How the 6th Doctor's era failed

[@CouncilofGeeks]

A playlist of videos covering the issues with the BBC and transphobic reporting: kzbin.info/aero/PLmWFOeT2jEofVIDW9X3OL7GqWuX3Dxopu

[@jessetorres8738]

When the both the network & head script writer hate the producer & actor behind a show to the point of intentionally trying to get it cancelled, it's not entirely Colin Baker's fault his Era wasn't as good as it could have been (same with Sylvester McCoy).

[@ftc3000]

Colin had a lot of things stacked against him during this era, but I'd argue there were three main reasons why it didn't work out. Firstly, the producer, John Nathan-Turner, seemed to be trying to please the hardcore fans of the show while neglecting the general audience who felt alienated by his creative decisions (not least of all his decision to give Six that costume). The issues with Baker's run were already there in Davison's era, but I guess people were more forgiving when it came to Five. Secondly, there was the script editor, Eric Saward, who was kind of like what the head writer is in the modern series. He had a very fraught relationship with JNT, and apparently hated the fact that JNT had cast Colin Baker without his input. While I don't know if Saward hated the character of Peri or not, I believe he disliked Six and either made his character unlikable and hostile to her in their stories together or sidelined him from the story altogether as in the first half of Revelation of the Daleks. Thirdly, there was the BBC, in particular then-controller Michael Grade, who made no bones about the fact that he disliked Doctor Who and science fiction in general, and wanted to see it replaced with something like EastEnders. With all this stacked against him, it is no wonder the Sixth Doctor era didn't succeed, and it's a shame that poor Colin got blamed for it. Still, thank God for Big Finish. Also I'd argue that Vengeance on Varos is good, and a better story than Revelation of the Daleks in my opinion.

[@jarjared3522]

Let's not forget that a big thing Michael Grade hated was Colin Baker's Doctor Who costume, and the fact his first exposure to Doctor Who was Warriors of the Deep.

[@ftc3000]

@@jarjared3522 True, in particular that scene with the Myrka which would be the worst way to introduce anyone to the show. Still, he and Jonathan Powell did have it in for sci-fi in general, cancelling shows like The Tripods despite the third season already having been written.

[@intergalactic92]

I’m personally very fond of Attack of the Cybermen. Maybe it won’t stand up so well today now that I’m older, but when I was first watching Doctor Who (at the age of about 10) one repeat this was the one I always looked forward to coming back round. It was the reason I loved the Cybermen. I just loved the epic scale, the power the Cybermen exude throughout, the way they casually invade the TARDIS and casually kill people with their bare hands, and all the call backs (it’s not just the return of the Cybermen, it’s the return of the Controller, the return of the Mercenary Lytton. The whole story feels like unfinished business.) Maybe it won’t hold up so well today, with a more mature head. But I still loved it.

[@Snuzzled]

Knowing that "Dalek" was based on a sixth doctor story makes so much sense.

[@pious83]

That said, don't go into Jubilee expecting to hear "Dalek"...

[@Snuzzled]

@@pious83 So, it's like when a movie is "inspired by real events"? 😜

[@DavidHHH99]

@@Snuzzled Dalek is really only a part of Jubilee, and that part is only a part of Dalek. They're both so much more. Basically, the companion's storylines in both stories are very similar, as is the interweaved Dalek's initial storyline, but everything else is different. Jubilee has much more world-building and spends a lot more time telling other stories of that world (along with a ton of social commentary!) Dalek layers on the story of Nine reacting to the traumas he experienced in the Time War, along with all the other stuff with Van Statten and the beginning of Adam's storyline. They're both among the very best Who stories ever told for many of the same and also many different reasons. I adore both of them.

[@DavidHHH99]

I don't know how up to date you are on Big Finish, but their latest Sixie story (celebrating 40 years of Sixie) The Quin Dilemma very directly confronts the biggest problem with the television era that you (and most) fans had with it. It's glorious, and you absolutely should listen to it! It's a glorious celebration of the entire Sixie era, with four Sixies and two Peris from various points in their timelines. Not only do we get lots of scenes of Sixie and Peri talking about how happy they now are traveling together, but one of the older Sixies directly asks Peri the question we've all been wondering all these years: Why on Earth did she stay with him after how awful he was to her both during and after The Twin Dilemma. It's Big Finish at its finest, addressing Classic Who's shortcomings with very modern sensibilities and modern emotional complexity. And it totally fits with the original plan that they had for the Sixth Doctor's story arc. It allows Sixie to acknowledge and show remorse over the awful way he treated her. But more importantly, it allows Peri to explain to him - and to us - who she chose to stay in the TARDIS and on the show. It could almost be considered a direct response to this review of yours. MAJOR SPOILER WARNING: Basically, it all comes down to the Doctor's "death" and regeneration in Caves of Androzani. After the Doctor sacrificed himself for her, she realized how kind and caring and wonderful he was. From his behavior post-regeneration, she recognized how damaged he had been by the sacrifice, and decided to stay and guide him and help him heal back into the kind, compassionate man she knew him to be. The story makes it clear that her presence did just that. At also allows us to reframe all those fights in the TARDIS throughout season 22 as Peri trying to nudge the Doctor back to his true self. We also get some backstory as to Peri's recent backstory and headspace before and during Planet of Fire to make it all work. It's glorious! As a wonderful bonus, the story gives us the definitive (at least as far as Big Finish is concerned) timeline of Sixie and his various companions through all connected media.

[@DigiRangerScott]

Colin Baker did nothing wrong. Also I’m so happy Bonnie is part of this new era to rehab Mel’s reputation onscreen. It was very much needed.

[@capetian12]

100% on both accounts.

[@mrcritical6751]

If that rumoured UNIT spin-off happens, I really hope Mel is part of it

[@meganvincent5381]

Literally what she said lol

[@Maerahn]

Poor Bonnie Langford was also screwed over massively by the writing. Prior to her role as Mel, the only other role she was well known for was her stint as a child actress in the tv series 'Just William,' where she played a spoiled brat of a girl called Violet Elizabeth, whose catchphrase was to threaten to "Thcream and thcream until I'm thick" (she had a lisp, which made her pronounce her 's's as 'th'.) I'm guessing this was what prompted the writers at the time to believe it would be absolutely hi-larious to have Mel constantly screaming her head off at every scary thing - what a cool meta in-joke, huh? Well.... no, actually, it was bloody irritating.

[@capetian12]

Vengeance on Varos is a top tier story and stands up well with any of the classic series.

[@mxrichardsonsneighbourhood5402]

I agree with this. I also enjoy Attack of the Cybermen. Oh, and The Mark of The Rani is absolutely chef's kiss. Colin Baker, Kate O'Mara, and Anthony Ainley have fabulous chemistry together and the setting of the Luddite Revolts works brilliantly. Pip & Jane Baker are godsent.

[@jadominek7116]

In my top 5 classics of all time :)

[@alunrundle162]

@mxrichardsonsneighbourhood5402 I agree. Never bring the Rani back. Only Kate O'Mara can be the Rani. They'd have to change the characterisation and, without her chewing the scenery like Kate did, what would be the point?

[@nekusakura6748]

​ @alunrundle162 So you're not a Fan of Siobhán Redmond's Rani in Big Finish?

[@alunrundle162]

Not heard it. Was looking for one to try. Any recommendations?@@nekusakura6748

[@yogisie]

Vengeance on Varos is easily the best 6th Doctor story. It predicted the use of social media.

[@ftumschk]

I rather think it echoed the already-existing phenomena of fly-on-the-wall shows, audience-participation TV, and video "nasties".

[@KitchenSinkSoup]

Yah, it's very much a commentary on the "video nasties" that there was much moral panic about in the mid-1980s, as well as the popularity of game shows and the growing political violence of the British Far Right.

[@nekusakura6748]

Vengeance on Varos and Mind Warp are definitely the Best Televised 6th Doctor Serials.

[@jasonthayer1309]

I’m surprised Vera didn’t mention it at all.

