The more I hear about how Colin was treated by the show the more pissed of I get. They really ruined his tenure, a childhood fan gets his dream role and he hardly even made it over 20 episodes because of the BBCs ignorance
When it comes to Colin Baker, did he ever get that exclusive companion or companions to his run on the show? As in Harry Sullivan to Tom or Liz Shaw to Jon?
Colin Baker was 20 years old when Doctor Who premiered. He couldn't have watched the show as a child. But I do agree with you they didn't treat him fair at all.
It really felt like the BBC hated the show by the end and wanted to blame somebody for everything that they thought was wrong with it. He deserved much better.
@Ben Holmes While he has a big part in the show, it's more so the fault of the higher-ups of Doctor Who and the BBC. The former group needlessly having conflicts for what to do with the show, and the latter group for mindlessly wanting to cancel it.
at least in currant day, he has the respect and well deserved fanship for his Doctor, in my mind: Colin's Doctor was that of hero who worked with Order and Justice, while bringing some exotic traits to him which makes him in my mind, my 2nd most favorite Doctor, #1 goes to Tom Baker aka The fourth Doctor, but no matter what happins, the sixth doctor will forever be. one of the most interesting and very exotic incarnations of our Hero. (btw I'm from the US, so yea, have a grain of salt with what I said)
It is really a testament to how big a fan of the show Colin is, that he not only remained a passionate fan after everything was said and done, but that he even still frequently speaks fondly of the time he had on the show, the behind-the-scene problems he experienced notwithstanding, whenever the subject is brought up.
The man deserved better. I find it ironic, that once upon a time the BBC's heads tried to sabotage the show because they had their heads so far up their own ass, they saw it as an 'embarrassing children's serial that refused to die' and seemingly did all they could to hamper the show. They got their way and summarily spent the next sixteen years dealing with fan backlash, and then tried to pawn the series off on other countries and networks to make it someone else's problem. Michael Grade became the first (and unless this changed, the ONLY) BBC Controller not to be Knighted (now this wasn't the only reason but it's the most well-known reason, canceling the Queen's favorite is a no-no~), and now that Who is back and not just a British, but an international success. Now BBC politics once again are threatening to ruin the show when they themselves aren't actively trying to destroy their best money maker. Yet I still enjoy the delicious irony that the fans were vindicated absolutely when Dr. Who was brought back in 2005 to rave success, proving that the BBC were fools to have canceled it in the first place. Learn from history BBC, but I guess your current heads are as stupid as the fools in the '80s but for different reasons. I'm glad Colin Baker didn't let the experience jade him to Doctor Who itself, and it always warms my heart to see the prior Doctors still speak fondly of their times on the program. Especially when Colin outright had every right to act the opposite of how he does, a true class act that is a dying breed in the world of entertainment. I'm just starting to collect his Big Finish audio dramas and by God, the man still has it.
He may be my least favorite Doctor, but that has more to do with the writing not the man or his performance. His acting was solid and over read what he originally wanted to do and some of his audio dramas have renewed my view of him
He darn well tried his best, and he got the scripts to be the bad doctor, became the punching bag for writer and producer's quarrel and ultimately got shafted. Man got a raw deal all around, I'm just glad it didn't ruin Who for him
Colin Baker oozes charisma from every pore. In an odd way, I consider him to be a better Doctor than Peter Capaldi, whom I think is the most overrated Doctor of all time. Capaldi had better stories and a more consistent character arc but if he had been cast as the Doctor back in 1984 and was working with the exact same people, I guarantee the show wouldn't have survived, even if he was the same age that he was in 2013 (which was 55 for the record). This is because Capaldi struggled to establish his incarnation for his entire 1st season and a good chunk of his 2nd, despite having many advantages that Colin Baker wasn't fortunate enough to have. Colin couldn't establish his Doctor in his first serial but this was because of the writing and the fact that Michael Grade is a total shitbag who was trying to ruin Doctor Who. In terms of his acting, Colin was firing on all cylinders. Peter Capaldi was so insecure that whenever he behaved like a sociopath, I just saw a man who was being a shitbag to compensate for his own insecurities. I know that was partially due to the writing because of the "am I a good man?" arc but I feel like the story had to be written AROUND Capaldi instead of Capaldi changing himself to fit the story. This is exemplified by the fact that when he's working with scripts that were written with Matt Smith in mind, he simply couldn't bring the eccentricity, charm and humour that Smith effortlessly pulled off. When Colin Baker was behaving like a sociopath, I saw an actual alien and this is largely because he could swagger around in that ridiculous coat with all the confidence in the world, despite reportedly hating it. He actually did change himself to fit the story and you would never guess that he was unsatisfied with what he had to work with just by watching him.
Patrick Troughton's death always makes me sad, and I wasn't even alive at that time. Imagine, going to a convention for your fans, enjoying yourself too much just to have a heart attack. Colin Baker has made for a great Doctor in recent years with Big Finish, and he seems to enjoy the fans now.
The way I heard it, he was enjoying the attention of one particular fan when his exertions caused the heart attack - to put it crudely, he came and went simultaneously.
He's nicer than Peter Capaldi. At least Colin Baker didn't play the Doctor as a sociopath whom the Valeyard and the Dream Lord would be proud to have in their regeneration cycles.
