Argonaut57, middle-aged, married with two grown-up kids and two granddaughters, lives in UK, Civil Servant.

I've been writing, on and off, since I was a teenager, but it wasn't until the advent of the Internet (yes, I am that old) that I realised I could get other people to read my stuff. I do crossovers -which is possibly the lowest form of fanfiction, at least in the eyes of canon purists - because I like exploring possibilities.

I saw an article which purported to show which actors would have protrayed Doctor Who had the series been made in the US. To my mind, there was a fundamental flaw in the premise, resulting in the selection of American actors who were broasdly analogous to the British ones who have had the role. For instance, William Hartnell was replaced with Burgess Meredith, Patrick Troughton with Dick van Dyke and Jon Pertwee with Vincent Price. Now my view, rightly or wrongly, is that in the 1960s, the US production companies would have been fine with the idea of a time-travelling adventure series, but would have required the lead character to be a square-jawed, two-fisted action hero. With that in mind, I ofer the following:

American Doctors

(1963 – 66) 1st Doctor: (UK-William Hartnell)

Richard Basehart: A veteran of both TV and film, Basehart, with his distinctive deep voice and authoritative, somewhat irascible, manner, was intended to set the tone for the series. He established the Doctor as a man of intelligence and integrity, committed to peacefully resolving disputes, but unafraid to take direct action when necessary.

(1966 – 70) 2nd Doctor: (UK – Patrick Troughton)

Robert Stack: Fresh from his run as Agent Eliot Ness in The Untouchables, Stack continued Baseharts' established characterisation, but added a more streetwise, action-oriented aspect to the character.

(1970 – 74) 3rd Doctor: (UK – Jon Pertwee)

Leonard Nimoy: In what was later admitted to be a massive stroke of luck, the shows' producers took advantage of the cancellation of Star Trek to scoop up one of its stars. Nimoy had played the Vulcan Science Officer, Mr Spock, with gravitas and restraint, but those expecting more of the same from his Doctor were surprised. Nimoy went to the other extreme, his Doctor is a kaleidoscopic, energetic whirlwind. A critic wrote: “His angular frame vibrates with energy as he bounds around the screen, delivering his dialogue at a machine-gun speed calculated to confuse and bewilder his slower-thinking human companions.”

This was the first time that the series had been set almost wholly on Earth, giving the potential for a larger cast of continuing characters. These included cool scientist Josie Grant (Majel Barret -another Star Trek refugee), investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith (Alexandra Bastedo), who was the Doctors' first long-term girlfriend, General Stewart of UNIT (Raymond Burr), and Captain Mike Bates (Ron Ely). There was also a new arch-enemy in the form of renegade TimeLord The Master, played by Andreas Katsulas.

(1974-81) 4th Doctor: (UK – Tom Baker)

David McCallum: The choice of a British actor was controversial, but former Man From UNCLE star McCallum brought with him a legion of young female fans still dazzled by his performance as the ice-cool, enigmatic Illya Kuryakin. McCallum is known for his great intelligence both as an actor and as a person. To prepare for his role, he undertook a degree-level course in the then new field of Quantum Theory and studied a great deal of history. He was known among the production crew for insisting on accuracy of detail when the Doctor travelled into Earths' past, and for refusing to recite 'technobabble' when proper scientific terminology could be used. His interpretation of the role was complex. Warm and fatherly in personal interactions with companions, he nevertheless used the same cool, objective approach to problems and conflicts as Illya Kuryakin had done. An immensely popular casting, he remained in the role longer than any Doctor to date. He also extended the Doctors' romantic life in the characters' long-term relationship with female TimeLord Romana (Lindsay Wagner).

(1981 – 84) 5th Doctor: (UK – Peter Davison)

Kyle MacLachlan: He was the youngest actor ever to take the controls of the TARDIS and proved himself over his three years by creating a subtle and idealistic Doctor. As well as his athleticism and intelligence, he brought a new vulnerability to the role.