[@Kaoruishere]

It may have predicted a couple of media trends, but that doesn't really make it a truly good story. Or even one that I enjoy watching. Part Two in particular is a meandering bore.

[@chrisblake4198]

Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy all struggled for one big reason- Tom Baker. In the times before internet, it's hard to convey just how big his imprint on the franchise was. It's very similar to how the MCU has struggled since the departure of RDJ as Iron Man. Even without direct comparisons, the shadow looms large. Tom Baker introduced the franchise to most of America. His run was what got picked up by PBS in the early 80s. However most of us watched the show in a vacuum, family watched, and some friends, and we'd talk about it, but fan magazines were in the UK. And even in the UK the tendency to compare any new stuff to the high water mark of the franchise was strong. I don't think audiences were really ready to accept a new Doctor until Sylvester McCoy, and by then the writing had gone completely down the toilet and the show couldn't bring people back even with a genuinely interesting Doctor.

[@martinmorles1]

Yeah , like as much joy Troughton, Baker , and Tennant brought to the show feel we got to acknowledge how inherently they damaged it. As whatever they brought on became the norm for a lot of people story structure, doctor characteristics so whenever the show tried something bold and different they dismiss it as "bad writing "or " this isn't dw" The mear fan escalation that doctor was going to end with Tennant departure in 2010 tells you lot when you know how the show has constantly adapted

[@nekusakura6748]

Hey, there were plenty of Good McCoy Serials!

[@ericgilbertson5785]

I think it is more about what was happening behind the scenes during those seasons. There was an open war going on between John Nathan-Turner and the BBC leadership for control of the show (I don't think either side was sympathetic or were acting in the best interests of the show or fandom.) This led to shrinking budgets, conflicts with other departments (lighting, costuming...) and Peter Davidson suddenly leaving to avoid getting caught in the middle. Colin Baker was more pugnacious (John Nathan-Turner's design for his costume was itself a raised middle finger to the BBC) and tried to pick a fight with the BBC on the side of the fandom and they essentially shut down the show. One interesting point was that even though Dr. Who was still bringing in a huge licensing income in the last few seasons, the budget per show for Sylvester McCoy's series was 1/4 the amount as the first season of Red Dwarf which was being made at the same time.

[@Donnagata1409]

@@nekusakura6748 Yes, but not right away. You had to give him a chance, as with 5th. and 6th. McCoy got to be really good, particularly with Ace.

[@EphemeralTao]

Tom Baker was definitely my favorite Doctor, and I agree that his impact was unequaled in the Classic series; but I also really liked Peter Davison as well. It wasn't until Colin Baker that I felt like things weren't working as well and the series as a whole started to slip. I was also not a big fan of Peri; she wasn't my most disliked companion (that dubious honor belongs to Turlough), but she was and still is in the top three.

[@williamgeorge2580]

I was there at the time. The choking wasn't really considered because the fandom of the era was a real boy's club. No, we were years deep into our JNT hate. The hate Moff and Chibs got? Nothing comparatively. That's where we laid the blame for every flaw in the show's declining years. We still do.

[@ThePlayTyperGuy]

It definitely seems like Peri is in an abusive relationship with Baker’s Doctor. It’s like she got involved with a pleasant, charming man who suddenly transformed into someone completely different and hostile. She feels obligated to stay with him because she remembers the man he once was. Whenever Peri suggests that the Doctor slow down or calm down or suggest he’s not “fully recovered” from his recent regeneration, it reads like an abused partner trying to reason with an addict or someone with an untreated mental illness that’s made them a threat to themselves and others. We never actually see a companion *choose* to travel with Baker’s Doctor. (Mel is a timey wimey situation.) I thought it really helped Capaldi’s Doctor that we saw him build that relationship (on his own) with Nardole and Bill. During the First and Second Doctor eras, the companions were often “stuck’ with the Doctor who couldn’t reliably control where the TARDIS landed. Peri could’ve walked away as soon as “Attack of the Cybermen,” which I believe takes place on then present-day London. There’s never a good reason why she continues to stay with him.

[@DavidHHH99]

Some great Big Finish recommendations! Another great recommendation is Peri and the Piscon Paradox, which - strangely in what's otherwise a hilarious romp - really actively addresses the trauma that Peri has faced directly from the Doctor. In fact, pretty much any story featuring Peri that is written by Nev Fountain - Peri actress Nicola Bryant's real life partner - completely nails the character and is a great recommendation! One of the things that makes the Big Finish 6th Doctor Era with Evelyn so great is that she gets the character arc that Peri should have gotten. The series directly addresses the trauma that Evelyn experiences - not from the Doctor directly (as with Peri), but from the experiences that the Doctor puts Evelyn in, having her experience the deaths of so many people she cares about throughout time and space. It's one of the best runs of Doctor Who stories in any medium. RIP the beloved Maggie Stables!

[@TheIndieOcean]

I quite enjoy that Colin Baker himself acknowledges how bad his era was. There's a clip floating around from a convention a few years ago where a panel of Doctor actors were asked which other Doctor they'd like to see do one of their stories, and Colin Baker said he'd like to see David Tennant do any of his scripts because "that'll wipe the smile off his face". XD

[@peterdixon7734]

Excellent.

[@ryanpollard1166]

Colin Baker was someone who was, unfortunately, at the wrong place at the wrong time. Colin Baker is a great choice and he had the potential to be one of the greats, but he was let down by clashing showrunners (JNT responsible for THAT outfit which Colin hated, and Eric Saward who felt Colin was a bad choice from the start) and new incompetent BBC management that hated Doctor Who and science fiction in general. Funnily enough, both Vengeance on Varos and Revelation of the Daleks were among the first Doctor Who stories I ever watched and both stories got me excited to see what the rest of his era was like. Unfortunately, they ended up being the only two good stories of his run!

[@Elwaves2925]

Yeah, I've often compared Colin and his 6th Doctor to Timothy Dalton and his Bond. They both went darker but it clearly wasn't the right time for either. Daniel Craig's Bond went darker later on and it worked, while Capaldi's Doctor started darker (with mixed reactions from what I've read) but it certainly didn't fail.

[@TetchyEquation]

If you think they hated Peri, wait until you hear about how they treated Nickola Bryant. She was originally supposed to be in that really awkward Doctor Who crossover with Jim'll Fix It, but she was sidelined by JNT in favour of Janet Fielding because Nickola didn't want to do a pantomime tour that a lot of other cast members of DW were doing, she didn't want to do that whilst doing Doctor Who, so JNT tried to fuck with her career (even though he ended up doing her a favour)

[@SuperFunkmachine]

The pantomime tour that was being rehearsed in the evening while filming Doctor.

[@SeanORaigh]

When they started doing 45 minute episodes, the Australian broadcaster of Who (ABC) recut all the episodes to fit into the 25 minute slots they already had for it, leading to "cliffhangers" in the middle of scenes.

[@Elwaves2925]

I agree, as bad as the strangle moment is it's not the turning point, it's just the easy go-to point. I was there at the time and I've always put that down to the Doctor's post regen trauma. I'd never thought about the writers despising Peri but you could be right, she certainly goes through more than other companions and it would explain why it continues through her run, not just the first story.

[@kevin10001]

That’s what I said but I call it regeneration wonkiness but it’s the same thing cause at that point he didn’t fully know who he was yet and still in regeneration period after regenerating

[@Elwaves2925]

@@kevin10001 Yeah, I think they took it too far but it still fits with that post regen period. I like wonkiness, think I'll use that from now on as it kinda fits with wibbly wobbly and timey wimey. 🙂

[@stuff31]

Big Finish was Colin's way of getting the run as the Doctor he deserved.

[@nekusakura6748]

Especially with 'The Last Adventure' giving his Doctor a Proper conclusion.