@@tomnorton4277 wait are you saying Capaldi played the Doctor like a sociopath?? Bc Capadli was purposefully awkward but definitely not a sociopath in the role
@@alim.9801 Matt Smith was awkward. Peter Capaldi was TRYING to be awkward but he's too well put together. His attempts at being socially inept kept coming across as a terrible man trying to excuse his behaviour by pretending to be an alien. It was far too calculated. I didn't believed Peter Capaldi was genuinely awkward until the cards scene in Under The Lake, which was in his second season.
I love the fact that Colin Baker returned for The Power of the Doctor. So glad to see the man doesn't resent the show, even after being given terrible scripts and being plagued by production problems.
@@KojinMacJornColin: "I must insist on that striking black number that JNT refused to let me wear" Big Finish: "But it's only audio...?" Colin: "Did I stutter?"
The sixth Doctor was only done justice in the audio stories, to anyone who hated him just listen to Jubilee or The Holy Terror and it's immediately apparent how great this incarnation could've been with better writing.
I love the Holy terror, I started listening to it encode the idea of Frobisher as a companion interested me, and now I’ve fallen in love with 6 and listen to even some of the less interesting stories just for him
Only just recently listened to Jubilee, and it’s one of the best Who stories I’ve ever experienced. Truly breathtaking, and Colin did a phenomenal job.
It was even stated when the revived series started, that Baker wanted something similar to what the Ninth Doctor wore. Maybe not a leather jacket, but something along those lines.
JNT: I want it to look like he stumbled into the middle of a paintball match and then got beat up by random pre-schoolers who were hand painting a rainbow.
the thing that kills me about the suit is always the stupid cat pin on the lapel. It adds that chefs kiss of awful kitsch to the already garish ensemble.
@@Honsanmai I think those cat badges were the only thing I liked about Colin's costume. I don't know if it was just a story, but I'm sure I've heard Colin say that the cat badge was his idea.
I honestly believe that the writers and producers during the Sixth Doctor era were responsible for the death of Classic Who. They did the fans, Colin Baker, and Nicola Bryant a tremendous disservice.
Brilliant as always. And thank you for giving Colin Baker a fair assessment. I always feel sorry for him in a way. He came to the role with so much enthusiasm and put 110% into his performance only to be crucified by the fans for the lousy production and script problems that he had no control over. I'm glad someone else holds up the gems that are 'revelation of the Daleks' and 'vengence on varos' too. They're really good indicators of how good it could have been if the behind the scenes mess hadnt kicked the legs out from under the whole run.
I think the biggest irony is Colin was known for playing baddies and was adamant to be someone better as the Doc only to end up starting off as yet another bad guy with his manic disturbed nature.
It really is a shame what happened to Colin because he's *such* a good actor. The problem with series 22 and 23 was never his acting but the low regard the BBC held for the programme in those years and the lethargy that had crept into its production.
Man, watching this Colin Baker was just done dirty during his run as the 6th Doctor. Just by seeing some of the clips of his performance I can tell that he is an amazing actor, and really brought his A game. He looks like he would have been an entertaining and intriguing Doctor to watch. I'm glad that the audio dramas give him a second chance to play the Doctor and give him more to work with.
I had stopped watching DW then found Trial of a Timelord. So impressed with Colin Baker that I wrote a fan letter to Doctor Who magazine. They printed it!
Dear BBC, we have already paid for this content by buying our annual TV licence. Please keep ya filthy mitts off this channels fair use content. S'oright man, they are just jealous because the BBC has forgotten how to make good documentaries. Another top class review.
TBH Clever Dick Films would probably make a better version of Doctor Who itself at this point. Other than his its all about change argument he has a much better handle on the Doctor than the new who crowd.
I'll keep my opinion on the new season to my self until I've seem it. However yes, an objective project director is always better then a blinkered fan.
a) only uk people have paid the licence fee b) you dont make something fair use just because you say it is c) fair use isn't enshrined in law anyway d) you talk like human beings are involved in these things, it's all copyright bots. Don't spout off about things you don't understand.
Regardless of who has paid for what, it been paid for and fair use is a perfect title for what the BBCs intellectual property has been used for in this instance. I understand perfectly whats being done. Just because that's the way it is, it doesn't mean that's the way it should be.
Out of all the later Doctors, Colin Baker was the most wasted talent. Had he been given his way with the outfit and character, plus some decent scripts, we would be talking about him now as one of the greatest Doctors. I met him a couple of times; the first confused me as he greeted me as one would an old friend and I thought we'd met before, but then I realised that's what he's like with _everybody_ . At conventions he's awesome and constantly has people in stitches. However, just because someone is the life and soul of the party is no reason to cast them as a lead in a major television production. But...this ALMOST paid off if JNT hadn't been trying to turn Who into a light entertainment pantomime. He's a very powerful actor and does have a tendency to dominate a scene, but also very intelligent and will bring his performance down, if requested. And I heartily agree he made that costume bearable by basically just ignoring it and wearing it like it was acceptable clothing.
@@count69 I've never heard he was drunk, but EXTREMELY difficult to work with, especially when he had his drinking buddy Douglas Adams as script editor and it basically became 'The Tom Baker Show'. Wouldn't surprise me though.
It was an interview I saw with tom Baker himself. He admitted to drinking a lot of vodka and not learning the scripts but just bombasting his way through almost adlibbing! He also admitted after a couple of seasons he was basically directing and script editing.
@@count69 Tom does tend to exaggerate, but I certainly don't think he was there. The last couple of years really was the Tom Baker Show; once you have the script editor in your pocket the World is yours. You've probably heard the cabbage story, but if not it's well worth searching for.
