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[Shatnertage]

Here's a question that's not directly related to the Davo-bashing, Baker-bashing, Davo-praising, or Baker-praising:

Of the classic series Doctors still around (4-7), who's got the greatest body of work as an actor, including Who but also everything else?

Being a US American, I've only seen T. Baker in Who and a Sinbad movie; Davo in Who and All Creatures Great and Small, and C. Baker in Who. Which of them, do you think, has had the most complete career?

And does that inform our discussions of the relative strengths and weaknesses?

 

[starsuperion]

Here's a question that's not directly related to the Davo-bashing, Baker-bashing, Davo-praising, or Baker-praising:

Of the classic series Doctors still around (4-7), who's got the greatest body of work as an actor, including Who but also everything else?

Being a US American, I've only seen T. Baker in Who and a Sinbad movie; Davo in Who and All Creatures Great and Small, and C. Baker in Who. Which of them, do you think, has had the most complete career?

And does that inform our discussions of the relative strengths and weaknesses?

T. Baker was in an episode of the lion, witch and wardrobe as a ferryman, and I think a wizard of some sort..?? It was a BBC produced series before Disney got their grubby hands on it..

 

[Bones2]

Here's a question that's not directly related to the Davo-bashing, Baker-bashing, Davo-praising, or Baker-praising:

Of the classic series Doctors still around (4-7), who's got the greatest body of work as an actor, including Who but also everything else?

Being a US American, I've only seen T. Baker in Who and a Sinbad movie; Davo in Who and All Creatures Great and Small, and C. Baker in Who. Which of them, do you think, has had the most complete career?

And does that inform our discussions of the relative strengths and weaknesses?

It's irrelevant. We're discussing the relative pros and cons of their portrayals of the Doctor, not the rest of their careers.

 

[Starkers]

Here's a question that's not directly related to the Davo-bashing, Baker-bashing, Davo-praising, or Baker-praising:

Of the classic series Doctors still around (4-7), who's got the greatest body of work as an actor, including Who but also everything else?

Being a US American, I've only seen T. Baker in Who and a Sinbad movie; Davo in Who and All Creatures Great and Small, and C. Baker in Who. Which of them, do you think, has had the most complete career?

And does that inform our discussions of the relative strengths and weaknesses?

I agree with Bones, it isn't that relative. That said I think it'd have to be Davison, Pertwee,Troughton and Hartnell. Obviously given his age and health most of Hartnell's work is pre his stint as Doctor Who, but the others all had good jobs after Who. Obviously Pertwee had Worzel Gumidge, Troughton had a lot of film roles (The Omen etc) and Davison has had a very consistant career on both British tv and the stage.

That said the last classic Doc I saw on tv was Colin in an episode of Hustle

 

[Starkers]

Of course RTD intended him to be black! And of course the first man Donna was going to marry was black too.

So a minor character whose name no one remembers didn't get a rough time (aside from having to marry Donna of course). Does that excuse RTD's treatment of Mickey and Martha?

Davison spent a lot of time shouting down the bolshy air hostess don't forget.

Yeah, what great television that makes.

Yeah, in part one of Castrovalva maybe.

A more subtle actor? What does that even mean? You seem to be seeing a careful, nuanced, multi-layered performance where no one else does. I'm not denying Davison's a good actor. He was very convinving in the role of the Doctor. Sadly, that Doctor had a personality to match his silly beige costume. Your fondness of his Doctor seems only to be based on having watched him at the time.

Horses for courses but I didn't see much roundedness about the Sixth Doctor.

The change in his character as his time went on after his traumatic regeneration, and in his relationship with Peri both showed roundedness and quiet thoughtfulness and vulnerability beneath his often brash exterior. Really, give Revelation of the Daleks a watch. There was real character development between The Twin Dilemma and The Ultimate Foe. Davison, on the other hand, stayed the same dullard he regenerated into throughout his three seasons.

So you admit that your facts are in actual fact rumour and speculation?

Michael Grade has spoken at length about how he disliked Doctor Who and axed it out of his personal dislike. His forcing out of Colin is well known to be because of his relationship with Colin's ex, though apparently not so well known that you'd heard it earlier than about two days ago. Would you like me to trawl through some newpapers from 25 years ago and find a clipping where Grade says "Yeah, I forced him out for having a go on my woman before I did, it's just a happy bonus that it damages a show I find ridiculous" and post it to you?

