10 Memorable Post-Regeneration Moments In Doctor Who

Of course, this was going to be on the list. The infamously controversial scene is one of the most talked about moments in the Sixth Doctor’s series, let alone the post-regenerative episode.

Suffering from attacks of mania after his regeneration, the scene sees the Doctor suddenly becoming paranoid, accusing Peri of being a spy and attempting to violently strangle her. It’s a shocking moment, to actually see the Doctor attack his companion; though once he recovers, he doesn’t remember much of the incident. In fact, the Sixth Doctor doesn’t even believe that he could’ve hurt Peri at first, until he sees how scared she is of him. The scene was meant to demonstrate how traumatic the regeneration has been, and how unstable the new Doctor is - and it backfires badly. Instead, it just adds to the bad impression of the Sixth Doctor that is built up throughout the episode. In hindsight, the scene was obviously a very bad choice; and after years of excellent Big Finish audios featuring the Sixth Doctor, it’s a good reminder that you can’t judge a new Doctor on their first episode.