Best regeneration sequence

[Mistah J]

I just want your opinion

[Missy]

Hartnell to Troughton we don't see because it was junked.

Troughton to Pertwee takes place inside the TARDIS, so, again, we don't see it.

Besides the fact that it's the first time we see Tom Baker as The Doctor, Pertwee to Tom Baker is pretty unremarkable.

Like Pertwee to Tom Baker, Tom Baker to Davison is notable for its historical significance, but it's rather generic.

Davison to Colin Baker is pretty damn cool, in that it's creepy and makes the Sixth Doctor seem somewhat menacing.

Colin Baker to McCoy... lame.

McCoy to McGann is way too prolonged.

Eccleston to Tennant is very powerful, mostly due to Eccleston's farewell to Rose. It's emotionally draining for those who know what's coming, and quite shocking to those who don't.

Tennant to Smith we've yet to see, so obviously I can't comment.

Now I guess that brings it down to Davison to Colin Baker and Eccleston to Tennant. Hmm... I'll go with Eccleston to Tennant simply for Eccleston's emotional homerun.

[SuaveStar]

I've only seen the Tennant one.

I was shocked when it happened, and the reaction of Rose and the Doctor when it happened made it powerful to me, as a fan of just the new show.

[Mistah J]

Yeah, if you like seeing the former Doctor's flesh get melted by cosmic fires, I guess its cool

[Dan]

When flesh is melted bby cosmic fire, it's ALWAYS cool.

I picked Davison to Colin Baker, laregly for the reasons Mike already gave.

[jakob1978]

Hartnell to Troughton we don't see because it was junked.

Troughton to Pertwee takes place inside the TARDIS, so, again, we don't see it.

Besides the fact that it's the first time we see Tom Baker as The Doctor, Pertwee to Tom Baker is pretty unremarkable.

Like Pertwee to Tom Baker, Tom Baker to Davison is notable for its historical significance, but it's rather generic.

Davison to Colin Baker is pretty damn cool, in that it's creepy and makes the Sixth Doctor seem somewhat menacing.

Colin Baker to McCoy... lame.

McCoy to McGann is way too prolonged.

Eccleston to Tennant is very powerful, mostly due to Eccleston's farewell to Rose. It's emotionally draining for those who know what's coming, and quite shocking to those who don't.

Tennant to Smith we've yet to see, so obviously I can't comment.

Now I guess that brings it down to Davison to Colin Baker and Eccleston to Tennant. Hmm... I'll go with Eccleston to Tennant simply for Eccleston's emotional homerun.

The clip of Hartnell to Troughton does exist...there's a few clips of leading up to it, with the regeneration itself...I think it's rather effective with the way the picture whitens out then drops back. for anyone who hasn't seen the full clip, the BBC did a reconstruction of episode 4, and the regeneration from that with all the clips is here (from 3:30 onwards) -

pertwee to Tom Baker is just incredibly dull, a boring fade with no additional effects.

Baker to Davison is ok, the way the watcher combines with Baker then fades into Davison works quite well

Davison to Colin Baker is by far the most effective, the companions urging the doctor, then the Master taunting him..the way the music comes to a crescendo (you can tell the influence of the Beatle's "A Day in the Life"), and I really like the way the Doctor sits up as soon as he's regenerated.

Colin Baker to McCoy...or should I say McCoy in a Wig to McCoy. They did the best they could with not having Colin there, but it's undermined by the total lack of explanation about why he's regenerating (plus you're still reeling from the shere campness of the Rani striding into the TARDIS and exclaiming "Leave the Girl...it's the Man I Want!!!!")

McCoy to McGann...Not bad, the alternating between it and the Morgue attendant watching Frankenstein is quite effective.

Eccleston to Tennant...I must be one of the few who don't like the "standing up with cosmic fire" effect....watching it recently, the actual effect looks a bit...well...crap. The scene leading up to it is good and effective, but the regeneration itself is just a bit dull.

So I'm going with Davison to Colin, followed by Hartnell to Troughton.

[Tom BITD]

Obviously I go for Davison to Baker, not only because it's an emotionally charged scene (we will never see this level of passion from Bryant again, alas), but because it allows Baker, in three sentences to define what makes his Doctor different while also making the viewer very, very nervous.

And granted, I'm a little bias given my Colin Baker love, and my hatred of Rose....

[SammiKat]

Tom Baker to Peter Davison got my vote. It's the 1st regen I ever saw, and it still feels epic to me. All the flashbacks of his enemies saying his name, followed by his companions doing the same, followed by the Watcher's merge made the whole thing sublime IMO. Peter to Colin is a close second, followed even more closely by Eccleston to Tenant.

[Mistah J]

Tom Baker to Peter Davison got my vote. It's the 1st regen I ever saw, and it still feels epic to me. All the flashbacks of his enemies saying his name, followed by his companions doing the same, followed by the Watcher's merge made the whole thing sublime IMO. Peter to Colin is a close second, followed even more closely by Eccleston to Tenant.