It's a well known fact is it then? I'm well aware that Grade personally disliked the show, what I wasn't aware of until recently was that Grade was in a relationship with Colin's ex, and again I've never heard or seen anything that concretely states that Grade axed Who because he was seeing Colin's ex. Heck if we're making assumptions maybe he had a downer on Colin because he was an unseemly brute who beat his ex wife with a marrow? I mean, if we're not actually required to provide evidence or anything

No doubt the fact that Davison was my Doctor does affect my appreciation of him, but we're all coloured by certain things, you seem to like Colin because he got a raw deal and (not a fact just an assumption ) that its not cool to like him. That said I've watched a lot of Davison lately and whilst some of the stories aren't as good as I recall, I still like his portrayal of the Doctor.

I am planning on giving Revalation a go however, although my memories of it seem to mainly involve the Doctor and Peri walking towards some citidal for 4 episodes...

 

[starsuperion]

peri would have been a wonderful companion with her revealing outfits, and the addition of a ball gag...

that said, I gotta give a little extra sauce to Underworld.. it was a revealing look at a society that mistook the Time Lords as their gods, and how the Doctor tries to set things straight.. it is interesting to see the people that the time lords feel the ultimate guilt over destroying their civilization inadvertently...you have to look past the caves scenes, but the costumes and the cult like society within the planet's core that developed was very thought provoking..

 

[Bones2]

No doubt the fact that Davison was my Doctor does affect my appreciation of him, but we're all coloured by certain things, you seem to like Colin because he got a raw deal and (not a fact just an assumption ) that its not cool to like him. That said I've watched a lot of Davison lately and whilst some of the stories aren't as good as I recall, I still like his portrayal of the Doctor.

I like Colin for the reasons I give. I genuinely think he's the best. A good actor with a performance of some depth who brought something new to the role and was always entertaining when on screen.

Put it this way: imagine watching a story where it was just the Doctor and no companion. Tom did it in The Deadly Assassin, and we know he's good at being the Doctor. Colin would still be interesting to watch on his own, as he sort of was for parts of Trial. But Davison on his own? Can't see that being very interesting.

I'd also reiterate that for me at least there's a difference between not liking a Doctor that much, and not liking his stories. Kinda, Earthshock, Snakedance, Frontios, and Caves are all great Doctor Who stories. Same as how I can accept The Unquiet Dead and Dalek and great stories without liking Eccleston whatsoever. And at least Davison was something resembling the character of the Doctor at times, which is more than can be said for Eccs.

I am planning on giving Revalation a go however, although my memories of it seem to mainly involve the Doctor and Peri walking towards some citidal for 4 episodes...

Well considering this was season 22, it's only 2x45 minutes. A structure so brilliant, they adopted it twice a season a mere 20 years later.

 

[Shatnertage]

Here's a question that's not directly related to the Davo-bashing, Baker-bashing, Davo-praising, or Baker-praising:

Of the classic series Doctors still around (4-7), who's got the greatest body of work as an actor, including Who but also everything else?

Being a US American, I've only seen T. Baker in Who and a Sinbad movie; Davo in Who and All Creatures Great and Small, and C. Baker in Who. Which of them, do you think, has had the most complete career?

And does that inform our discussions of the relative strengths and weaknesses?

It's irrelevant. We're discussing the relative pros and cons of their portrayals of the Doctor, not the rest of their careers.

I think it's relevant, of only because upthread someone said words to the effect that Colin Baker was the best doctor because he was the best actor. This got me thinking--if that's true, it would be borne out by looking at his entire body of work and comparing it to what other Doctor-actors have done.

All of this is completely subjective, I understand, but I find others' perspectives illuminating.

 

[Bones2]

I didn't say Colin Baker is the best Doctor purely because I think he's the best actor, rather because I like his portrayal the most. That's what we're discussing. Anything else they've been in really isn't relevant.

 

[Worf2DS9]

I finally watched the last part of "The Krotons" yesterday and though it wasn't extraordinary, I enjoyed Troughton's 2nd Doctor quite a bit. This was the first story of his I've seen and I enjoyed his often befuddled persona. I can also see some of Matt Smith's Doctor in the 2nd, both in costume and character. It was also my first look at Zoe & Jamie in action and they were fun to watch as well.

