What Really Happened: Doctor Who - The Trial Of A Time Lord
Trials and tribulations! The downfall of Colin Baker's tenure on Doctor Who...
Doctor Who, without a doubt, has a fascinating history when it comes to behind-the-scenes. From its initial conception, the origins behind the regeneration, moving to colour television, transitioning to the 80s, the dreaded wilderness years, and of course the 2005 revival. One portion of history that particularly fascinates me is Colin Baker's era. At the very beginning, everything seemed to be going smoothly for producer John Nathan-Turner, having concluded one of the peak eras in Doctor Who's history, i.e. the Tom Baker years.
He then managed to move the series forward with Peter Davison, who was the youngest actor to play the role at the time, before successfully celebrating twenty years of the show's legacy. Things seemed to be on an upward spiral, but then everything came crashing down when it came to the arrival of Colin Baker...
Behind-the-scenes drama quickly began to seep in due to conflicts between John Nathan-Turner and script editor Eric Saward. The latter wasn't particularly fond of the producer's choice in casting, especially since Colin Baker was picked due to being the life and soul of the party at a staff member's wedding. Needless to say he didn't go into this new era of Doctor Who with open arms. What made matters worse was the direction they decided to take the Sixth Doctor in during his debut story, The Twin Dilemma, having him come across as slightly unhinged with his emotional sway in personality. Not to mention him coming across as very unlikable, arrogant, and untrustworthy.
Did I mention he strangles his companion Peri?
[Cont.]