(1984 – 86) 6th Doctor: (UK - Colin Baker)

David Carradine: Best known for his portrayal of a Shaolin monk adrift in the Wild West in the 1970s' series Kung Fu. His Doctor is brooding and philosophical, remote and detached even from the people he helps and travels with. Unfortunately, Carradine insisted on downplaying the action aspects of the role, which did not please the fans and led to his early departure.

(1987-89) 7th Doctor: (UK – Sylvester McCoy)

Bruce Boxleitner: During his brief tenure, the show became nicknamed Scarecrow and the TARDIS, if only because fans claimed they could see no difference between Boxleitners' portrayal of the Doctor and his role as spy Lee Stetson in Scarecrow and Mrs King. Boxleitner himself has implied that he was foisted on the show by a network that wanted it cancelled.

(1996) 8th Doctor: (UK – Paul McGann)

Scott Bakula: This co-production with the BBC was shot as a three-part pilot for a revival of the show, but was not taken up. Executives felt that with two Star Trek spinoffs and Babylon 5 already airing, the market was saturated. It was later repackaged as a TV movie and achieved strong sales in the DVD market. Bakula, already an experienced time-traveller due to his stint in Quantum Leap, managed in the course of the three episodes to take his Doctor from bewildered, newly-regenerated semi-invalid to assured veteran without missing a beat.

(2005) 9th Doctor: (UK – Christopher Ecclestone)

Nathan Fillion: New showrunner Joss Whedon is known to have strong preferences when it comes to actors. When he agreed to take on the revival of Doctor Who, he naturally turned to an actor with whom he had worked before. Fillion had played Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the short-lived Whedon offering Firefly, and brought the same gritty war-veteran air to the Doctor, but added an overlay of optimism and humour Reynolds had lacked.

(2005 – 10) 10th Doctor: (UK – David Tennant)

Dwayne Johnson: The former WWF wrestler-turned-actor was a surprising but popular choice, sparking numerous references to 'the peoples' TARDIS'. His tenure saw an increase in stunt-work and well-choreographed fight scenes. It also saw an increase in humour, as Johnson brought his wry, deadpan delivery to the role. It also brought unexpected benefits, as in the two part story Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel, legendary actor Arnold Schwarzenegger -a close friend of Johnson -agreed to guest star as terminally-ill millionaire John Lumic, inventor of the Cybermen and later transformed to the menacing Cyber-Controller. In 2010, Johnson and Shwarzenegger finally admitted what many fans had suspected -as the Cyber-Controller plunged to his death his final line (muffled by explosions and music) had indeed been “I'll be back!” Johnson is still the most popular of the 'new' Doctors, in part due to the sparky romance with feisty companion Mary-Jane Tyler (Sarah Michelle Gellar). There was also the return of an old foe when Professor Yana (Patrick Stewart) unexpectedly regenerated into a new Master - played by James Marsters.

(2010 – 13) 11th Doctor: (UK – Matt Smith)

Robert Pattinson: Younger than most previous Doctors, the former Harry Potter star was plucked from his career-defining role of Edward Cullen in the Twilight films and dropped into the TARDIS. He managed to bring the ancient loneliness of Edward and the optimistic youthfulness of Cedric Diggory together to create a unique interpretation – an ancient being in a young body.

(2013 - ?) 12th Doctor: (UK – Peter Capaldi)

Gary Sinise: The choice of the former star of CSI:NY marked, to some fans, a return to first principles for the character. Sinises' Doctor is authoritative, knowledgeable and tough, but not exactly a 'people person', using his companion, Clara, (Cote de Pablo) as an intermediary. This Doctor has a dark side, shown in his relationship with new villain, The Mistress, a female regeneration of The Master played by Marge Helgenberger.

The War Doctor: (UK – John Hurt)

Michael Ironside: Veteran screen tough guy Ironside played a secret incarnation of The Doctor in the 50th Anniversary Special “Independence Day of the Doctor.” A tough, cynical incarnation, tired and angry at centuries of war, Ironside portrayed a strong man driven to a last, desperate deed but still looking for an alternative.