Colin Baker was a gifted and energetic actor, (similar to Tom Baker I think), who, from everything I've heard, had wanted to play the Doctor for many years, and, once he got there, thoroughly enjoyed the part and gave it everything he had. He was let down by some terribly written stories and a BBC that wanted any excuse to cancel the show. It's amazing to me that, in spite how he was treated, he still loves the show and the fans as much as he does.
Yes I think he told the radio Times in 1984 that he would like to play doctor who for as long as tom Baker had done. A shame of course it was not to be as we know as by 1987 he was not on it alas.
In 2001, I found out I was going to be a father. And it was a boy! So I went through every Doctor actor's name with my wife. She liked Colin. My son is now almost 21. Now he wonders why I named him after the "worst" 😷 Doctor. I told him, Colin Baker had a very small chance to succeed. He was set up to fail, he was a great actor and could've really grown into the role. My son Colin, is doing fine BTW. Mainly because there's no Mel.
A young lad worked for me, he had a daughter and they called her Tegan. I said "oh you're a doctor who fan", completely blank look and I had to explain. But also had a similar thing happen when a customer said her brother was called Ethan, said is your dad a John Wayne fan? Had to explain the he played Ethan Edwards in The Searchers, I think his best role and one of the top 5 movies in the Western genre
A few years ago me and some friends decided to watch all of old Doctor Who in chronological order. I enjoyed all the old Doctors but I actually think Colin Baker may be my favorite, but the fact that he's such a nice person may have had something to do with that.
Having grown up with Dr Who from the late Troughton era onwards, Colin Baker did not go down well at the time, mainly because of the storylines, and the costume he was forced to wear. But he was soo underrated, and re watching his era now you can see just how brilliant he was, and still is. He also wanted to break Tom Bakers record which was admirable, all things considered. Some of his adventures were very good considering what he was up against, and how he was eventually treated. Colin Baker I salute you.....
@@johneeeemarry34 It's so ridiculously weird that you brought up the 13th Doctor for no reason... I'm not even a fan of her, but she is living in your head rent free.
Your video is brilliant. A lot of wise, measured judgements and opinions. It's about time Colin Baker was let off the hook for the problems in his era. And you're quite right, what with the costume he was forced to wear, a lot of stories with awful scripting and dialogue, the nasty, background TV politics driven by a management who were actively working against the show, the guy didn't stand a chance. Thank God for the Big Finish comeback.
After listening to a lot of big finish stories the 6th doctor has quickly become one of my favourites. Colin Bakers voice just comes across so well in the audio medium. And the stories they gave 6 are great. I just love the dynamic between 6 and evelyn, easily one of my favourite doctor and companion pairing. But big finish stories with him and Peri, Mel or frobisher are also great.
I was always told Colin's Doctor was the beginning of the end and a horrible doctor. But after watching him myself and absorbing the stories I really enjoyed the darker tones, and the way his character was changing as time went on. I know trial of a timelord is a mess but I really liked the main story of the Valyard. I also love the audio dramas for Colin. The audios give us stories that show the doctor in a better like and the voice work is amazing. The same can be said for Paul McGann's 8th Doctor. Thank you for this video, it was well made and really shows what was going on behind the scenes.
I honestly think he gets better with age. I still think he was better than Jodi and McCoy. I think he needed an extra companion. The two doctors worked with perry and Jamie.
Some of Colin Baker's episodes are some of the best episodes from the classic era. Trial of a Time Lord, obviously. Vengeance on Varos. Revelation of the Daleks. What was wrong in the Baker era was the BBC, not Colin Baker, the SIxth Doctor, or Doctor Who.
@@thefonzkiss Trial was a great concept, let down by factors beyond their control. I'm guessing you didn't like it, and that's fine. Dr Who doesn't have one target demographic who has to love all episodes equally.
I heard there was going to be a story of where they where going to do a blackpool story where they bump into the toymaker again with the original actor but that got turned down by the BBC I dont think the BBC can handle a show like Doctor who. I think they never liked it and underfunded the show and look at it now they use it for a political statement
Formally worst Doctor, Jodi took the Crown. Colin really just had a terrible first story... Bad script, bad costume, bad design & direction + TWO "Adrics"
It will take a hell of a bad doctor to take the crown from Jodi I'm afraid. I just close my eyes and hope the last three seasons didn't happen, that Capaldi's doctor will wake up in the shower and realise he hasn't regenerated yet and it was all just an awful dream. No timeless child (why couldn't they have made the timeless child Susan? That would have been very interesting) no Yaz and those Godawful other companions. I thought companions didn't get any worse than the screeching Bonnie Langford, but I was wrong. The only good things to come from the last seasons were the brief return of Ace and Tegan and the new Master who is pretty decent and I'll be interested in finding out where he fits in the order of regenerations. Oh, and seeing Ian and Jo and the other companions (even you Mel.)
For my money, early Sylvester McCoy wasn't that hot, either, and it wasn't until we got Ace and the Cartmel Masterplan that things got better. This is from a guy who absolutely loved Colin Baker's Doctor, in spite of the outfit, and he was an absolute trooper when the higher-ups didn't want him.
I think the show had been going wrong ever since Tom left, with the production team failing to have a clue about the show or the lead character and mostly just covering it with fan-bait. Colin's era was especially troubled because it started so horribly on The Twin Dilemma, giving us the worst impression possible of the new guy. Colin could've been a great Doctor. Sometimes his better stories demonstrate such (Revelation of the Daleks, Terror of the Vervoids). His worst, however leave us finding him detestable, obnoxious and not rooting for him to survive. Trial of a Time Lord is where the problems become really apparent. Where it's clear the makers never actually had a clue how to deal with the can of worms of moral ambiguity they're determinedly going for. The result is an era easy to dismiss as a write-off, not worth caring about. And Colin really deserved better than that.
I have to admit the title is designed to provoke debate rather than my own personal opinion. I actually believe that the 6th Doctor gets a unfair bad rep which was one of my motivations for making this video.
I lived through that era and have seen every original series episode, I will tell you why Colin Baker failed. The dialog between Colin Baker and Perpugilliam "Peri" Brown was like watching a couple on the verge of divorce. They were always bickering and arguing and it was hard to watch. This is why Colin Baker failed.
The Sixth Doctor is my favorite of the Classic Doctors. I liked that he was such a change from The Fifth Doctor and I liked the acid his regeneration brought to the character. The one aspect of The Sixth Doctor that set him apart from his previous personas is that he was an active Doctor. No wandering around and just happening upon something that needed to be fixed, he was gonna go out and fix stuff! His predecessors just accepted that the TARDIS' Chameleon Circuit was broken, but he actually got it working (although he disabled it because he didn't like the results). I didn't have an issue with his outfit. It made him distinctive, and something to consider is that IIRC the TARDIS was originally a research vessel and thus had a massive clothing area that would allow them to cloth themselves in a way to fit in on any planet they travel to. That means that The Sixth Doctor's outfit was actually normal clothing on some planet. Regardless, I liked the outfit and didn't find it off-putting at all.
Although I haven't seen much of the 6th Doctor era, I can't help but notice one thing. The fact that the 13th Doctor era and the 6th Doctor era was littered with bad writing.
