Moderator's Note: This is Mike's original Davison summary:

I'm not a big Davison fan, but there were a few good stories in his time. "Kinda" stands out, and I rather like "Frontios." Given a few more seasons and I think Davison could have really fleshed out the role.


I hated Davison solidly for three years, for the crime of not being my toothy-grinned hero (AND for unravelling his scarf! Blasphemy!) But in retrospect he was a perfectly good Doctor, and most of his stories were superb. They certainly needed a complete change of character - NO-ONE could imitate Baker - but all that youthfulness, vulnerability and puffing and panting was perhaps a too drastic.

Like I said, I thought Davison was just starting to get into the role, right before he left it. His performance in "Frontios" was showing some real depth.

Oh, and I love the scene in "Four to Doomsday" when the Doctor's pockets are being emptied. I love the hurt tone in his voice when he says "A piece of string."

His weakness was his tendency to be too (for want of a better term) Tristam Farnham-ish. Maybe a new hairdo would have helped.

I always liked Davison but maybe that's because although I had watched Tom Baker as a child, my Who obsession came when Davison had the part in my early teens. I had never seen him in All Creatures Great And Small beforehand so I took it all at face value. Maybe I was pacified because he had an Australian companion? Or maybe it's because the show was finally starting to look like it had a bit of a budget, something which would impress teen eyes?
In retrospect there are some dodgy stories (I don't know why everyone raves about The Visitation, it bores me to tears now and, of course, let's give Timeflight and Terminus another bashing) - but I like the performance. I like the fact he was vulnerable and got hurt, a tad more believable in some respects, although others may see it as a diminishing of the character.

It was a trade-off, sure. The Doctor becomes more "human", but he loses a lot of mystery.

Terminus wasn't that bad. If they'd lost the dog-headed alien, and if Turlough wasn't so completely slimy, and they hadn't stooped to having Nyssa do a strip-tease......

I think it's ironic that Davison's last story was his best, and arguably one of the best stories ever.

Davison was always my favourite Doctor, but then again: 1.) he was the cutest, and 2.) at the time I saw him, we were the same age. It should also be said that I really liked Adric, because: 1.) he was cute (does this sound familiar?) and 2.) I enjoyed his character. He was like a bratty younger brother.
I did not like Davison's last couple of episodes, after they picked up Peri. Peri annoyed me no end, mainly because she was supposed to be American, and SHE WASN'T.
I really liked The Awakening. I wish Will had become a companion.

Just thought of one of my favourite lines. He was always so nice and pleasant and unassuming... In Castrovalva, when they're in the library, time's running out, he's getting frantic, someone's dithering, and he says, rather forcefully, Now would be a good time to make a decision. Then he adds, in a quieter tone, Please.
I loved it.

Peter Davison, the memories return. I didn't like him at first, because I have spent 8 years with Tom Baker. He wasn't as funny or in command of his senses. Sometimes Peter would border on hysteria without actually crossing the line. Then I moved to the States. Years later I saw him again on PBS and realised many of my problems with Peter were due to him getting use to the role and creating a seperate persona from Tom's. As the stories go on he gets stronger and stronger in his role. I agree Mike K. that a few more years would have been great. As for companions, I never liked Adric, too whingeing for me. Turlough started off a backboneless weasel and ended up a man, one of better character progressions of Dr.Who. Nyssa, Tegan, and even Peri I thought were outstanding, but maybe because I am a man who finds all 3 of them very attractive.

Anyone who doesn't like Peter Davison's doctor should watch 'Caves of Androzani' one of the best Doctor Who stories ever.

He and Peri were one of the best Doctor/companion teams, and it is a shame they were only together for two stories.

Peter Davison was the second Doctor I saw. I didn't know the character could regenerate and I was really confused when I tuned in about 20 minutes into "Castrovalva" and saw some blond haired guy being called "Doctor." (It was shown in movie format)
I wasn't even sure the other characters could see any difference until the end when he talked about his "new self." I thought that they had just cast another actor to play him, like James Bond. Of course, now I know better.
I had mixed feelings about the change. While Peter Davison was certainly a good actor and there were some great stories during his tenure, I missed Tom Baker's quirkiness and unpredictability, which I felt returned to a certain degree in Colin's years. I didn't hate Peter by any means. I guess he was just too darned nice for my taste.

I was never convinced by Davison's supposed niceness. He'd be agonising over killing Davros one minute, and happily lobbing bombs at Daleks the next.

Chris; Funny you should mention about being confused about the Doctor being able to regenerate, because when I first saw The Three Doctors, all this talk about Hartnell and Troughton being earlier Doctors confused me, even to the point that I didn't even know the show starred them for 6 years before Pertwee had the role! The first regeration scene I saw was Pertwee into Baker, but Baker into Davison was even more dramatic, considering how high up Baker fell to the ground, and how he slowly morphed into Davison, which I thought looked pretty good, even though he sits up at the end of Castrovalva, apparently okay, while at the beginning of Logopolis he can barely take two steps.

It could be his sitting up at the end was due to a sort of "adreneline rush" and maybe he passed out again as soon as the credits started rolling.(Ok. In reality they probably hadn't written "Castovalva" yet.)
I also liked this particular regeneration sequence the best. Everything just seemed to come together-the music, his life flashing before his eyes,and the blending of Tom, the Watcher, and Peter during the actual regeneration.
It wasn't too quick like the Pertwee to T. Baker and could actually be seen unlike the Davison to C. Baker.

I actually like the PD to CB regeneration, I think it's the pace leading up to it and the music hitting that crescendo. That's not to say I don't like the TB/PD one - I like the supreme sacrifice and poignant sort of ending of that one too.

'Supreme sacrifice' - huh. Why didn't the moron just hang on a little harder to that radio telescope?

Anyway, giving your life to save the universe is just common sense. Giving your life to save Perpugillium Brown - THAT'S the supreme sacrifice.

Maybe it was slippery?

The pipes should have been painted with a glossy paint to simulate their slipperiness, because it seems to me that he just jumped off. All he had to do was hold on with both arms and legs wrapped around a pipe like a monkey. It must be because of what the 'Watcher' told him, that his time was up, and if he wanted to protect the web of time he'd have to forfeit his fourth persona.

How do you know his hands weren't sweating profusely, given the circumstances?

SWEATING! The Doctor NEVER sweats.

Okay, GLOWING profusely.

What about when he's parched in that desert scenario in Vengeance On Varos. Or when he's confronting Xoanon in episode three of The Face Of Evil? Maybe I should have said he perspires... but I thought only women did that.

Men perspire; women glow. Hence my earlier joke's punchline was wrong.

The beginning of this post can be found in Your first time in the Ask the Matrix section.

The fifth incarnation of the Doctor was the briefest and most troubled of the incarnations, probably because his regeneration didn't quite succeed. The destruction of the Zero Room in the TARDIS removed the ability to solidify his personality. Consequently, various parts of the other four personalities manifest themselves occasionally, making this incarnation appear confused and disoriented at times.
This situation is given added irony because the Doctor's body was now young and athletic. He had a pleasant, boyish face and dressed in a white cricket sweater and tan frock coat. He kept a fresh stalk of celery pinned to his lapel, was fond of cricket, and was an expert in the field of cricket trivia (Whoopty-****. G.L.). He often showed the abrupt irritation with humans seen in his first form, but this was softened by his sense of fun and ready wit.
Perhaps because of his unformed personality, the Doctor now often appeared reckless, making mistakes that needlessly endangered his Companions. He was generally well-liked by his Companions, however, because of his quiet resolve and dedication to his cause. He was genuinely interested in people and would go out of his way to help them.
Although the third and fourth incarnations of the Doctor would fight an enemy if cornered (the Third Doctor was an expert in Venusian martial arts), the fifth was the first incarnation of the Doctor to use weapons. He needed them. As if he didn't have trouble enough, this incarnation of the Doctor found himself up against almost all the major enemies of the previous incarnations, plus a host of new villians intent on either conquering either the Earth or the universe.
He had barely regenerated when he escaped a trap set by the Master, who reappeared later with another timenapping plot (Quite the optimist, the Master is, thinking that his plans will work. G.L.) involving the capture of the passengers and crew of two Concordes. The Doctor managed to rescue the captives but, once more, the Master slipped through his hands.
Omega returned. Still trying to escape his antimatter universe, he plotted to bond the Doctor's material body with his own antimatter form. Although the attempt failed, the Inner Council ordered the Doctor's execution to put an end to this threat. The Doctor was able to prevent this by exposing a traitor loyal to Omega on the Inner Council.
No sooner was the universe safe from Omega than the Black Guardian appeared, determined to destroy the Doctor in retaliation for that small matter concerning the Key. Barely escaping from this encounter with his life, the weary Doctor immediately became entangled with the Master and yet another plot to upset Earth history. Disposing of this threat, he ran headlong into- of course- the Daleks. It is easy to see why this incarnation only lasted three or four years. He did get to meet three of his previous incarnations in one adventure, however (Though it was obvious that the First Doctor was an imposter. G.L.), and some of his old Companions.
When visiting the planet Androzani, the Doctor and his Companion, Peri, both stepped in poison. The Doctor obtained the antidote but, while carrying Peri back to the TARDIS, he dropped half of it, leaving only enough to save Peri. He was forced to regenerate.