MOST WAISTED: In my eyes that was Peter Davison. His way of acting the Doctor copied a bit to much the popular American sitcoms of it´s time. Yes it was right to make him diferent but it went a touch to far for my taste.
I really do think that Colin Baker would have gone on for years in the role if his time wasn't blighted by lacklustre scripts, production difficulties and obviously the higher ups at the BBC giving up on the show. Colin gets a bad rap as the 6th Doctor, but listen to his audio stories since he left the role... He is a worthy Doctor. Also, if he'd have been allowed that blue getup rather than the gregarious multi colour one, that could have made quite a bit of difference. Colin said that he didn't like the outfit, and his idea was something like the 9th Doctor would end up with. Ahead of his time.
I strongly agree that The Sixth Doctor has gotten a bad rap. He's my favorite of the Classic Doctors, I liked his abrasive and very assertive personality. I didn't mind his outfit, I saw it as a reflection of the mind of The Doctor himself. I expected that overtime his outfit and his personality would mellow a bit to be more like his previous personas. It's unfortunate that he didn't get the chance to fully evolve as a character.
I don't even need to listen to his audio stories to know that Colin Baker is criminally underrated. The man was able to steal any scene he was in, even if the writing was shit. The fact that he could wear an outfit that he hated with all the confidence in the world is a testament to his talent. Sylvester McCoy did well in that stupid coat too but he was obligated to wear it as part of his regeneration and clearly couldn't wait to be rid of it. Colin rocked it for 2 seasons without ever letting slip that he hated the costume. Audio also means that a performer can only deliver half of the full performance, unless they're doing an animated movie where the animators go out of their way to detail the actors or actresses expressions and body language in their work. No doubt that is a very rare occurrence because it would require more time and money, but I think it might have happened with Vincent Price's Rattigan in The Great Mouse Detective. If Colin did an animated Doctor Who story, with body language and expressions all intact, that's the closest we'll get to fully seeing the Sixth Doctor onscreen again.
The main problem I had was how long the regeneration side effects lingered. In 'The Twin Dilemma', a statement was made that the problems with regeneration decrease each time. Taking Tom Baker as an example, if you started at part 2 of his first episode (Robot), you would never guess that he'd just regenerated. Actually, same can be said if you start halfway through part 1. In 'The Twin Dilemma', however, the complications of regeneration were a recurring theme.
I always liked how vastly different he was from the Fifth Doctor, like he was subconsciously protecting himself by shedding the humanity he showed. Also wish the writers had been more considerate in deciding on his companion as it would have helped.
I definitely think that the Trial of a Timelord series was actually pretty fantastic and a great example of how awesome Colin Baker's Doctor could have been if given a better chance. It was a well-written mystery which built on itself under the guise of random past adventures for the Doctor. I really liked that as a framing device.
it helps that it generally just had well written moments with the doctor, although the episodes and adventures themselves might be up for debate in how good they were the scenes where the doctor is in the court are just golden, whenever he's making snarky comments or defending himself and heck even the infamous zoom in cliffhangers have a lot of effort put into them, you can clearly see this in the scene in ultimate foe when he denounces the time lords
Michael Jayston as the Valeyard was also awesome. The cold hearted, manipulative and sociopathic persona completely fails if it's used by an actual Doctor like Peter Capaldi. It's the main reason I think Peter Capaldi was a lousy Doctor for at least half of his run. However, since Michael Jayston was playing an amalgamation of all the Doctor's darker impulses and technically doesn't count as a regeneration, his performance was perfect. He really felt like what the Doctor would be like if he embraced evil and unlike Peter Capaldi's unintentional villainy, he was doing it on purpose.
I knew the guy on security at the convention who found Troughton dead! He'd greeted him at the airport as well and noted that he hadn't looked well, but was so excited to meet all the fans.
I started with the 9th Doctor back in 2005, growing up with it, and it took me until 2016 to watch the Classic series and explore the expanded universe. The time it took me is something I greatly regret. But during the time before I did I heard so much awful things about 6 and the entire 80s. And then I watched it. And I loved it. I loved Colin, I loved Peri, I loved Mel. And, of course, I loved Five and Seven and even prefer it to what I grew up with now. Well, just about. I have my gripes and complaints, of course, but I can honestly say 6 is my favorite Doctor, and listening to his audios is just a treat now. He's not exactly everything I want from a Doctor. He's almost unaware in a sense, even if his narcissism is so upfront. There's so much charm and things to love about not just him, but his run (a few notable serials aside). But I personally found his era blended not only the traditional Doctor/Companion relationship but also the viewer's perspective of the surrogate for the audience. Struggling alongside Peri and by the end feeling what Six feels. One thing I love about Six is that he's unique for me in that his speeches and monologues never felt like speeches or monologues. They were so naturally acted, it was wonderful and just flowed like the rest of his dialogue. I only wish other Doctors had the same. But whether that's writers or acting is a whole other issue. This video really hit the nail on the head for me, and I appreciate the time you put into it and I hope the next part has just as much TLC in it. But they've all been great so far, so I expect the best. But honestly, I hate that damn outfit, even if I found the Trial version's altered colour pallet to be a mite better.
What a lovely appraisal of old Sixie! It's great to hear that a fan of the modern series went back to explore and found Six their favourite! Be sure to let Colin know if you get that chance; I'm sure that would warm his heart!
Thank you for this! It gave so much information on Baker's background. C. Baker did a tremendous favour for our (now defunct) Whovian group. He made a brief, personal appearance at no charge!!! Wonderful man!
