Doctor Who: 5 Ways Big Finish Enhances 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.