STR 10 (IV), END 9 (III), DEX 10 (IV), CHA 16 (V), MNT 21 (VI), ITN 21 (VI)
Race: Gallifreyan
Sex: Male
Height: Average
Build: Slim
Looks: Attractive
Apparent Age: Young Adult

Chris, I'm perfectly prepared to admit that Colin Baker sweats. I've never been able to accept him as a true Doctor. But Tom Baker - I don't believe you for a moment. (Making a mental note never to watch episode 3 of Face of Evil too closely in case I'm proved wrong.)

Gordon - well, at least the words 'open face' were not mentioned - one must be grateful for small mercies.

I only watched that episode the other day: I can assure you he does! (And I'll be on the lookout for more Tom Baker perspiration from now on!)

The fourth Doctor doesn't sweat just from wearing all those layers of clothing?

I know that it takes place in an artificial reality, but the 4th Doctor sweats during his time in the Matrix in "The Deadly Assassin."

"Creature from the Pit" has a moist Tom Baker.

EAT YOUR WORDS!

Fitz to the Doctor in Dominion, p88:

'You're the guy with two hearts who never farts. Never swears, smokes, drinks, or even sweats.'

So...I want public retractions, grovelling apologies, an undertaking from you all NEVER to spread such calumnies again, plus a large donation to a charity of the Doctor's choice (The Skaro Widows and Orphans Benevolent Fund) and I want them NOW!

It hardly seems like Fitz is telling the truth... the first Doctor smoked and various incarnations drink so it's a fair bet he sweats as well.

Fitz has only known the Eighth Doctor, who does none of these things. And whilst drinking etc is a personal preference that would be expected to change with each Doctor, sweating - or lack of it - is a biological thing that probably remains constant throughout regenerations.

When did the First Doctor smoke, anyway? I know the Fourth had a pipe, but that wasn't for smoking, it was for fooling Gallifreyan guards with!

The Seventh Doctor gets drunk at the beginning of "Transit", while celebrating the universe's birthday.

The Third Doctor is sweating while being totured on the alternate Earth in "Inferno."

As for farting.....no comment.

The First Doctor smoked in An Unearthly Child. Don't you remember the whole bit about his misplacing his matches?

I remember all about his everlasting matches, I just wasn't aware he used them to smoke - setting a disgraceful example on a children's programme! Where's Mary Whitehouse when you need her?

As for sweating in Inferno - that's in ANOTHER UNIVERSE!! It doesn't count!!! Everything's completely reversed from normality - just be grateful he didn't dye his hair and put on an eyepatch as well!

What about the Sixth Doctor sweating in that tunnel in 'Vengeance On Varos' when he believed he was in the desert? He took his jacket off, clearly because he was incapable of keeping cool with it on.

Okay, Emily, you've clearly gone off the deep end now. Let's just take a deep breath and try not to think about bodily functions.

*Gasps with outrage* ME? It’s all - *scrolls hastily upwards* - CHRIS’S fault! Yes, Mr G’Day Mate himself first raised this *shudders* indelicate subject. In the presence of a lady! (Yes. Me.) Still...if you want me to shut up about this, I will. *Sulks*

We'll just have to talk about Peter Davison instead. Um...can anyone think of anything interesting to say about Peter Davison? No? Come on...anything at all? Oh well...

Well.....he was in the TV version of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." And I did rather like him in "Campion."

I actually quite liked him in All Creatures Great and Small.

Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that.

If I recall correctly, one of the cavemen saw him use the matches to light a pipe.
As for smoking on a kids' show, this was in 1963 and I don't think the anti-smoking movement was at full steam at that point. Also, I've had the impression (possibly false?) that smoking is more socially acceptable in Europe than here in the U.S. of A.

It is, or at least the last time I was in Europe, which is about 6 years ago. I had asked for the smoking section in some restaurant in London. They said to me to sit where I like. Amsterdam and much of Germany was the same way. I kept getting confused about that. I must have lived in the States too long.

Did Peter Davison sweat in All Creatures Great and Small?
I bet he sweated in that "Dish of the Day" costumer in Hitchhiker's.

Oh, and my humble apologies m'lady.

That's alright Chris, I can take it. It's just that for some reason Mike's reaction put me into Litefoot mode...really, I have a strong stomach, and you can even mention obsenities like 'Twin Dilemma' in my presence without me swooning...

What about Timelash?

Ah...well...I might just need my smelling salts for that one...

The only drawback to Peter Davison's tenure is that his stories were so badly written. When he's dealing with material by someone who understands the Doctor's character - Christophers Bailey and Bidmead, Robert Holmes (of course) and, oddly to a lesser extent, Saward - he really is without compare.

If that's the case, what happened when Robert Holmes wrote The Mysterious Planet for Colin Baker?

I never understood the significance of the celery stick. Bad writing made this incarnation lousy.

The celery stick would turn purple if he was in the presence of certain gases he was allergic to - not revealed until his last story, The Caves of Androzani.

Nice of them to tell us that then...on the last story...wasn't it? I guess they felt it was "better late than never". I started to lose interest in Dr. Who during this incarnation as well. P.Davidson was no J.Pertwee nor was he a T. Baker...those 2 incarnations rocked!

It was probably the producer's idea to add a bit of mystery... making people wonder "What's that stick of celery for?"

Oh, and it's *Davison* by the way, not Davidson.

I beat myself with a celery stick for my bad spelling.

I loved the character devlopment of Davison's doc, especially in his last three stories, where he struggles with the violence within himself, (trying to execute Davros, letting the Master die, etc) until he is literally falling apart at the seams in 'Caves of Androzani' and becomes the most 'violent' Doctor of all. From his last three stories in his fifth incarnation, we can see clearly where the Doctor is heading, so is it really that much of a shock that he should want to strangle Peri because she doesn't know her Middle Eastern mythology?

Hmm...you'll note that he _intends_ to kill Davros, but he just can't bring himself to pull the trigger. Unlike Tom Baker who, after a brief hesitation, exploded that bomb he had stuffed down Davros's chair. Hardly indicative of an increase in violence for the wet vet.

As for letting the Master die...look what happened when he kept letting the Master live - half the universe unravelled. And, after all, tricking enemies into killing themselves is the oldest trick in the Doctors' book. OK, so McGann would probably have leapt heroically into the flames to save him, but all the others would have just stood by - and, in Colin Baker's case, cracked a joke about it. Anyway, judging by past experiences Davison could be pretty sure that the Master would be back.

I don't remember the Doctor becoming violent in Caves of Androzani. The villains destroyed each other - all he did was stagger through the carnage trying to look after Peri. Yes, he crashed a spaceship in the process, but the gun-runners had exactly the same chance of survival as he did - he even gave them fair warning that he was going to crash and told them to strap in, IIRC.

Admittedly it's not so surprising that the Sixth Doctor should show some human emotion and try to throttle the whining American, but I don't think it had anything to do with Peter Davison's legacy.

Emily, you knew I had to respond to that.

