6th Doctor

By now I will assume you have seen the latest episode of Doctor Who, The Angels Take Manhattan. If you have not, you may want to stop reading this until you have because this piece may spoil the episode for you. So consider this a spoiler alert (insert cloister bells here). 

In this next to last episode of the year 2012 we see the Ponds for the last time. Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) are doomed to live the rest of their lives in Earth's past without any further visits from the Doctor… Or we are led to believe at least. Though never say "never" in Doctor Who as it has been proven time and time again.

What did you think of their farewell? 

Traditionally at this time of the year, it is common to look back at the past year before leaping forward into the new year. We'll do one better… actually forty seven better by looking back at the past 48 years of Doctor Who in this timeline infographic. So before you ring in the new year, look back at the past years of your favourite Time Lord in this in-depth overview of the Doctor's adventures through the years on television along with his companions and iconic foes.

Special thanks to James of cabletv.com for allowing us to share this with you.

Doctor Who by the numbers… Track the Doctors through time and see how they each fared with viewers. Which Doctors do fans favour? Which episodes were the most viewed? Which episodes are the fans' favourite? How many on-screen adventures did we see for each Doctor? These questions and more are answered and visualized in the inforgraphic below.

(Special thanks to James at cabletv.com for offering us to share this with you).

Colin Baker the 6th Doctor has now joined the ranks of twitter, under the pseudonym of @SawbonesHex.

Colin describes himself as an actor, columnist, writer, husband, father, Wycombe Wanderers fan, grumpy old man', also has an official website at colinbakeronline.com. Also he writes regular columns for the Bucks Free Press.

http://twitter.com/SawbonesHex

(Image Bucks Free Press)

As far as releases for Cybermen figures from character options, this year has really been a storm. With the Earthshock Cyberman at the beginning of the year, to the recently released Silver nemesis twin pack of Cyber lieutenant and Cyber Leader. To the Pre-orderable Revenge of the cybermen set due in November. It left me puzzling what could Character Options/Underground Toys bring out next Cybermen wise. Well that wish list has been cut down even further with this Double pack of the 6th Doctor and Cyber Scout. For me this is a double goal As I collec t 6th Doctors and Oh boy DO I COLLECT CYBERMEN! I personally would have made this set the Cyber Controller and Cyber Scout from attack of the Cybermen, but due to the silly prices going for the Standard 6th Doctor I am more than happy about the nature of this set. Since the original 6th Doctor release was brought out in a blister pack with a singular Part of the K1 robot from Robot to collect, trying to get hold of this figure for a "Reasonable Price" has been an absolute Nightmare. As to the cyberscout, it saves me time and effort of trying to customise an Earthshock cyberman to look like a cyberscout.

In another Forbidden Planet exclusive, the 6th Doctor and stealth Cybermen collectable figure set will be available 01 October 2010. Available for pre-orders today for shipping to the UK and Ireland now for £24.99. This set includes the 6th Doctor and a Stealth Cyberman from the 1985 Doctor Who story Attack of the Cybermen. The Doctor comes with a signal tracker accessory and the Cyberman is equipped with a Cybergun.

Ok this release has been out a while, but I had a lot of work in the way, so hear goes (a bad audio joke, Big Finish audio ahem Yes cough well).

I will start by saying this review (of Legend of the Cybermen) will have spoilers in it, but hopefully enough that you'll go out and buy it. The first thing is the story continues on from The Wreck of the Titan, and by that really had a lot to live up to, because Wreck was written so well by, and directed by Barnaby Edwards of Dalek fame and not of DWNY fame. In comparison Legend is written by Mike Maddox and Directed by Nick Briggs.

It was a quarter of century ago today, as hard as it is for me believe, is when the Gallifreyan Embassy began. Unbeknownst at the time, it was the day after the Discovery Channel was launched. It was also the day after the launch of the space shuttle Discovery (STS-51-G) which marked the first Arab and Muslim in space (payload specialist Sultan bin Salman bin Adulaziz Al Saud). Yes, it was 1985. Ronald Reagan was in the White House, Commodore launches the Amiga personal computer while NeXT is founded by Steve Jobs after leaving Apple Computer.

Just two weeks before we went Back to the Future in the theaters, the Gallifreyan Embassy of Long Island officially began.

