. After all, it only became stuck in that form during or at least shortly before An Unearthly Child, the first ever Doctor Who serial. But Chris Chibnall would surely have some kind of an explanation for that.

But honestly, I wouldn’t want an explanation. Not because a discrepancy like that should go unexplained. No, this is because the discrepancy shouldn’t exist. Because, wherever Jo Martin’s Doctor comes from, it definitely shouldn’t be from before Hartnell’s Doctor.

William Hartnell’s Doctor will always be the most important incarnation, for a number of reason.

(Photo by Express/Express/Getty Images)

The most important Doctor

Let me make one thing clear: William Hartnell is and always will be the most important Doctor. Oh, we all have our favorites, and they’ve all made an impact in some way. Some greater than others, admittedly. But this isn’t an opinion, but a simple truth – there will never be a Doctor more important than Hartnell.

The key reason for this is that Hartnell got the series started in the first place. If the show hadn’t been popular during his original era, the series wouldn’t be the institution that it is now. In fact, it most likely wouldn’t even have been thought of as a cult show after its cancellation. Just a British attempt at a sci-fi series that failed.

Now, it has to be said that Patrick Troughton definitely helped with Doctor Who‘s longevity. When Hartnell left the role of the Doctor, Troughton was the first to take over in his place. He therefore had to show that the series could go on without the original lead, a huge task that he thankfully achieved. So Troughton will always be important in his own right.

Before the hero we know

But there’s another reason why Hartnell’s Doctor is so important, something that becomes especially clear when you watch the series in order. Not only is he the first Doctor that we actually see on-screen. But, far more than that, he changes into the Doctor we now know. I’m not talking about regeneration, but in terms of character development.

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The Doctor that we’re familiar with – regardless of incarnation – is a hero. Someone who does what’s right, no matter what the cost. Someone who’s “never cruel or cowardly”, to quote the legendary Terrance Dicks. They may save the day in different ways in different incarnations, but they always try to do what’s right.

The First Doctor doesn’t exactly start that way, however. When the series begins, he’s a much darker and more morally ambiguous character. In just the first few stories, he kidnaps two innocent schoolteachers; lies about a TARDIS fault just to check out an alien city, thus putting him and his fellow travelers in danger (especially when he finds out who lives in that city…), and he threatens to throw his new human companions off his ship, possibly into an environment that’s deadly to them. There’s even a moment when he seems to strongly consider killing a defenseless caveman with a rock, just so he and his companions can escape.

Becoming the hero we love

Of course, he doesn’t remain like that forever. Because, over time, his companions change him. He becomes more selfless and more compassionate. He still has his grumpy moments, but over time, he slowly transforms into the hero we all know and love.

That’s why William Hartnell’s Doctor should remain as the true first incarnation, even in terms of the show’s chronology. It’s with his Doctor that the story begins. We don’t know why he had to leave Gallifrey or even why his name is such a secret, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we get the beginning of the hero’s journey. The origin of the hero we recognize. It would be a shame to cheapen that by including an incarnation before that key beginning.

What do you think? Do you think William Hartnell should remain as the “true” first Doctor? Or are you intrigued by the idea of an incarnation before him? Let us know in the comments below.