[@Stephen_The_Waxing_Lyricist]

Something else that played a role in the problems with that era was the then Director General of the BBC, John Birt. He was responsible for the lengthy hiatus of Doctor Who, the sacking of Colin Baker, the changing of episode lengths as well as broadcast days, and ultimately the cancelling of classic DW. He didn't like Doctor Who, and much of the changes that happened during the Sixth Doctor era was people trying to appease Birt and stop him from cancelling it. He was also the one responsible for cancelling of The Tripods. It had run for two series, and was much loved by fans. The third series (the final of the trilogy) was ready to be filmed... and he cancelled it.

[@Kaoruishere]

Hoooboy, the 6th Doctor/Peri-dynamic. When I revisited the S22 stories in order for the first time in a long while thanks to the BluRay set, I was shocked at uncomfortable they were to watch. The character of Peri always felt like a traumatized daughter who couldn't escape her abusive father, and there were moments that had me wonder how they were ever allowed to make it to the screen, let alone on a scriptpage. However, I mostly blame Saward for how messy these seasons are. He was out of his depth in making JNT's vision for the show to work, and whatever the interview is you always get the impression of a guy who didn't want to be there. There was this story that Cartmel once told about taking over Saward's chair. When he moved into his office he found a stash of empty whisky bottles in the drawers. If you take that into account and look at how the seasons that he worked on got progressively worse (if not downright misguided) over the years, it makes a lot of sense why the Colin Baker years turned out the way they did.

[@jonhart2822]

Speaking as someone who watched the show back in the 80s I felt the writers and producers *hated* Tegan and the marvelous actress who played her and were taking all their misogyny out on her

[@Donnagata1409]

Yes, Peri was very, very badly written. A pity, she put her best foot forward at the start...

[@nekusakura6748]

​@@Donnagata1409Thank Goodness for Big Finish's treatment of Peri. I do appreciate that we got some more 5th Doctor and Peri stories from them (they strengthened my enjoyment of 'The Caves of Androzani').

[@spencerluther6485]

13th Doctor: To the Doctor Cave! *enters her tardis*

[@DoctorMysterio15]

That sounds so bad 😂😂😂

[@FourPinesKnitting]

I agree that the problem with Six is not just the strangle scene; it's the relationship that continued on afterward. I grew up on Doctor Who on PBS in the very early 1980s. Four was my doctor. As a kid, I looked up to him as a fatherly figure, and as a girl, I identified with companions like Sarah Jane and Nyssa. When Six acted as he did to Peri, it not only felt abusive, it felt personal. It felt like a parental figure was looking at you with distain. It was soul crushing. Yes, the Doctor can be harsh and dark and get angry, but usually that anger is directed outward toward an enemy. If it's directed toward a companion, it's usually because they've done (or contemplated) something morally wrong. Peri was a whiney "American" teenager. But you know what? So was I! It hurt to have a character I had admired for so long act so crappy to an audience surrogate that was so much like me and for no good reason.

[@chrissetti1390]

Never been a fan of Colin, but I was really surprised by just how good Vengeance on Varos was when I watched it sitting a 'best of each Doctor' run. It does exactly what you recommend and gives him a setting and story where his darker edge really works. I'd rate it above a lot of Tom's episodes

[@PinkDragon400]

What might of contributed to it was the rivalry between Seward, and JNT, and also how JNT, and probably others treated Nicola Bryant. I feel bad for her, and Peri.

[@craiglightowler2991]

The idea of a long firm story had been done before, with The Dalek Master plan over 12 parts and The Key To Time being the arc to season 16. There was also an arc with The Black Guardian/Turlough

[@CouncilofGeeks]

Dalek Master Plan isn't quite what I'm talking about, since whole season arcs are different from an extra long story. And I wouldn't count Key to Time at all. Functionally most of the stories don't connect at all, they just tack on "oh look, we found another piece of the Key" and otherwise are completely stand alone.

[@christopherpoff4117]

...Oh my gosh though. "The writers hated Peri" does put so much into perspective for the tone shift.

[@mrdoctorgilmore]

I disagree with the idea that it "failed", it's a mostly OK era elevated by one of the most interesting Doctors, I feel people are often a little to harsh on his era and throw unfair absolute statements at it. I take some issues with 6 and Peri's dynamic, however there are some moments of hope and kindness between them which I feel often get overlooked, and on the flip side Mel helps in bringing out a more endearing side to 6 where he's more loveably grumpy. I'd say it's biggest issue is a lack of commitment to the story/character arc they set for the Doctor there are hints here and there in s22, and Trial of a Timelord was great in terms of having 6 face the consequences of his actions, setting him on the path for growth, however the higher ups messing around behind the scenes meant his era was cut short. It's thankfully less of an issue given how Big Finish picked it up and finished the 6th Doctor's journey, which thanks to RTD is canon, or at least the Evelyn stories are.

[@TheEldritchGoth]

Colin is my favorite Doctor, Grade shafted him. Love his Big Finish stuff, especially with Evelyn!

[@thebitterfig9903]

A small American anecdote: my older brother (about five years older than our host) used to get episodes VHS taped off of PBS from a college of my Dad's who worked in a different state--our local PBS station didn't run Doctor Who. And the PBS station in that other state didn't order the full season. With the way that old Doctor Who episodes used to be relatively stand-alone in 2-4-6 episode batches, that normally worked reasonably. But along comes Trial of a Timelord, and the plan of not buying a whole season didn't work out that great. Or maybe that's not quite right, and it was our local PBS which didn't get all the episodes, hence tapes from somewhere else to fill in gaps. But the core remains: at least one PBS station didn't order whole seasons. And if stuff like airing out of order hurt various more modern sci-fi shows, it'd hurt here, too. Probably only a single straw in a large pile, but proverbially stuff like that matters.

[@V-grandraccoon]

What went wrong with the sixth doctor’s era? Eric Saward. He was a great script editor for Davison’s era but it’s clear he dropped the ball here. He hated Colin Baker’s casting and it really hindered his abilities. For example he kept the doctor out of the story he wrote, Revelation of the Daleks. It’s interesting to think about what you’re saying here where that hatred could’ve also bled over into a hatred of Peri, which isn’t something I’d considered before. A lot of the writers who worked under Saward struggled to figure out the 45 minute format and still tried to format the first part like a regular 25 minute episode which led to a lot of padding, and everyone’s first thought was apparently throwing in a scene of the Doctor and Peri arguing in the Tardis. The writers clearly needed a bit more guidance and Saward really should’ve stopped that padding from being so repetitive. Meanwhile Saward had a massive reverence for Robert Holmes (the script editor and main writer for the first 3 Tom Baker seasons) which also caused issues. Saward seemed to think the violence is what made Holmes’ seasons so great which is why the violence is so over the top in this era. That Reverence for Holmes also caused a ton of issues for the sixth Doctor’s final episode when he pulled it last minute over a disagreement about the ending with the producer. Saward’s dramatic exit from the show which he made very public at the time airing his grievances with everyone involved, didn’t help things for the show either. If he really hated Baker’s casting as much as he apparently did, then he shouldn’t have stayed on. Yes it sounds like JNT was a bad person to work with and it’s JNT’s fault the costume was so bad. Yes the BBC left the show with a very limited budget which caused problems. It’s not all Saward by any stretch of the imagination but I can’t imagine how much better things would’ve been with a script editor who actually liked his main character.

[@TheGerkuman]

I agree with a lot of this, but it's important to note that a lot of the same issues cropped up in the 5th Doctor's tenure too, and he liked Davison. So it's just as likely that he just wrote the kind of stories that he wanted to write and that him disliking Colin Baker was just an aggravating factor. Edit: Maybe part of it is that his kind of stories worked better with a kind, sad Doctor than an angry, passionate one. But then again, we ended up with Fury of the Deep, so maybe not.

[@nekusakura6748]

@@TheGerkuman Don't you mean 'Warriors of the Deep' ?

[@alunrundle162]

@@TheGerkuman Irony. In 'Ressurection of the Daleks' he completely botched the Daleks by focussing on the Doctor and the guest stars. In 'Revelation of the Daleks' he left the Doctor out and nailed the guests and the Daleks.

[@TheGerkuman]

@@nekusakura6748 yes. I'm not perfect, lol.