Colin Baker sporting a beard in a 1986 convention in New York appearing with Tom Baker (not pictured).

Photo by Keith Klitses

This is a review for The Big Finish Adventure, The City of Spires.  Staring Colin Baker as the 6th Doctor, Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon and Georgia Moffett as Alice.

The Doctor Land hoping to get away from it all, but once again as with a Previous Regeneration, he lands in the Middle of an Important Battle in Scotland.  After managing to convince the Scottish Warrior Black Donald that he's not English, and accepts being called a French Dandy.  The Doctor Notices one very important clue, "Black Donald" is in Fact Jamie McCrimmon.

"This song is ending. But the story never ends."

Doctor Who: Podshock - Episode 179 EXTRA Edition
Running Time: 1:40:21

We review all 10 Doctor's eras of Doctor Who in this Deca-Doctor Special of Doctor Who: Podshock. As we approach the new 11th Doctor era, we review where we came from with the previous 10. Included are interviews we conducted over the years with various actors to play the Doctor (including Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann), some of which have never been featured on Doctor Who: Podshock before.

"My last incarnation… oh, I was never happy with that one. It had a sort of feckless "charm" which simply wasn't me!"

Doctor Who: Podshock - Episode 173
Running Time: 1:32:35

Paul McGann and Daphne Ashbrook interviewed together (part 1), The Twin Dilemma reviewed, Germany report by Graeme Sheridan, Episode 6 of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Whoverse by Eric Escamilla, feedback, and more.

In another exclusive from Forbidden Planet (UK), they are now taking pre-orders for a new figure of the Sixth Doctor from The Caves of Androzani. This is the third 6th Doctor as played by Colin Baker figure to be released by Underground Toys. This version is of the 6th Doctor as he was immediately after regenerating from the 5th Doctor. He appears still muddy in the 5th Doctor's clothes. 

This figure is limited to sale in the UK and Eire from Forbidden Planet (UK). It is expected on in their warehouse on 12 August 2009. No further information on where it will be available outside of the UK is known at this time.

You can pre-order your 6th Doctor Caves Of Androzani now for £14.99. For more information or to pre-order see: Forbidden Planet UK - 6th Doctor Caves Of Androzani

Underground Toys have released images and descriptions of their 2009 San Diego Comic Con exclusives. They seem to be the same exclusives as the figures being introduced as exclusives to the UK Forbidden Planet retailer (and could not ship outside of the UK, now we know why).

Sixth Doctor with ‘Real Time’ Blue coat - $19.99
This alternative costume was most visibly used in the BBC webcast 'Real Time' (having previously appeared on a few book and audio book covers). It varies vastly from the gaudy coat of many colors normally worn by Colin Baker's sixth Doctor whilst retaining some design elements including the dandy's tie and question mark shirt collar. For many fans this has become almost the preferred costume with it's more muted, less frivolous, colorways. Underground Toys are thrilled to be able to offer this new figure as part of their 2009 Exclusives program.

The Daily Mirror is reporting that all eleven Doctors will be coming together for a special one-off special for Children in Need this November. It reports that the 15 minute episode will be included in BBC1 annual Children In Need appeal in November and shooting of it will begin in September.

This is not the first time a rumour of this nature appeared in the tabloids. The same thing was said to be happening last year for Children in Need except with 10 Doctors which did not happen.

The article states that "images from their original shows, stretching from 1966 to 1974" will be used for the actors William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, and Jon Pertwee who have since passed away. They will make cameo appearances through footage from these previous episodes.

The 6th Doctor turns 66 today. The Gallifreyan Embassy and Doctor Who: Podshock wishes Colin Baker a happy birthday.

Colin had burst onto the Doctor Who scene taking over the lead role after Peter Davison stepped down in 1984 as the colourful and bold 6th Doctor. Although not his first association with Doctor Who, he had played Commander Maxil in the 5th Doctor story, Arc of Infinity. Blake's 7 fans will also know him as 'Bayban the Butcher' - a guest role he had in the series.

On the 28th of September 1986, both Colin Baker (pictured here on the left with a beard) and Tom Baker appeared together in Brooklyn, NY. Photo by Louis Trapani

We had the pleasure of interviewing Colin Baker in March 1987 during I-CON VI in Stony Brook, NY. Photo by Louis Trapani.