Doctor Who: Conflict Theory
by Nev Fountain; dir. Scott Handcock (BBC, 2020)
A fun, frivolous story that, beneath clever execution, explores the more serious question of the Doctor’s culpability in exposing his companions to danger. Fountain’s script is spot-on. Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant revel in a character dynamic rarely done justice on television.
Doctor Who: Wirrn Isle
by William Gallagher (Big Finish, 2012)
Bringing back the Wirrn was ambitious but Gallagher has recaptured at least some of the tension and body horror of The Ark in Space. The Sixth Doctor is well-written for a change and, notwithstanding some egregious character irrationality, the story works well.
Doctor Who: Planet of the Rani
by Marc Platt (Big Finish, 2015)
Colin Baker remains a powerful presence but the plot and character motivations are all over the place. Platt has latched on to the conceit that the Sixth Doctor can defeat all the evils of the universe solely through dint of supercilious speech-making.
Doctor Who: The Sandman
by Simon A. Forward (Big Finish, 2002)
A nice SF concept, which affords plenty of scope for the Sixth Doctor’s almost bipolar swings between compassion and firewalled ‘otherness’. Colin Baker once again shows that he could have been great if given something to work with by JNT and company.