(Luiner takes a deep breath) Okay, Peri has only known the Doctor for a few weeks, maybe. After saving her life on some unknown planet where some misshapened misanthrope has tried to paw her into submission to become his love slave, the Doctor gets ill and regenerates. Whereupon, he totally changes from a nice guy to some idiot who chokes her at the littlest misunderstanding. In a way of a apology, he decides for the BOTH of them that they should become hermits on some desolate planet for a very long time so that HE can recover.

That's not regular human emotion, that's sociopathy.

I am going to drink a beer, now, and toast Peri's astounding patience. She could have kicked the Doctor in the nuts. She had every right to. But she restrained herself, because the Doctor was not well, and couldn't be responsible for his actions. And he did just save her life. But she did remain skeptical that the Doc was looking after her best interests, hence the whining. She is woman. I hear her roar.

hahahaha - nice one Luiner.

Emily - thanks by the argument but I stand by what I said. I meant he became the most 'violent' Doctor *when* he regenerated, as a result of the surrounding violence.

There, there, Luiner, you know I only said it to give you the chance to become Peri's knight in shining armour. I have to say, though, that anyone would feel a LITTLE peeved that they'd just sacrificed their LIFE for someone who didn't even say thank-you (well, actually in those circumstances most people wouldn't be in a position to complain).

Luke, I finally get the point you're making...it's possible, I suppose, but the fact that entire GALAXIES were being wiped out during the fourth-to-fifth regeneration didn't make Davison at all violent. Of course, that WAS more a matter of watching little lights go out in the sky than actually personally facing death every two minutes, but surely to someone as attuned to the universe as the Doctor ('He sees the threads that bind the universe together and mends them when they fray') death and destruction on such a massive scale would be far more traumatising than getting caught up in a minor local war.

So you are saying just because the Doctor saved her life, it gives him the right to physically abuse her? Just playing, I know you don't think that.

I actually understand Luke's argument a little better. The Fifth Doc in the 21st season had to go through an amazing amount of violence. The only relative break he had was Planet of Fire, where he had only to deal with the Master and some religious fanatics. Even there, he had proven without a doubt that their belief system that ruled their entire lives was nothing but a sham. Two of his companions left him, Tegan because of the violence. One companion he had to kill. He tried to kill Davros, thought he killed the Master, seeing his TARDIS destroyed by a bombardment from the enemy Tractators,and somehow managed to get involved in the very real enactment of the English Civil War.

Maybe after his regeneration he was suffering a little bit of post traumatic stress syndrom.

Seasons 13 and 14 must've been depressing for him - all that gothic and gloom. Lucky he got a comedy dog when he did - K9 being a glorified stress toy - otherwise he might've gone all Patrick MacGoohan on us!

I am not a number, I am a free Timelord!


Somebody had to say it.

Check this link out. You Brits probably already've seen this on TV, though.

http://www.thisislondon.com/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=436455

Peter Davison in the news.

I've only seen Davison as the Doctor in his first season now, but I must say I like him. He brings a vulnerability to the role I appreciate, like his hurt feelings when Tegan jumps all over him for getting her to Heathrow 300 yrs early, or when Adric has a row with him about not being taken seriously enough and the ladies need to calm him down.

I suppose you might think that sort of thing makes him a bit too human, but then it is a change from the all-knowing, I-can-handle-anything previous Doctor. After all, how can you empathize with your hero if he's invulnerable?

How can you empathise with your hero if he's wearing cricketing gear?

Well, I can empathize with Peter Davison for being *forced* to wear cricketing gear. The poor guy. Even worse, the TARDIS laundromat was on the blink for three years.

Tom Baker never really seemed invulnerable or all-knowing to me. He was a hero without any "super powers" (other than that repiratory-bypass thing), and that's one of the things I like about the Doctor in general and Tom Baker in particular. In many episodes he seemed constantly on the run, on the verge of losing (confronting Suhtec, Seeds of Doom, City of Death, etc) but determined to keep trying even if it meant throwing his own life away (Pyramids of Mars, or walking into the count's lab in Paris, unarmed, outnumbered and without a backup plan, and saying, "I'm going to stop you.")

I think Tom's Doctor made mistakes, showed emotion under stress, and was just as vulnerable as Peter or any other Doctor. The difference may be that he had more "stage presence" than the other Doctors, dominating the scenes he was in and showing a kind of heroic determination that may have overshadowed his mistakes and vulnerability.

Well, I can empathize with Peter Davison for being forced to put up with an awful companion like Tegan.

I was so happy when I first saw Timeflight. "Yes! She's no longer on the TARDIS!" But then I remembered that she was a companion in The Five Doctors, so I knew the ••••• would be back.

Of course Davison also suffered from the Tom Baker backlash. Tom Baker got away with so much that TPTB felt the need to reign in Davison. It didn't help that he was stuck with 3 companions who had been created for Tom Baker.

When I watch I look for little touches that Davison would do occasionally. Like he flips a coin to decide which tunnel to take, starts to go, then turns the coin over & goes the other way. I think that's a funny scene & wish he had ben allowed to do more things like that.

In my opinion sticking Davison with a companion like Tegan was like putting a fine tailored suit next to a garish sports jacket. All eyes go toward the garish monstrosity & ignore the fine details.
(And that brings us to Colin Baker...;-)

Actually, the TARDIS laundromat worked perfectly during the Davison era. I hope to god it did, anyway, because the alternative doesn't bear thinking about. But the TARDIS wardrobe must have been jetisoned or something.

The thing about Tom Baker is - right up until the moment when he inexplicably and unforgivably lets go of the radio telescope - you just KNOW that everything's going to work out alright. However much out of his depth he is on occasion, the world and the universe feel very safe in his hands. Whereas Davison can't spend five minutes as the Doctor without losing the Scarf, 25% of the TARDIS, the Sonic Screwdriver, Adric, etc etc. This may make for more dramatic tension, but...what a twit.

Is the fifth Doctor a twit or is it Adric that you are talking about? I tend to lean toward Adric.

Actually, I kind of like the cricketing gear....

There's no accounting for taste. Maybe you didn't have a cricket-mad brother with a tendency to hit you whilst practicising bat waving/ball throwing.

Actually I meant the Fifth Doctor. Adric being a twit really goes without saying.

I resemble that remark! Tegan, hit Emily for me, please???

Well, now that I've seen all of the Fifth Doctor stories I have to say my opinion of him has changed a little. I thought I liked the initial Doc (say, the first two seasons), but it wasn't until I saw the last season that I realized why Emily thinks he's such a wuss. The difference between his putting up with Tegan's outbursts and Adric's whining compared to his obvious authority in the third season (particularly Frontios) make me see what he should have been from the start.

Of course everyone's said as much, and it's not that I didn't like the first two seasons (The Visitation was fun, so was Enlightenment), but the sudden edginess to his later personality is like the bite of a cold wind after being in a room that's too hot -- it's stimulating.

Too bad he didn't continue for at least one more season (maybe Colin Baker would've found another job by then). And I still like the cricketing outfit (anything compared to that coat!).

Still seems really strange to me that NOBODY wanted to talk about Peter these past TWENTY-TWO months! Anyways...

I remember reading an interview from either Davison or Troughton, which included a meeting of the two actors. Troughton suggested that Davison keep the role for only 3 years, and it seems he took it to heart(s), and did so, which was a shame. Imagine Pertwee or Baker denied the episodes beyond their third years. So much potential for Davison to get better, and be accepted by more fans.
Of course, the next season would be somewhat different; there probably wouldn't have been an 'Attack of the Cybermen' or 'Revelation of the Daleks' because JNT probably wanted the new Doctor to fight some old foes and get ratings; the Fifth Doctor had already encountered these aliens. Also, as he already met the Second Doctor, that element of 'The Two Doctors' probably would have removed such a meeting from the story.
That leaves the Fifth Doctor in the episodes 'Vengeance On Varos', 'Mark of the Rani', and 'Timelash'.
This also means that we'd have two different stories featuring Davison, allowing that 'Attack' and 'Revelation' were never made.
And the Doctor/Peri arguements would have been far and few between, considering Davison's portrayal as an easy-going Doctor to Baker's cranky one.