[@nekusakura6748]

​@@TheGerkumanAt least you're not "A LOT" like Lestat.

[@GMSquared]

I actually really like the 6th Dr. It saddens me that it was a production, writing, and direction mess for his era.

[@eetu.pennanen]

The 6th Doctor's era is genuinely one of my favorites of the entire show ever. I have no idea why people hate on it so much. I don't think it failed at all, I think people just didn't get what it was going for and were too quick to judge it by its cover despite it being pretty clear that they were attempting a slow burn character arc for the 6th Doctor where he develops from a more detached and alien Doctor into a more humane and emotionally vulnerable one just like the 1st Doctor. I never had problems with the more outlandish costume and melodramatic erratic nature of 6. This show is supposed to follow an alien from another planet who flies through space and time in a police box from the 60s, it makes sense the Doctor isn't exactly socially acceptable or normal and that he doesn't feel rational to us. This whole show has a bizarre premise, so why complain about it when it embraces that? I've seen all of Classic Who in chronological order from start to finish, and let me tell you, the 6th Doctor was such a breath of fresh air after 5 and his relatively gritty era. Doctor Who really needed more color and wackiness and life injected into it after years of downbeat companion and Doctor departures and overall grittiness, and the character of the Doctor needed to be dangerous and unpredictable again after the much softer, mundane and human 5. The 6th Doctor's era took risks and for me they paid off big time. I was far more invested in seeing whatever bizarre things 6 would get up to next, because he was so chaotic and off at first. The creative decision worked for me. The Twin Dilemma is hated for some reason, but to me it is a ton of fun as a post-regeneration story. I like to see the main characters reacting to the chaos that ensues from a regeneration gone wrong and come out stronger after surviving it all. I think Peri and 6 really bond through their rough start together, and I think it becomes clear that they truly care for each other underneath the quarreling old married couple act they establish in that story. Thanks to stories like that I really grew to love 6 and Peri together, despite not originally liking Peri much at all when she was introduced as a completely paper thin character. Attack of the Cybermen experimented with the TARDIS in fun ways and we got a darker look at the Cybermen than usual in that story, Vengeance on Varos and Revelation of the Daleks are absolute classics, The Two Doctors is a lot of fun, and in my opinion Trial of a Time Lord is very satisfying and entertaining throughout except for the messy final episode, which fails to motivate the villain properly and undoes a tragic event from the season which in my opinion was one of the most emotionally investing turns in the whole show up to that point. To me besides that writing mishap there is only one thing in this era that is a big mistake in my eyes, and that is the fact 6 never got a proper regeneration story, because Colin is definitely up there with the best Doctors and deserved it. I just felt very cheated because I could not say goodbye to his Doctor properly and 7 replaced him in a way that felt like they took a massive shit on Colin and just tried to erase his Doctor from existence and pretend like he was the fault for the show not doing so well, which isn't true in the slightest. Colin is a far better Doctor than a lot of them, I'd actually go so far as to rank him in the top 5 easily. Honestly I think the show had just become inaccessible for the casual viewer after going on for so long, and maybe it was out of touch with the times in some ways when it comes to the production values and the all over the place vibe it gave off, which you could easily mistake for being tasteless and without depth or talent. I just don't think many people who complain about the 6th Doctor's era have even seen the stories or the era at all, or seen it in chronological order after watching the previous eras first so that they could even have an informed opinion on it in context of the whole show. If you compare the quality of the show with 6 to the latter half of the 4th Doctor's era for example, I would much rather watch 6 than that boring mediocrity and I'm pretty sure quite a lot of people would do the same if they had gone through the show in chronological order and experienced stories after stories of forgettable bland tv in seasons 15-17. The only story of 6 that I actively dislike is The Mark of the Rani. One bad apple doesn't bring a whole era down, not even close. 6 is a great Doctor and his era rocks. There. I said it.

[@Altaira17]

Well, I experienced them chronologically at the time and Colin Baker’s era was definitely my least favorite. I got what they were trying to go for with 6 being irascible and full of himself but I just didn’t enjoy spending time with him. I didn’t like Peri or Mel either and the stories kind of bored me. The whole thing was a wash as far as I was concerned but I stuck with it out of loyalty. I didn’t really enjoy Doctor Who again ‘til 7 and Ace. That’s one of my favorite TARDIS teams.

[@TardisCoreST]

I am endlessly grateful to Big Finish for making me completely rethink my opinion on the Sixth Doctor and Colin Baker. If someone asked me before I've listened to his first audiostory, who was my least favorite Doctor, I would've said Sixth without missing a beat. Now he is one of my most favorites, and his pairing with Constance Clarke is one of the best TARDIS dream teams I've ever seen in Doctor Who. The show was really spiraling after Davidson left, and didn't complement Colin Baker's acting capabilities, and it's sad. I am so glad he was given another chance.

[@IsmailOPostalcioglu]

No wonder the 6th Doctor works on audio better. It's the only medium we cannot see that costume

[@firstlast5499]

When John Nathan-Turner took over as producer, you had a lot of companions introduced for a Doctor who regenerated a couple of stories later… Adric and Nyssa were truly designed to work opposite Tom Baker’s Doctor… an older mentor figure… and then you bring in Peter Davison. Nyssa kind of worked with Davison, but Adric needed that older mentor figure. Peri was meant to work with Davison… and then they regenerate him at the end of her second story into Colin Baker… and those two did not work together. Melanie Bush suffered from the same issue with Sylvester McCoy. Turlough and Ace worked with their respective Doctors because that is for whom they were designed. Sadly, Clara Oswald suffered from this in the revived series… but I think it was more that she overstayed her welcome. As for what went wrong with Colin’s time overall… I refer to it as a severe case of Bad Scriptitis. The writers did not help him at all. His best stories were written by veteran writer Robert Holmes, and Colin personally liked “Vengeance on Varos” as well (his comment to me at Dragon Con several years ago). Much of this was due to restrictions placed on JNT by the BBC in the form of budget cuts and directives that he get new writers.

[@theloniousmiles]

6's dynamic w Peri is very like the first Dr's attitude in season 1 & maybe season 2. If it was done better, it could have been hailed as a throwback. I always think of 6 as a return of 1 through the fires of that specific near-death regeneration. Love 6. He works for me! Sorry, I even like the coat & pin 😸

[@CouncilofGeeks]

I think the difference was that in 1’s time Ian was positioned as the hero type so it didn’t need to seem like the Doctor was reliable, because somebody else was.

[@TheGerkuman]

I agree. Also, the 1st Doctor also clearly loved Susan, even if in an overprotective way at the beginning. There was no clear sign of the 6th Doctor caring about anyone. I honestly think that if they'd given him some moments where he was being kind to Peri, even in a 'I'm trying to appear like I don't care, but I do' way, would have helped a lot. After all, the 12th Doctor seems to be an attempt to redo the 'jerk becomes a better person over time because he learnt the importance of kindness' arc, and that ended up better than this attempt partially because we know he cared about Clara. And Big Finish 6th Doctor very much cared about justice and decency.

[@SuperFunkmachine]

1 could be abrasive but he usually has a clear reason to be. 6 an peri just bickered an sniped at each other.

[@peterdixon7734]

Speaking as a former child, I agree with this Council of Geeks assessment. In fact, it is surprisingly perceptive. The fans were rooting for Colin at the time, as he had shown great commitment to the show and had expressed a desire to do a long run, if possible, as opposed to the three years that Peter Davison, for example, had put in (on Patrick Troughton's advice, about typecasting). However, 6 was let down by the writers and the show runner, and faced the (now well-known) hostility of the BBC rent-a-toffs. I have to say that the quality of the writing had started to decline half-way through Tom Baker's era, with Douglas Adams' humour turning out badly on screen and Tom's flippant attitude getting out of hand. Boring stories started to appear in excessive numbers (a lot of them taking place in quasi-mediaeval courts. "Oh no! Not another one!"), and, although there was something of a sci-fi lift during 5's era, JNT and his writers dropped the ball again, and it went bouncing down the stairs into the privy. Technically speaking, Grade was right to say that the show had "lost its magic" - but it was his responsibility to sort it out and improve it, not starve it of support and resources until his own prejudices came true like a self-fulfilling prophecy. He should have sacked himself, and John Birt, in turn, should have reconstructed himself. I have said it before: Colin Baker represented a lost opportunity - we were robbed.

