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I must start by stating that I do have limited knowledge of the Colin Baker's years. I saw the first 2 or 3 episodes of the first C. Baker's story. Then Doctor Who went off the air in my area. I was not impress and for years believed all of the bad press on C. Baker. Even now the only others I have seen are "Vengeance On Varos", "The Mark of the Rani", "Revelation of the Daleks", "The Two Doctors" and "The Colin Baker's Years. I also have the audio drama 'The Sirens of Time". If you have not ever listen to the audio dramas  or the missing stories on CD I highly recommend them. Plus I have read all I can from Colin Baker and others from that time.

I just don't understand the attacks on C. Baker. And yes lots of what I have read are attacks as he alone killed Doctor Who. No he will not find himself in most fans' top 3. He may be #10 on most lists, but someone has to be #10 unless you have a tie somewhere. But I'm not sure how much is C. Baker's fault and how much is John Nathana-Turner, the writers and/or the BBC lack of money and support. It seem that the BBC was ready to drop Doctor Who long before C. Baker came along. Kind of how CBS did Star Trek. You must understand that the gap between a low budget show and a fully funded show in the 60s was much smaller than in the 80s. Also the crews in the 60s was higher skilled at working with less than crews in the 80s who depend more on computers than their minds and hands.

Also many fans were still looking for a Tom Baker. If Peter Davison had stayed longer we all may be looking at C. Baker more positively. Davison did not give us enough time to get over the T. Baker hangover.

If there are others, or anyone, out there who feels that Colin Baker is being criticized too greatly please let me know. Sometime I feel that I am alone in defending him.  

Of the Jonathan Nathan Turner period he's my favourite, but that's not saying much, I hated what JNT did to the show in his period as the producer.  By the time Colin joined the series had generally descended into an almost pantomime style of acting, with very few episodes had the "real world" feel as they usually had some over the top character or costumery in it.  Attack of the Cybermen looked like a promising start, but it didn't last.  The Two Doctors almost managed, but not quite.

I got to meet Colin the year after he left the role and he told me he hated that costume.  He's a great guy and very larger than life in person.

I was ALWAYS a fan of Doctor #6.

As a kid I (foolishly) resented Peter Davison's portrayal because he replaced Tom Baker. When Davison was replaced by a much more vibrant and eccentric Doctor, I embraced the new persona.

His childish banter with Peri, his distinctive multicoloured outfit and best of all his arrogance and pride helped me to remember why I loved the character so much. 

Back then I dismissed Davison as a pretty boy, "nice" Doctor with virtually no mystery or humour about him. Although I now realize that I was mistaken about the 5th Doctor, I can thank that stubbornness with helping me appreciate Colin Baker's Doctor even more.

C.

Seventh place out of ten isn't too bad though I do find it wierd to think that Sylvester did three full series compared to Colin's 2 and one story, yet Colin managed two more full episodes worth of screen time due to the slaughtering of season length at season 23.

Folks that didn't like his on screen personna should try the Big Finish Audio's, you can't see the damn coat in those

I have to say I never cared for Peter Davison on screen, to me he just never seem to BE the Doctor, I don't know why he just never captured it for me. And yet on the Big Finish Audio's he's as much the Doctor as Colin, Sylvester or Paul to me.

I'd love to put my finger on why that is, whether it's he's matured as an actor, whether it's because I can't see him or just the general standard of writing or production is better, but he definitely nails the Doctor on audio.

History has been kind to Colin Baker. His undoubted enthusiasm for the role, and the casting of Grade as the villain, have helped us see him as a dupe saddled with a ridiculous outfit, scripts that called for him to be generally obnoxious, unkind scheduling, and the generally badly-conceived Trial. The BF adventures are fine, although my favourite sixth Doctor story is the novel, Spiral Scratch, which finally explains that regenration.

I have never been able to accept Davison as the Doctor: he was hopelessly miscast, and too well-known as Tristan Farnon. I haven't listened to his BF adventures, nor read any fifth Doctor novels.

I stubbornly maintain that he can't have been the beginning of the end if the show is still going

I could see why Davison would work better in audio. He was just so beige. Big beige face, big beige coat, long beige hair. It detracted from what he was actually saying or doing and made him seem much quieter. Most of the other Doctors were a lot louder, in personality whether or not in costume.

He did do a lot of bad serials, Revelation of the Deleks is one of my most hated serials, however Colin did come into the show in a bad time. Also I think most people link him to the canceling on DW in 1985.

However with most of Colin's serials being out/coming out soon I think history has been very nice to him unlike McCoy

Baker tried his best with the role, so I can't fault him for getting the best out of the stuff they called 'writing' back then.

Unfortunately, the 6th Doctor is just a complete mis-step for me. He's far too harsh and while his layers are supposed to peel away, it just never happens. He still reverts back to this egotical professor type who tells everybody to shut up. When he strangles Peri, it does leave the viewer a bit cold and you just can't warm to him afterwards and that's the problem; he's just too harsh. It just seems like a forced idea after the more affable and nicer 5th Doctor. They had to go opposite again because of Pertwee (serious action man)-to-Baker (bohemian crackpot). Despite my sympathies for Baker and his 'put up or shut up' politics with the BBC, the character was just planned wrong and they had to make Trial of A Time Lord to correct this.

Strangely enough, fans warm to him more than Sylvester McCoy in recent years (who gets the brunt of the 'just get another Equity actor' jokes now), probably because they learnt that Baker was an enthusiastic actor who agreed that the direction they took was poor. I grew up with McCoy, so I can't say bad stuff about him. But looking back, his early episodes are just dull hangovers from Baker's era.

i've just got done watc hing 'Revelation of the daleks' i think it's called? the 45 min. serial from seasn 22 i think ? & sorry about my mispelling. it was my 1st story i've watched with him. & this is my 1st impression of him. a bit annoying at 1st buut i got used to it. NOT the greatest of course. he's NO Tom Baker. & i like him cuz he portrays him with having fun & i LOVE that & he can be serious as well. kinda like "David's Tennet's" portrayal as well. again sorry for my mispellingt. hehe

anyways, Colin Baker's portrayal wasn't THAT bad. it was alright. the ONLY thing that i thought was BADLY done with the casting for the episode is the casting of 'peri" My GOD that girl COULD NOT ACT IF HER LIFE DEPENDED ON IT! & the serial itself ran too damn long as well. pt. 1 was BOOORING cause the writing was as it's been said NOT The greatest. buut it wasn't the worst either. pt. 2 was MUCH BETTER & things ACTUALLY HAPPEND! ya know? even IF the writing wasn't the greatest.

i do have a ? for you people though. i've only seen the 1st,2nd. 4th & 6th, & of course the 20th anniversary serial. movie? minus the updated version. who do you think is the WORST & what era did the show go downhill & well SUCK? & did the show land back on it's feet before it ended? i konw when it comes to let's say a show like "Dallas' for example the show ran too long & went downhill, did Dr. Who?