On a side note, why is Peter Davison called "Davo"? Is this something new, or has it always been his nickname? I must admit I've only just started seeing it used here very recently.

 

[26138]

On a side note, why is Peter Davison called "Davo"? Is this something new, or has it always been his nickname? I must admit I've only just started seeing it used here very recently.

I haven't seen "Davo" anywhere but here.

 

[Starkers]

It's just Bones non very amusing nickname for him. He's called people worse though

 

[The]

The Myrka. Mel. Dimensions in Time. Half-human. The Absorbaloff. The Doctor's Daughter. Jesus-Doctor. These are "the worst things to happen to the franchise". Not Tennant, alone...

I still don't get the vehement hate for "The Doctor's Daughter". I think it's one of the more enjoyable episodes in Series 4. It was a fun adventure that saw Martha return to Companion mode for a while, Donna coming up with an Important Bit of Information and an interesting dynamic for the Doctor with the introduction of Jenny. Aside from Ten being a bit overly shouty towards the end, what's not to like? Even if it's someone's least favourite episode, I don't see how it could be considered "one of the worst thing to happen to the franchise." IMO, of course.

Well, when I say "worst thing ever", my tongue is planted in my cheek. Don't get me wrong, I loathe the episode. The story is the most rushed, cheap-looking, nonsensical, convoluted mess I've ever seen in Doctor Who. The plot is a ridiculous, cardboard pantomime of Tennant's era, which is saying something after Jesus-Doctor. Overindulgent in all emotions, and built not to tell a story, but to give Tennant, Davison's daughter, and Martha the chance to "act". Lamest show I've ever watched, and it took me three attempts to make it to the end.

However, I realize it caused no permanent damage to the Whoverse. So, as long as it remains in the past and Jenny never, ever, ever, ever even gets referenced, I'll happily file it in the bubble with 'Half-Human' and move on...

 

[The]

Mind you, after the pretty poor Douglas Adams season

This is the point you lost me forever.

 

[Shatnertage]

Mind you, after the pretty poor Douglas Adams season

This is the point you lost me forever.

Yeah, that one's actually one of my favorites. At least they didn't take themselves too seriously.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Yeah, that one's actually one of my favorites. At least they didn't take themselves too seriously.

Nor, unfortunately, their craft.

 

[Bones2]

It's just Bones non very amusing nickname for him. He's called people worse though

Everyone calls him Davo where I come from. You mention "Davo" to someone where I live, and they'll know who you mean.

Mind you, after the pretty poor Douglas Adams season

This is the point you lost me forever.

Yeah, that one's actually one of my favorites. At least they didn't take themselves too seriously.

Nah, it's poor. Tom's at his gin-soaked, pratfalling worst, the whole thing is the smuggest Doctor Who got until Tennant showed up, it was cheaper-looking than usual being as they were saving the money for a story that never happened, and all the stories apart from City are weak. As for not taking itself seriously, that's never a plus in my book.

Yeah, that one's actually one of my favorites. At least they didn't take themselves too seriously.

Nor, unfortunately, their craft.

Yup.

 

[The]

Hmmm. Since City of Death is the all-time greatest Doctor Who story ever made, I find you wrong on all accounts...

 

[Bones2]

I've clearly said City of Death is great. I rate it the full 5 stars. The rest of the season is really poor though.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

That said the last classic Doc I saw on tv was Colin in an episode of Hustle

The last classic Doc I saw on TV was Patrick Troughton in one of his final performances as a crazy homeless man suspected of murder in one of the very 1st episodes of Inspector Morse.

I'd also reiterate that for me at least there's a difference between not liking a Doctor that much, and not liking his stories. Kinda, Earthshock, Snakedance, Frontios, and Caves are all great Doctor Who stories.

"Snakedance"? A "great Doctor Who [story]"? Seriously?

On a side note, why is Peter Davison called "Davo"? Is this something new, or has it always been his nickname? I must admit I've only just started seeing it used here very recently.

I haven't seen "Davo" anywhere but here.

I was confused when I first saw it. I thought it was supposed to be a nickname for Davros.