For Nu Who fans imagine if David Tennants 10th Doctor had been killed and had regenerated into Piers Morgan. Thats the extent of the culture shock that pervaded upon Peter Davison handing over the role to the much-maligned Colin Baker (no relation to Tom). Victim of a traumatic regeneration that messes with his brain, the 6th Doctor begins his short run on the show by trying to strangle Peri, an act completely out of character for the shows protagonist, but which elicited cheers from a lot of the viewers watching at the time. However, even when his personality finally properly settled, the 6th Doctor proved to be irritable, grumpy, sour-tempered and arrogant and wore what appeared to be a clown costume. The stories Baker was given werent the greatest, either. Universally loathed showrunner John Nathan-Turner, a man fandom has since charged with ruining Doctor Who throughout the 1980s, had been instructed to lighten the shows dark atmosphere by BBC1 boss Michael Grade. Nathan-Turner, not being the worlds most creative force, chose to interpret this as make it very, very silly indeed. Colin Baker wasnt and isnt a bad actor, just unfortunately saddled with making a silk purse out of a sows ear. Hed asked to wear black, in keeping with his Doctors supposedly darker persona, only to be presented with an ensemble that wouldnt look out of place in a circus. He was supposed to be scarier, more mysterious, yet scripts repeatedly called for him to deliver petulant, crotchety dialogue that made him sound like a sour old uncle at a wedding. All of this was in direct opposition to what Grade wanted the show to be, causing further behind the scenes political manoeuvering. Finally, Grade gave Nathan-Turner the ultimatum: change the Doctor or lose the show. Baker was fired by courier, Nathan-Turner not even having the grace to speak to him personally, and as the 7th Doctor, Sylvester McCoy would shepherd the show gently, whimsically, but with the occasional sinister touch, to its conclusion in 1989.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