[@ericgilbertson5785]

I was watching Dr Who on late Friday nights on PBS, in the 80s, and completely noped out on the show at the scene where he attacked Peri. Didn't watch the sixth doctor again until a complete rewatch to get ready for the 50th anniversary, and actually enjoyed the darkness and attempt at more serious themes in the 22nd season.

[@ErinTheFennec]

So, in a recent Big Finish behind the scenes (The Quin Dilemma) Colin Baker mentioned a plan for his Doctor to start out abrasive and mellow out over his run, but it couldn't play out because the BBC weren't willing to wait. I'm not entirely sure if that plan was something he personally wanted for the show or if that was the actual intent of the writers at the time, but whichever it was, I'm really glad that Big Finish has given him that.

[@PsyrenXY]

19:19 "They were experimenting too many things at once. They were already getting experimental with the dynamic between the Doctor and the companion, but then they were also getting experimental with the format." This right here is why Chibnall's era also failed. They got experimental by cramming an entire "Fam" into the TARDIS, and they got experimental with the format by turning the first series and a half of Jodie's run into monster-of-the-week with very little overarching storyline and very few established villains. And as much as I wish the Doctor being portrayed by someone other than a cis white male weren't experimental, we can throw that onto the pile too, particulalry for the historicals like Rosa and Witchfinders where her gender ended up hampering her ability to do the whole standard Doctor take-charge thing. Too many experiments at once, just like with Colin.

[@vtmarik]

For me I really liked Colin Baker's overall vibe as The Doctor, bit of a precursor to Time Lord Victorious in a lot of ways especially when we learn about The Valeyard and the vibes we get of the Doctor's darkness that we see in the New Who seasons more fleshed out. If his first season had been Trial of a Time Lord following his regeneration then it would have changed the overall perception of him. Going from him being this insufferable egotist to having to face his worst actions in that incarnation and then growing as a result would have probably made him quite beloved.

[@TheDopekitty]

Looking forward to learning about this. Only story I saw was Trial of a Timelord Was married to a British guy who was the one who introduced me to doctor who at the start of Matt's run. He wasn't a fan of Colin's run.

[@40somethingmanchild]

I saw it as a kid on BBC 1. And the attack on Peri scene was quite shocking for dinner time (tea time) television in early 80s UK. (Additional: there was no writers room on Doctor Who, just commissioned writers and a permanent script editor, who was at the time, Eric Saward. The violence in 80s Who was generally down to him).

[@shaunhouse8469]

I don't think Tegan particularly wanted to be there for pretty much her whole time, I think she wanted to be with her friends (the other companions) but she started travelling with the Doctor by accident and it never became something she wanted to be doing

[@MikeFoster-wg8jt]

I regret not chatting with Colin Baker at Gallifrey One 30. He was sitting by himself across from a dealer table where I bought a few books. I could’ve just walked up and said “How’re you, are you enjoying your trip?” but I wasn’t expecting the opportunity and had no idea what to say. I later enjoyed Big Finish “Jubilee” and have realized that the success of Doctor Who does not come down to the actor but also writers and producers. I wish I could go back in time and have that friendly chat.

[@BritishAdam]

It's really a shame Colin's doctor didn't have a good series. He's a fantastic actor in my opinion, and he's one of the best champions for Doctor who in his later years.

[@jonhart2822]

I watched Doctor Who back in the 80s and though I respected Colin Baker as an actor I felt at the time that the BBC were actively sabotaging the show with the abrasive personality of the Doctor.

[@johnholmesinchesahead342]

Too many Bakers spoil the broth.

[@arthurward2067]

I dont think the writers hated Peri, I think its that Eric Seward took all the wrong lessons from the success of The Caves of Androzani, a story in which she suffers a lot whilst in a situation which is out of her control and being leered at by the villain of the story, so Seward decided to do that over and over again. And the Peri issue isnt the only wrong lesson he took from that story, he just didnt understand that The Caves of Androzani was the sort of story that you can only really do once.

[@michaelyapp3254]

The Batman of Doctor Who, nice analogy

[@jonhart2822]

The tragedy is Colin Baker wanted to make the Doctor darker but more like Kerr Avon in Blake's Seven which would have been interesting.

[@detectivesquirrel2621]

It also didn't help that it came at a time the BBC, under Michael Grade and then his protégé hated Doctor Who and wanted it gone. Thats what led to the hiatus between Colin Baker's 1st series and Trial of a Timelord. Then Jonathon Nathan-Turner was given the job of sacking Colin, with the promise that he would be free to leave Doctor Who himself to pursue other projects. He sacked Colin over the phone then the BBC went back on the deal and insister that Nathan-Turner had to stay. Finally the BBC bought the axe down on BBC... Even then not officially. They kept giving vague promises of an animated series of a co-production with an American studio, which eventually led to the McGann TV movie.

[@kevinpeterson6468]

Is this the first time the Doctor gets scary? Could it be that he doesn’t know how to turn it off

[@SplotchTheCatThing]

heeeey neat, The Holy Terror is on Spotify There are still two or three of Six's TV stories that I genuinely like, Vengeance on Varos being the big one... and there was one part of the Trial storyline that came very very close for me, but they, as I sometimes say, forgot about the part of storytelling where you actually tell the story. :) Either way that's not nearly as many "favourites" as I have for any of the other Doctors. I've only really dipped my claw in the audio stuff so far but now that I've got your recommendation and... well, no excuse :D I'm gonna have to make some time for that.

[@tokublwhovian]

I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of this era itself, but I do like Colin as a person and the Sixth Doctor in isolation. He gives me shades of what 1-5, 8-14 could be if they weren’t reigned in (I didn’t include 7 because he could be similar to 6 at times) Attack of the Cybermen is my favourite, due to sometimes liking the show going past it’s intended audience. As for Peri and Mel, the 60th redeemed Mel for me. She was similar to Victoria from the Troughton era - a non-stop screamer, in my opinion. Peri (similar to the Season 19 version of Tegan and Ryan during 13’s run) doesn’t feel like she belongs in the show. I feel sorry for Colin, Nicola and and Bonnie. They could’ve been given great script or better directors, but JNT or the BBC at the time probably said “F-ck it, we’re not successful anymore. So we might as well let it die and put the blame on someone else”. I would love to listen to Big Finish, but I’m not great at visioning audio and my attention span for reading isn’t what it use to be, so sadly I won’t be reading the comics anytime soon.

[@Elwaves2925]

I like Colin's dry, quite sardonic and sometimes sarcastic humour in real life. I always had a bigger problem with Mel more than the 6th Doctor in that era. Mel and Bonnie in general always annoyed me, which as she appeared on quite a few shows in the UK was quite often. I much prefer her nowadays in her appearances. I've always said that JNT wasn't really responsible for DW at that time, it was the BBC and Michael Grade. He was going to leave, he was out of ideas and only stayed on to keep the show going, or the BBC would cancel it and he didn't want that. JNT certainly wasn't faultless but it goes far beyond him.

[@iancuneo1820]

Victoria definitely was a screamer but she had her moments of action or coolness. Mel just kinda felt there. I would agree that she’s gotten some better material both in the 60th and the last season.

[@nekusakura6748]

@@iancuneo1820 Big Finish has also been a Massive help for Mel as well.

[@kylejones8289]

I'd also put forward Mysterious Planet as probably 6 at his best, at least as best as he was on TV. It's not great, but it's the only time on TV where 6 and Peri's dynamic really works. There's this great moment where Peri discovers that they have landed in a post-apocalyptic London, and Peri is clearly upset by this. You can tell the Doctor realizes that she is upset and tries to comfort her, but can't really understand why she is upset and doesn't quite know how to comfort her. It is a rare moment where you can see where they're going for with a more alien, distant abrasive Doctor and it actually works, because he is still caring and compassionate. I feel like if there were more moments like that, the 6th Doctor era would've been a lot better. Still mostly an average episode at the end of the day, though. I probably would not find it remarkable if it was in literally any other era.

