The Sixth Doctor

Charley Pollard

Melanie Bush

The Sixth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor. He was portrayed by Colin Baker in the TV series.

The Sixth Doctor was initially a blustery, pompous character who believed himself intellectually superior to everyone he came across. Over time, however, he grew to show his true nature as a highly compassionate, caring and wise figure, whilst still keeping an air of arrogance and irritability. He lived a very long time, and travelled with numerous companions including American botany student Peri Brown, history professor Evelyn Smythe, Edwardian adventuress Charley Pollard and computer programmer Melanie Bush.

## Character History

After giving up his life to save his companion Peri, the Doctor regenerated into his sixth incarnation, but it was not going to be as simple as before. In the moments after his regeneration, the Sixth Doctor proved to be cowardly, angry and even violent towards his companion, but soon settled down into a comfortable arrogance without any ill-intent towards her.

The Doctor met many foes, old and new on his early travels, including the Cybermen, Sil, the Rani, the Master, the Sontarans and the Daleks. Eventually, he and Peri began to get along much better than they had initially, and had a more friendly, playful relationship. Arriving on the planet Ravalox, the Doctor thwarted the plans of the insane L3 robot Drathro, whilst discovering that Ravalox was in fact Earth and that it had been moved from its place in the galaxy.

Later, a second encounter with Sil on his home planet on Thoros Beta lead to the Doctor and Peri getting separated, with Peri's body seemingly being used to house the mind of the planet's ruler, Lord Kiv. Before he could intervene, the Doctor was summoned by the Time Lords to stand trial for meddling in the affairs of other worlds, the prosecutor being the Valeyard. In the process of this trial, the Doctor discovered that the Valeyard was in actuality a future incarnation of himself, who was nearing the end of his regeneration cycle and wanted the Doctor's remaining regenerations for himself. The Doctor stopped the Valeyard's plans and shortly after dropped of his future companion Mel back on Earth, after she became involved in the trial.

The Doctor then travelled alone for a while, before tracking a nexus point in time to Sheffield Hallam University, where he met Dr Evelyn Smythe, a history lecturer who was being taken out of existence due to a temporal disturbance dating back to the reign of Mary I. After solving the problem, the Doctor took Evelyn on as his companion and the bond the two shared further shaped this incarnation as a far kinder and more patient individual. Eventually Evelyn left the Doctor after choosing to stay behind on the planet Vilag to marry its leader, Justice Rossiter. The Doctor took this badly and they parted on poor terms.

In this period, the Doctor arrived on the planet Caventasia during one of its many loops, and met Dawn, but forgot these events.

After rescuing Charley Pollard from bring stranded in the year 500002, he had her join him as his companion. Unbeknownst to the Doctor, Charley already knew him as she had travelled with his Eighth incarnation prior to this, but decided not to tell this to the Sixth Doctor to preserve the timeline. She eventually left him, replacing his memories of her with that of another individual, Mila, before going off to work for the Viyrans.

Eventually, the Doctor returned to Earth to pick Mel up and the two went on numerous adventures, including a return trip to Vilag where the Doctor finally made his peace with Evelyn. This Doctor's life came to an end mysteriously, but it is generally believed that after the Rani attacked his TARDIS, he was forced to regenerate.

## Personality

The Sixth Doctor was frequently impatient with others and believed himself to be far more intelligent than anyone else in the room. His arrogance often irritated those he came into contact with, including his companions. However, over time he learned to soften his persona somewhat and become more polite and friendly to those he met on his travels. This was in large part to travelling with Evelyn Smythe, who proved to be the Doctor's intellectual equal, and the two formed a strong bond.

### Costume

The costumes worn by the Sixth Doctor vary but maintain some constants: a cravat, a waistcoat, a pocket-watch and a long patchwork coat with a cat badge on the lapel. Most often these are in a variety of colours, particularly the coat, which many believe is hideous. Occasionally, however, the multi-coloured ensemble would be discarded in favour of a costume in various shades of blue, but keeping the same general look.

## Appearances

### TV Series

#### Season 22 (1985)

1. Attack of the Cybermen
2. Vengeance on Varos
3. The Mark of the Rani
4. The Two Doctors
5. Timelash
6. Revelation of the Daleks

#### Season 23: The Trial of a Time Lord (1986)

1. The Mysterious Planet
2. Mindwarp
3. Terror of the Vervoids
4. The Ultimate Foe

### Big Finish

#### Evelyn Smythe

1. The Marian Conspiracy
2. The Spectre of Lanyon Moor
3. The Apocalypse Element
4. Bloodtide
5. Project: Twilight
6. The Sandman
7. Jubilee
8. Doctor Who and the Pirates
9. Project: Lazarus
10. Arrangements for War
11. Medicinal Purposes
12. Pier Pressure
13. The Nowhere Place
14. 100
15. Assassin in the Limelight
16. The Crimes of Thomas Brewster
17. The Feast of Axos
18. Industrial Evolution

#### Charley Pollard

1. The Condemned
2. The Doomwood Curse
3. Brotherhood of the Daleks
4. Return of the Krotons
5. The Raincloud Man
6. Patient Zero
7. Paper Cuts
8. Blue Forgotten Planet

#### Mel Bush

1. The Wrong Doctors
2. Thicker Than Water
3. The Brink of Death