I wish Troughton had suggested that production teams stay for only 3 years. That's what kept the show innovative and interesting for so long. Keeping the same production style for 10 years killed it--at least for me. I found JNT's first season interesting and different, though there were elements I disliked. The next 2-3 years, with Davison, had some interesting stories, though everything I disliked about JNT's "style" was becoming increasingly prominent. By the time Colin Baker's stories rolled around, I was so fed up with the production style that I usually tuned out. So I missed most of the last 5 years of Doctor Who, and have only seen them recently when buying some of them on video.

I like Davison's performance in the audios much better than his performance in the TV show. Whether that's due to age or a different production team/style is debatable.

I can't tell much difference between audio and TV Davison. Which is the way it SHOULD be, really, if we're to believe the Big Finishes are sandwiched between TV episodes. It's just a shame that Davison hasn't got a strong enough personality(/voice) to allow the new medium (and resultant lack of s t u p i d cricket gear, not to mention equally blessed lack of Adric and Tegan) to give him a new lease of life, the way it did Colin Baker.

Davison no doubt thanks god on his knees every night that he got out just in time, i.e. only a week before The Twin Dilemma!

Eric; you think 10 years of JN-T was bad? Worse is Rick Berman, who's left his 'mark' on Star Trek since 1987, with The Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, and Enterprise. The only difference is the partner he has on each show, but he's definitely been a fixture for too long.

The difference between JN-T & Rick Berman is according to some sources, JN-T wanted to leave Dr.Who, after season 22, but due to
in-fighting within the BBC, was not allowed to do so. As to Rick Berman, It's anybody's guess what will happen there...?

Emily : Um...can anyone think of anything interesting to say about Peter Davison?

He supports the same football team as me

I was just into my teens when he became the Doctor and thought him wonderful. The mix of knowledge, ability, possibility and insecurity seemed to mirror the life of a lot of people my age. The two great things about his portrayal is that there was a lot of subtlety and he never sent up the role (whereas his predecessor was guilty of both at times).

He supports the same football team as me

Do you have a dictionary? Look the word 'interesting' up...

Actually, I probably AM interested to hear he's a sad football fan rather than (as I naturally assumed) a sad cricketing fan. I suppose if he'd travelled the universe wearing one of those ghastly shirts with big numbers on it would have been even worse than the cricket n'celery outfit we got...

whereas his predecessor was guilty of both at times

His predecessor was guilty of nothing but being a GOD who effortlessly overshadowed all his other selves, ESPECIALLY that irritable, desperate, puffing and panting, ludicrously young, blasphemously Scarf-unravelling and TOTALLY UNWORTHY successor!

Um, not that I didn't warm to Davison. Approximately the same minute he turned into Colin Baker.

I preferred Davison to Colin Baker...

No contest!

A belated Happy Birthday to Peter, who was born April 13, 1951, if I recall correctly.

NINETEEN FIFTY ONE???????????????

But he's the YOUNG Doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was, being the operative word. Bakers Tom and Colin are still older than him, you know.

I'll say one thing for Davison: he's maintained his youthful appearance. He could pull off a multiple-Doctor story with only a dye job on his hair. The Bakers would need more work. Like CGI.

This might be a silly question what colour are Peter Davison's eyes? I thought they were blue but looking at photos they seem to be brown or hazel, although I haven't been able to find a photo where it's really clear.

They look brown in his picture on the cover of "Doctor Who--The Eighties."

I just saw the latest photo of PD wearing his Doctor Who kit for the "Christmas in Need" special, and he doesn't look half bad. As long as he keeps on his hat to cover that receding hairline, he might pull it off. Or will they figure out a way to retcon his older appearance (season 21b, anyone?).

Peter Davison did a interesting interview recently for SFX magazine's latest Dr.Who special, in which he vents his spleen,(politely of course) on some of the problems that Doctor Who faced in the 80's, including poor scriptwriting, JN-T's casting of assistants, (his argument here, was that John Nathan Turner tried to "tailor" companions for various export markets, hence Tegan was intended to appease the Austrailians, & Peri the U.S. In his oponion, the idea failed), & poor editing/ video effects....

Peter just celebrated his 59th birthday on April 13.
David Tennant was recent, too, at April 18, 1971.

59!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't be ridiculous. He's the YOUNG Doctor.

Found another clip, this time someone combined Sylvester McCoy's credits with Peter Davison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHXc8Z1ddLA

Don't be ridiculous. He's the YOUNG Doctor.

Not anymore, Matt Smith is now the young Doctor. I was watching Who before Mr. Smith was ever born!

Technically speaking maybe (alright...definitely) but Eleven (whatever Amy says about him looking about nine) can seem bloody ancient when he puts his mind to it. Whereas Davison will ALWAYS be blandly youthful.

Peter Davison will be turning 60 this year. The young doctor is not so young anymore.

Of course, his record as the youngest actor to play the Doctor was broken by Matt Smith.

I suppose if he'd travelled the universe wearing one of those ghastly shirts with big numbers on it would have been even worse than the cricket n'celery outfit we got...

I take it all back. In The Lodger Matt looked utterly adorable in his Number Eleven football shirt. Dressing as a footballer instead of a cricketer MIGHT have made Davison a bit less dull stuffy bland English middle-class.

Peter Davison will be turning 60 this year. The young doctor is not so young anymore.

Sixty, and grandfather to another Doctor's daughter. The mind boggles.

Did the fifth Doctor inspire this?
http://www.broccoliwad.com/

Five was into celery, not broccili.

Davison stars with Freema Agryeman in "Law & Order: UK".

Another "crossover" as such

'Always a picture of puzzlement and defeat, Davison's Doctor was rarely the self-assured and capable hero that viewers expected' DWM 305. Oh, that's going a bit far. He did generally manage to save the day unlike, say, Hartnell or Eccleston.

Guess it goes to show, the Doctor is 90% swagger in the minds of others. Davison had none.

Yeah, he was never gonna be one of the 'Whole armies turn at flee at the sight of him, and he'll just swagger back to the TARDIS' kinda Doctors, but claiming he's a picture of defeat is surely not the case. Well, maybe apart from that pointless 'The Master has finally defeated me' declaration in Timeflight.

The Doctors documentary has Peter Davison saying that 'the programme was "••••" and that its fans weren't normal to like it so much' - I don't mind being personally insulted (who wants to be NORMAL?) but who the hell does he think he IS, insulting Who...

If you listen to it carefully- he wasn't referring to the program as a whole- only "Time-Flight". And let's face it, he wasn't far off the mark....

Ah! I didn't, as it happens, listen to it carefully so much as read the DWM review of the DVD. Still, was he REALLY just talking about Time-Flight? Cos I haven't met any fans who actually liked THAT.

I liked the Concorde.
I thought the Concorde did a very good acting job in that episode. Very convincing.

Well, personally I thought that AT LEAST one of the concordes was overacting.

The Concorde can be forgiven for being O.T.T.

Over The Top of the world as it's flying!

*Groan*

Thank you, thank you! I'll be at the Peladon Comedy Store all week! Half price drinks all night Saturnianday!

'I always approach any commentary involving Peter Davison with a great deal of anticipation; he is so charismatic' - Earthshock's DVD-commentary-producer-person Paul Vanezis...he's KIDDING, right? Davison is UNDOUBTEDLY the least charismatic Doctor ever. Say what you like about Colin Baker, at least you NOTICE when HE'S in the room...

Nice interview with Davison in DWM:

He got paid £900 an episode?? Couldn't they have found a CHEAPER bland cardboard-cut-out?

'During the short time that Colin [Baker] was there, John [Nathan-Turner] managed to turn the Doctor into his own image! What you saw on screen was John Nathan-Turner - costume and all!' - ooh, that can't be fair - those Hawaiian shirts weren't THAT godawful...

'There is no doubt that Doctor Who - and science fiction - appeals, to a certain extent, to the social misfit aspect of people's nature' - gee, thanks. 'I can't be friends with fans' - I wonder how he's coping with his crazy-fanatic son-in-law...?