An excellent analysis on Colin's era! I am old enough to have experienced it at the time, whilst I agree this was neither the best actor or best era of the classic show, it was always interesting to watch and rarely dull, (Except Twin Dillema!) 👍
Another impressive analysis and review of a turbulent era in DW history. One good thing to come out of troubled times is the background stories and shenanigans make for a fascinating insight into the Television industry at the time, particularly the BBC. In applying considered thought to the impacts JNT brought to the show I have come to a conclusion. He definitely shook things up beginning with season 18 and then again with the Twin Dilemma disaster. He brought creative and positive changes to the show and equally as many very poor decisions and flops. Therefore I feel the issue with JNT is not so much about the decisions he made. It was his stubbornness to ever accept criticism and alternative ideas and approaches from others. In a later interview, he did start to take some responsibility but it was given in a tone of self-pity. For instance take the infamous costume of the sixth Doctor. Colin Baker hated it, Saward hated it, the writers hated it and it soon became apparent that the viewers did too. So why didn't JNT change this outfit for season 23. Even the blue outer coat seen in Revelation of the Daleks gave Colin a more rounded tone. It might seem simplistic to say viewers would switch off over a costume, but the nature of humans to act based on visuals is profound. When those visuals clash with the environment, lessen the visual impact of scenes and so on then you have one mighty big problem on your hands. Another example is that till his dying day JNT still argued that The Twin Dilemma wasn't that bad a story. So he was completely stubborn or had no capacity to even judge what made for good and bad television. The fact that not only did Colin Baker and Nicolai Bryant stand by JNT but even considered him to be like part of a happy family, showed just how decent the main actors of the show were. So that is my answer. JNT is primarily to blame. His failures were not due to decisions made but because there was obviously no proper decision making process in place. It was JNT's way and everyone had to go along with him on the ride. He acted as a one man band. If he had of had let others have their say, especially the actors, a lot of what lead to the demise of the show may never have happened. Then again I could be wrong.
For all its short comings the Colin Baker era is light years ahead of what followed from McCoy's tenure. The shows production from this point was equal to children's television drama with truly laughable scripts and acting.
Sorry, but I disagree. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, The Curse of Fenric, and The Happiness Patrol are some of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever told. Colin didn't have a single story that would break my top 50.
JNT 'Now Colin, did you see Peter's swan song? Bloomin' fab wasn't it? One of the best adventures the show has ever produced! I'm rightly proud of that! Right, what have we got for you, eh? You'll love this Colin. Giant slugs, bird men and a couple of brothers that are going to be next BIG thing I'm sure. Oh you're going to act totally bonkers and attempt to strangle Peri. What could possibly go wrong!!!'
Also Colin Baker has admitted he was sometimes arrogant at the time he play the Doctor. In my opinion fans was not ready for such a arrogant and cocky Doctor, also Colin Baker wanted to make his Doctor memorable. Plus after Peter Davison's nice guy 5th Doctor and then having a arrogant and cocky 6th Doctor is a brilliant contrast. Colin Baker went to the opposite end of the spectrum with his version of the Doctor and it works
No Dr was as arrogant as Tom Baker! He refused to participate in the 5 doctors because he wasn't the "star" Tom was good in first 3 seasons, but then he thought he was bigger than the show, similar to the first Dr
@@RavenThom Very true but you can have a love/hate relationship with the character. Leonard Nimoy had to be begged to return as Spock in The Motion Picture plus Paramount settle a lawsuit with him. Eventually Leonard Nimoy embrace Spock and had a much more comfortable time playing him
In 1991 came the small trilogy of "Summoned by Shadows"; followed by "More than a Messiah"; and concluded with "In Memory Alone". Made on pretty much no budget; I found these 3 direct to video stories far more interesting than Colin Bakers entire term as the Doctor. And it starred Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant playing roles very similar to that of Doctor & Peri. And I liked them both in this. We had a problem here in Australia in the late 80s with the show. The ABC here in Australia saw Doctor Who as a kids show for pre 7pm broadcast, but the more adult content dictated a much later time slot. The ABC kept it pre 7pm. The result was a show so butchered it was almost unwatchable at times. And short. And when you cut a 45min episode in half you get 2 x 20min episodes. To fill a 30 min time slot. Add the violence and all the rest, and I for one was happy when it was cancelled.
Perpugilliam Brown (aka, Peri) was supposed to be depicted as an arrogant American student from the more desolate hilly locations now attendant college believing she is better than those around her; this, why her and the Doctor were always criticizing each other. As I am an American (living in Chicago) I can point this out without fear of unjust flack for the statement made, I learned this directly from Nicola Bryant at an event I went to (was there hoping to meet some Blake's 7 actors there). Nicola Bryant was a delightful lady whom told me (while politely laughing) that she had no idea what Americans were like at that point in time when she was performing in the roll.
I'm a defender of Colin Sixie. Watching on delayed PBS syndication in the States. Yeah he got kind of a rubbish start, but I really liked his full-length series and was ready for more, then the hiatus happened, and then the shortened Trial series, but I was ready for more then they just yanked the rug out from under him. Colin was another curly-topped unpredictable Baker in the role and I loved it. Years later, my wanting more of Shortchanged Sixie led me to spending Lord knows how much money at Big Finish.
You're only as good as the material you're working with. Fortunately Colin's gotten much better material with Big Finish. Maybe in the future Big Finish can rehabilitate Jodie Whittaker as well.
Sylvester McCoy was the Doctor that turned me off Dr Who, I got through a few episodes then stopped watching, the series was cancelled in NZ during that period. The reboot was great :-D
Imo Colin always gave his all in every episode/Story he was in during his tenure, Baker loved playing the role, Twin dilemma was written like a dilemma, however I fell as season 22 is massively underrated imo ppl didn't take to his doctor because of his costume design and persona that was written but that's how the doctor was supposed to be written
It seems lucky for us that Colin Baker did not develop a dislike of Doctor Who as a whole. It enables us to have the many D.W. related works he has done since his official tenure as The Doctor.
Colin Baker had a lot of bad luck. He was made promises that weren't kept. First and foremost, he was promised a dark black outfit, and was told to play the character very dark, and he would be given time to lighten up the character over the next few years... None of that was true...
I think if they had given him a different costume that wasn't so... ridiculous, he would have been accepted more by everyone, I think that some high ups in the BBC didn't like it and deliberately sabotaged the series to get the show cancelled.
The problem with Colin Baker's Doctor is that it was decided to make him initially gruff and dislikable so that they could soften him eventually. With an unlikable Doctor, fans simply stopped watching. Ironically this was the same disastrous decision that was made with Peter Capaldi's Doctor - initially chaffing and unlikable to be softened, and the fans had a similar response in that they stopped watching.
Thanks for sharing this with us. I liked Colin and felt his tenure wasn't handled well and he wasn't given a fair shake. True, his stories weren't perfect, but I liked many of them much more than Davidson's. If they did some AU stories where he didn't regenerate, I'd buy them!
Colin Baker was the *only* thing that made Colin Baker’s era watchable… so, oF cOuRsE, he got blamed for EvErYtHiNg eLsE. Hells, that Baker could wear that damn coat without having *it* wear *him* was freakin’ remarkable: it would have completely overwhelmed a lesser talent.
Definitely the worst. Who wants to watch a show where the two main protagonists are constantly arguing with each other. Colin Bakers version of the Doctor took smug arrogance to the next level. I also got the feeling that there was an anti-American thing going on with the Peri Brown character. Like the producers created a character that was their idea of a really stupid American.
In Trial of a Time Lord.the Valeyard wants the Doctor's remaining regenerations which doesn't make any sense when you consider the Time Lord's resurrected the Master and gave him a new cycle of regenerations
Not a bad doctor, just bad decision making. If he was allowed to go fully dark and mysterious instead of wearing a multi-coloured coat, he would have been great.