I met Mr. Baker a couple of years ago. He is such a kind and humble man. You can see how his interpretation of the Doctor influenced a lot of the doctors to come.
This was really enjoyable! I find this particular era's behind-the-scenes to be endlessly fascinating and really appreciated the refreshing change of not painting Eric Saward as some misunderstood genius surrounded by fools, but rather pointing out his own strange judgment calls and their impact on the show's direction. Nice to have a documentary that respects the lead and highlighting his commitment to and passion for the role. Thanks for putting this out into the world - I'm looking forward to checking out more of the series!
When it comes to JNT and Saward, I used to take Saward's side completely. Now I realize both men were equally wrong-headed in their clashing visions of the show and their creative instincts. And unfortunately they both had a tendency to frustrate each other into willfully doubling down on them.
I never comment on youtube. I also work in the media. These videos are really excellent. You should be really proud of the production quality and intellectual vigour behind them. Ive found them incredibly insightful. Beyond this they are a pleasure to watch.
Yeah, I think the main reason why it was decided to have the Sixth Doctor in such a tasteless outfit (even though I personally like it, if only as a guilty pleasure, but I digress) is that it was meant to help make him unlikable, as his character was written as unlikable, and I think the conclusion the majority of people come to like you mentioned is that he was to go through a character arc in which he gradually becomes more likable, so in later seasons, his outfit may have become less tasteless over the years, but his abrupt firing pretty much prevented that from ever fully playing out.
I had heard (and I'd like to preface the word, "heard") that Colin Baker wanted the black outfit and a chance to be a darker version of the Doctor before warming up during his run. He wanted "the fans to hate him and then love him." I have to note that Peter Capaldi wanted the same vibe to his version of The Doctor -- and succeeded. Perhaps if JNT listened to the wishes of Colin, the Sixth Doctor might not be at the bottom of all the Doctor Who rankings. Gotta feel bad for Colin Baker. The guy gives 110% while everybody else is sabotaging the show. This video gives me huge respect for him now.
Colin Baker was the only Doctor I didn’t like. Your presentation gives me new respect for Baker as an actor, and much insight into what was going on at that time. Thank you!
At the time I was shocked by Colin's portrayal, as he was so different from the 'nice' fifth Doctor, but his Doctor has grown on me over time. The 6th Doctor Big Finish stories, especially 'The One Doctor' show his charm and humour.
I personally wish Davison had stayed on for at least one more year as his character had some real development in season 3, and The Fifth Doctor and Peri had a real "chemistry" (not in a sexual sense, but a real wit back and forth and a clear sense of duty to each other). Davison himself said had he not had to make the choice so early (in season 20), and had seen how his character and the show developed in Season 21 he might have stayed, despite typecasting fears. On a different note, the REVILED second Colin Baker theme tune (from "Trial of a Time Lord") is perhaps my favorite arrangement of the theme ever!
Similar situation for Capaldi, I think. He was a bit inconsistently written in his first two seasons, and only in his last, do I feel thwy got the balance right!
@@Thomas_of_the_forest Actually, Peter Capaldi was written pretty consistently. The first season was about him realising that he was still the Doctor after defending Trenzalore for 900 years and the second was about him enjoying life for a while after getting over his depression and insecurities. The scripts weren't the problem. Capaldi himself was. I know that's an incredibly controversial thing to say but hear me out. In Season 8, Peter Capaldi portrayed the Doctor as a sociopathic shitbag who resembled the Valeyard. That would have been fantastic IF they had brought back Michael Jayston to emphasise how out of character the Doctor was behaving and used him to remind everybody that by going off the rails, the Valeyard would break free and go back to steal Colin Baker's regenerations. They didn't do that, which was a massive missed opportunity but one that wouldn't have even needed to be considered if Capaldi had played his role with more charm and warmth. When he wasn't being the Valeyard, he was trying to cram all the previous Doctors into one cohesive character and unless you're an actor of Laurence Olivier's calibre, you're doomed to fail if you attempt that. Honestly, I think even Olivier would be spreading himself too thin unless he resorted to falling back on a split personality disorder. Because Capaldi compensated for the fact that he couldn't juggle 13 Doctor's at once by leaning too far into his Valeyard persona, it felt like course correction in Season 9 even though it was intentional that his Doctor would begin his run as a darker incarnation. The problem is that Capaldi mistook "darker Doctor" for "borderline Valeyard" so after he realised his mistake, he had to work extra hard to win people over. That's his own fault, not the writers'. They clearly knew what they wanted to do with the 13th Doctor (yes, Capaldi's the 13th, not the 12th) because his era was more focussed and character driven than Matt Smith's. Smith actually had more inconsistent levels of writing quality which could veer wildly from masterpieces like The Eleventh Hour to duds like The Beast Below (which was literally the very next episode AND written by the same writer, who admitted that he considered it his weakest script) but that never impacted the quality of his performances. The perfect casting for the 13th Doctor as he was written would have been John Hurt. He never made the mistake of acting like a sociopath, despite ending up playing the Doctor who outright denied that he was the Doctor instead of the one who was starting a new regeneration cycle. Therefore, he could have pulled off Capaldi's character arc without being outright unlikeable throughout his first season. John Hurt WAS the Doctor in his first and only full episode despite denying it to himself until the scene where he and the others swooped in to save Gallifrey. And this was despite the fact that he was retconned into existence at the last moment AND sharing the screen with the 2 most popular New Who Doctors while the most popular Classic Who Doctor was waiting for the Curator's scene. Peter Capaldi became the Doctor over time instead of nailing the role from the start. I saw him as a legitimate incarnation in Season 9 but it was an uphill battle for him to reach that point because he simply doesn't have as much talent as the previous New Who Doctors. When he finally allowed himself to relax and play to his strengths instead of trying to slam all the previous Doctors (apart from the Dream Lord) together, he was much more authentic and likeable. I recently watched the scene where Clara offered him cards to remind him to be nice. Season 8 Capaldi would have played that scene with the same sociopathic coldness. Season 9 Capaldi actually managed to be adorable. The little "oh" he gave before turning away to read the cards made me believe that he genuinely didn't realise how insensitive he was being, which emphasised that he had grown not only as the Doctor but also as an actor.
