Doctor Who: Every Title Sequence Ranked From Worst To Best
5. The Fourth, Fifth, And Sixth Doctors (1980-1986)
In 1980, the Doctor Who title sequence changed drastically, all thanks to the command of infamous producer John Nathan-Turner. Not only was the theme replaced, the overall visual style changed also. Gone were the bright colours, trippy visuals, the original time vortex, and the TARDIS itself, and in were simple starfields, unflattering portraits of The Doctors (poor Tom Baker), and a re-designed, neon tube logo. As much as the changes might sound bad, it wasn't all terrible.
This new, high contrast title sequence was heavily influenced by the success of Star Wars. As the viewer traversed space, stars began to align, forming both the portraits of Doctors Four, Five, and Six, and the new logo. Unfortunately, the legendary Delia Derbyshire arrangement of the theme was dropped, and Peter Howell produced the new one.
While Tom Baker and Peter Davison's variants of this title sequence are nigh-on the same, Colin Baker's opening was given much more flair. Not only was the star field much busier and brighter, it also featured multi-coloured stars, a portrait of the Sixth Doctor that transitions from a slight grin to a big smile, and a more colourful, slightly curved version of the existing Doctor Who logo. Season 23 also saw a new theme, arranged by Dominic Glynn, which was only used for this final Sixth Doctor season with the same titles.