It wasn’t great but there are some good stories in it and during a time where you had everything working against it it’s a medical it was as good as it is. Colin is wonderful as The Doctor especially with his Big Finish redemption and being able to complete his character arch. As for worst era / worst Doctor. That crown is being fought for now by 13 and 15 who should be 14 but we needed 10 again to bring people back as a buffer.
Oh and the Doctor's 12th regeneration was David Tennant's Doctor into Matt Smith's Doctor. So the Valeyard comes between Matt Smith's Doctor and the Doctor's final regeneration
It was that first couple of minutes - where he bullied and attacked Peri that was the lasting memory. The costume was also horrendous - he was also characterised as being arrogant and sarcastic. I feel Colin shares some of the blame - having had a career of playing te villain up to that point. The scripts were not great, but had they been given to another actor would have gone another way. For instance if Sylvester had been given these scripts he would have added much needed humor, and zaniness, even the clown like costume would have suited Sylvester better and he could have carried it off. Colin played it too dark without any of the needed humor, empathy and humanity the part needed. This was not completely Colin's fault - but the fault of the directors of the show, who should have given him better advise of how to play the part and not characterise him as a villain from the onset and allow such a clownish costume. The Trial of the time lord was a confusing mess and Colin came off as an annoying idiot during the trial scenes and the bad valleyard jokes. I am a huge fan - and have watched all of his content - listened to all of his audio plays and even listened to all the novelizations of the books - some of which I made myself. Colin has completely acquitted himself in his Big Finish releases and is one of the best classic doctors there.
From his opening line he played it arrogantly and unhinged ... THEN he put on... THE COAT.... He continued to act like a 'stage actor' and was never natural or relaxed in the part... Then there was the scripts. Disjointed and hard to follow, he was written to betray Peri and took on Mel as his companion. Her CONSTANT 'fingernails on a blackboard' scream was enough to drive people away.. It was a disaster for those of us who (in the U.S.) were first introduced to Pertwee, Baker (MY Doctor) or Davidson...
Also Colin Bakers performance also influenced Capaldis Doctor who went on the journey Baker always wanted for his Doctor in that Capaldis Doctor softened over time which is what Baker wanted for his and we got in Big Finish. Ultimately Bakers era has been unfairly judged with Jodie Whitakers era far worse mostly because Chris Chibnall has only ever been to develop stories on par with Pip and Jane Baker that means it ranged from Awful to Mediocre to just about passable.
It might NOT be that COLIN BAKER is the beginning of the end, but that all the judgements that JNT made - for better or worse- began to catch up with the show, as it HAD deviated more in the last four years than it had in the previous 17- but to be fair- he was inheriting a show that had started to lose it's identity after it had its teeth forcibly pulled after Mary Whitehouse FINALLY won her campaign against the show after season 14 (becoming more comical)., AND since the "sea change in the perception of what constituted Science Fiction after Star Wars. It DID become more BRUTAL & UNPLEASANT- but not SCARY? (Robocop/Terminator verses Hammer Horror) Colin Baker was a challenging and courageous choice- and it's so sad that the SHOW just didnt know what it was anymore. IF Colin Bakers stories had been Tom Baker stories - would they seem as bad? And if COLIN BAKER had had say, a "BRAIN OF MORBIUS", or a "DEADLY ASSASSIN"- wouldn't he have shone?
I just don’t understand why they had it so right up till Tom Baker, then just treated it like a joke after. I mean, what on earth was up with the outfits? A celery stick for Peter? A clown outfit for Colin? And Colin I feel was way too theatrical, over animated and in your face.
People suggest that Colin Baker is not responsible for the 'arsehole persona' of his Doctor. Really? Tom Baker took total control. No-one told him, as far as I know, how to play the doctor, so Colin Baker takes some of the blame for the arsehole persona of his doctor.
If you are directed and told by the script to strangle your co-star then that’s what you have to do, CB is not responsible for the script. TB was very well established in the role and felt that it was his, he contributed what he thought his Doctor would do and added ad-libs. CB was fresh into the role and did as he was directed.
@@eddherring4972I said that CB should take SOME of the blame IMO. You are right CB probably could not help e.g. being told to strangle his companion, but he could have made his doctor more likeable at other times if he was willing or able, although you're right that the major responsibility for making CB an arsehole, at least for the 7 stories, lay with those behind the scenes. Re Tom Baker, his character was likeable from the get-go.
I remembered Baker in a previous episode of Doctor Who, it was a good performance, so I also had high hopes for Baker. I guess not even a good actor could get over poor scrips and dreadful costume choices
I agree trial was a bit of a mess but I still love it and it wasn’t a bad idea having it as a continuous serial through the whole season and had some great concept’s and episodes.
I wouldn’t call Colin Baker’s stories bad. Twin Dilemma was a bit ridiculous, but I enjoyed his Cybermen and Dalek storylines and the two doctors…and the Rani
He only the got role because he made the producer laugh at some wedding. To be fair none of the 80s Doctors where in the same league as the first four.
Star Trek The Next Generation had a budget of one mill😅million per episode when it aired originally. Doctor Who spent less than the catering budget of the former.
The problems with the sixth doctor really had nothing to do with poor Colin. As so many others have pointed out, the writing really wasn’t all that great in this era. If you don’t have that, you have nothing. Colin left his mark, though, I think. I see a lot of his intensity in Matt Smith’s doctor, mixed in with a dash of Tom Baker’s eccentricity, of course.
Easy answer. Pip and Jane Baker and a showrunner who’d become more concerned with gimmicks than good stories. Colin was not the problem. The material he was given was.
Worst Doctor? The 6th was no worse than the 5th or the 7th, all of which suffered for reasons outside their personal control. The nail in the coffin for me was Trial of a Time Lord. Instead of the show hitting its stride, we instead received a season-long muddled clip-show-style storyline. The original "regular" season plans would likely have left viewers feeling better about the 6th's Doctor's tenure, even if Colin Baker was still pushed out after for ratings reasons. If they really wanted to do the Trial storyline, that still could have worked out if it was the length of a regular story arc, or maybe just a couple of episodes longer.
I always called Colin Baker the WRONG BAKER. Tom Baker remains the best incarnation in the series who captured the right balancing act between arrogance, humor and alien subtlety. Colin never had enough nuance to play the part correctly.
I don't like a lot of his episodes, but then when I heard what they did with 6 on big finish ... They showed what an amazing doctor he is. Because of the big finish he's one of my favorites.
Michael Grade admitted later that part of his objection to Doctor Who was his personal dislike of Colin Baker - Grade was very good friends with Baker's ex-wife.
100% The Twin Dilemma to blame. Easily the worst story of the classic era and a whole year for the public to remember only that story and nothing else. Who could recover from that? Had he had a beginning with the likes of Caves, it might have been a different story.
Season 22 has its issues but I quite enjoyed it. I'm biased in Colin's favour as I like him as the Doctor a lot, however some of how he acts, particularly being a prick to Peri, is quite grating. Peri too isn't always the best written but Nicola and Colin have a lot of natural chemistry. I wish he had more of a well rounded era and I believe if the BBC had let the show make Season 23 and simply informed JNT to make Six more likeable and warm then things could have been quite different
I was never much a fan of Colin Baker's portrayal being way, way over-the-top, but there were some good stories in his first year. Michael Grade turned out to be the greatest villain for Doctor Who-a man who proved too violent and poor in quality. Tom Baker's time is when everything worked extremely well with stories, sets and acting. The very opposite of Colin's period. Tom is still the best.
