The Doctor Who wasn’t, but gave it a good try anyway.
Character Overview
Jackson Lake (played by David Morrissey) arrived in the 2008 Christmas special The Next Doctor, just as the Tenth Doctor was wandering Victorian London looking for trouble (as he does). When the Time Lord bumps into Jackson, he’s shocked to find the man claiming to be the Doctor, complete with manic hand-waving, a snappy coat, and a sonic screwdriver that was suspiciously… a screwdriver.
Of course, Jackson wasn’t actually the Doctor. Instead, he was a poor soul who had a run-in with the Cybermen and accidentally absorbed the Doctor’s memories from an info-stamp device. (Think: “USB stick straight to the brain,” only with added trauma.) This caused him to believe he was a Time Lord, leading to a very enthusiastic case of mistaken identity.
Despite the confusion, Jackson proved brave and resourceful. He and the real Doctor teamed up against the Cybermen, who had taken their “upgrade” obsession to new heights by building a giant, Transformer-style CyberKing stomping around London. By the end, Jackson recovered his true memories and reunited with his son, but he still carried a bit of that Doctorly spark — the courage, the heroism, and the ability to shout “Allons-y!” with enough conviction to fool Victorian bystanders.
He may not have traveled in the TARDIS, but for one snowy Christmas, Jackson Lake managed to be “the Doctor”… and honestly, not a half-bad one.