How Every Doctor Who Got Cast

On the advice of Patrick Troughton, Peter Davison made the decision to leave Doctor Who after three years. As with the transition between Tom Baker and Peter Davison, John Nathan-Turner was keen to cast someone who would provide a sharp contrast with their predecessor.

Colin Baker, therefore, could not be more different from Peter Davison. Where Davison had generally played sympathetic everyman characters, Baker had carved out a career playing villains in acclaimed dramas like The Brothers and The Roads to Freedom.

Not to mention his antagonistic role as Maxil in the Fifth Doctor serial Arc of Infinity.

It was Baker's strong performance as Maxil that ultimately led to his casting as the Sixth Doctor, despite his concerns that Doctor Who generally didn't recast guest stars as the lead.

Colin's fears proved to be unfounded however when John Nathan-Turner offered him the role. JNT and Baker had become acquaintances in the months following Arc of Infinity, and the producer increasingly believed that he would make a great Doctor.

If only the BBC had agreed with JNT's assessment at the time.