Underrated 100% Just watching season 22 on blu ray and it's not only better than I remember at the time but certainly better then modern Dr Who which frankly is trash.
At the time, yes l am that old, the show had kinda lost me with the 6th. To follow on after Jon Pertwee then Tom Baker and Peter Davison was already a tall order. For me it was the stories qualities and the 6th doctors abrasive personality that threw me off. Once it got to Mel (nothing against the actress) l was done. Well until Sylvester McCoys 7th Drs 1st episode. But after that l was done, did see the occaisional episode with Ace but by that stage l started high school and interests had changed. Used to watch it obsessively & religiously in the classic era and before l knew it, it was gone... cancelled. Glad it was kept on life support during the "wilderness years" and even more so when new Who era started.
I watch Colin bakers run as the doctor when it was first aired and loved it In Would definitely not call him the worst. Especially compared to modern doctor who. Which at this point is an absolute mess.
I think we can all agree that even if he was considered the "worst" Doctor he has been usurped by a Doctor who is so terrible I don't even want to mention their name for fear of remembering them. Also, if the next Doctor is as bad as the last then Sylvester and Colin will be moving up the ranking by two places!
Loved his era in 1985. Davison's era was said to be bland, and in comes this loud guy spouting quotes of literary figures. The costume didn't bother me at the time, but I can see why others hate it. the first Doctor brought up how he would kill if his life was threatened. It took 20 years but they'd finally show him having to go the extra mile in "The Two Doctors" to prove he would resort to self defence. Not sure how anyone could see Six as shoving a guard into the bath as one guard fell in earlier and pulled in the guard attacking the Doctor. I may have misinterpreted the scene... Nice video covering a very underrated Doctor!
It's all too easy to blame Colin Baker but the ultimate villain of the matter was the BBC higher ups. Throughout Davidson's run they tightened the budget, with the head of Drama and other departments objecting to the amount of money being spent on, what was to them, a children's show. They wanted more to spend on their on projects and as Michael Grade was of the same mindset Who's budget was constantly shrunk, its moving time slots was to make way for more "dramatic" shows. This was one of the reasons the show had to become darker, to prove that it could and should be seen on that level. Sadly the real issue was John Nathan-Turner. He'd been the head of production (what we'd call a show runner these days) for too long and he knew it. By the end of Colin Bakers run he wanted out, but the industry knew the BBC were killing the show by degrees and taking on the role would be a career killer.
He was arrogant. Being confident doctors 1-5, 7-9, 11,-13 are confidant, 6 had such a ego he was a ass. Tennant is throughly childish. 2 bad doctors out of 13 not bad.
Colin was great and treated horribly being fired over the phone. This man deserved much more and was a great Doctor. He didn't write the stories and theres only so much one can do to overcome those limits. However as a character, he did nail the Doctor. If you want to point a finger at who would be to blame here it would very obviously be the producer JNT. The more I learn, the more I believe JNT was being pushed out. Instead of taking the axe himself I believe JNT instead canned poor Colin.
After Season 23's "The Trial of a Time Lord" came and went, bosses like BBC1 Controller Michael Grade and head of serials Jonathon Powell still were not happy with the results and let producer John Nathan-Turner know they would renew the show for another season but felt it was time to recast the Doctor role with another actor. Nathan-Turner let them know that Colin Baker had not even fulfilled his 4 years contract especially the enforced 18 month hiatus between Seasons 22 and 23, but the bosses told him they counted the 18 months gap as part of the duration (cast and crew were paid to do nothing in the gap). Nathan-Turner also let them know that he too wanted to leave the show, and they granted him his request if he would do the terrible news to Colin Baker. Nathan-Turner informed Baker by phone, but Baker wanted to meet with Jonathon Powell and had a meeting with him and counter offered to give him the entirety of the next season and then he'll leave at the end while Powell only offered Baker what the BBC wanted, just to appear in the opening serial of the next season at 4 episodes. Powell said he would think about it but it was sad, as Baker never heard from Powell again regarding his counter offer. Some of this information was in the Trials and Tribulations documentary that was among the bonus features in the Trial of a Time Lord DVD set, and among various factual reference books on the show's production history. Nathan-Turner was screwed over by his BBC bosses as he was informed after a few months had passed, that they wanted him to continue on as producer on Doctor Who, which JNT was upset about as he wanted to move on to do other things but his job was on the line as they told him if he wanted to remain employed at the BBC he must stay on as producer. The BBC was also unable to find anyone else to take over as producer of the show as there was just so much disdain for Doctor Who within the BBC that nobody else wanted to touch it at all. Sadly JNT himself never got produce other TV shows of any sort after Doctor Who ended in 1989 and holds the record for longest serving producer on the show's history.
I keep thinking that there isn't a worst Doctor as much as there is a least satisfying Doctor, with a great majority of the actors who played this character being very talented in their own right. I'd honestly rather see more of a blunt critique of the writing staffs responsible for the unsatisfactory stories and arcs. I'm very confused why it's easy to put the actors down for doing their job and not the writers who haven't taken their job seriously enough.
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Colin Baker was a gifted and energetic actor, (similar to Tom Baker I think), who, from everything I've heard, had wanted to play the Doctor for many years, and, once he got there, thoroughly enjoyed the part and gave it everything he had.
He was let down by some terribly written stories and a BBC that wanted any excuse to cancel the show. It's amazing to me that, in spite how he was treated, he still loves the show and the fans as much as he does.
Colin was a tv actor who was on the decline before WHO. He never was the lead in a show and got very little work on tv after WHO.
@@matthewcheHe was never the lead, so hiw could he be in decline?
Yes I think he told the radio Times in 1984 that he would like to play doctor who for as long as tom Baker had done. A shame of course it was not to be as we know as by 1987 he was not on it alas.
Exactly
In 2001, I found out I was going to be a father. And it was a boy! So I went through every Doctor actor's name with my wife. She liked Colin. My son is now almost 21. Now he wonders why I named him after the "worst" 😷 Doctor. I told him, Colin Baker had a very small chance to succeed. He was set up to fail, he was a great actor and could've really grown into the role. My son Colin, is doing fine BTW. Mainly because there's no Mel.
I think Mel was written poorly and should being close to Donna noble way but she isn't
@@Mark-nh2hs yes I'm sure he would love a Peri right now. College is the time ⏲
"We are billions and billions of years beyond your pretty obsession with gender" - The 12th Doctor talking about Time Lord society.
Get him some big finish and he’ll see that Colin’s one of the best doctors
A young lad worked for me, he had a daughter and they called her Tegan. I said "oh you're a doctor who fan", completely blank look and I had to explain. But also had a similar thing happen when a customer said her brother was called Ethan, said is your dad a John Wayne fan? Had to explain the he played Ethan Edwards in The Searchers, I think his best role and one of the top 5 movies in the Western genre
A few years ago me and some friends decided to watch all of old Doctor Who in chronological order. I enjoyed all the old Doctors but I actually think Colin Baker may be my favorite, but the fact that he's such a nice person may have had something to do with that.
Having grown up with Dr Who from the late Troughton era onwards, Colin Baker did not go down well at the time, mainly because of the storylines, and the costume he was forced to wear. But he was soo underrated, and re watching his era now you can see just how brilliant he was, and still is. He also wanted to break Tom Bakers record which was admirable, all things considered. Some of his adventures were very good considering what he was up against, and how he was eventually treated. Colin Baker I salute you.....
Thank the Guardians for Big Finish! They salvaged & made the 6th Doctor one of the best incarnations.
I agree. His Big Finish stories take the 6th Doctor to a new level.
