Those who shine brightest, shine the shortest, or so they say. And this is certainly true about Colin Baker's time as the Doctor. If anything, Colin was cast in the role of the Doctor around 7 years too early. Colin's portrayal of the Doctor was the most adult and serious portrayal of the character ever. Showing personality traits that would come to the fore in 1990's heroes such as Batman (on Film) and the X-Files.
In fact, some say that Colin's portrayal of the stranger called Soloman in The Stranger video series of the 90's is proof of how "adult" Doctor Who could have been handled. Some go as far as to say that The Stranger ranks much higher than Doctor Who in television excellence.
Brash, confrontationalist, and tough. That's Doctor number 6. No wonder there was a viewer backlash. But it is a shame, as any viewing of the Colin Baker episodes today show that, if anything, the stories and characterisations were spot on.
The BBC had needed an excuse to axe Doctor Who for years...now, they finally had it. "BBC CONSPIRACY" read The Sun newspaper on February 27, 1985 when the BBC axed Colin for the first time! How true they were! You can read about the controversial sacking of Colin (and the efforts to save him) on The Controversy page.
Colin Baker Biography
Colin Baker was born in 1943 in the Royal Waterloo Lying-In Hospital in London during an air raid.
His first appearance on TV was in 1954 on a series called My Wife's Sister. They needed a child who spoke French well and Colin was picked. His one and only line was "Jolie Noel Papa."
Colin went on to attend St Bede's College in Manchester where he often starred in their annual productions of Gilbert and Sullivan musicals. He studied law and found a job as a solicitor but, at the age of 23, decided acting was to be his life. He joined the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art where he trained for three years. Colin began his professional acting career on May 12, 1969 at the Arts Theatre, Cambridge in the play PLAINTIFF IN A PRETTY HAT. Then followed many tv roles, but the one he made his own was as the evil Paul Merroney in the BBC1 series The Brothers from 1974 to 1976. After this series ended, Baker found he was slightly typecast as Merroney, so he indulged in the world of the theatre, bobbing up again every-so-often on tv in programmes such as Blakes 7 and For Maddie with Love, before landing a role as Maxil in the Peter Davison Doctor Who story, Arc of Infinity.
Colin made such an impression on the set of Arc of Infinity that, when Davison decided to leave a few months later, John Nathan-Turner, the producer, decided Colin would be perfect for the role as The Doctor. Colin accepted the role and on 20 August 1983, he was introduced as The Doctor to the press for the first time.
A few months earlier, Colin and his wife suffered the loss of their baby son Jack to cot death syndrome. Colin subsequently became involved with the charity, Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths - see our splash page for the link to the Australian SIDS Foundation.
Colin took over as the Doctor at a time when the BBC were desperate for money and had Doctor Who in their sights as one program to suffer the axe. First the show was cancelled, then "suspended" for 18 months and then Colin was made the scapegoat and unceremoniously dumped from the role.
Colin returned to the theatre and also had many other tv roles, including the mysterious and excellent Soloman from the made-for-video series, The Stranger. - a Doctor Who for the 90s - and he returned to play the part of the Doctor in the stage production of Doctor Who - The Ultimate adventure. He has an extensive list of credits in television, radio and theatre.
He brought to Doctor Who a terrificly realistic Doctor and one that is certainly memorable. The programme was at its most exciting and adult ever and was undergoing a metamorphosis from "childrens program" to "adult sci-fi" when the BBC suddenly changed horses in mid-stream to the detriment of both the show and the fans. Such a waste....
The Stranger video series leaves us wondering just what Doctor Who would have evolved into if the BBC had left it alone. Maybe Doctor Who would still be screening today...maybe...
