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LimeCat
Registered: 02/24/06
Posts: 3
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 Friday, February 24 2006 @ 09:43 PM EST |
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I am a HUGE Colin Baker fan. It's a pity what happened, but at least he can keep on going with Big Finish.
Some people don't really like the Colin Baker stories, or so I am told, but I do. It's really a shame, too, since Trial of a Timelord looked like the series would be turning in a great direction. |
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LimeCat
Visit LimeFlavored.com
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Radar
Registered: 02/18/06
Posts: 34
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| Wednesday, March 01 2006 @ 03:14 PM EST |
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Personally, when I first saw the Sixth Doctor in 'The Twin Dilemma' I didn't really like him much at all. In many ways I would have liked to attribute his more unlikable traits to post-regenerative stress. However, I did grow to like him more and more, so by the end of Trial of a Time Lord, I wasn't glad to see him go in any real way.
I really should get into Colin Baker's Big Finish stories, because I would probably enjoy that a great deal, given what I've heard about it.
And to carry on from TelegramSam's comment - I'm not a real fan of Peri either...she was a rather...useless companion. |
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JeffL
Registered: 03/11/06
Posts: 177
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| Saturday, March 11 2006 @ 04:38 PM EST |
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I have to echo the previous sentiments about lousy scripts. His scripts were hideous. But I actually liked Colin Baker's portrayal. He came across as more alien.
He snapped a lot at Peri during the first season but after the hiatus (and after both of them gained about 30 pounds), there seemed to be a friendlier relationship.
I also have to echo the comments about Colin's portrayal in the Big Finish productions. He's excellent. Even on "Slipback," he sounded good (despite the fact it was also a stupid script). And don't forget that Colin Baker took over for Jon Pertwee in the stage show "The Ultimate Adventure." I heard he got okay reviews. |
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DarthSkeptical
Registered: 03/11/06
Posts: 1129
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| Wednesday, March 15 2006 @ 09:55 PM EST |
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I'm of such a mixed mind about Colin.
Of course it stands as read that his audio performances are superior to his televised ones, but how hard is that, really? If an actor can't improve themselves by reading from a script, they're terribly inept. A part of acting is the physical form, and there were looks and facial gestures from Colin that were terribly amateurish, especially when he tried to convey pain. Plus, whether he did it or not, his Doctor DID wear that godawful "uniform", which is an undeniable part of who that Doctor was. Then you've got his video companions, each of whom was almost unwatchable. I am totally unmoved by Nicola Bryant's breasts, because I literally can't see them for her godawful accent, and sad lack of personality. Finally, to say that his scripts were really bad is to deny the credit that other actors deserve for rising above equally bad scripts. Taking him all-in-all, he's a middling actor who was able to get just enough of a personality on screen to leave a door open for his use by BIg Finish.
Having said that, I do genuinely enjoy him in audio. I get the point of his Doctor, and he's done tremendous things for his character after the fact. The interplay between him and Maggie is maybe some of the most enjoyable stuff in the whole of Doctor Who fiction. But, again, it's voice acting, and who knows if that would play the same way on TV. I'm not terribly encouraged by what I saw on the screen to believe that it would.
It's so tricky talking about all of this, because all that we have to go on, and all that we ever will, is what we got in the 80s. Maybe in the 2005 series he could be filmed in such a way that he would visually improve upon his last innings. But I do know that if you compare him with his three peers of the JNT era--in that very highlight, tacky, "video" age of the 1980s--only one actor had an immediate "presence" and gravitas that he could give to a scene simply by walking through a door. And that was the other Baker.
Another comparison: The Two Doctors. At no point, ever, did I feel like that story was about the Sixth Doctor. There was no question in that story who was the "real" Doctor, and who was the "copy". Colin was out-acted by an old man who literally had both his arms tied behind his back for most of the third episode. When you look at The Three Doctors, the incumbent (Pertwee) more than holds up his end of the bargain. Likewise, Davison doesn't get particularly lost in The Five Doctors. Sure, maybe the narrative structure of Five has something to do with this, but in the brief, shared scenes, Davison completely comes across as "our" Doctor.
All this is not to say that I fail to appreciate Baker's potential. I think his personality is strong enough that you can write interesting stories about him. He's got the best audio-only companion of the lot. And his voice gives him a bit of an edge on audio. So, sure, he's king of the audio adventures. But on video--nah, he doesn't particularly come across as anything other than the Ninth Doctor. Out of Ten. |
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"I think of myself as ambitious in casting terms, and I know that Bonnie [Langford] has the potential to make the part totally unirritating . . ." — JNT, 1986
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steven3x
Registered: 02/18/06
Posts: 15
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| Wednesday, March 22 2006 @ 01:27 AM EST |
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Actually, I would tend to agree with DarthSkeptical on the amateurish facials, poses, and gestures of Colin Baker in the role on film. It is also true that it was during those moments when he is supposedly attempting to convey madness, anger, or (particularly) pain that it was so awful as to cause me to cringe - and totally unnecessary. I understand that he was meant to be over-the-top, and cast for that reason, but sometimes I felt it became waaay too camp and painfully unbelievable. Worse than even Kirk. Sometimes it worked beautifully, but many other times it was like watching a spoof or satire of Doctor Who (along the same lines as the 60s Batman TV series), rather than what was supposed to be proper drama.
