Dave's Sixth Doctor Page
Played by COLIN BAKER 1983-1986, reprised 1993, 1997 (C.D.R.O.M.).
Colin Baker was the sixth main actor to play the role of the Doctor. As such the pressures on him were enormous. There were also pressures on the production team from a B.B.C. administration which coveted resources used by the Series for its new batch of drama and daytime television programmes. For this reason, Colin's time on the show was troubled.
Already an accomplished actor, Baker had the intention of beating Tom Baker's (then) record of holding the role for seven years. Alas it was not to be and Colin made perhaps the shortest contribution to the series (although we don't yet know!). We didn't really have a chance to get to know him before he was given eighteen months' rest by the B.B.C., a shorter season of 14 25 minute episodes (compared to 13 45 minute episodes in his first full year, or 26 25 minute episodes Peter Davison had), comprising episodes the production team had little time to plan or commission before they were due to start recording. This led to an inevitable drop in quality and ratings for Baker's last season, and Michael Grade, then head of programmes at the Beeb, gave Colin the sack. He didn't tell Colin himself, but told the show's producer to do it.
Colin Baker's era is often mis-judged by Doctor Who fans. They look at a few poor quality stories and somehow imagine that the deficiencies of those apply to the rest of his tenure. There was a lot of good material in Colin's time, and his first full season of 45 minute episodes gave greater scope for a more adult version of the show to develop. There were occasional hiccups, but I think Season 21 rates as one of the best in the show's history, with the Doctor facing Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, The Master, and even a former version of himself in the form of the Second Doctor.
The sixth Doctor was my favourite because of his child-like nature. Here was someone we could really believe was from another planet. His priorities seemed different from ours, and if he seemed callous when having a laugh at Davros's recently shot off hand, it was because we were having a good laugh too. If he seemed selfish, then at least he was honest about it, unlike the other Doctors.
There is a not much anywhere about Colin Baker, despite his high profile in several television series, but you could read DOCTOR WHO: THE HANDBOOK: THE SIXTH DOCTOR, which gives an account of how Baker was cast in and eventually asked to leave the series.
You could also look at: Brief Colin Baker Interview, or Michael O' Driscoll's Colin Baker Page
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Mail me: dfarmbrough@cix.co.uk.