In the lead up to the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who on November 23, I shall be posting an article on each Doctor. Today, I have a look at the Third Doctor, played by Jon Pertwee from 1970 to 1974.

By the time Patrick Troughton left Doctor Who, the programme was enjoying immense popularity. It was now up to the production team to ensure that said popularity continued when Jon Pertwee became the Doctor in 1970, a tricky task considering that the show was experiencing financial problems. To counter this, it was decided that all of Petwee's first season would be set on modern day Earth, an unexpected move that took the programme into uncharted waters.

Pertwee's Doctor also brought the character into unexplored areas; the Third Doctor was much more inclined to use violence for self defence. While on the whole remaining faithful to the characteristics exhibited by his previous two incarnations, the Third Doctor found Venusian Aikido very helpful in getting out of tight spots. The Third Doctor was also more of an action man, often taking part in confrontations that his former selves would have left to others.

Due to his exile on Earth, and subsequent 'employment' by UNIT, the Doctor would establish close friendships with more humans than ever before. Aside from his three companions, there were three other recurring characters that are collectively known as the 'UNIT' family: Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant Benton. While all three did get on his nerves occasionally, particularly with their fondness to use weapons to solve a conflict, the Doctor learnt to respect, trust the men, and by the time of his regeneration, most definitely considered them friends.

The Third Doctor, like the First, was also a very grandfatherly figure, particularly to his second and third companions, Jo Grant and Sarah Jane Smith respectively. As such, both admired and respected him greatly. Conversely, the Third Doctor's first companion, Dr Liz Shaw, was in some ways an equal to the Doctor. Although they shared a good friendship, it was more professional, built on mutual respect for their intelligences.

The Third Doctor's tenure saw the Master appear for the first time, Sarah Jane Smith became a companion, and we had multiple Doctors interacting in The Three Doctors. Both of these 'firsts' would have an immense impact on the future of the show; the Master would go on to become one of the Doctor's greatest enemies, Sarah Jane would become one of the most loved companions, and multi-Doctor stories would become the norm for Anniversary Specials.

After playing the Doctor for a record 5 years, Jon Pertwee finally stood down in 1974. His portrayl of the Doctor as an action hero breathed new life into the series, and enticed the younger generation into watching the show. Without him and his amazing Third Doctor, Doctor Who would not be around today.