Having said that, I have also heard that Anthony Ainley was infamously encouraged to go more and more over the top and camp with his performance as the Master in the 80s. I have heard of one infamous case of outsiders viewing an immaculate performance by him during the recording of Planet of Fire, only to witness him being encouraged by the director (and producer?) to make it more and more camp... and essentially requiring him to produce that cartoonishly manical trademark laugh that he has often been personally criticised of. That leads me to wonder, especially with the critical acclaim of his Big Finish serials, was Colin subjected to the same prompting at the time?
Just a thought.
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stjohnny
Registered: 02/16/06
Posts: 326
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| Wednesday, March 22 2006 @ 08:54 AM EST |
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you've got to remember that during the reign of the 6th Doctor, ratings for the show were at an all time low, so much so that the decision to axe the show was made, needless to say they put some other crap on to take it's place, but it left a void till McCoy came on, but to not much more sucess!
Although I must say that C.Baker WAS my first memeory of the Doctor (showing my age), he probably wasnt my favorite! |
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Drink
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jafo
Registered: 03/03/06
Posts: 22
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| Wednesday, March 22 2006 @ 11:44 AM EST |
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| I can't really say whether I like him or not. For me, the series was cancelled on my PBS station right as we got to him, though it seems like I remember he had the chameleon circuit working temporarily and I might have gotten trial of a time lord, though I can't really say, just remember I bought an 8 hour video tape for a Who Marathon 1 Saturday toward the end. |
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unfated
Registered: 04/02/06
Posts: 7
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| Sunday, April 09 2006 @ 03:44 PM EDT |
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I thought he was a good doctor. He is one of my top four.
My least favorite are the first two. |
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Russel
Registered: 03/14/06
Posts: 271
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| Sunday, April 09 2006 @ 05:26 PM EDT |
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I actually did not mind him at all either as the Doctor. If you look at his preformance of the 2 Doctors with Troughton he did a good job. I think like many of you have stated he and McCoy got mired in some so-so scripts and was not really given a good chance to craft his interpretation of the character.
I really have to get one of these Colin Baker Big Finish audios and see how it is. Had a chance to listen to Night Thoughts recently, BOY is that ever a creepy story, good but creepy.
Cheers,
Russel |
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I am the Master and you will obey me...
Listen to Ramble with Russel at ramblingruss.libsyn.com
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unfated
Registered: 04/02/06
Posts: 7
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| Sunday, April 09 2006 @ 08:07 PM EDT |
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| Almost all of those audio books are great. |
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Dangermouse
Registered: 12/01/05
Posts: 229
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| Monday, April 10 2006 @ 09:12 AM EDT |
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If he had been given the chance the develop the character over a longer period of time then I'm sure he would have more universally loved. He has said on documentaries that his intention was to play a dark doctor initially (due to Post Regeneration Stress*) and become more lovable. As his tenure was so short, this initial dark doctor is often what people think about and judge him by. His initial portrayal was of a pretty unlikeable character.
*PRS - A terrible TimeLord affliction. |
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He's the strongest, he's the quickest, he's the best.....
"Yorkshire is a state of mind"
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fragsoft
Registered: 04/17/06
Posts: 4
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| Monday, April 17 2006 @ 04:59 PM EDT |
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| I met him today in Blackpool - a very nice guy - loves kids and is an all round good guy, and yes he was and is a good Doctor - shafted by the BBC, long live BF |
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Louis
Registered: 01/01/04
Posts: 3075
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| Monday, April 17 2006 @ 07:59 PM EDT |
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| [Quote by: fragsoft] I met him today in Blackpool - a very nice guy - loves kids and is an all round good guy, and yes he was and is a good Doctor - shafted by the BBC, long live BF |
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Ahh... you must have attended the Doctor Who Museum. How was it?
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☛ Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LouisTrapani ♥ ♥
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daveac
Registered: 04/12/06
Posts: 2636
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| Wednesday, April 26 2006 @ 09:45 AM EDT |
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[Quote by: Adam]
P.S.Does anyone like the sixth doctor?
Adam |
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Well it didn't help when the first thing he did was try to strangle Peri!
In perspective - his doctor actually helps the whole complex of different personas that the Doctor has had - but he certainly wasn't likeable.
But then William Hartnell was a old crusty doctor and I think Colin was trying to return to that.
Cheers, daveac |
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daveac on blip.tv, TalkShoe, iTunes, LiveVideo, uStream, GE, Sci-Fi, DWO, DS & WTA, Dave C on WLP,
cooperda on AVF, dac100 on YouTube & PB, dac on Tiscali
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Linquel
Registered: 03/22/06
Posts: 729
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| Sunday, May 21 2006 @ 08:01 PM EDT |
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| I have to admit that I haven't seen a lot of the Colin Baker episodes, but the ones I did see didn't leave me with a very good impression. How much of that is his fault and how much is the fault of the producers is up for debate. I didn't like how the show kept trying to give the Doctor a crazier outfit each regeneration. I tolerated Davison's cricket outfit with celery stalk, but C. Baker's patchwork nightmare of a costume was just too much. I thought that was a big mistake. Same with Peri, she started out annoying but harmless but then she started wearing these obnoxious plaid outfits, etc. Uggghh (I could go on a similar tangent about annoying Sylvestor McCoy companions, but I'll hold off). I've thought about trying to track down some Colin Baker DVDs to give it another chance. As has been mentioned up-thread, I've heard some of his stuff on Big Finish and liked it. I think Colin Baker just had the bad luck to take over the role at a really bad time. I see the Colin Baker episodes the same way I see most of the Roger Moore James Bond movies. Too campy and far-fetched. |
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I'm going "Full Circle" and putting my avatar back to what it was when I first joined. :)
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