10 Doctor Who Controversies That Divide Fans
5. The Sixth Doctor
As a cursory glance at any rankings or polls will demonstrate, Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor is one of the least-popular incarnations in the show. Digital Spy and Radio Times both have him at the bottom of their fan-voted lists, and some of our own rankings on WhatCulture.com have also done the same.
It's a similar story with episode polls too, with Baker's debut serial (The Twin Dilemma) being voted televised Who's worst outing not once, not twice, but three separate times by Doctor Who Magazine readers.
With hardcore Whovians though, it's a slightly different story. Sure, it's not like he suddenly shoots to the top of people's lists, but there's no question that love for Baker's Doctor has increased in recent times thanks to his successful run of Big Finish audio dramas. Indeed, many will agree that the Sixth Doctor works far better on audio, which is something that our own Tom Howson noted in 2020: "Big Finish enhances the Sixth Doctor... Colin’s incarnation is simply a joy, and it's understandable why you’d wish to travel with him."
Baker even got to do an audio story written by the king of modern Who, Russell T Davies, which significantly upped his Doctor's cool factor.
All this is to say that your opinion of the Sixth Doctor will probably depend on whether or not you're an audio listener. His TV era was categorised by its brash tone, violent content, and frequent behind-the-scenes drama, and it was this ill-fated mid-80s run that doomed him to the bottom of those fan polls, likely for a good long while. However, he's much more likeable over at Big Finish, making his entire era a tale of two halves, and one of the most divisive runs a Doctor has ever had.