In addition to his other sins-of-blandness, Davison...doesn't have a profile. This struck me on seeing the cover of the latest fiftieth-anniversary cash-in Penguin book - each of which overpriced short stories have a profile of whichever Doctor they're inflicting on us this month - when I found myself wondering 'Who the **** is THAT supposed to be' for several seconds before the penny dropped. Say what you like about the OTHER Doctors, but you'd recognise a blurry blue rendering of THEIR heads in a heartbeat.

(Or maybe it's just me. See http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Anniversary-Digital-ebook/dp/B00B54TZBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367946014&sr=8-1&keywords=tip+of+the+tongue+doctor+who.)

My first guess would have been the Second Doctor. I would have need to use a process of elimination to figure out that was number Five.

The Watcher: so he was the Doctor all along!

In Time-Flight, a character remarks that "The Doctor has lost his equipment" - to which i respond "Yeah, he lost his equipment about the time he last regenerated".

So when, exactly, did Davison develop a sense of humour? Cos he's a BRILLIANT comic actor in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot AND he actually WROTE the entire hilarious thing. Did it creep up on him slowly in middle age? Or was he always a marvelous comedian, and just had to ruthlessly suppress it during his three years as a po-faced Doctor, because JNT wanted to •••• all the fun out of Who?

JNT did that because he felt the comedy had gotten out of control in the late Tom Baker era.

Whether he was correct on this is still debated to this day.

DWM: 'In general, Peter Davison's earliest performances were his best. He brings a wild, youthful energy to Castrovalva, Four to Doomsday and Kinda. This joie de vivre is lost by the middle of his first season...Saward replaces it with a kind of weary, suffering impatience...but it does [return] in Snakedance.' - Very good point. I keep forgetting there's ANYTHING to Davison but the exasperation-with-Companions (plus a lot of puffing whenever he has to RUN). Not that I ever tend to remember much about Four to Doomsday, but I'm prepared to take Gary Gillatt's word about it.

Gods, what a hideous tragedy for the Davison Era.

Perhaps hiring Saward was a mistake after all.

Sorry about my humourist posts in the Castrovalva section.

It's just funny to imagine the Doctor as Kenny Everett - having personal use for that massive collection of female clothing he's acquired over the centuries,

I mean can you imagine the fifth Doctor in a sumptuous ladies ball gown at a St. Petersburg ball in the 19th century?

(with that - positively flowing - blond hair and wimpish personality, Davison was the most like a stereotypical woman)

Davison in DWM: 'I really think I suffered a bit from going through what I call a Tom Baker backlash. They wanted to take the jokes out of the programme...I had to fight for two-and-a-half years to get jokes In the programme' - hmm. In his own dreary way, maybe Davison suffered almost as much from JNT's PLAINLY WRONG decisions as poor Colin Baker.

(Though WERE there any more jokes in his last half-season? Not that I noticed.)

'Doing Blue Peter was very funny, because they always want you to hold the cat, so every time they cut away to something they'll shove this cat in your lap and every time they come back to you the cat will run away' - bless!

I always thought one of the biggest weaknesses of his era was that he was given dialogue that fit Tom Baker's humour but which he couldn't pull off. The writers knew to make him conceptually different (more fallible, etc.) than Baker, but the actual words weren't significantly different, especially the nonchalant quips spoken to his adversaries.

But I will agree that jokes were taken out, only that it started with Baker's final season (JN-T's first), and that was a welcome change after the previous season (barring City of Death of course).

Doctor Who was a family show, not a show meant to be aimed at spotty teenage geeky freaks who were too "cool" or too "intellectual" for family-friendly humour.

The "no hugging no kissing" was the worst in this era given that IIRC they at one point banned Five from even touching Tegan and Nyssa (naturally just helping convince a lot of fans he was instead in love with Turlough).

I have yet to encounter a fan who thinks Five's in love with Turlough.

Though I suppose it MIGHT help explain why he insisted on keeping the guy who tried to smash his head in with a rock...

Though I suppose it MIGHT help explain why he insisted on keeping the guy who tried to smash his head in with a rock...

Well, he can't really hold that against Turlough, that's something he used to do himself.

Oh!

Fair point.

The idea that Hartnell's Doctor was going to bash someone's head in with a rock was invented by DWM in the 1980s as an attempt to make Colin's seem more acceptable to fans.

In the broadcast episode, Ian suspects that this is what the Doctor plans to do - but Ian is suspicious of everything the Doctor does and there's no indication that he's right in this instance.

If Hartnell was being murderous then he's planning to dodder over to Za and whack him over the head with a not particularly large rock in front of four witnesses. We're a long way from the player of games on a thousand boards here.

The idea that Hartnell's Doctor was going to bash someone's head in with a rock was invented by DWM in the 1980s as an attempt to make Colin's seem more acceptable to fans.

Pah. As if Hartnell smashing a THOUSAND heads in with a rock would have made COLIN and COLIN'S COAT acceptable.

Ian suspects that this is what the Doctor plans to do - but Ian is suspicious of everything the Doctor does and there's no indication that he's right in this instance.

No indication apart from the Doctor's reaction - that is NOT an innocent man - and the size of the rock - that's NOT an innocent drawing-maps kinda rock.

If Hartnell was being murderous then he's planning to dodder over to Za and whack him over the head with a not particularly large rock in front of four witnesses.

What, in front of THE HOSTAGES he's just KIDNAPPED, you mean?

We're a long way from the player of games on a thousand boards here.

Well, YEAH.

The Doctor...evolves.

The Doctor...evolves

(sings to the tune of the Beatles) "You say you wanted evolution. Weeel, You know...!"

What, in front of THE HOSTAGES he's just KIDNAPPED, you mean?

No, I mean the criminal thugs who just broke into his home, threatened to expose his harmless existence to the world and almost kidnapped his grand-daughter.

And also Hur.

No, I mean the criminal thugs who just broke into his home, threatened to expose his harmless existence to the world and almost kidnapped his grand-daughter.

Ian and Barbara had EVERY RIGHT to check that the child they had a duty of care towards was NOT being shut in a box by an evil old man! Because all the indicators were that she WAS being shut in a box by an evil old man! How the HELL were they to know it was bigger on the inside...??

And 'harmless existence'...?? Have you ANY IDEA how many alien invasions we've had because THAT MAN illegal-immigrant-ed his way onto OUR PLANET?

And as for 'almost kidnapped his granddaughter'...Susan was PERFECTLY SPECIFIC about how she wanted to stay on Earth with Ian and Barbara rather than go ANYWHERE with Granddad EVER AGAIN...

Ian and Barbara had EVERY RIGHT to check that the child they had a duty of care towards was NOT being shut in a box by an evil old man! Because all the indicators were that she WAS being shut in a box by an evil old man! How the HELL were they to know it was bigger on the inside...??

They wouldn't have known that she was living a box if they hadn't gone snooping round her place for no real reason like the crazed busybodies they were. They could have been sacked for that.

And 'harmless existence'...?? Have you ANY IDEA how many alien invasions we've had because THAT MAN illegal-immigrant-ed his way onto OUR PLANET?

Which only started after he was shanghaied by these be-cardiganed hooligans.

And as for 'almost kidnapped his granddaughter'...Susan was PERFECTLY SPECIFIC about how she wanted to stay on Earth with Ian and Barbara rather than go ANYWHERE with Granddad EVER AGAIN...

Stockholm Syndrome.

They wouldn't have known that she was living a box if they hadn't gone snooping round her place for no real reason like the crazed busybodies they were.

NO REAL REASON?! Maybe YOU'D'VE politely ignored it had an alien arrived in your midst, but Barbara and Ian followed their ENTIRELY CORRECT instincts like the intelligent and proactive people they were.

They could have been sacked for that.

What, in the Nineteen-SIXTIES? They could have molested every one of their pupils without the authorities turning a hair.

Have you ANY IDEA how many alien invasions we've had because THAT MAN illegal-immigrant-ed his way onto OUR PLANET?

Which only started after he was shanghaied by these be-cardiganed hooligans.

Oh yeah? What about Time and Relative?