rockhard or at the very least been stern with JNT and told him he wanted his outfit. Instead of having it be like JNT trying to insert himself into the show.
Thanks so much! It is a fantastic story! I also think the humour and OTT characterisation of Sil makes it bit more enjoyable a watch than Caves of Androzani.
I don't think Richard's grudge against "Doctor in Distress" is entirely justified! Sure, it's naff, but it's not too badly executed and surprisingly catchy. And of course, the main reason the BBC banned it was that it was explicitly critical of BBC management decisions, not that it was somehow even worse than some of the dreck that was in the charts of that era.
12:31 - Wow! That is so much better than what we got, and it suits Colin Baker's Doctor so much better. They could have stuck with the simple black coat and grey-striped trousers as a theme, as per Baker's wish, and JNT could still have had fun with the tie, making it something quirky, colourful and different each episode.
I don't think the grudge against "Doctor in Distress" is entirely justified! Sure, it's naff, but it's not too badly executed and surprisingly catchy. And of course, the main reason the BBC banned it was that it was explicitly critical of BBC management decisions, not that it was somehow even worse than some of the dreck that was in the charts of that era.
I rewatched The Twin Dilemma and the Doctor's assault on Peri is so shockingly violent...how did producer, director, script writer, editor, and star all green light this incredible, and in my mind horrific, departure of the Doctor's character? Unbelievable.
@@markpettis2896 so I assume you just completely ignore the time war, where the Doctor does horrible things, including wiping out 2 species? Or how bout when the First Doctor was gonna bash in the caveman’s head? Dude was suffering from the Regeneration energy, kind of a small thing to condemn an entire tenure over, bud.
@@bretlanier2304 You hit the nail on the head. Absolutely no reason why a Regeneration wouldn't screw up someone's mind so much that it goes against his original values. Wish they tried something like that again.
People gush over Peter Capaldi even though he abandoned Clara in two episodes as well as gaslighting and projecting his own flaws and insecurities onto her for most of Season 8. Why can Capaldi get away with being a complete shitbag but not Baker?
NitPix agreed. I’m amazed you don’t have more to be honest. Your production values are so high. Very professional, plus your excellent and well researched content. You should be paid for this work!
This video has 50k views and chan has 8k subscribers - that means niche (low numbers), but valuable content (high ratio of views vs. subs). While the first is something you can't do much about it, the second depends on your work and it proves it's really good. Most people don't care about well researched things - after all we live in the world where tabloids are often the top press. So even more respect for the author who see knowledge (even if popculture!) as more valuable, than being YT celebrity.
Great work as always, Richard. It's a shame that Colin's run is so marred by mediocre writing and behind-the-scenes drama, because in all these clips he's clearly trying his hardest with the material given and honestly, though I don't DISLIKE Peter Davison and I do understand what they were going for with his more human, softer, fallible Doctor, based on the footage you've used here, Colin definitely seems much more the same being as the Baker that preceded him.
That's a really interesting point! In many respects the Sixth Doctor eventually shows he has more in common with the established character of the Doctor up that point.
This is my favourite review of yours so far. I often feel like that Colin Baker gets too much flak for his tenure as the Doctor when most of the issues were off screen, when really he was a superb Doctor in really schlocky stories (much like how Capaldi was an excellent Doctor in mediocre stories).
Peter Capaldi actually had very good stories. His Doctor had a well planned out character arc so Capaldi himself was the problem in Season 8, not the writing. To his credit, he sold his Doctor in Season 9 but by playing him as a sociopathic arsehole in Season 8, instead of just a tired alien who had the same lack of social awareness as Matt Smith but didn't have the energy to be youthful and flamboyant (which was clearly what the writers were going for), he left a bad taste which meant he needed to work harder to win people over in Season 9. That's not the writers' fault. If Capaldi had simply known how to be charming in Season 8, it would be one of the most celebrated seasons. He finally managed to be charming in Season 9 but Matt Smith had to deal with worse writing than he did and it never impacted his performances. If the writers had given John Hurt the exact same scripts that Capaldi was working with, I guarantee he could have pulled off the Doctor much more quickly and easily.
I remember meeting six as a kid. I turned around to him and told him i didnt recognise him and he laughed it off. He told me that when the Rani was chasing him just before he regenerated she made him old and he made the journey to our local comic con to meet his fans. And I'd never watched classic I just had a poster of every doctor in my room so I was confused but also I just thought it was cool.
What if Collin's first episode was a Fifth/Sixth adventure where Six works with Five for the entire episode where Five is totally unaware he is working with his future self?