Thank the Guardian for the extremely unpopular and ridiculous female Dr Who..
@@johneeeemarry34 It's so ridiculously weird that you brought up the 13th Doctor for no reason... I'm not even a fan of her, but she is living in your head rent free.
Your video is brilliant. A lot of wise, measured judgements and opinions. It's about time Colin Baker was let off the hook for the problems in his era. And you're quite right, what with the costume he was forced to wear, a lot of stories with awful scripting and dialogue, the nasty, background TV politics driven by a management who were actively working against the show, the guy didn't stand a chance. Thank God for the Big Finish comeback.
I'm truly thankful for Big Finish for doing the 6th Doctor justice.
not neither. Colin Baker was stalwart, professional and more than any other Doctor actor, cared about and respected his fans.
There were two good things about the Colin Baker era in Dr Who...
And both of them belonged to Nicola Bryant!!!
Had'nt seen this in decades but I remembered her twin personalities. Very pretty face too.
Yes, it had humanity, today it's sterile and must abide to the PC culture ironing away the spices of life.
After listening to a lot of big finish stories the 6th doctor has quickly become one of my favourites.
Colin Bakers voice just comes across so well in the audio medium. And the stories they gave 6 are great.
I just love the dynamic between 6 and evelyn, easily one of my favourite doctor and companion pairing. But big finish stories with him and Peri, Mel or frobisher are also great.
I think Baker was great. The ratings really only dropped after the 18 month hiatus.
I was always told Colin's Doctor was the beginning of the end and a horrible doctor. But after watching him myself and absorbing the stories I really enjoyed the darker tones, and the way his character was changing as time went on. I know trial of a timelord is a mess but I really liked the main story of the Valyard. I also love the audio dramas for Colin. The audios give us stories that show the doctor in a better like and the voice work is amazing. The same can be said for Paul McGann's 8th Doctor. Thank you for this video, it was well made and really shows what was going on behind the scenes.
No, it started in tom bakers last season. The stories got worse from then on.
@@lotsalube I have to agree with you.
I honestly think he gets better with age. I still think he was better than Jodi and McCoy. I think he needed an extra companion. The two doctors worked with perry and Jamie.
One companion is fine if you have the right companion. Peri and Mel were awful companions for the Doctor.
Some of Colin Baker's episodes are some of the best episodes from the classic era. Trial of a Time Lord, obviously. Vengeance on Varos. Revelation of the Daleks. What was wrong in the Baker era was the BBC, not Colin Baker, the SIxth Doctor, or Doctor Who.
Can't see Michael Grade or Jonathan Powell being guests of honour at a Dr Who Convention anytime soon.
@@TheWatcherOnWho not unless they've suddenly acquired a passion for having stuff thrown at them.
@@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg I show up to that one.
Trial of a Timelord is unwatchable trash. Almost as bad as Flux.
@@thefonzkiss Trial was a great concept, let down by factors beyond their control. I'm guessing you didn't like it, and that's fine. Dr Who doesn't have one target demographic who has to love all episodes equally.
It was still magical. He was the first I saw and the main problem in retrospect is the budget; it was still on the same level as 10 years previous.
I heard there was going to be a story of where they where going to do a blackpool story where they bump into the toymaker again with the original actor but that got turned down by the BBC I dont think the BBC can handle a show like Doctor who. I think they never liked it and underfunded the show and look at it now they use it for a political statement
@@DavidTyler They don't like positive role models for boys/men so they symbolically strip them away by replacing them with female actors etc.
The 6th doctor is the worst doctor ever,
13th Doctor: Hold my jellybabies.
Formally worst Doctor, Jodi took the Crown. Colin really just had a terrible first story... Bad script, bad costume, bad design & direction + TWO "Adrics"
Yes, The Twin Dilemma certainly didn't give the 6th Doctor the best of starts.
It will take a hell of a bad doctor to take the crown from Jodi I'm afraid. I just close my eyes and hope the last three seasons didn't happen, that Capaldi's doctor will wake up in the shower and realise he hasn't regenerated yet and it was all just an awful dream. No timeless child (why couldn't they have made the timeless child Susan? That would have been very interesting) no Yaz and those Godawful other companions. I thought companions didn't get any worse than the screeching Bonnie Langford, but I was wrong.
The only good things to come from the last seasons were the brief return of Ace and Tegan and the new Master who is pretty decent and I'll be interested in finding out where he fits in the order of regenerations. Oh, and seeing Ian and Jo and the other companions (even you Mel.)
For my money, early Sylvester McCoy wasn't that hot, either, and it wasn't until we got Ace and the Cartmel Masterplan that things got better.
This is from a guy who absolutely loved Colin Baker's Doctor, in spite of the outfit, and he was an absolute trooper when the higher-ups didn't want him.
Bad writing is key, not the lead actor. I wish Baker had stayed in the role as long as he wanted and better writers were hired.
JNT chased away all the better writers.
I think the show had been going wrong ever since Tom left, with the production team failing to have a clue about the show or the lead character and mostly just covering it with fan-bait. Colin's era was especially troubled because it started so horribly on The Twin Dilemma, giving us the worst impression possible of the new guy.
Colin could've been a great Doctor. Sometimes his better stories demonstrate such (Revelation of the Daleks, Terror of the Vervoids). His worst, however leave us finding him detestable, obnoxious and not rooting for him to survive.
Trial of a Time Lord is where the problems become really apparent. Where it's clear the makers never actually had a clue how to deal with the can of worms of moral ambiguity they're determinedly going for. The result is an era easy to dismiss as a write-off, not worth caring about.
And Colin really deserved better than that.
If you think he was the worst you never had to sit through the following three seasons of tripe.
I have to admit the title is designed to provoke debate rather than my own personal opinion. I actually believe that the 6th Doctor gets a unfair bad rep which was one of my motivations for making this video.
Following one season of tripe. Seasons 25 and 26 were fine.
Colin’s costume was a brash fashion flash in the pan. The retro 80’s contemporary fashion has got more of that brash fashion now than then.
I lived through that era and have seen every original series episode, I will tell you why Colin Baker failed. The dialog between Colin Baker and Perpugilliam "Peri" Brown was like watching a couple on the verge of divorce. They were always bickering and arguing and it was hard to watch. This is why Colin Baker failed.
The Sixth Doctor is my favorite of the Classic Doctors. I liked that he was such a change from The Fifth Doctor and I liked the acid his regeneration brought to the character. The one aspect of The Sixth Doctor that set him apart from his previous personas is that he was an active Doctor. No wandering around and just happening upon something that needed to be fixed, he was gonna go out and fix stuff! His predecessors just accepted that the TARDIS' Chameleon Circuit was broken, but he actually got it working (although he disabled it because he didn't like the results).
I didn't have an issue with his outfit. It made him distinctive, and something to consider is that IIRC the TARDIS was originally a research vessel and thus had a massive clothing area that would allow them to cloth themselves in a way to fit in on any planet they travel to. That means that The Sixth Doctor's outfit was actually normal clothing on some planet. Regardless, I liked the outfit and didn't find it off-putting at all.
Although I haven't seen much of the 6th Doctor era, I can't help but notice one thing. The fact that the 13th Doctor era and the 6th Doctor era was littered with bad writing.
An excellent analysis on Colin's era! I am old enough to have experienced it at the time, whilst I agree this was neither the best actor or best era of the classic show, it was always interesting to watch and rarely dull, (Except Twin Dillema!) 👍
Another impressive analysis and review of a turbulent era in DW history. One good thing to come out of troubled times is the background stories and shenanigans make for a fascinating insight into the Television industry at the time, particularly the BBC.
