2. The Doctor Regenerates Time And The Rani (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_OT2obe710
The Story The newly Regenerated Doctor must stop renegade Time Lady the Rani from kidnapping great scientists throughout history to build a Time Manipulator.
The Moment The Rani attacks the Tardis, fatally injuring the Sixth Doctor
Why It Hasnt Aged Well The story behind this low moment in Doctor Whos history is now well known to fans. After the poor performance of Season 23, Colin Baker was used as a scapegoat and unceremoniously sacked. But despite sacking him, the BBC asked him to come back and film his Doctors Regeneration sequence. A request that he understandably declined. The lack of Colin Baker was resolved by dressing Sylvester McCoy in his costume and a blonde wig, having the first stages of the Regeneration take place with him facing the floor, and obscuring his face with a computer effect for the transition to the Seventh Doctor. The very basic CGI at the start of this scene can and should be overlooked since the use of digital FX shots on a constantly reduced BBC budget in 1987 was a bold move that deserves some consideration. What shouldnt be overlooked however is how poorly the Regeneration itself is handled and why its not a scene that can be looked back on fondly years later. A big reason for why the scene hasnt aged well because of the poor planning and lack of effort that only became apparent years later when what really went on behind the scenes was fully explained. But also because its a Regeneration sequence. Regenerations are some of the most significant scenes in Doctor Who and they need both decent aesthetics and emotional impact to stand the test of time. Time And The Ranis Regeneration lacks both of those things. Its nothing but a quick and cheap means to an end, and has aged very poorly because of that.