I reckon the 60th anniversary specials might do just that with Ncuti Gatwa turning up for the 2nd special, working alongside David Tennant! That's my hope anyway, I don't have any real reasons as to why I think that'll happen... we'll wait and see. It's a cool idea - and yeah, wasted opportunity doing that for Colin Baker's first episode (even though it would mean changing the ending to the masterful Caves of Androzani)
Yeah me to, I wish he had done more, but he was shafted by the BBC. He had the appetite for it by his own admission, I think he said he'd like to give Tom Baker's record a run for it's money, or something along those lines. I have yet to hear the Big Finish stories that he has become quite celebrated for, I'm just glad they gave his Dr a boost in popularity. Still a big Who fan but not of the new series.
I think the point of his costume was to reflect his personality (as in being kinda tasteless) but that he would change for the better as the show went on. Had they given him a couple of seasons, 6 would have been shining honestly. This video was very insightful and made me appreachiate 6 more, as Colin Baker clearly did the best with what he was given, similar to Peter Capaldi.
@@nathangonzalez9710 He gave 100% in the wrong direction. There's a reason I call Season 8 Peter Capaldi the Valeyard instead of the Doctor. He completely misinterpreted the role he was supposed to be playing. And before you say he was trying to emulate William Hartnell, Hartnell had a warm twinkle in his eye and a sense of mischief that Peter Capaldi lacked. The whole point of Peter Capaldi's Doctor was to be a gruff man with a soft heart. He was never supposed to be a cold hearted sociopath but that's what he was in Season 8. By the time he started to repair the damage, it came across as overcompensation from a man who knew he'd fucked up his childhood hero. Watching Peter Capaldi was like watching Michael Jayston all over again but at least Jayston was INTENDED to come across as a villain.
I've been really enjoying these documentaries on each of the Classic Doctors (I'm a New Who fan here). These documentaries have been fantastic and I started watching the original series because of you. I can't wait for future installments of this series.
Forgetting Thatcher for a moment, how does a lefty like you keep their pretence of caring for the public when it comes to being totally against the capital punishment of murderers and paedophiles, otherwise termed “oppression” by this videos narrator? It seems like abstract and stupid concepts like “anti-racism” rather than just punishment of dangerous criminals, is more to your liking. Therefore I can safely say that Thatcher did indeed care more about the public than you and the rest of the lefties.
magellanthecat Although slightly ruined by the daft scarf (or is it a necktie type thing) he wears, this is what Colin should have worn. i.imgur.com/dqjjh6q.jpg as seen in the video.
I've known Colin for a while now through signings and Q+As we have done together - this is the first time I have seen his era documented correctly - Colin was given a rough time and deserved so much better, and despite all that he has always been a champion for the show - well done once again for peeling back the layers and revealing the true essence of what really happened and where the blame for this period lies - brilliant!
I didn't like him at first, but he did grow on me and he was treated very badly during his time. He did do some decent stories and undoubtedly, Vengeance on Varos remains one of his finest hours as the Doctor even now, before the hiatus of course. Brilliant villian in Sil, who nearly stole the show and it features my favourite modern companion, the delightful Peri. Colin was definitely the most underappreciated Doctor.
"Like a fart in a lift.." lol I didn't know Hans Zimmer was partially responsible for Doctor in Distress. Gonna have words! Another fab video. You certainly put the Doc in documentary!
I'd always dismissed Colin Baker as the 'shit' Doctor, but having found out all this behind the scenes stuff, I really feel he was not given a fair run at it.
Yeah, unfortunately the "behind the scenes" stuff is just that, and not what you actually get at the time. I think the whole late 80s was really bad overall.
Learned SO much in this Documentary about the Colin Baker years Another GREAT Doc and I can't wait for the next one! The BBC should take notes on how to present their own IP and LEARN how one fan like yourself shows passion, love and criticism of this great iconic character and the people who add to his story. Your narration is spot on and even improving over your first Documentary, well done!
Colin Baker's situation was almost the opposite of what happened in Hartnell's time, wherein, Hartnell's last story, The Tenth Planet, was, I believe, the second serial of season 4, the rest of the season, and indeed, the next two, was Patrick Troughton.
First Colin Baker story I saw was Vengeance on Varos and I like him on that so I never understood why everybody said he was so mean. Until I saw The Twin Dilemma and saw him try to kill Peri and kept blaming her for everything that went wrong. That was a bad story to go and leave in fans heads for 18 months. And just because the production staff couldn't get along, his Doctor was never given a fair shot.
At least the Sixth Doctor's darker personality was offset by his insane outfit and flamboyant demeanour. I think John Nathan-Turner actually had the right idea, even if the costume should have been toned down. Let's compare Colin Baker, the most underrated Doctor of all time, to Peter Capaldi, the most overrated Doctor of all time. Capaldi dressing and acting like a normal person only made his darker moments come across as sociopathic without any of the alien eccentricity to offset it. Baker's larger than life persona and ability to wear that stupid outfit with all the confidence in the world made his darker moments come across as those of an actual alien.
Alex JNT definitely needed to be reeled back a lot of the time, many of his decisions did not help and in fact only caused damage for the reputation of the show
That was great! I wasn't a fan of Colin in the TV series but after listening to dozens of his Big Finish audios I have to say he's now one of my favourites.
Yep. Same here! I then went back and started a thorough study of that season. There was so much subtlety in what was happening, I often wonder what the "big reveal" was that the show was clearly leading. I hated Peri until BF too!
It is great to see researched, thoughtful and insightful analysis on a difficult period for the show, the comment about a fart in a lift had me laughing more than it should.