In applying considered thought to the impacts JNT brought to the show I have come to a conclusion. He definitely shook things up beginning with season 18 and then again with the Twin Dilemma disaster. He brought creative and positive changes to the show and equally as many very poor decisions and flops. Therefore I feel the issue with JNT is not so much about the decisions he made. It was his stubbornness to ever accept criticism and alternative ideas and approaches from others. In a later interview, he did start to take some responsibility but it was given in a tone of self-pity.
For instance take the infamous costume of the sixth Doctor.
Colin Baker hated it, Saward hated it, the writers hated it and it soon became apparent that the viewers did too. So why didn't JNT change this outfit for season 23. Even the blue outer coat seen in Revelation of the Daleks gave Colin a more rounded tone. It might seem simplistic to say viewers would switch off over a costume, but the nature of humans to act based on visuals is profound. When those visuals clash with the environment, lessen the visual impact of scenes and so on then you have one mighty big problem on your hands.
Another example is that till his dying day JNT still argued that The Twin Dilemma wasn't that bad a story. So he was completely stubborn or had no capacity to even judge what made for good and bad television. The fact that not only did Colin Baker and Nicolai Bryant stand by JNT but even considered him to be like part of a happy family, showed just how decent the main actors of the show were. So that is my answer. JNT is primarily to blame. His failures were not due to decisions made but because there was obviously no proper decision making process in place. It was JNT's way and everyone had to go along with him on the ride. He acted as a one man band. If he had of had let others have their say, especially the actors, a lot of what lead to the demise of the show may never have happened. Then again I could be wrong.
his era is equivalent of Jodie era.
After watching Peter Capaldi Jodie Whittaker The poor poor 60th and the current Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa Colin Baker's seasons were brilliant
The 6th Doctor is one of my favourites and The Twin Dilemma is among my favourite episodes.
Colin wasn't the problem. It was the shit writing.
I didn't like Colin Baker back in the day. But watching the Whitaker/Chibnall Era, they've set a new hyper-low for the series.
Full agreement here!
For all its short comings the Colin Baker era is light years ahead of what followed from McCoy's tenure. The shows production from this point was equal to children's television drama with truly laughable scripts and acting.
Sorry, but I disagree. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, The Curse of Fenric, and The Happiness Patrol are some of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever told. Colin didn't have a single story that would break my top 50.
Great Dr, great companion. Such a shame we didn't get more -- especially the prepared season
JNT 'Now Colin, did you see Peter's swan song? Bloomin' fab wasn't it? One of the best adventures the show has ever produced! I'm rightly proud of that! Right, what have we got for you, eh? You'll love this Colin. Giant slugs, bird men and a couple of brothers that are going to be next BIG thing I'm sure. Oh you're going to act totally bonkers and attempt to strangle Peri. What could possibly go wrong!!!'
As a child, I didn't like how he was mean to Peri. I found him too scary.
Also Colin Baker has admitted he was sometimes arrogant at the time he play the Doctor. In my opinion fans was not ready for such a arrogant and cocky Doctor, also Colin Baker wanted to make his Doctor memorable. Plus after Peter Davison's nice guy 5th Doctor and then having a arrogant and cocky 6th Doctor is a brilliant contrast. Colin Baker went to the opposite end of the spectrum with his version of the Doctor and it works
No Dr was as arrogant as Tom Baker! He refused to participate in the 5 doctors because he wasn't the "star" Tom was good in first 3 seasons, but then he thought he was bigger than the show, similar to the first Dr
@@RavenThom Very true but you can have a love/hate relationship with the character. Leonard Nimoy had to be begged to return as Spock in The Motion Picture plus Paramount settle a lawsuit with him. Eventually Leonard Nimoy embrace Spock and had a much more comfortable time playing him
In 1991 came the small trilogy of "Summoned by Shadows"; followed by "More than a Messiah"; and concluded with "In Memory Alone". Made on pretty much no budget; I found these 3 direct to video stories far more interesting than Colin Bakers entire term as the Doctor. And it starred Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant playing roles very similar to that of Doctor & Peri. And I liked them both in this.
We had a problem here in Australia in the late 80s with the show. The ABC here in Australia saw Doctor Who as a kids show for pre 7pm broadcast, but the more adult content dictated a much later time slot. The ABC kept it pre 7pm. The result was a show so butchered it was almost unwatchable at times. And short. And when you cut a 45min episode in half you get 2 x 20min episodes. To fill a 30 min time slot. Add the violence and all the rest, and I for one was happy when it was cancelled.
Perpugilliam Brown (aka, Peri) was supposed to be depicted as an arrogant American student from the more desolate hilly locations now attendant college believing she is better than those around her; this, why her and the Doctor were always criticizing each other. As I am an American (living in Chicago) I can point this out without fear of unjust flack for the statement made, I learned this directly from Nicola Bryant at an event I went to (was there hoping to meet some Blake's 7 actors there). Nicola Bryant was a delightful lady whom told me (while politely laughing) that she had no idea what Americans were like at that point in time when she was performing in the roll.
Whittakers era was far worse. I can name at least one memorable thing 6 did
I'm a defender of Colin Sixie. Watching on delayed PBS syndication in the States.
Yeah he got kind of a rubbish start, but I really liked his full-length series and was ready for more, then the hiatus happened, and then the shortened Trial series, but I was ready for more then they just yanked the rug out from under him.
Colin was another curly-topped unpredictable Baker in the role and I loved it.
Years later, my wanting more of Shortchanged Sixie led me to spending Lord knows how much money at Big Finish.
You're only as good as the material you're working with. Fortunately Colin's gotten much better material with Big Finish. Maybe in the future Big Finish can rehabilitate Jodie Whittaker as well.
Sylvester McCoy was the Doctor that turned me off Dr Who, I got through a few episodes then stopped watching, the series was cancelled in NZ during that period. The reboot was great :-D
Imo Colin always gave his all in every episode/Story he was in during his tenure, Baker loved playing the role, Twin dilemma was written like a dilemma, however I fell as season 22 is massively underrated imo ppl didn't take to his doctor because of his costume design and persona that was written but that's how the doctor was supposed to be written
It seems lucky for us that Colin Baker did not develop a dislike of Doctor Who as a whole. It enables us to have the many D.W. related works he has done since his official tenure as The Doctor.
If he does dislike Doctor Who, he certainly likes the money and minor celebrity it gets him
Colin Baker might shout all of his performances but at least one can understand what he's saying compared to Whitaker.
Colin Baker had a lot of bad luck. He was made promises that weren't kept. First and foremost, he was promised a dark black outfit, and was told to play the character very dark, and he would be given time to lighten up the character over the next few years... None of that was true...
I think if they had given him a different costume that wasn't so... ridiculous, he would have been accepted more by everyone, I think that some high ups in the BBC didn't like it and deliberately sabotaged the series to get the show cancelled.
The problem with Colin Baker's Doctor is that it was decided to make him initially gruff and dislikable so that they could soften him eventually. With an unlikable Doctor, fans simply stopped watching. Ironically this was the same disastrous decision that was made with Peter Capaldi's Doctor - initially chaffing and unlikable to be softened, and the fans had a similar response in that they stopped watching.
Thanks for sharing this with us. I liked Colin and felt his tenure wasn't handled well and he wasn't given a fair shake. True, his stories weren't perfect, but I liked many of them much more than Davidson's. If they did some AU stories where he didn't regenerate, I'd buy them!
