The Sixth Doctor TV era: what would you change?

I defend this era, but God, there IS a lot I'd change. The coat. Can we just salute just how good Colin Baker is that he makes the coat somewhat paltable? I don't agree. Don't give The Doctor his attire, have him try on different looks to reflect his troubled regeneration, with him settling on a final look at the end of the series. Oversee Eric Saward and remind him that he's writing for a family show and turn down his excesses. 


Keep the episodes twenty-five minutes, to build up the audience's unease over the new Doctor. Now the time to tease and yes we're doing things differently and experimenting, but we need to pace ourselves doing so. Remind Saward he's writing for a family audience. 

I love Peri, but as I've gotten older, there's a lot that bothers me about the arc. That despite Peri's justifiable annoyance and anger, she stays with The Doctor - and in a world that invalidates girl and women, it's kind of perplexing to see that play out in a family show. That her feelings don't matter and it's her 'duty' as a woman - a 'nuturer' to look after him. Yes, there's the fact that Five saved her life and she doesn't get on with her Stepfather as well, but it's also playing out here.  Peri's got to stay, because she's a nurturer at heart, because she's a woman. Have characters point out she doesn't have to stay or that she stays for the right reasons as the arc progress. That she matters.  Have Peri save the day, ahead of The Doctor. I'm not saying Peri doesn't shine here, but God, if we're going, let her glisten. Let her challenge The Doctor and push him back to where he was. Let her be his anchor, his conscience, his guide. Let her have autonomy and let her own person and The Doctor needs to . Show the world that Peri Brown is capable, wonderful, brilliant, strong and not a push over. 

I'd push The Twin Dilemma to next season and make sure it hits the beats. Follow through on the parallel Doctor/Romoulus/Remus set up at the beginning and have the boys humbled and actually kind of sweet and spoiled by their parents, foreshadowing The Doctor's own development. Peri isn't strangled, but perplexed by The Doctor's behaviour and hurt by his words. Show, of the course of the adventure, that The Doctor still cares about Peri and is trying to fight his condition.  Develop The Doctor and Azmael's relationship more and that in his presence, The Doctor's erratic behaviour becomes more stablisied. Nix any callbacks in Attack of the Cybermen and have the be another alien race subjucated by the Cybermen and don't have the Time Lords be involved. Have events play out, including his conversion, but don't make it as grisly and don't have his hands crushed. Less is more. 

Nix The Two Doctors - this is Six's journey -  and have Robert Holmes create something original in line with the series arc (Holmes actually seemed to be quite taken with Six's troubled regeneration) and have it occupy The Mark of the Rani's slot.  Give Timelash a complete overhaul, there's a good story in there somewhere. Don't have The Master involved in The Mark of the Rani, make The Rani more cool and measured (in line with her Big Finish protrayl) and parallel The Doctor, with The Doctor seemingly on her own side and frustated with humans, only to be revealed to be a ploy and his outrage at her actions reveal he is The Doctor still at heart. Have Peri come up with a plan of her own to resist The Rani and show her in her glory and have her BE angry and The Doctor accountable at his deception. Restructure Revelation of the Daleks to be more traditional Who and have The Doctor and Peri arrive on Necros as a random location and stumble into Tranquil Repose unaware of what it's purpose, bluffing their way through and humouring, only for the black humour to shine through and then cut to the reveal that the Dalek shells are being piloted....by the dead! at the end of episode one. Have the troubled Doctor and Peri struggle to deal with the machinations within Tranquil Repose, (who are more active in the plot) and the warring Dalek factions. And have Six prove he is The Doctor, but leave on a cliffhanger whether or not Peri will stay. No ethunasia scene and have Arthur Stegos overcome his conditioning to save his daughter in the climax. 


Season 23 is a more traditional season with The Doctor and Peri shining through and completely in sync, unstoppable.