I am a huge fan of the Sixth Doctor there is no denying that I like Colin Baker's character because he's a Doctor a being funny, sometimes mean and kind to others he meet besides Peri and he is a proper and sofisticaded character I know and love on TV and Show👏👍☺️
I lived through the Colin Baker era as a boy. As an adult, I can now see and appreciate what they had been trying to do with the Doctor's character, but as a 10 year old, it was a different story. Not only had I been unhappy in the first instance that Peter Davison was leaving, but Baker was so unlikeable in his first episode that it dealt a huge blow to my loyalty to the show. Remember, at the time, there was very little to put Baker's performance in context for the general audience - there was no Internet, hardly anything released on home video, and I don't remember the BBC repeating any old Doctor Who stories on BBC1 or BBC2 which were the only channels available then. Children are a demanding audience and can be very fickle, and so for them it was a big change and at the time, I hated it. Since then, I've come to reconcile my feelings about it, and Baker himself in particular, because clearly the BBC treated him badly. I actually met Baker at an event a few years ago and told him that I thought he was a good Doctor, and that he is now a fantastic ambassador for the show.
Thank you; it's always valuable to hear from people who the target audience at the time and their experiences of living through the period in question.
I was 12 at the time, and I remember being reaaallllyyyyy put off when he tried strangling Peri. And then his last line at the end of the story, "I am the Doctor, like it or not" left me with such a sour taste that I decided to stop watching on a regular basis.
Mike, how you are supposed to find the doctor's brief mental illness (followed by him repenting and becoming heroic again) disagreeable to the point of him being permanently unlikable is beyond me. Of course it may be tonally out of place in a campy and fairly lighthearted story like The Twin Dilemma, but the doctor has no recollection of his attack on Peri, and his attack on Azmael and the hilarious scene where he cowardly hides behind Peri's skirt are both immediately followed by a sincere apology. He recovers his wits and swiftly becomes tactful and charming again. How could the last line leave you with a sour taste? Did you actually take it seriously?
The weird clothes or weird coat on their own, paired with a 'normal' counterpart may have worked. Both together was just way too much. Colin got a raw deal. Glad he could redeem himself in audio.
I can’t BELIEVE I have never heard of Doctor in Distress, and I’m not sure if I should thank you for introducing it to me or not lol. But I’ve been binging this video series and it’s wonderful!
I Don't condemn Violence..... but The urge to punch the screen when you were zooming in on Grade's image was close to impossible. I remember Colin Baker saying in a panel that if he had the Tardis the first thing he would do is prevent Michael Grade's parents from ever meeting.
Thanks for another cracking video, and review. I was not aware of the FULL backstory - however, your piece has now given me new insight, and I can now view Colin's tenure with strong admiration, something that I never thought I would. Well played!
Thank you!! I’ve been waiting for this one for awhile! Finally a Fantastic and thorough look at Colin Baker’s tenure as the Doctor. He was the most underrated and under appreciated Doctor back then in my opinion, thanks for this Great video that does him justice!
I managed to find a few stories from Colin's first season to watch a while ago and I kinda thought the harpsichord motifs in the background of the soundtrack represented his version of the Doctor pretty much perfectly. Haven't ever heard soundtracks quite like those. And I gotta say, despite the Twin Dilemma's... everything... the "I am the doctor whether you like it or not" line is one of the best in the whole show.
40:04 That really just broke my heart. 💔😭 The way you told that story with your editing. Of course I knew he died but I didn't know when and where exactly... My mom also died very young, she was only 63. Why do all the good people with a huge heart have to die that early?? ...
If you watch the acid bath scene, you can sometimes see it as the guard pulling the other guard in or the Doctor pushing him in. You have got to pay attention to spot the guard tugging on the other's trousers.
You don't even have to pay that much attention. It's made clear that the Doctor wasn't trying to kill them. First of all, one guy knocked his colleague into the acid by accident and second, it literally had an entire shot focussed on the other man dragging his friend down with him.
You don't even have to pay that much attention. It's made clear that the Doctor wasn't trying to kill them. First of all, one guy knocked his colleague into the acid by accident and second, it literally had an entire shot focussed on the other man dragging his friend down with him.
This is the Best of the documentarys and Collin was underused like peter capaldi He could have been a great doctor who could have taken the show into a new era
To St Excellent post. He was a great doctor in spite of the nonsense he had to put up with. I think Angry Comic Zombie meant the Colin Baker years as a whole could have been great.
For those saying he ‘could of been’ a great doctor, I beg of you to check out his Big Finish stuff, it gives him the stories he deserves and redeems the poor writing of his tv stories.
Collin was my uncles favorite doctor, and hes watched the entire series (almost) with me. He loves how collins doctor was pompous and rude to the enemies (if needed be). I feel as if people forget that not all personalities are "The kind man, not mean or rude to anyone" but there are inherently rude people. (I love the sixth doctor too)
my Dad , who too is a huge fan , use to say colin was his favorite just to sound edgy . because his favorite was Tom and back in the day tom was everyone's favorite
38:36 I always thought "conterminous time" was a misreading of "coterminous time", but only recently discovered that "conterminous" is a real word, meaning "sharing the same boundary". Even years after the event, I can still learn new things from Doctor Who! Incidentally, my vocabulary was greatly enriched by the programme and, especially, the Target books, and I can't be alone in that. I know that Toby Hadoke (in "Running Through Corridors" vol 2) remembers that he learned the derivation of "mayday" from "m'aidez" from the Sea Devils book, which was my experience also. Similarly, I first encountered the words "malignant" in The Zarbi, "staccato" in The Ice Warriors, "albeit" in The Daemons, "interstitial" in The Time Monster and "parallelpiped" in The Curse of Peladon. And those are just off the top of my head.
