The era that no one
likes to talk about, the era with worst opening story, the era that’s
a victim of its time, the era that felt the wrath of Michael Grade.
For many it’s where the rot set in. I didn’t see these stories on
original transmission. I saw them much later, out of context and well
prepared for what to expect. And it really isn’t at all bad.
No other Doctor
embodies the character’s alien qualities more than the sixth.
Brash, bold and possessing the greatest intelligence which may make
him appear callous and aloof with a sense of dress completely beyond
our comprehension. And thanks to Big Finish, we now Know that was all
a front, giving us the chance to look at his TV episodes with renewed
perspective. Not always palatable but always interesting as I hope
these choices show…
5. Timelash
I bet no one ever
expected this to make a ‘best of’ list but I have always I loved
it. For starters it’s fun and straight forward; it’s about
entertainment and nothing more. It’s also hilarious. Timelash is so
‘in-your-face’ with this over-the-top approach that it’s better
to assume that it’s meant as a parody and as such, its spot on.
With dialogue such as; ‘Very well, I shall be unreasonable!’ and
‘Another excursion into the realms duplicity’ playing wonderfully
to melodrama clichés. On top of this bits of the wobbly scenery are
actually decorated with tinfoil and tinsel. Ok, this should
not be a good thing but in ‘Timelash’ it’s so blatant there’s
a kind of integrity to it, the films of Ed Wood spring to mind. Even
the editing is funny. When the Doctor gently enters the Timelash and
three grown men struggle to hold onto the rope with yelps of ‘the
force is too great!’ A force of such velocity it causes Herbert’s
accent to slip ‘It was nuffink’. You can’t help but wonder
that if ‘Timelash’ had a self-aware line like ‘Karfel’s a
dreary place. Dull, flat and inhabited by a bunch of hams’ then all
might have been forgiven.
4. Attack of the
Cybermen
‘It’s too violent!’
That’s what everyone says. But is it though? The argument would
suggest that it became more realistic yet lacking in consequence. I
would argue that ‘Attack’ more than any other story deals with
consequences. Almost every character is out for themselves, but there
is no moralising here, simply ‘this is what we want; this is how we
get it’. Even the Doctor and Peri are not innocent and while Lytton
turns out to be a good guy whether this is because he genuinely
sympathises with the Cryons or simply because they paid more is never
clear. The only characters with pure motives are the Cybermen. They
need to survive and they do. And everyone dies. The Doctor is even
questions if he is right to judge the way he does, this is more
powerful than it appears taking into account that he and Lytton only
meet very briefly in ‘Resurrection of the Daleks’. He can be as
jaded as the rest of us. He saves the day but it comes at a
philosophical cost, this is an aspect of the character we rarely get
to see. By the laws of TV The Doctor has to win, that’s how the
show goes on, but to have it come at such a personal cost to him just
adds another dimension of jeopardy that you don’t get in other
shows.
3. The Trial of a
Time Lord
Just what does a story
that is so spectacularly incoherent have going for it? It’s all
about the moments, moments and characters. There are so many great
ones it rises above its failures to be very pleasurable viewing. The
Doctor is given one in the first episode as his assertion, on finding
the Earth destroyed, that ‘nothing can be eternal’ is oddly
comforting, haunting and heart breaking in equal measure and then
moments later declaring that he can’t possibly move on when there
is a mystery to solve, a very fitting statement of the characters
motivations. Crozier is possible the only Doctor Who villain who is
not particularly villainous, to the extent that he gets to say ‘I’m
not without pity’. Drathro has some wonderfully witty dialogue,
when told that there’s never been a blacklight explosion he dryly
retorts ‘There will be soon’. Kiv is presented as a cantankerous
old despot long past his prime, negotiating plans seemingly for
something to do as he argues for ‘an important fish concession’
to which Sil reminds him ‘you hate fish’ which is amusing in
itself but when Kiv looks confused and replies ‘Do I?’ one can’t
help but chuckle. There is something insanely brilliant about Mr.
Popplewick. Place The Doctor in a nightmare world and the first
person he encounters is the ultimate bureaucrat. There is something
very right about that. And of course, The Valeyard. Quite simply one
of the greatest characters ever created for the show and the
revelation of his identity is just thrilling. So ‘Trial’ may not
work but it does have far more magical moments and characters than
any other story and that in itself embodies a certain kind of
indefinable magic.
2. Revelation of the
Daleks
If’ Timelash’ is
parody, then ‘Revelation’ is a black comedy. Davros ‘ line
about consumer resistance wonderfully pre-empts Heath Ledger’s
Joker by being both repugnant and amusing, as is Colin Baker’s ‘no
‘arm in trying’ a moment often criticised but as he is saying it
to the creator of the most evil race in the universe I’ll let him
off. So dark it’s a prime example as to why Doctor Who struggled in
the 80s and could never thrive in the 90s. In the 60s, 70s and now
Doctor Who enjoys it place as family entertainment. ‘Revelation’
is not family entertainment. Neither is the previous years ‘The
Caves of Androzani’. And yet these particular stories are two of
the most highly regarded 80s adventures. Growing up in the late 80s
and 90s family entertainment meant variety shows and game shows.
Sci-fi meant ‘cult’ or ‘adults only’. Doctor Who has never
sat comfortably in either of these categories and yet for it to
thrive in those days, episodes like ‘Revelation’ would have to
become the rule rather than the exception. I think that would be a
great show, but it wouldn’t be Doctor Who so ‘Revelation’ will
just have to settle for being exceptional.
1. Vengeance on
Varos
The definitive Sixth
Doctor adventure. At the most basic level it’s simply a good story.
It’s got a few comical moments (dodgy fly effect), It’s quite
violent (acid bath), great characters (all of them) and it’s got
some brilliant moments, bucking the trend of the ‘happily ever
after’ the final shot of Arak and Etta realising they are free and
simply staring at a blank TV screen not knowing what to do is
superbly unsettling. Its critics have noted that The Doctor does not
actively set out to stop the Varos regime but it happens as a side
effect of him being there for another purpose entirely. As fans we
do the show a disservice here by forgetting that each Doctor is still
the same man. To put this in context, as Baker’s third outing after
‘Twin Dilemma’ and ‘Attack of the Cybermen’ we were still
waiting for this Doctor to show his more compassionate side. Because
it’s a different actor we forget that this is exactly the same man
who only mere days earlier effectively gave his life to save a women
he barely knew. We can therefore take it for granted that he was
appalled by the situation on Varos and would do anything to stop it.
He doesn’t need to go barging in and make an impassioned speech
about how wrong everybody is, he just gets stuck in and gets on with
it.
Which is a very fitting
epitaph for The Sixth Doctor. We didn’t always agree with him and
we didn’t always like him but he just gone on with it and got the
job and done. And we loved him for it.
So which do you think are the best Colin Baker Doctor Who stories?
Do you agree with Dominic's choices, or do you have a different top 5?
Why not give us your selection in the comments below.
Do you agree with Dominic's choices, or do you have a different top 5?
Why not give us your selection in the comments below.
Dominic Fellows is an actor and writer from Birmingham in the UK. He is also producer of the group Stripped Down Theatre (find them on Facebook). His shows have had more than one or two ‘geeky gags’ in them.
Next time it's the turn of the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison.
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