Susan was PERFECTLY SPECIFIC about how she wanted to stay on Earth with Ian and Barbara rather than go ANYWHERE with Granddad EVER AGAIN...

Stockholm Syndrome.

I'll admit I find it puzzling that anyone would prefer to be pointed and laughed at in a prehistoric school than roam all time and space, but...maybe she was tired of all the jolly good smacked bottoms?

'It also struck me....that at the moment when the story starts if he just left then it'd be far the best thing to do. I mean he created many more problems than he solved, actually' - Davison. That's not even true for HIS Doctor, never mind the others.

Davison's Doctor is my second least favourite (after David Tennant). He's so effete and ineffectual. Plus he had some awful companions. Mouthy Tegan, petulant Adrian, dreary Nyssa and cowardly Turlough. The production values weren't any better during his run either. Exhibit A: "Warriors Of The Deep."

And IF ONLY you hadn't ACCIDENTALLY said 'David Tennant' instead of 'Colin Baker' I could have agreed with every word...

petulant Adrian

Adrian? Who's Adrian!?


dreary Nyssa

Hey, them's fighting words! Dude, you do NOT diss my Nyssa!


The production values weren't any better during his run either. Exhibit A: "Warriors Of The Deep."

If Eric Saward and Ian Levine had kept their grubby paws off Johnny Byrne's script, it would have been a far better story. It's no wonder Mr. Byrne never wrote another Who story after this debacle.

Adrian? Who's Adrian!?

Bah, spell-checkers can be so ignorant...unaware that they wouldn't even EXIST if poor dear Adders hadn't wiped out those dinosaurs for us.

If Eric Saward and Ian Levine had kept their grubby paws off Johnny Byrne's script, it would have been a far better story. It's no wonder Mr. Byrne never wrote another Who story after this debacle.

Hmm. According to TARDIS Wikia he later wrote two Doctor Who film scripts. Plus Guardians of Prophecy, now a rubbish Sixth Doctor audio. To add to the rubbish Warriors of the Deep and the rubbish (if guiltily enjoyable) Arc of Infinity. Leaving your beloved Byrne with only ONE real achievement to his name - but since it introduced Nyssa you couldn't really ask for more...

Well if Adric had been called Adrian, they could have had a story called The Secret Diary of Adrian - Age: Indeterminate.

To think, when Peter Davison was doing the show, one of his fans was a young Scottish boy named David MacDonald, who grew up to become David Tennant. Of course, David Tennant would ride the TARDIS like his childhood hero before him, and said child hero become his father-in-law to boot.

Dr Moo? (no, really) article in DWM: '"This is what really put me off. [JNT] said he wanted a 'personality actor'. Now, I'd never seen myself in a million years as a 'personality actor'...I went through great agonies...I was on the brink of really turning it down again...finally...At the last minute, I just said, 'Yes'...I know this sounds so stupid really, but it was partly to do with the fact that it was such an amazing thing to have been offered the part. If I'd actually turned it down, I would not then have been able to say, 'I was offered Doctor Who' - because you can't do that, can you?...That's why I did it."' - great, now I feel even WORSE about the existence of the Fifth Doctor.

'Even when I started making the series I had no idea what I was doing with the character. I never have any idea what I'm doing! The best I can hope for is that I come up with a kind of bland, nondescript performance on day one of rehearsal, and hopefully something emerges over the course of time' - well...sorry...IT DIDN'T.

But surely the DIRECTORS - oh. 'When directors come in after you've started in the part, they don't ever give you direction. It's like "The Doctor - you don't ever give direction to him."'

What a misbegotten ACCIDENT the whole thing was. Were there really NO genuine character actors JNT could have approached...?

So does Peter Davison now surpass Colin Baker as your Most Hated Doctor, Emily?

Absolutely not.

But say what you like about Colin, at least he LOVED being the Doctor.

To add to the rubbish Warriors of the Deep and the rubbish (if guiltily enjoyable) Arc of Infinity. Leaving your beloved Byrne with only ONE real achievement to his name - but since it introduced Nyssa you couldn't really ask for more...

Johnny Byrne was a damned good writer, and I'm not just saying this because he created Nyssa (although I would nominate him for an OBE for that alone). His episodes of Space: 1999 are considered the best by the fans of that show (which I am one).

As I said, I wonder how Warriors would have turned out if Saward and Levine had been told to bugger off and leave Mr. Byrne's script alone. Alas, we'll never know.

Ironically the Byrne script that seems to have been hacked about the most by the production team was 'The Keeper of Traken'.

OH.

Well, isn't THAT interesting...

(Tim, I'm perfectly prepared to take your word that he's a pearl amongst Space: 1999 writers, but to be honest, that's not really saying much, is it? (Alright, so I haven't actually SEEN any Space: 1999 but I've seen THAT picture of Peter Davison, which was MORE than sufficient.))

Of course, that cut out of Ainley in 'Logopolis' had more emotional range than Sutton had on learning Traken had been destroyed. If i may say so, the lipstick and eyeshadow on her had more reaction to the death of Traken...

Yes *sigh* one COULD argue that she's just really, REALLY bottling it all up, but that excuse is wearing pretty thin after Eccy gave us the PERFECT portrayal of someone who WAS bottling up their grief and anguish after the destruction of their homeworld...

Tim, I'm perfectly prepared to take your word that he's a pearl amongst Space: 1999 writers, but to be honest, that's not really saying much, is it?

Well, Emily, you're hardly in a position to judge a show you've never seen.


I've seen THAT picture of Peter Davison, which was MORE than sufficient

What picture?


Of course, that cut out of Ainley in 'Logopolis' had more emotional range than Sutton had on learning Traken had been destroyed. If i may say so, the lipstick and eyeshadow on her had more reaction to the death of Traken...

I would point out, Judi, that Johnny Byrne didn't write that scene, Christopher Bidmead did. You know, the guy who would have us believe that the universe was being maintained by a bunch of old guys sitting around mumbling numbers.

It just really shows Sutton's limitations... unless she figured that a fit of sobbing anguish would be unempowering for women - that's how we got Sarah Jane, and Tegan's, straw feminism.

It wasn't so much Miss Sutton's fault as it was the time she was working on the show. Classic Who really didn't have time for long emotional scenes.

The New Series could have Rose blubber away for ten minutes flat, because they didn't need to wrap things up in 25 minutes.

I think we can also blame Director Peter Grimwade for not interpreting what was on the script, and saying,
"Sarah, for the scene of Nyssa's planet dissolving, do you thyink you could put a little crack in your voice, or bite your lip, as if you're holding back a fit of tears?"

Just saying there's several people involved in any single scene, other than the actor or actress.

What picture?

The one with a chained-up topless Davison in a blond curly wig from the amusingly-named episode A Man For Emily. I tried to find a link for you but gave up pretty rapidly after getting directed to a naked-celebrities site, sorry.

You know, the guy who would have us believe that the universe was being maintained by a bunch of old guys sitting around mumbling numbers.

To be honest, I'm fine with that. It's them building a Pharos Project replica I have problems getting my head around.

unless she figured that a fit of sobbing anguish would be unempowering for women - that's how we got Sarah Jane, and Tegan's, straw feminism.

But Tegan DID have a fit of sobbing anguish...when she couldn't fly the TARDIS properly.

Classic Who really didn't have time for long emotional scenes.

Classic Who stories were generally twice as long as New Who stories so WHY didn't they have time for actual EMOTION?

I think we can also blame Director Peter Grimwade

Ah yes. DIRECTORS. It's one thing for them not to have the temerity to attempt to direct the Living God that is the Doctor, it's quite another for 'em not to give mere Companions orders.

Sweet mother of Elvis, the Davison stories are painful. Last night "Frontios" wrapped up and tonight was the Dalek one after it. Just terrible. Embarrassingly bad. Just random things happening or being introduced and then dropped for no reason.

Take Frontios. He spends a huge chunk of the story whining and worrying about what will happen if the Time Lords find out he's there, involved. I mean, pretty much in 20 years, when has the Doctor given a cr*p what the Time Lords thought? And after The Three Doctors, he's pretty much got carte blanche to do whatever he wants. Heck, for 3 & 4, the Time Lords fairly regularly use him to do their dirty work. And that's just the most obvious hole in a long list of them in that story.