Thanks for the next installment! You should be super proud of your work. This level of quality in delivery and content is one often not attained by official BBC docs, and yet here you are, 7 chunky episodes in! Thanks so much! I relish this series.
Another outstanding entry in this fabulous series of retrospectives of Dr Who. I was in my late teens during this era and had never heard of, let alone seen, Doctor in Distress until just now ... now that's what I call a video nastie lol. I've always quite enjoyed Colin Baker's incarnation of the Doctor and even appreciate the costume as a manifestation of his sometimes bombastic, bizarre and unpredictable personality. There was something 'not quite right' with the show though and I never knew what it was at the time, I thought it was a number of things combining together that just conflicted and impacted how the show was delivered. Many see it as the responsibility of the show's Producer to manage such issues and this is why JNT took a lot of the flack but I think this video does a good job of representing how difficult (almost impossible) it became.
I kind of prefer the old 4-6 part 25 minute serial format to the modern 45-50 minute episodes. I feel like it allowed more fleshed out stories. One of the main problems with New Who is that the episodes often feel very rushed and I prefer slower paced sci fi. However, I understand that this wouldn't be popular with the casual viewer today and thus probably shouldn't be brought back.
I didn't know 'The Tripods' was caught up in the same axe as Dr. Who. John Christopher's trilogy was great Sci-fi and is a good candidate for a re-make.
Well, so far, Colin Baker seems to be the only Doctor to go completely insane after his regeneration...unless Jodie Whittaker is suddenly going to choke her companions to death in the next episode. On another note, Colin Baker was the first Doctor I got to meet in person, so I've got a bit of a soft spot for him.
One of the best Doctors ever in one of the most controversial eras of the show. I personally love most of his stories, and I think Trial of a Timelord as a whole is seriously underrated. Colin went on to be wildly successful and loved in Big Finish, and he definitely deserved it, but I'm somewhat annoyed that it took him so long to be properly appreciated. He'll always be one of my all time favourite incarnations.
No, Colin Baker incarnation is where I switched off as a 10 year old. Or i had become interested in other things...until Christopher Eccleston rocked up in 2005!! :D but these reviews are fantastic! So well researched and real. Thankyou!!
what I can say is that this video has given me a new found respect for Colin , that regardless of how badly he was treated , he still wanted to be a part of the franchise just because of his love for the role . one of the first true fan to be a part of this show .
*JNT:* (storms into production office) you're absolutely right, the costume is all wrong - there's a loose button on the back pocket of the trouser! *Staff:* -_-
I saw Colin Baker at a convention in the Philadelphia area before any of his episodes were broadcast, I think. Everybody there was very excited about the idea of a new Doctor and excited to see him, and having the same surname as the great Tom Baker had people giddy. I remember one person asked him how long he planned to stay on the show, and he replied that Tom Baker held the record and he liked to set records and everybody cheered. Unfortunately, he did indeed set a record: the shortest time as the Doctor. I've heard a number of younger fans comment that his costume was just "typical '80s," but no, it was HATED in the '80s, definitely not at all like the admittedly loud and garish things that were popular at the time.
I was at that convention. Such a sad time! At the time, I had only seen Tom Baker as the Doctor, so had regeneration explained to me by Peter Davison. They were all such troopers for carrying on.
I had the pleasure of meeting Colin Baker at a convention once. I asked about the infamous coat, and he said he had no input on its design whatsoever. I've listened to a number of the Colin Baker audio dramas from Big Finish, and found him to be an enjoyable Doctor. He portrays that sense of alien about the Doctor, choosing to play up a somewhat pompous character, but its all done for dramatic effect rather than being his only trait. It feels like he ups this arrogance in much the same way the 2nd Doctor accentuates his clumsiness - to get a better measure of those who would do ill against him and his friends. If they think you're all bark and no bite, they tend to try and one-up you, and that's when they make a mistake.
These are fantastic, some of the best documentaries I've seen, let alone Dr. Who content on this site! The BBC really should hire you to do these officially... one thing I noticed was how ironic it is that Thatcher said 'when people go out and do these heinous things, especially to children'. And then she let so many evil and vile things happen to Chileans, then let their dictator escape punishment by letting him stay at her house like a family friend...
Thanks so much! And you’re spot on about Thatcher, and that’s before we even consider her efforts to get Saville a knighthood despite all the warnings she was personally given.
@@cleverdickfilms My pleasure! Aye, I'd completely forgotten about that but it's about as despicable. That and what she did with Geoffrey Howe and child abusers in her own government, and PIE...
Early on I think I was sort of trained to not like Colin Baker. I first learned about him when I was a kid and the scene of him and the acid bath was featured in a documentary about violence on Doctor Who. Thank you for this series, I really do appreciate his time as the Doctor now.
It is refreshing and most informative to see this objective analysis of Colin Baker's tenure as doctor, and a sympathetic look at Baker the man. It really seems like the show suffered from a perfect storm of poor decisions, anchored by an unfortunate interpretation of how the Doctor should comport himself.
Colin and his era were and are brilliant. Michael Grade hated Who. He was bitter about Davison, too. He probably would've tried to kill the show if it was still Tom Baker and Hinchcliffe. Grade was wrong.