[@nekusakura6748]

The Last Completed Serial by Robert Holmes. It's a Shame he died before he could have worked on the 7th Doctor's Era.

[@DoctorMysterio15]

Colin Baker's time on TV as the doctor is a wild ride, full of interesting but undeveloped/wasted potential and some heavily bad writing, but he is my favorite Doctor and I just love how Big Finish gave him some kind of redemption. So just imagine my surprise when Colin Baker came back in 'The power of the doctor'.

[@Brunoxsa]

Thank you for the video, Vera! My knowledge about the classic era of the Doctor Who TV series is superficial. The big challenge when introducing a new incarnation of the Doctor is to establish their character. It cannot be only about their physical appearance and, by extension, their costume and actor. The viewers must have a firm grasp of who that incarnation is, regardless if that will take some time to happen or they will go through a character arc, and the viewers also must care for them. Considering how media works, such as serial television, are group efforts, my opinion is everybody involved on them are responsible for their successes and failures (despite some professionals being deserved of taking more praise or blame). So Colin Baker also deserves some blame for the quality of the Sixth Doctor's era. However, the supposed drama behind the scenes and Baker having a bad experience during the production probably explain a lot why this era is so ill-regarded by most viewers. Usually, you cannot create something good under bad work conditions. And when the final product still ends being good despite these conditions, it is the exception rather than the rule.

[@kyrauniversal]

I feel like Colin Baker should be in contact with Eccleston. They'd get along great.

[@nekusakura6748]

I hope we get a 6th and 9th Doctor Big Finish Audio drama at some point.

[@kyrauniversal]

@@nekusakura6748 YES! I'd volunteer a story to Big Finish myself without royalties in order for that to happen.

[@nekusakura6748]

​@kyrauniversal Which 6th Doctor Companions would you feature in that story? I'd pick either Constance Clark or Charley Pollard.

[@armoghetto]

Great commentary. With each rewatch, Peri is scared and ignored. The fifth Doctor feels responsible for her almost dying, and he sacrifices an incarnation save her. And it feels like the sixth Doctor holds ithe sacrifice against her. The Two Doctors adventure holds a place in my heart because the inclusion of Jamie displays the use of a second companion, and one of Jamie’s. Ali dr and acceptance of the Doctor’s other worldliness, helps to balance out the relationship within Peri. She needed some help,manthis Doctor. Part of the problem may have been the stereotypical damsel role of the classic companion compared to the more proactive and ground holding companions that were emerging. These types would take Sarah, Tegan, and others notches above what was seen before. The companion helps the audience accept the Doctor, but Peri does not accept as much as suffers this Doctor. And. Thus, the audience is left to do the same. This Doctor was set up for an evolution which the Powers That Be failed to see through. This also left a bad impression.

[@zeelovesu172]

15:24 I still can’t believe the eleventh doctor was played by Milo Morbius 💀

[@connorwood9211]

Wasn't there also something with the head of BBC at the time? He really hated the show, wanted it gone, while also going out with Colin ex wife at the time?

[@jackaylward-williams9064]

It’s actually quite rare for The Doctor to regenerate in the final episode of a season, with 3,4, and 9 technically being the only ones to do so. 1 and 5,both regenerate before the end of their respective final seasons, 6 regenerates at the start of 7’s first season, 2 doesn’t actually regenerate on screen at the end of his final story (and if you go with the Season 6b continuity, that isn’t even the point at which he regenerates), and all the other doctors regenerate (or bigenerate) in standalone episodes.

[@ajbartley3432]

JNT decided that since everyone loved Androzani the year before, that everything had to be harder...so why not make the doctor the opposite of Davison (despite the actors innate warmth and chemistry) and also double down on his 'No Hanky panky/freindship in the tardis'

[@ArcaneCowboy]

Colin Baker's first episode is when I stopped watching Doctor Who. His first line he came across as such an asshole.

[@romanschautfilme]

he did attacked Peri xD kinda...almost killed her xD...im rewatching some classic episodes at the moment...and i have really hard time watching the sixth doctor.

[@tomgarb6302]

The pairing of six and Evelyn was an absolute masterstroke. I'll be honest I always liked Colin baker even before big finish. It's very disheartening to see how he was done dirty

[@andrewgurudata2390]

An excellent analysis of the Sixth Doctor and their era. Very well done, thank you. The only piece of their puzzle that I feel you skipped in your analysis is a bit about how you felt their relationship with Mel compared and contrasted to the rest of what you discussed.

[@alunrundle162]

I have a Doctor Who companion guide that, in the review of the Peter Davison story 'Planet of fire' kind of sums up the 6th Doctor's era. It calls 'Planet of Fire' "The kind of average story that Doctor Who would suddenly, disastrously, forget how to make." And they're right. With the exception of Vengeance on Varos (with a good story but over violent and wooden acting from Jason Connery ) and The Dalek story (again, very violent and the Doctor's not really needed), every tale in his first season is a low scorer. (And the Two Doctors is over padded)

[@jarjared3522]

About the Batman comparison... I think it would be more apt to compare Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor to Zack Snyder's take on Batman. Such a glaring misunderstanding of a character that every nuance of the character is stripped in favor of superficial traits. Batman is not a violent rich edgelord, he is more conplicated than that, and so is the Doctor.

[@CouncilofGeeks]

I don't agree that the 6th Doctor is that far off the mark conceptually.

[@jarjared3522]

@@CouncilofGeeks The Doctor has a dash of darkness and an ego, yes. That is balanced out by likeable qualities like compassion and empathy. However he is not consistently cruel to the point of being irredeemable as the Sixth Doctor on TV is portrayed. To me the Sixth Doctor in his tv stories comes off as being written by people who don't understand that. It gave me flashbacks to Batman v Superman and Zack Snyder making Batman brand criminals knowing full well they'll be killed in prison. A character that in other versions like the 90s animated series shows compassion and is saddened when members of his rogues gallery fail rehabilitation only to get sent back to Arkham Asylum.

[@MrMarsFargo]

To me, I always recommend the 6th Doctor's run like this -- Vengeance on Varos, Revelation of the Daleks, Trial of a Time Lord -- Evelyn Smyth audio stories, + Wrong Doctors, + *_Trial of the Valeyard_* (very important inclusion) -- Charley Pollard audio stories -- Flip audio stories, + The Widow's Assassin, + Flip and Constance stories -- Mel audio stories, _ending with Thicker Than Water_ (very important point) -- The Last Adventure boxset Because to me, the arc they were _GOING_ for was that this Doctor had the potential to go down a very dark path that would lead to him eventually becoming something born of his worst potential like the Valeyard (who was intended to come back as a re-occurring villain), which the Doctor averts by choosing to be the best of himself instead. That arc was never resolved due to Baker's firing, and therefore that doesn't come across in execution. JNT was definitely terrible at beginning stories, but I also think he was GREAT at endings. Take Logopolis, Caves of Androzani, and Survival. I think if he'd actually been able to finish Baker's run on TV as intended, we might not even necessarily look at his treatment of Peri as disdainful a creative decision as we do now (though I fully agree it doesn't work as intended in execution) because we'd see it as the initial "bookend" to which we'd be comparing his subsequent character-growth. I think the Big Finish run they gave him definitely completes that arc a lot better, especially in a story like "The Wrong Doctors" where you can literally compare two different points in his timeline and how he's evolved since then. In terms of how they execute the Valeyard concept (SPOILERS for "The Last Adventure") -he's essentially revealed to be an alternate timeline 7th Doctor, but before 6 can regenerate into him he sends a telepathic message back to his earlier self that causes him to regenerate sooner, thereby averting his regeneration into the Valeyard- (END OF SPOILERS). So essentially 6's arc goes from being the most self-absorbed Doctor to the most selfless, literally willing to sacrifice his own life to prevent a potentially negative outcome for others as a result of his actions. I think they were really trying to capture Hartnell's arc in that sense, in that he doesn't begin as the Doctor we all know and love but gradually becomes that character over the course of his character evolution.

