Once again it was decided that the new Doctor should be radically different to his predecessor, so the curly haired Colin Baker (No relation to Tom) was cast. He was a much more abrasive character, based somewhat on William Hartnell's irascible persona, who could occasionally be unpleasant, patronising or arrogant. There were deeper emotions to this as to all Doctors, since Baker was also compassionate, witty and could show great affection and friendship towards his companions. In the more recent Big Finish Audio Adventures currently being recorded and released on CD and cassette, the Sixth Doctor is given the chance to be a much more friendly and toned down. This may be partly due to the choice of assistant given to him, rather than whiny young girls who scream all the time, a new character called Dr. Evelyn Smythe, a History Professor of around 65, has been created, during a time set between the 23rd and 24th Seasons. With a more mature assistant, the Sixth Doctor can be much more jokey and have more in common (he's middle aged for a Time Lord).
The most memorable aspect of the Sixth Doctor is his "tastefully tasteless" outfit. The idea behind it was to base this Doctor's look upon previous Doctors, with the idea of a Waistcoat, Cravat and Frock Coat, but to also make it totally distinctive from any other Doctor or supporting character. The costume itself has come in for a fair amount of criticism for making the Doctor look like a clown, in fact Baker himself had suggested he would rather have worn a suit of black velvet.
Back to Doctor Who Page
|