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Colin Baker was the *only* thing that made Colin Baker’s era watchable… so, oF cOuRsE, he got blamed for EvErYtHiNg eLsE.
Hells, that Baker could wear that damn coat without having *it* wear *him* was freakin’ remarkable: it would have completely overwhelmed a lesser talent.
Anyone claiming this hasn't seen the most recent stuff.
Definitely the worst. Who wants to watch a
show where the two main protagonists are
constantly arguing with each other. Colin
Bakers version of the Doctor took smug
arrogance to the next level. I also got the
feeling that there was an anti-American
thing going on with the Peri Brown character.
Like the producers created a character that
was their idea of a really stupid American.
In Trial of a Time Lord.the Valeyard wants the Doctor's remaining regenerations which doesn't make any sense when you consider the Time Lord's resurrected the Master and gave him a new cycle of regenerations
Are managers trained to scapegoat those who cannot defend themselves; or is it a part of their personality?
Not a bad doctor, just bad decision making. If he was allowed to go fully dark and mysterious instead of wearing a multi-coloured coat, he would have been great.
It wasn’t great but there are some good stories in it and during a time where you had everything working against it it’s a medical it was as good as it is. Colin is wonderful as The Doctor especially with his Big Finish redemption and being able to complete his character arch. As for worst era / worst Doctor. That crown is being fought for now by 13 and 15 who should be 14 but we needed 10 again to bring people back as a buffer.
Oh and the Doctor's 12th regeneration was David Tennant's Doctor into Matt Smith's Doctor. So the Valeyard comes between Matt Smith's Doctor and the Doctor's final regeneration
It was that first couple of minutes - where he bullied and attacked Peri that was the lasting memory. The costume was also horrendous - he was also characterised as being arrogant and sarcastic.
I feel Colin shares some of the blame - having had a career of playing te villain up to that point. The scripts were not great, but had they been given to another actor would have gone another way. For instance if Sylvester had been given these scripts he would have added much needed humor, and zaniness, even the clown like costume would have suited Sylvester better and he could have carried it off.
Colin played it too dark without any of the needed humor, empathy and humanity the part needed. This was not completely Colin's fault - but the fault of the directors of the show, who should have given him better advise of how to play the part and not characterise him as a villain from the onset and allow such a clownish costume.
The Trial of the time lord was a confusing mess and Colin came off as an annoying idiot during the trial scenes and the bad valleyard jokes.
I am a huge fan - and have watched all of his content - listened to all of his audio plays and even listened to all the novelizations of the books - some of which I made myself.
Colin has completely acquitted himself in his Big Finish releases and is one of the best classic doctors there.
From his opening line he played it arrogantly and unhinged ... THEN he put on... THE COAT.... He continued to act like a 'stage actor' and was never natural or relaxed in the part... Then there was the scripts. Disjointed and hard to follow, he was written to betray Peri and took on Mel as his companion. Her CONSTANT 'fingernails on a blackboard' scream was enough to drive people away.. It was a disaster for those of us who (in the U.S.) were first introduced to Pertwee, Baker (MY Doctor) or Davidson...
Also Colin Bakers performance also influenced Capaldis Doctor who went on the journey Baker always wanted for his Doctor in that Capaldis Doctor softened over time which is what Baker wanted for his and we got in Big Finish. Ultimately Bakers era has been unfairly judged with Jodie Whitakers era far worse mostly because Chris Chibnall has only ever been to develop stories on par with Pip and Jane Baker that means it ranged from Awful to Mediocre to just about passable.
It might NOT be that COLIN BAKER is the beginning of the end, but that all the judgements that JNT made - for better or worse- began to catch up with the show, as it HAD deviated more in the last four years than it had in the previous 17- but to be fair- he was inheriting a show that had started to lose it's identity after it had its teeth forcibly pulled after Mary Whitehouse FINALLY won her campaign against the show after season 14 (becoming more comical)., AND since the "sea change in the perception of what constituted Science Fiction after Star Wars. It DID become more BRUTAL & UNPLEASANT- but not SCARY? (Robocop/Terminator verses Hammer Horror)
Colin Baker was a challenging and courageous choice- and it's so sad that the SHOW just didnt know what it was anymore. IF Colin Bakers stories had been Tom Baker stories - would they seem as bad? And if COLIN BAKER had had say, a "BRAIN OF MORBIUS", or a "DEADLY ASSASSIN"- wouldn't he have shone?
I just don’t understand why they had it so right up till Tom Baker, then just treated it like a joke after. I mean, what on earth was up with the outfits? A celery stick for Peter? A clown outfit for Colin?
And Colin I feel was way too theatrical, over animated and in your face.
People suggest that Colin Baker is not responsible for the 'arsehole persona' of his Doctor. Really? Tom Baker took total control. No-one told him, as far as I know, how to play the doctor, so Colin Baker takes some of the blame for the arsehole persona of his doctor.
If you are directed and told by the script to strangle your co-star then that’s what you have to do, CB is not responsible for the script. TB was very well established in the role and felt that it was his, he contributed what he thought his Doctor would do and added ad-libs. CB was fresh into the role and did as he was directed.
@@eddherring4972I said that CB should take SOME of the blame IMO. You are right CB probably could not help e.g. being told to strangle his companion, but he could have made his doctor more likeable at other times if he was willing or able, although you're right that the major responsibility for making CB an arsehole, at least for the 7 stories, lay with those behind the scenes. Re Tom Baker, his character was likeable from the get-go.
I remembered Baker in a previous episode of Doctor Who, it was a good performance, so I also had high hopes for Baker. I guess not even a good actor could get over poor scrips and dreadful costume choices
The last two doctors were far and away the worse Collin is a distant third. The writing, pacing, dialog acting of the last two murdered the show.
After Tom Baker's departure, I snubbed the rest of the Doctors until Chris Ecclestone's take in 2005.
Not a JNT fan then?
@@TheWatcherOnWho Nah.
I agree trial was a bit of a mess but I still love it and it wasn’t a bad idea having it as a continuous serial through the whole season and had some great concept’s and episodes.
I love the 6th Doctor and especially The Valeyard. 😍😍😍
You feel that The Valeyard could be used more.
I wouldn’t call Colin Baker’s stories bad. Twin Dilemma was a bit ridiculous, but I enjoyed his Cybermen and Dalek storylines and the two doctors…and the Rani
He only the got role because he made the producer laugh at some wedding. To be fair none of the 80s Doctors where in the same league as the first four.
Star Trek The Next Generation had a budget of one mill😅million per episode when it aired originally. Doctor Who spent less than the catering budget of the former.
Nothing I love better than a Doc Who docu vid.
The problems with the sixth doctor really had nothing to do with poor Colin. As so many others have pointed out, the writing really wasn’t all that great in this era. If you don’t have that, you have nothing.
Colin left his mark, though, I think. I see a lot of his intensity in Matt Smith’s doctor, mixed in with a dash of Tom Baker’s eccentricity, of course.
Easy answer. Pip and Jane Baker and a showrunner who’d become more concerned with gimmicks than good stories.
Colin was not the problem. The material he was given was.
Worst Doctor? The 6th was no worse than the 5th or the 7th, all of which suffered for reasons outside their personal control. The nail in the coffin for me was Trial of a Time Lord. Instead of the show hitting its stride, we instead received a season-long muddled clip-show-style storyline. The original "regular" season plans would likely have left viewers feeling better about the 6th's Doctor's tenure, even if Colin Baker was still pushed out after for ratings reasons. If they really wanted to do the Trial storyline, that still could have worked out if it was the length of a regular story arc, or maybe just a couple of episodes longer.