[@nekusakura6748]

Turner was the one who requested that Peri's death be retconned in the ending of 'Trial of a Time Lord'. I find it ironic that Nicola Bryant wishes that Peri's originaly planned death had been maintained, especially with how poorly Peri was treated by the show. 'The War Valyard' is also a great Epilogue for the Titular character.

[@Sparx632]

The 6th Doctor era is the only era of classic who I’ve currently seen in its entirety and idk I actually quite liked most of it.

[@mxrichardsonsneighbourhood5402]

I feel a large problem with seasons 22 and 23 was Eric Saward. Not only him but the conflict between Saward and Turner. From everything I've heard, Eric Saward didn't really get the ethos of Doctor Who.

[@nekusakura6748]

I wouldn't be surprised if the stressful working environment caused by the Clashes between Eric Saward and John Nathan Turner was a contributing factor to Robert Holmes' premature death during the production of 'Trial of A Time Lord'.

[@JamesLawner]

I heard that the the 6th Doctor got a new regeneration in the audio stories, is that true?

[@nekusakura6748]

In 'The Last Adventure'. It's the proper sendoff he deserved.

[@kurathchibicrystalkitty5146]

Thank you! Everyone else seems to love Robot, sometimes even claiming it as one of Tom Baker's best, but I couldn't stand it. I wanted to just turn it off, I was cringing so hard. The only parts I liked were when the Doctor was doing something funny or witty. This was a great analysis of the 6th Doctor's era, and explains a lot of the things that had been confusing me, so, thank you for that!

[@nekolalia3389]

That ‘power-mad conspirators’ speech won me a Facebook competition for tickets to a Doctor Who convention. Though Six zags where the various Doctors typically zig, moments like that - ESPECIALLY coming from him - illuminate the core of the Doctor so much more.

[@nekusakura6748]

One can definitely recognise Robert Holmes' touch with that "Unseemly Outburst". It's a shame that Holmes didn't get to work past the 6th Doctor's Era.

[@mjmjr91]

When I was first getting in to doctor who I was trying to get a feel for each individual incarnation of the Doctor and I read something online similar to what you've said but more to the effect of The concept of a darker incarnation of the Doctor is something that can be done well, look at the early days of Peter Capaldi's era, but the Sixth Doctor's TV era fails to answer a simple question: why anyone would want to travel with someone like that

[@CourteousKitsch]

I feel that Colin and Sly were two great choices for the Doctor in terms of what the show runners wanted to accomplish with the character, but circumstances and botching of the execution gave us a very different outcome than what was intended. McCoy has ended up being one of my favorite Doctors, but overall, the post-Davison eras are a great tragedy because we now know what could have been.

[@MetalheadSean666]

The 6th Doctors era has always been one of my favourites genuinely the only stories I do not care for are The Twin Dilemma(it's not as bad as some folk say it's just meh especially after such a great story like Caves, I also loved damn near all of 5s era) and The Vervoids, it's boring & confusing Underrated era imo

[@510newguy]

This is a great analysis. I'm subscribing!

[@doubleluckydub.7782]

The 6th is my favorito Doctor in the big finish

[@Merlynoflore]

It's essentially the same thing as both Smith and Capaldi's eras

[@CouncilofGeeks]

Explain?

[@MarkWiseTechno]

Best 6th Doctor episode is Vengeance on Varos. I've only watched it once, but could see myself giving it another viewing at some point. I wouldn't rewatch anything else from the era.

[@michaelloughlin409]

Revelation I enjoy a lot as an early Dr-lite episode filled with other interesting characters. But agree that sometimes trying too many things at once leads to a mess

[@soundofazure]

Interesting! The only Sixth doctor media I actually interacted with was a choose your own adventure-style novel. Wasn’t sure what to make of it back then.

[@superkid801]

Great video. I always felt bad with his doctor. I do want to look into big finish, the recommendations you said I do want to hear. I can understand trying and experimenting, but it's the execution that can be a challenge. I do like that speech he gives too

[@HudsonMedia]

It’s a real shame considering Colin’s ambitions to outlast Tom Baker in the role and seeing his genuine excitement for it. Maybe it’s just nostalgia but I really love Revelation of the Daleks. Time and the Rani is a proper fun time and Vervoids is cosy. But that’s as much as I really get into for me. Loved the video as always!

[@nekusakura6748]

He's Been on Big Finish Audio longer than Tom Baker, so there's that, at least.

[@williamhowe1]

(points to John Nathan Turner) "Villain! Murderer!"

[@mgailp]

I always had a soft spot for 6, because he reminds me a bit of 1 - crabby and didn't really like people, but liked butting into other's business and "fixing" things, My fav story is actually The Mysterious Planet, but you are right none of them are great representations of what 6 could be. Before the Internet became what it is now, somebody posted many of the DWMag comics on a page. That created my love of 6,

[@ZandrousVT]

A few other 6th Doctor Big Finish recommendations from a HUGE 6th Doctor fan (thanks to Big Finish). These picks run the breadth of his various companions throughout his tenure to date, range in tone from purely comical to horrifically unsettling. In my opinion these, along with essay was recommended in the video, really gives you a great feel as to WHO the 6th Doctor is as a person. The best of him, the worst of him and everything between. And there's even more than this, but I wanted to try and not put too many. But these are some of my favorites. The Nowhere Place The One Doctor Project Twilight ...ish The Sandman Medicinal Purposes The Song of Megaptera The Wrong Doctors The Sixth Doctor Adventures: Water Worlds Out of Time 3: Wink

[@Alexandrashepiro]

The 6th Doctor was good..Just Bad TV stories ..But the his BF audios have really been AWESOME!!!

[@nekusakura6748]

I hope Jodie Whittaker gets some Awesome Big Finish audio dramas.

[@redfieldblair]

I came to classic Who through recommendations from my parents, so I never saw the version of the sixth Doctor that was so hated. I never saw him strangle Peri in the Twin Dilemma, and thank everything I didn't see Timelash. Had I seen that at a younger age I might have given up on the show entirely. What I did see was: Vengeance of Varos - Nothing wrong with the plot, maybe a little of the Docs characterization. Only issue is AWFUL direction, and sadly with the way the BBC worked that's just luck of the draw, nothing the production team could have done there. Revelation of the Daleks - One of my favourites, I love that dark deadpan humour. The Two Doctors - Frankly a great story given the same grab bag of requirements Robert Holmes had to deal with as Terrance Dicks did in the The Five Doctors. And every story in Trial of a Timelord is not bad, they're really not. The trial doesn't work, and it interferes with episodes like Mindwarp because we don't know what's real but yeah I come back to these stories a lot. And only those, from the ages of 6 to 23 those (and Slipback) were all I knew of old sixie - and as a result I felt he had the best run of the 80s. Even though my earliest memory is season 24 however and I have all the nostalgia in the world for McCoy I can not watch season 24 - I just can't do it. Paradise Towers is my Evolution of the Daleks of classic Who - it's existence means I know I will never do a full rewatch, ever. Very glad to have the shout out to Evelyn - I got into Big Finish in a big way when 2005 rekindled my love for the show. I adored her. But I could quite happily watch the 6th Doctor and Peri as they played it in the early episodes of Trial; they intentionally played against the aggressiveness in the script, added some knowing smiles and I love watching them together for that brief period. I rather love Big Finish having Wendy Padbury note the Doctors presence in Revelation was incidental and old sixie getting indignant about it, but I don't think it's a bad thing - if I did I'd have a real issue with the latest season of Doctor Who, the Doctor generally hasn't done much.

[@ThatElfTorunn]

"You thought the Chibnall era was rough..." Ummm... no, but I won't tell anyone they're wrong for disliking it for legitimate reasons. Like you! You disagree with me but I'm not about to say you're wrong. It's an opinion. Unless they're based on ACTUAL facts and not subjective art then they CAN'T be wrong lol.

