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Official Doctor Who New Series Discussion (spoilers)


The Shadow
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I actually think 6 is underrated. He has some great gems. “Mark of the Rani,” “The Two Doctors,” and “Revelation of the Daleks” are excellent episodes. I think 6 really paved the way for 7’s manipulation, and the attitudes of 9 and even 10. The reason he got so much hate back in the day is that it (was perceived) as unique to the character. In actuality, it wasn’t. Doc 1 was always a bit of an ass himself.

 

And oh yeah, compared to the horror of Doc 11, Doc 6 compares to 4 and 10!

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I think the prob at the time was that he was far too different from the 5th Doctor. His opening story was weak and the attack on Peri was not well received.

Agree with Gman's comments on his story's getting better over time - Vengance on Varos is an interesting example. Made many, many years before the whole reality TV thing took off.

 

He didn't take the news that they wanted to recast the role very well (to be fair, it's not the best thing to hear you are getting the boot from a job), so declined coming back for a couple of stories followed by a proper regeneration episode. That's a big shame there and he has said in recent times that he regrets that decision.

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Colin Baker is now a HUGE supporter. He is constantly on the DVD extras, does conventions, and involved himself with the "Revisted" series on BBC America. He's a pretty gracious former Doctor and all around great guy. This is ALL much more than I can say about a certain Christopher Eccleston.

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Colin Baker's Doctor was a HUGE overcompensation for the 5th Doctor's insecurity and indecisiveness, to the point where he was downright unlikable at times. And Baker, well... even though he was regularly given crap material to work with, some of the blame is on him, too, as he was unable to successfully pull off the too-cool (and sometimes crazy)-for-school bit without looking like an ass.

 

Yes, I know his character was supposed to be something of an ass, but another actor may have been do it while still remaining endearing. By the time everybody settled down, it was too late for poor Colin Baker, who had actually started to find his groove. Boooo!

 

To use a basketball analogy, Baker was basically a rookie shooting guard forced to play the point for the first half of the season. Really didn't flourish until being moved back to his natural position... at which point all hopes of making the playoffs had vanished.

 

:eek:

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I don't follow B-Ball so that's lost on me.

 

But yeah, I did notice that #5 and #6 were probably the most different of any 2 doctors-and putting them back-to-back was likely ill-advised. I have to keep remembering it was the 80's-but gawd, that hair! He had girl hair! The outfit was an abortion and from what the special showed, he came out of regeneration a giant ass. Way to piss off the fans! And attempted strangling of the popular companion? Not a good way to toss them a bone, either.

 

In other retro news, I hadn't realized Sarah Jane and K-9 went back SO far. And I swear some of those earlier actors played other bit parts recently. There was a female that was with 5 or 6 who I swear was one of the mid-Earth lizard people.

 

Our local PBS station does re-runs but usually only with the 1st and 2nd doctors. I'd love to see some of #6's run.

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I'm a bit of a 6th Doctor apologist, because I feel the series' problems at that point were mostly out of his hands, but you're really not missing that much.

 

Honestly, the show was so creaky by then, it was making the sets of the 1970s look majestic by comparison.

 

Would like to see The Two Doctors again, just for nostalgia's sake, but outside of that... hmm...

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As I wrote above. I think he’s very underrated. But overall, his episodes have actually aged well given our modern acceptance of a more “grittier” Doctor. Granted, as with every Doctor’s run, there are some real stinkers. Most notably, his first, “The Twin Dilemma.”

 

I have to admit, I have not seen the “Trial of a Timelord” arc in years. I tend to gravitate back to “The Two Doctors” and “Revelation of the Daleks.” I think “Revelation” is considered one of his era’s best. It’s old school type of characterization and clearly shows that despite 6’s gruff exterior, he truly cares for Peri and the people around him.

 

Plus, also mentioned above, 2013’s Colin Baker is a class act through and through. I hope to meet him someday.

 

Invite stands!

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Plus, also mentioned above, 2013’s Colin Baker is a class act through and through. I hope to meet him someday.
To be fair, given that he had been publicly ridiculed and then fired as the Doctor by his (reportedly extremely bitter) ex-wife's best bud... eh, I can't blame him too much for not doing the regeneration scene. It's cool he says he shouldn't have ducked out in retrospect, but it never bothered me that much in the first place.
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I actually saw him at a convention right after he was fired and somebody in the audience asked if he'd go back for a regeneration scene and he said he wouldn't. The fan asked what they were supposed to without him. He said, it was really funny when he did. "I don't know... perhaps they'll have somebody point offscreen and say LOOK! IT'S THE DOCTOR.... HE'S CHAAAAANG-ING!!"

 

Super clear moment from my childhood.

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Ha ha! That's an excellent quote!

 

I agree with a number of you here - Colin Baker was a fine Doctor and developed nicely into the role I thought. He was just dealt a tough hand as mentioned above and a general feeling that the BBC were getting less interested in the show and the costs associated. It jumped around in the schedules, changed running times and eventually for the 7th Doctors run, they put it up against a hugely popular soap over here and it just was battered in the ratings.

 

Completely understand Baker not coming back, but I think it would have been interesting to see him do some of the first few stories of McCoy's run maybe.

 

On a side note, David Tennant's twitter feed posted this picture of the 11 Doctors as portrayed by the Muppets! Enjoy!

 

http://twitter.com/Lee_JM75/status/378042973617152000/photo/1

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Meep meep!

 

I echo what is said above. Colin Baker's run as the Doctor was pretty much doomed due to the backstage shenanigans going on at the time. His character was a different side to the doctor, especially coming off of Five who was mild mannered. The costume certainly didn't help (Baker hated it) and the writing and budgets by that time weren't the best either.

 

Trial of a Time Lord is a bit...meh as well. However he did lay a path that allowed the better (and darker) sides of Seven to come out. I wish they had been able to fulfill that side of the Doctor a bit more. Just one more season would have been great but alas.

 

Nowadays Colin Baker does a lot of Big Finish things, he's probably the most active Doctor in the audio series and while I prefer Eight's adventures his are still worth listening to. Plus he is now President of the DW fan club (after Nicholas Courtney's passing) and often does things like this:

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