Doctor Who: 5 Ways Big Finish Enhances The Sixth Doctor
Whilst originally defined by his colourful outfit on screen, Big Finish improves The Sixth Doctor.
Colin Baker played The Sixth Doctor from 1984 to 1986, starring in eleven stories, from ‘The Twin Dilemma’ to ‘The Ultimate Foe’. On screen, the sixth incarnation of The Doctor was arrogant, brash, and just generally unlikeable.
During his time on the show, it went through a pretty turbulent time, as Colin’s era was placed on hiatus for eighteen-months. After this hiatus, Doctor Who went ahead with its twenty-third season, ‘Trial of a Time Lord’, which ended with Colin still supposedly playing The Doctor. However, in the break between this season and the next, Colin was dismissed from the show by at-the-time Controller of BBC One, Michael Grade, who wasn’t the show’s biggest fan.
This left Colin Baker never receiving a proper ending for his incarnation on-screen, not allowing The Sixth Doctor to reach his full potential on his relatively short period on the show. However, in 1999, Big Finish began making Doctor Who audio dramas, with Colin being brought on board from their very first release ‘The Sirens of Time’. Over the next twenty-one years, The Sixth Doctor has gone from strength to strength, enhancing an incarnation who didn’t get the best first shot. So, here are five ways Big Finish enhanced The Sixth Doctor.
5. You Can't See His Costume
Whilst this may seem fairly obvious, with the audio format of Big Finish, the Sixth Doctor’s colourful costume is no longer a distraction. The first thing anyone will remember about The Sixth Doctor is his costume, which was established by then Producer, John Nathan-Turner. Colin has since said he was hoping for something darker in colour, and actually more similar to what Christopher Ecclestone wore.
In an interview in Doctor Who Magazine issue #502, showrunner for the Smith and Capaldi era, Steven Moffat, said that he once watched some of Colin’s episodes in black and white and realised how much the costume originally “drowned out” how good Colin actually was in the role. Moffat went on to say:
“You can see him, and he’s really good. He’s not at all what you remember him as being, the vulgar, brash Doctor; he’s quite kind, he’s sweet.”
This in turn has become a strength of The Sixth Doctor at Big Finish. Besides the cover art, which is regularly beautiful, there is no glaring colourful distraction to Baker’s portrayal. Colin’s commanding voice has become iconic at Big Finish and is finally able to talk past his costume.