# Doctor Who **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2000, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440 "2000-09-25T07:17:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/1 "2000-09-25T07:17:50Z")
I am watching a Colin Baker episode of Doctor Who right now. You know, from reading fan Web sites and such, his episodes are consistently slagged as among the worst, but I don’t see it. I mean, sure, I’d put both Tom Baker and Peter Davison ahead of Colin Baker, but Colin Baker has his own, slightly cocky, charm. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/2 "2000-09-25T07:34:20Z")
Being 29 years old means there’s only one Dr. Who and that’s Tom Baker. The scarf and coat and his little mannerisms. He still pops up now and then on British TV and he’s as mad as a mad thing. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/3 "2000-09-25T09:52:25Z")
The fans are an amorphous bunch. In retrospect, they’ve gained newer respect for both the character of the 6th Doctor, as well as the actor Colin Baker, who was unfortunately dogged with bad scripts, a rude short sharp ending, Perpugilliam Brown (Peri), and briefly Melanie Bush as companions. I mean, is it any wonder? But in fact, he had a charm, and had hard acts to follow. Sylvester McCoy gets a bad rap too, which I vehemently argue against. He was cool, say I. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/4 "2000-09-25T12:43:40Z")
The last Doctor(McCoy) and Ace were a better team than even #4 and Lela, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/5 "2000-09-25T13:05:28Z")
I’d say that Colin Baker was the weakest, mostly because of poor scripts (Peter Davison was also burdened by this). I find Sylvester McCoy second only to Tom Baker, since he managed to put a new spin and new depth to the character (along with some very good scripts in the early going). The heyday of Dr. Who was “The Three Doctors” through “The Five Doctors.” The show fell off badly after “The Five Doctors,” but picked up with “Trial of a Time Lord” until the final season. That was when the producer had grown tired of his job, and the BBC didn’t like the series. ---
**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/6 "2000-09-25T13:38:14Z")
Tom Baker IS the Doctor. Would you fuck about with a guy that had a scarf that long. And a sonic screwdriver. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/7 "2000-09-25T13:39:16Z")
Colin’s problem is, like everyone’s said so far, who he followed. Tom Baker and Davidson were two of the best (tho I still like Pertwee). Weak scripts, and his character wasn’t the most likeable probably did more to kill him than the BBC’s cancelling the series in his run. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/8 "2000-09-25T13:45:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimbo \* > \*\*Being 29 years old means there’s only one Dr. Who and that’s Tom Baker. The scarf and coat and his little mannerisms. > > He still pops up now and then on British TV and he’s as mad as a mad thing. \*\* So, did he end up doing anything interesting in his post-Doctor life? I scanned the Web a bit, but didn’t find anything. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/9 "2000-09-25T13:47:53Z")
He did an episode of Remington Steele. And did some Sherlock Holmes. Haven’t seen the latter. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/10 "2000-09-25T13:52:01Z")
Tom Baker was also in an episode of Blackadder II (which is probably what **yojimbo** meant by the last line of his post). He plays a legless sea captain. A fine performance which involves much drinking of urine. ---
**Author:** ![lucie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed8c4c/32.png) [@lucie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucie)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/11 "2000-09-25T14:29:24Z")
Captain Redbeard Rum, with a beard you could hide a badger in. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/12 "2000-09-25T14:43:54Z")
I’ve seen him on a couple of chat shows and documentaries about Dr. Who and being a celebrity in general he also did some kids programme about books. He’s a bit strange to say the least. Very eccentric. Loved him in Blackadder. ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/13 "2000-09-25T15:52:11Z")
Tom Baker did a marvelous Puddleglum the Marsh-Wiggle in “The Silver Chair.” ---
**Author:** ![JDeMobray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@JDeMobray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDeMobray)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/14 "2000-09-25T16:00:25Z")
Tom Baker is also making an appearance in the upcoming “Dungeons & Dragons” movie. Bear in mind it also stars one of the Wayans brothers (Shawn? Marlon? Tito? Help me out here.) ---
**Author:** ![Cyn\_Lennin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cyn\_Lennin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn_Lennin)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/15 "2000-09-25T17:15:05Z")
Baker recently wrote a kiddie book “The boy who kicked pigs”. Supposed to be a mean book about a very mean little boy. Very, very nice… Baker’s my boy as I’m a young’un and figuring in the across the puddle lag. In fact, I had a Russian friend who learned most of her English off DW and Howard Stern. Had a hard time explaining why she liked the word “Exterminate” (and a few choice others). cyn ---
**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/16 "2000-09-25T17:25:12Z")
Tom Baker does a lot of radio work - he has a perfect radio voice. He pops up from time to time on BBC Radio4 as well as the odd cameo on tv. He makes a living And he does Panto ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/17 "2000-09-25T17:47:10Z")
Can’t believe that Patrick Troughton hasn’t had a mention. He gave the good fellow an irascability and eccentricity that was detectable in all those who followed and built into their interpretations. I wish Peter Cushing had done a few episodes as he made a wonderful Doctor in the films. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/18 "2000-09-25T18:23:16Z")
One sad thing, is tha Patrick Troughton and John Pertwee did so little together. Dr’s #2 and 3 made a great team. 🙂 I’ve seen the Two Doctors. Troughton does a wonderful job, and it’s possibly the most enjoyable Colin Baker episode. Which isn’t saying much. ---
**Author:** ![Gomez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Gomez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomez)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/19 "2000-09-25T18:25:35Z")
I quite liked Peter Davison but complaints about the quality of the scripts during Colin Bakers time are certainly justified. BTW Tom Baker starred as an eminent surgeon in a fairly long running (4 seasons I think) British Hospital drama, the name of which I can’t remember. His characters name ws Dr (professor) Holt, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440/20 "2000-09-25T18:42:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JDeMobray \* > \*\*Tom Baker is also making an appearance in the upcoming “Dungeons & Dragons” movie. Bear in mind it also stars one of the Wayans brothers (Shawn? Marlon? Tito? Help me out here.) \*\* Just checked the [IMDB Entry for Dungeons & Dragons (2000)](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0190374). It’s Marlon. Interestingly Jeremy Irons (Yes, THE Jeremy Irons) also has a role. The villain, judging from the synopsis there. An interesting cast, this… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who/34440.md?page=2)