[@citrinedragonfly]

It's strange, but wonderful at the same time, to find so many differing views of Doctor Who. Colin Baker was, for me, a marvelous Doctor on screen. Only stories I haven't watched of his yet are The Twin Dilemma and Timelash. I've lost count of the number of times I've rewatched Trial of a Time Lord - it was my comfort viewing for a long time, and one of the first stories I ever got on VHS back in the '90s as a teenager. I think part of why I don't have the same negative opinion of Colin's era as a lot of fandom is that I got into Doctor Who in such a piecemeal way - I saw the first and last episode from each Doctor's era on a PBS pledge drive in the summer between 8th and 9th grade, and I had no expectations. I'd tuned in to watch my older "friends" from the local Starfleet chapter man the phone bank, since I wasn't allowed to go up to West Palm Beach with them as a 14 year old (they ran the local Trek convention at the Broward Community College library every year, and I volunteered with some of my friends from school). So I saw episode 1 of An Unearthly Child followed by episode 10 of The War Games, then episode 1 of Spearhead from Space, episode 6 of Planet of the Spiders, etc. And my parents made me turn the channel at the end of episode 1 of Castrovalva, so I had to wait to find out about the others when the full stories aired later on. I had no idea of continuity, no idea of who the characters were, but I was mesmerized. So when the two stories PBS aired from Colin's era, Vengeance on Varos and Attack of the Cybermen, I had no clue of context. They weren't shown in "Doctor order", except that they'd aired Tomb of the Cybermen sometime before Attack, so I saw that it was meant to be a sequel. I didn't see the kind of abusive nature of the relationship people describe between the Doctor and Peri. I saw two friends who traveled together even though they didn't always agree on how to proceed, and I saw a Doctor who thought Peri could handle herself. That was almost exactly 30 years ago. In that time, I've watched nearly all of Colin's stories, learned the behind the scenes issues, met an actor who worked on The Two Doctors (the late Clinton Greyne, the very tall Sontaran, and my tour guide on my high school drama class's trip to England), read novels featuring the 6th Doctor and Peri (mostly the Virgin Publishing Missing Adventures from the 90s), and rewatched Trial so many times I can practically quote it if someone starts a line. Colin and Nicola were such good friends off-screen, I learned, and I know that influenced how I saw things. And how I still do. I haven't had the opportunity to listen to Colin's Big Finish stories, but he's still one of my favorite Doctors. And nothing I remember seeing, even in the most violent episodes, ever made me afraid of the 6th Doctor. Not the way I was of the Time Lord Victorious. I would watch/rewatch ANY of Colin's stories over rewatching the Waters of Mars. All that said, Colin got a raw deal from all the behind the scenes issues - Michael Grade, JN-T wanting to pass the show to a new producer and not being allowed to, the 18-month hiatus, Saward being at odds with JN-T, etc. But I never thought that colored his performance. He did the best with what he had, and while it might not be for everyone, his stuff is up there for me. And now I want to do a watch-through of all his stories.

[@helamsirrine]

Vengeance on Varos?

[@lp-xl9ld]

I saw the Colin Baker era in the US not long after its initial UK showing. What was crazy was that the station I was watching it on was running the Hartnell and Troughton stories (that existed at that time) primarily with a Colin Baker story thrown in once a month or so. And, as I'd only discovered the show the year before, it made it hard for me to follow what was going on. That aside... I said at the time in a song that I wrote to the melody of "Auld Lang Syne" "So season twenty-two began, and there could be no doubt/The writing had declined and Peri's welcome had worn out." Sums it up pretty well, don't you think? But I never gave a thought to *why* that might be. Guess I owe you one for clearing that up--or at least explaining why it *might* have been so.

[@andykey78]

I read somewhere (probably DWM!) that the dark, gritty, bleak tone really started with Eric Saward as script editor and stories like Caves of Androzani which were full of violence, murder, drug runners etc. But why they worked was because the 5th Doctor was a counterpoint to that tone, it highlighted his virtues. As soon as 6 started strangling Peri and throwing people into acid baths then there was no counterpoint. It was just grim violence. Why 6 is more successful in novels, comics, audio etc. is because he behaves more like the Doctor we expect but still with his own unique personality. Another indication that the issue was with the writing and tone and not the actor is the 2nd Doctor in the Two Doctors who did some horrific things.

[@scimitaredgebooks]

Revelation of the Daleks is a great story - for the wonderful supporting cast, probably more than the main two

[@misterwillguitar]

These are some good points, especially the one about Peri being written in such a way. I *was* around at the time (still a young kid) and I can't say for sure whether I was just getting older (3 years is a very long time at a child age) or whether what I felt was objectively true at the time, but the feel around Dr Who had become one of great negativity. BBC itself seeming to run hit pieces on it being very outdated, highlighting rickety sets and so forth. Previously I had been the child engrossed by the Myrka and that whole Peter Davison story (no word of a lie, I found all of that incredible at the time!). Also there seemed to be a whole fashion during Colin Baker's run that everyone insisted the show had been cancelled and it was off air before coming back for the Trial of a Timelord season. From the bits I have seen since, it seems this was the case and only the JNT campaigning of the time saved it. Once again I can't say for sure whether my being a bit older made me aware of certain things or not (or whether the negativity towards the show being put out in the press and tv had sunk into my head), but the show suddenly felt very cheap and downscaled. Remember Im used to a Tardis packed full of characters, and sure it downsized a little, but now there was just the Doctor and one other person, and they didnt seem to go to lots of different rooms. And they seemed to re-use the opening credit scene and colour it in just a bit more (reading Dr Who annuals and seeing stills of the previous Doctors opening credits was a joy in years before), so it felt like much of the enthusiasm and goodwill towards the show just wasn't there - plus the cheaper feel and low effort stories, and less companions and so on. Most people of my age had indeed written the show off, or repeated negative comments that had been circulating on tv and in the news. Maybe one or two of us in class watched the show and would speak, or borrow the novels from the library etc. People didn't even seem bothered when there was a dalek story (contrasting to before when it was a HUGE event for everyone if they knew the daleks would be in the show!) For what its worth I did enjoy Colin Baker's portrayal of the Doctor, and as you have pointed out, the whole strangling Peri never had any impact on me at all, I dont think I even remembered it at the time. Im pretty sure I would have written it off as "oh yes the doctor is a bit odd until he settles down after a regeneration" - as I had seen that in Davisons era. Peri's "death" really shocked me (even with it retconned at the end of the season), and I always remember feeling quite proud that they filmed the end of the trial parts in my City at some of the pottery locations - so it had that special feel for me. Thanks for the video its been great to see your take on it all

[@ZoeMalDoran]

Did you ever read the fanmade webcomic "The Ten Doctors" ? I think it came out before season 4 of New Who, probably during season 3 as I've read Time Crash hadn't aired yet when they had 10's reaction to meeting 5. It stars (as the name suggests) all ten known Doctors, and most of their companions, and is set (from 10 and the show's perspective) right before "Smith and Jones"

[@IanBeaumont128]

I lived through and watched that era. It was really rough, and whilst I don’t think you’re entirely wrong in your analysis, I definitely think there’s a number of other factors that didn’t help the show either, both within the show itself and outside of it, that made this era of Doctor Who particularly difficult to watch, even at the time.

[@Donnagata1409]

Whatever you may say, Colin Baker will always have a special place in my heart. P.S. Tom Baker was a wet blanket. Lalla Ward more so. Both of them together... boooooooooring. 12:35 Oh, you're soooo right! Peri could have been so much better! Started good, too, before she met the 6th. Doctor. 19:45 No, the longest one had 12 episodes (The Dalek's Master Plan) 26:43 Probably don't agree about the cruelty, but you have a point.

[@Venemofthe888]

I do wonder if it would have worked if the 6th doctor drove peri away and he was on his own for a bit getting worse but also trying to do better