Re: Big Chief Studios - 1/6 Doctor Who - #04 Tom Baker
I loved Colin as the Doctor, but his run was entirely crippled by poor writing. Unlike every other Doctor, there isn't a single story during Colin's run that you can point to and say "this is the one you absolutely have to see." Davison is by far my least favorite Doctor, I think he's dull as dishwater, but even he has Caves of Androzani, and McCoy has Remembrance, a story that lets the master manipulator truly shine.
Whereas I'll take Colin's Vengeance on Varos over anything from either Davison or McCoy's run, personally.
Mind you I also think that Colin's first full season, Attack of the Cybermen through to Revelation of the Daleks, is the most consistently enjoyable season of 80's Who, as well. Yes, even with the oft reviled Timelash included. Yes, it may be far from perfect (much of Who is, to be honest), but I genuinely enjoy watching every story, which is more than I can say about any other single season of the show in the 80's. So opinions certainly vary.
Which is why I always think that everyone should make up their own mind, rather than blindly trust to 'conventional wisdom'. I mean the amount of times I have seen someone comment that they have just started watching the Sixth or Seventh Doctor for the first time, and are surprised by how much they are enjoying it, given what they have heard from fandom over the years, well, if I had a penny for every time I'd seen or heard that, I'd...have quite a lot of pennies by now.
Something else I have noted over the years is that both Colin and Sylvester seem to be far more appreciated in general outside of the UK, which always made me wonder if the constant swirl of negative press around the show at the time tainted their eras in the UK public conscience more than the actual show itself did. In other countries, which were largely insulated from such press back in the day, they seem to have been far better embraced and accepted in the role, at least from my experience and perception anyhow.
I mean I'm not saying that either one is going to win any popularity contests amongst either the general public or greater fandom, but I do believe that both are more popular than it sometimes seems, particularly online. Hell, if they weren't then I doubt that Big Finish would have gotten very far, let alone still be using both to this day. And I seem to recall Colin often winning favourite audio Doctor polls pretty consistently at one point as well.
Point is, as long as they're not over-produced, I think both Doctors would sell well enough to justify their inclusion here. And I, for one, would be rather upset if we got Hurt and McGann, for instance, but these two were entirely passed over and neglected. I mean I want both Hurt and McGann, but given the loyalty and longevity that both Colin Baker and McCoy have put into the brand and the role over the years, they deserve their incarnation being immortalised in plastic every bit as much, if not more, than those two do. At least in my view anyhow. Plus which, I still think that even the less widespread popular Doctors are going to sell better than (almost) any companion would, for instance.
End of (fanboy) rant.