For the Dalek one that I don't even care enough about to look up...where to begin? No really. Where? The Daleks s u c k. They've been beaten by the Movellans. They can't climb stairs or anything. So why are these humans readily serving as their lackeys? Obviously so they have someone to climb stairs and such during the story, but from their perspective it makes no sense. Then Turlow disappears through a time corridor--off camera, of course. Somehow, by now the Daleks already know all about the Doctor being there. And they know all about his companions. Then a bunch of Army guys show up with a civilian assistant and the Doctor for some reason doesn't play the UNIT card. Then you've got a prison ship where the prop department took a lot of time to make some kewl gas masks for the cast to wear whenever they feel like it.. You've got some people wearing the masks, some not. Some have masks, but they feel that they make better jaunty chapeaus than gas masks. Finally you get to the scene where the girl is wearing a mask and the guy doesn't even have one--sucks to be the guy since they've ACTUALLY DEPLOYED TOXIC GAS BY THIS POINT. Next scene, the girl has put the mask up on her head instead of using it. Then they spend like, 5 minutes wondering what that funny smell is. So if you're fighting someone that has deployed some kind of toxic gas and there's a funny smell in the air, what might that hint at? Hmm?, I dunno. Of course when the guy's face is half melted off by poison gas it becomes pretty obvious. I mean, not that this means the girl puts her mask on at this point--or even feels any adverse affects.

It's just such terrible terrible writing and production that I feel sad to even have to watch it. The only consolation I have is, once I get through them, I never have to watch them again.

Space Helmet for a Cow:

'When his face appeared on screen, friends who were watching with the sound down were concerned that he'd died. Though clearly not concerned enough to turn the volume up. (Well, it was in the days before remote controls, I suppose...)

'Born Peter Moffett in April 1951, as a young man Davison had held down various odd jobs – including a stint as a mortuary attendant, which would come in handy when working with Matthew Waterhouse – before training at the Central School of Speech and Drama. On graduating, he changed his name to avoid confusion with the actor and director Peter Moffatt, who would later help to ruin several of his Doctor Whos’ – so much information, packed in so wonderfully viciously.

He's writing his autobiography! The Fifth(ish) Doctor. If it's anything like the Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, it'll be hilarious.

Peter Davison is the Doctor for those who don't want to get high, but really like snorting white powder...

Now, now, let's not forget that you're talking about Tennant's Doctor here! ("You were my Doctor!")

Are you daring to cross the Lonely God?!

Peter Davison is the Doctor for those who don't want to get high, but really like snorting white powder...

Uh?

Now, now, let's not forget that you're talking about Tennant's Doctor here! ("You were my Doctor!")

Darling Tennant! Always so enthusiastic about ANYTHING that's under his nose, even edible ball-bearings or the Fifth Doctor...

How much of Six's verdict on his predecessor is accurate?

'I was never happy with that one...a feckless charm that really wasn't me' - but Tennant seems to think he'd NEVER been so happy as when he was decorative-vegetabling! (Of course, I always found the idea that he was happier as Davison than as Tom to be GROSSLY OFFENSIVE.)

'I was on the verge of becoming neurotic' - a couple of weeks shut in a TARDIS with Nyssa, Tegan, Adric and/or Turlough would turn anyone neurotic (he DID try to top himself eight times over, the idiot), but surely Davison cunningly averted that fate when he accidentally mislaid them all in favour of a cute young American?

In DWM's The Doctors, in the feature on Peter Davison, the article writer David Miller wrote how Davison's casting as the Fifth Doctor was announced:
"Davison's casting made the BBC News on 4 November 1980, following an announcement about another actor in a big part - Ronald Reagan, newly elected as the 40th president of the United States."
Quite a parallel noted by Miller, although it has to be said that Reagan by this point had long retired from acting due to his political career.

I'm no believer in astrology, but I can't help feeling that the stars must have been REALLY BADLY ALIGNED that day, or something...

I now want to hear the fifth Doctor say, "We have declared war on the Daleks. We start dropping bombs in five minutes."

;-)

ROBERT in Original Series: Season Twenty-One: The Awakening:

Five is just naturally optimistic, despite everything, one of his charming quirks.

You know, I'm not sure that he IS. Admittedly he's so bland and pointless that getting a handle on his character is something I find both difficult and disinclined to bother with, but...I keep thinking of his look of horror when he discovered he was stuck with Tegan again (compare n'contrast with every other Doctor, who were stuck with a lot worse without pulling THAT kind of face). And his astonishment that the two-Brigs-zap-thing actually worked (compare n'contrast with Tom's 'Seventy four million three hundred and eighty four thousand three hundred and thirty eight is my lucky number' response to a similar coincidence in Creature From the Pit). And then there's him ranting about mutated misfits terrorising the universe until the end of time (something it took the Time War to make ANY other Doctor match).

Although I suppose you could regard him actually thinking he had the guts to shoot Davros as a sort of optimism...?

Davison in DWM: 'Maybe if I have one regret, and I don't know how I would have done this - I didn't grab the opportunity...I thought, "I'll just take it easy for the first couple of episodes, see what emerges, and gradually come up with something." Sadly...I like things to be easy...more than anything else, more than wanting to be really good in something - maybe it's that I wanted to be liked...I've never thought I'm so good that people will employ me even if I behave like a bastard' - well, it's great he's finally prepared to admit it, but those are still three years of my life I'm never gonna get back, aren't they?

'She put up this clip, my lovely daughter, of her interviewing her son, Ty. This is before she was going out with David. She says to Ty - he was about five - "Who's your favourite Doctor?" And he says, "David Tennant, because he runs very fast." She says, "Who's your second favourite?" And he says, "Um...Tom Baker." She says, "So who's your third favourite Doctor?" And he thinks and goes, "I haven't got a third favourite." I did disinherit him soon afterwards' - god, that's MY kinda kid.

Davison is the only Tom Baker doesn't mind appearing with, cos 'as far as Tom is concerned, [the others have] only done Doctor Who. In his mind, I'm not the Doctor. He's the Doctor, and I'm appearing as "that bloke who'd done the other things"' - bless!

I think the Davison era is far worse than the Colin Baker era.

I don't subscribe to the idea that the Doctor is or should be a pacifist.

What exactly do you have in mind?

Not quite having the guts to instantly shoot Davros is the face is not pacifism.

Looking vaguely miserable after gassing a couple of species to death is not pacifism.

So while Colin Baker is leading the rapturous charge to welcome our glorious new Doctor, that wimp Davison is pathetically suggesting that 'It might be more helpful to be encouraging, and not simply scornful, of fans who are uncertain about change.'

They're not 'uncertain about change', they're 'uncertain about women.' Being uncertain about change is thinking that HE doesn't stand a chance in hell of filling Tom Baker's shoes, AND BEING PROVED RIGHT.

Yes. Society has a society-wide problem with women, Mr. Davison. Your daughter can tell you that...

Yeah, it's a shame that it took having daughters for Colin Baker to realise that Women Are Humans (And Doctors) Too but it's even more of a shame that Peter Davison's daughter is apparently too busy squeezing out the sprogs to spell this message out to HIM.

Aaaand we weren't just being paranoid.

Davison whines about boys losing their role model

The boys had the role model for over 50 years, I think they can let the girls have it for a few seasons. It's not like boy role models are that hard to find.

The boys had the role model for over 50 years, I think they can let the girls have it for a few seasons.

Hear hear!

Or even for more than a few seasons.

It's not set in stone that the Doctor has to pathetically keel over after a maximum of three seasons, y'know.

And bear in mind, Our Hero DOES seem statistically-speaking VERY LIKELY to regenerate into someone of the same gender...

It's not like boy role models are that hard to find.

To be fair, not like THE DOCTOR they're not. Though there's no reason they can't have the Jodie! Doctor as their role-model, it's hardly likely to emasculate them any more than having, ooh...say...that WET VET Time Lord.

as they said about Ol' Fivey in Time-Flight "the Doctor has lost his equipment"...