Thank you Sammi, at least someone agrees with me that the Watcher idea was cool.

[ShaunKL]

Hartnell to Troughton: Beautifully done for the 60's. The TARDIS controls going haywire and operating themselves and then then Hartnell fading into a flash of light to be revealed as Troughton was brilliant. Saddens me that Pertwee to Baker couldn't have been done similarly.

Troughton to Pertwee: Wasn't actually seen. A semi-psychedelic sequence followed in the next episode by the TARDIS appearing and Pertwee falling out.

Pertwee to Baker: Bland, dull, stupid. Could've at least added a white flash or something. I actually would've preferred if the regen happened off screen and we watched the Brig's and Sarah Jane's reactions.

Baker to Davison: I love the whole concept of the Watcher, it was the actual regeneration itself that misfired. The whole flashback sequences were well done, but the watcher getting sucked down into Baker didn't work. IMO would've been better with the Watcher laying down on top of Baker (Sounds weird in text) or having the Watcher walk up to everyone and have a flash or fade with Baker disappearing and Davison revealed as the next Doctor.

Davison to CBaker: This should be the bar for all future regenerations, it is the best. Davison fighting actual death, doubting whether he will regenerate. All after the heroic rescue of Peri from Androzani. Davison fading, his companions urging him to fight and regenerate while his envisionment of the Master abuses him, trying to keep him from regenerating. Then we get this wonderfully disorienting effect while the sound effects add even more confusion and then THOOM!, there's the new Doctor sitting straight up with the afterimage of Davison fading away, none have done better.

McCoy in a Wig to McCoy: After a confusing but neat sequence of the TARDIS being fired at and crashing in a rainbow explosion( ) Ba-WigMcCoy gets turned over with a green effect covering his face to reveal McCoy, meh. (There has been a lot of debate of how the Doctor regenerated. From fear of becoming the Valeyard, to the book Spinal, and some weird thing about McCoy forcing the regeneration from the future so he could become "Time's Champion". Let's face the facts, Mel had the Doc on the exercise bike, the TARDIS got hit, and he went head first into the console.)

(Onto the button that Ian had messed with thus electrocuting himself.)

McCoy to McGann: After a weird and traumatic sequence of the beloved Seventh Doctor being defibrillated to death we get an odd sequence of the regeneration intercut with the Token American Fatty watching Frankenstein. The effect itself was a little odd, but it was decent.

McGann to Eccleston: Sadly this was never seen on screen, but it is implied in Rose that the Doctor had recently regenerated (RTD later skewed the crap out of it with Eccleston on the Titanic and JFK whatnot).

Eccleston to Tennant: Quite sad sequence for me seeing as he was my first real Doctor. Sadly I can't remember my reaction when I first saw it. The scene itself is very well done, with Eccleston lamenting his imminent death but glad that will be free of his tormented personality and happy about his time with Rose. The effect and morph is well done, especially the morph. However this effect doesn't really allow for "quiet" regenerations (I.E. Hartnell and Pertwee).

Tennant to Morrissey: Alas, no.

Morrissey to Smith: Alas, no.

Tennant to Smith: While Davison's is the best, this is without a doubt the most gut-wrenchingly sad regeneration of the whole entirety of the series. Tennant staggers to the TARDIS after stopping one of his hearts to hold off his regeneration (A tactic Pertwee used awell). As he starts off the TARDIS he is just using all of his might to hold off his impending death, but he realizes that he must go on, and after one of the most beautifully delivered lines in all WHO he just lets loose. All his pent up energy, sadness, rage wreaks havok on the TARDIS. Close in to Tennant's face where he has a final look of terror before being replaced by Matt Smith, who nails the Doctor right on the spot and leaves us wanting more.

[Donomark]

Having youtube'd all of them, the top three for me are easily from 5 to 6, 9 to 10, and 10 to 11. Tennant's regen to Smith is my favorite personally, but Davidson's to Baker is very classic and cool in and of itself.

[slothian]

McGann to Eccleston: Sadly this was never seen on screen, but it is implied in Rose that the Doctor had recently regenerated (RTD later skewed the crap out of it with Eccleston on the Titanic and JFK whatnot).

When you say "later", do you mean "later - in the episode Rose"? The whole thing is shown within Clive's shed.

[Missy]

Tennant staggers to the TARDIS after stopping one of his hearts to hold off his regeneration

That's not said in the episode, so I'm wondering where you got that.

[teenalphabro]

Personally, I have top go with Tennant to Smith. It's so damn emotional. I can't get past when he says "I don't want to go!"

[David Gallagher]

5 to 6. Blows my mind every time.

[Badhead]

I fine Tennant to Smith way to over the top and (dare i say it) mawkish and over sentimental.