I always called Colin Baker the WRONG BAKER.
Tom Baker remains the best incarnation in the series who captured the right balancing act between arrogance, humor and alien subtlety. Colin never had enough nuance to play the part correctly.
I don't like a lot of his episodes, but then when I heard what they did with 6 on big finish ... They showed what an amazing doctor he is. Because of the big finish he's one of my favorites.
well he was the least favorite...until the Thirteenth Doctor came into existence.
No, he didn't deserve to be sacked and, in my opinion, was nowhere near as badly miscast as number 7.
Dr. Her would be the worst Doctor.
Michael Grade admitted later that part of his objection to Doctor Who was his personal dislike of Colin Baker - Grade was very good friends with Baker's ex-wife.
100% The Twin Dilemma to blame. Easily the worst story of the classic era and a whole year for the public to remember only that story and nothing else. Who could recover from that? Had he had a beginning with the likes of Caves, it might have been a different story.
Season 22 has its issues but I quite enjoyed it. I'm biased in Colin's favour as I like him as the Doctor a lot, however some of how he acts, particularly being a prick to Peri, is quite grating. Peri too isn't always the best written but Nicola and Colin have a lot of natural chemistry. I wish he had more of a well rounded era and I believe if the BBC had let the show make Season 23 and simply informed JNT to make Six more likeable and warm then things could have been quite different
I was never much a fan of Colin Baker's portrayal being way, way over-the-top, but there were some good stories in his first year. Michael Grade turned out to be the greatest villain for Doctor Who-a man who proved too violent and poor in quality.
Tom Baker's time is when everything worked extremely well with stories, sets and acting. The very opposite of Colin's period. Tom is still the best.
Underrated 100% Just watching season 22 on blu ray and it's not only better than I remember at the time but certainly better then modern Dr Who which frankly is trash.
At the time, yes l am that old, the show had kinda lost me with the 6th.
To follow on after Jon Pertwee then Tom Baker and Peter Davison was already a tall order.
For me it was the stories qualities and the 6th doctors abrasive personality that threw me off. Once it got to Mel (nothing against the actress) l was done.
Well until Sylvester McCoys 7th Drs 1st episode. But after that l was done, did see the occaisional episode with Ace but by that stage l started high school and interests had changed.
Used to watch it obsessively & religiously in the classic era and before l knew it, it was gone... cancelled.
Glad it was kept on life support during the "wilderness years" and even more so when new Who era started.
I watch Colin bakers run as the doctor when it was first aired and loved it In
Would definitely not call him the worst. Especially compared to modern doctor who. Which at this point is an absolute mess.
I think we can all agree that even if he was considered the "worst" Doctor he has been usurped by a Doctor who is so terrible I don't even want to mention their name for fear of remembering them. Also, if the next Doctor is as bad as the last then Sylvester and Colin will be moving up the ranking by two places!
Loved his era in 1985. Davison's era was said to be bland, and in comes this loud guy spouting quotes of literary figures.
The costume didn't bother me at the time, but I can see why others hate it.
the first Doctor brought up how he would kill if his life was threatened. It took 20 years but they'd finally show him having to go the extra mile in "The Two Doctors" to prove he would resort to self defence.
Not sure how anyone could see Six as shoving a guard into the bath as one guard fell in earlier and pulled in the guard attacking the Doctor. I may have misinterpreted the scene...
Nice video covering a very underrated Doctor!
It's all too easy to blame Colin Baker but the ultimate villain of the matter was the BBC higher ups. Throughout Davidson's run they tightened the budget, with the head of Drama and other departments objecting to the amount of money being spent on, what was to them, a children's show.
They wanted more to spend on their on projects and as Michael Grade was of the same mindset Who's budget was constantly shrunk, its moving time slots was to make way for more "dramatic" shows.
This was one of the reasons the show had to become darker, to prove that it could and should be seen on that level.
Sadly the real issue was John Nathan-Turner. He'd been the head of production (what we'd call a show runner these days) for too long and he knew it. By the end of Colin Bakers run he wanted out, but the industry knew the BBC were killing the show by degrees and taking on the role would be a career killer.
I wouldn't touch any Capaldi horseshit with a ten-foot pole.
The problem with 80s Who was JNT
Whittakers woke nonsensical season was downright awful. Worst Dr ever imho.
He wasn't given a chance but the scripts were not strong and his clown like costume never matched his darker take on the character,
Poor Colin got the poor production values low budgets. Cancelled due to the cost of building ‘Eastenders’ Ealing set.
The high ups at the BBC didn’t understand dr who. Trying to strangle it at every turn.
He was arrogant. Being confident doctors 1-5, 7-9, 11,-13 are confidant, 6 had such a ego he was a ass. Tennant is throughly childish. 2 bad doctors out of 13 not bad.
The Chick is the worst Doctor ever. Not because she's a chick, just because the writing and execution was bad. Just sayin.
Colin was great and treated horribly being fired over the phone. This man deserved much more and was a great Doctor. He didn't write the stories and theres only so much one can do to overcome those limits. However as a character, he did nail the Doctor. If you want to point a finger at who would be to blame here it would very obviously be the producer JNT. The more I learn, the more I believe JNT was being pushed out. Instead of taking the axe himself I believe JNT instead canned poor Colin.
After Season 23's "The Trial of a Time Lord" came and went, bosses like BBC1 Controller Michael Grade and head of serials Jonathon Powell still were not happy with the results and let producer John Nathan-Turner know they would renew the show for another season but felt it was time to recast the Doctor role with another actor. Nathan-Turner let them know that Colin Baker had not even fulfilled his 4 years contract especially the enforced 18 month hiatus between Seasons 22 and 23, but the bosses told him they counted the 18 months gap as part of the duration (cast and crew were paid to do nothing in the gap). Nathan-Turner also let them know that he too wanted to leave the show, and they granted him his request if he would do the terrible news to Colin Baker. Nathan-Turner informed Baker by phone, but Baker wanted to meet with Jonathon Powell and had a meeting with him and counter offered to give him the entirety of the next season and then he'll leave at the end while Powell only offered Baker what the BBC wanted, just to appear in the opening serial of the next season at 4 episodes. Powell said he would think about it but it was sad, as Baker never heard from Powell again regarding his counter offer. Some of this information was in the Trials and Tribulations documentary that was among the bonus features in the Trial of a Time Lord DVD set, and among various factual reference books on the show's production history. Nathan-Turner was screwed over by his BBC bosses as he was informed after a few months had passed, that they wanted him to continue on as producer on Doctor Who, which JNT was upset about as he wanted to move on to do other things but his job was on the line as they told him if he wanted to remain employed at the BBC he must stay on as producer. The BBC was also unable to find anyone else to take over as producer of the show as there was just so much disdain for Doctor Who within the BBC that nobody else wanted to touch it at all. Sadly JNT himself never got produce other TV shows of any sort after Doctor Who ended in 1989 and holds the record for longest serving producer on the show's history.
They just put this video out to take the heat off of the 13th doctor... Who's clearly the worst..
And wasn't the worst in Doctor who History Jodie Whittaker is fact the worst
I keep thinking that there isn't a worst Doctor as much as there is a least satisfying Doctor, with a great majority of the actors who played this character being very talented in their own right. I'd honestly rather see more of a blunt critique of the writing staffs responsible for the unsatisfactory stories and arcs. I'm very confused why it's easy to put the actors down for doing their job and not the writers who haven't taken their job seriously enough.
Check out Colin's big finish work it's incredible