I think that William Hartnell kicked so much butt as the Doctor. He was a crochety old man, no one has ever played the Doctor before like he did, but then again no one should. The uniqueness of each Doctor is what has always made the show so charming. I like the character driven stories of the Hartnell era. The relationships between the Doctor and all his companions were the main focus of the stories. There was always a different place for them all to interact, but when it came down to it it was just a setting to work on the relationships between the characters. One such relationship story is Edge Of Destruction/Inside The Spaceship depending on which side of the Atlantic Ocean you are on. It was just the four characters in the Tardis interacting with one another. There is one such scene between the Doctor and Vicki in The Crusades where Vicki feels like she is in the way, and the Doctor comforts her. When Ian and Barbara wanted to leave the Doctor was very upset by this to the point that he overstated the danger of using the Dalek time machine just to convince them not to leave. William Hartnell's interaction with his companions is the main reason I watch and love the Hartnell episodes. Okay that is my opinion. What say you guys and gals?