Typical media, picking and choosing what to print. (Gawd, I sound like Bozo Trump, but the article DID pick and choose words to give a somewhat incorrect opinion of what Davison said.)
Here's more of what was said (and what was conveniently missing from the first Radio Times article;

"Former Doctor Who star Peter Davison appears to have given up on Twitter for the time being after being unimpressed by the response to comments he made – or didn't make – about Jodie Whittaker being cast as the first female Doctor.
"All this toxicity about a sci-fi show has been sobering, so I'm calling it a day," wrote the Fifth Doctor in his latest Twitter post. "@PeterDavison5 used to be fun. Now it's not. Must Dash. xx" — Peter Davison (@PeterDavison5) July 24, 2017.
Davison has faced criticism from some quarters – including fellow Doctor Colin Baker – after saying during an interview at San Diego Comic Con that he felt changing the Time Lord to a Time Lady meant "a loss of a role model for boys". But some fans appear to have made the assumption that Davison has been entirely unsupportive of the move, and critical of Whittaker herself, something he has been at pains to point out is not the case.
For the record I didn't say I had doubts about Jodie. I said "she's a terrific actress and will do a wonderful job and we need to open it up". I also urged uncertain fans to be supportive about change. It was a caveat about role models in an otherwise positive answer..— Peter Davison (@PeterDavison5) July 24, 2017.
Davison also urged encouragement and understanding of Doctor Who fans who were dubious about the Time Lord's sex change.
It might be more helpful to be encouraging, and not simply scornful, of fans who are uncertain about change.
— Peter Davison (@PeterDavison5) July 17, 2017
"There’s too much bile coming from both sides and too many people are being horribly sexist about it and too many people are saying 'well, we don’t care about you, you’re old-fashioned, go away and watch something else'," said Davison in the interview. "I think fans who are doubtful and uncertain should be encouraged and welcomed – just approach it with an open mind."
Here's a transcript of the key parts of Davison's interview – so you can make your mind up for yourself:
"I think it’s a fantastic opportunity for her and I think it will be hard for some fans to adjust to it – as I said before it’s difficult to adjust to any new Doctor[…] but I think the important thing is that those who are uncertain should be encouraged to watch it with an open mind.
"I think the time for discussion about that is past. They’ve made the announcement that Jodie Whittaker is the next Doctor and that’s great.
"If I feel any doubts about it, it’s the loss of a role model for boys, who I think Doctor Who is vitally important for, so I feel a bit sad about that but I understand the argument that you’ve got to open it up, so she has my best wishes and full confidence, I’m sure she’ll do a wonderful job.
"As a viewer, I quite like the idea of the Doctor as a boy but maybe I'm an old-fashioned dinosaur, who knows, but that’s irrelevant now – we have a new Doctor and let’s give her our full support."

So there you have it. Not nearly as sexist and old-fashioned as some people would try to lead you to believe.

Not nearly as sexist and old-fashioned as some people would try to lead you to believe

Fine. I'll abandon my attempts to promote Colin to my Second-Least-Favourite-Doctor (they weren't working anyway), but it now sounds like an old-fashioned dinosaur making vague attempts to pretend he isn't utterly horrified at the prospect of a female Doctor.

Sure, but you can't expect people that were born in a different era (ie before the 1980's or 90's) to change who they are and how they see the world, just because another, younger generation has different views.
Also, he has a little more invested in the part of the Doctor, since he actually played the character and we're just viewers.

Sure, but you can't expect people that were born in a different era (ie before the 1980's or 90's) to change who they are and how they see the world, just because another, younger generation has different views.

I was born before the 1980s! And equality for women isn't some sort of passing FAD, y'know.

Also, he has a little more invested in the part of the Doctor, since he actually played the character and we're just viewers.

Pah! As if that VET could possibly care as much about Who as I do!

Don't forget Pertwee chose to be buried with Worzel Gummage rather than Who memorabilia and I wouldn't put a similar act of treachery past Davison...

Don't forget Pertwee chose to be buried with Worzel Gummage rather than Who memorabilia

WHHHAAAAAAAT???????? No frilly shirts????? Outrageous!

Davison was too prissy. He wasn't rough around the edges. He was the Richard Clayderman of Doctor Whos.

Peter Davison must be Emily's most hated Doctor, after Colin Baker, of course.

I'm proud to say there's only ONE Doctor I actually HATE, though I have to admit I've had some bad moments with the cricket-loving will-never-replace-my-Tom-in-a-billion-years wimp, the wispy-bearded interloper-fake Hurt creature, etc etc...

Hard to believe that Peter Davison is now 67 years old.

He was the youngest actor to play the Doctor, until Matt Smith came along, that is.

Hard to believe that Peter Davison is now 67 years old.

Ridiculous.

Though probably a bit easier to believe if you watch Time Crash again...

It's getting close to forty years since he first took the role of the Doctor!

The Season 19 Safety Video with Tegan Jovanka , courtesy of doctorwhonews.net...

https://youtu.be/XQEvPJC8AEI

I had a weird dream of Fifth Doctor as sadistic sex fiend. No more chinese food before bed...

Dead Ringers last Friday did a sketch where David Dimbleby regenerated into Fiona Bruce as he’s handing question time over to her. A hint before the punchline was that “the moment has been prepared for” I reckon one of the main Dead Ringers comedians is a huge fan, I mean not only do they get pretty much all the names and terminology right almost all the time that was a proper niche refernce.

I think the fifth Doctor is possibly under appreciated sometimes

The problem was that he followed a very popular Doctor (Tom Baker) and never quite got out of the shadow of that Doctor.

The same thing happened to Matt Smith, a generation later, he followed a very popular Doctor (David Tennant).

If the Doctor before you is mega-popular, you're always gonna be compared to that Doctor.

And I suppose Colin Baker’s poor characterisation (until Trial) also overshadowed him

The problem was that he followed a very popular Doctor (Tom Baker) and never quite got out of the shadow of that Doctor.

The same thing happened to Matt Smith

I completely disagree. Baby-faced Bow Tie Boy impossibly held his own and saved Who after the death-blow of Tennant's defection.

Whereas Davison was just...there. For three years. Luckily Who didn't need saving at the time.

And I suppose Colin Baker’s poor characterisation (until Trial) also overshadowed him

Colin's poor characterisation during Trial also overshadowed him.

Whereas Davison was just...there. For three years. Luckily Who didn't need saving at the time.

It did just afterwards.

The Davison Doctor was the childhood hero of a Scottish boy named David McDonald.

I wonder what happened to that boy

He opened a restaurant chain? ;-)

Peter Davison said in an interview in DWM back in the 2000s that he was paid, I think, £950 per episode.

I wonder how that translates into North American dollars.

To Tim: Inflation too, as £950 in 1982 could buy a lot more. It's a big deal in a 1940s Enid Blyton book that a schoolgirl steals five pounds from the Sanitarium ("the sick bay"). Give that one British pound in 1940 had the purchasing power of sixty British pounds in 2018, you can why stealing FIVE pounds is treated as such a serious issue in the book.

"Davison has his moments, but his attempts at being thoughtful and/or whimsical can come across as just peevish" -- Sonic Screwdriver

Very true, whenever he actually tried to inject a bit of emotion poor old Davison came off as peevish. Weird, as I'm sure he's a perfectly capable actor, but...some people are just not meant to be THE DOCTOR.

Like the fellow that came next, right Emily.

Or the fellow that came after the fellow who came next, eh Emily?

Like the fellow that came next, right Emily.

RIGHT!

Or the fellow that came after the fellow who came next, eh Emily?

Certainly not! Poor darling Sylvester may be sliding down my Favourite Doctors* list with every new face that materialises**, but he's still a perfectly adorable Doctor - whether or not he's actually capable of this 'acting' thing is beside the point.

*All of 'em, obviously, bar Colin n'Hurt.
**Except Hurt.

I don't understand your hatred for John Hurt? :'(

I don't HATE him the way I do Colin, I just don't think he made a particularly convincing Doctor, and that's leaving aside the fact his very existence is an abomination messing up our Sacred Doctor Numbering System and DAMMIT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ECCY!! and failing him DAMMIT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MCGANN!!

Peter wasn't really a leading man at the time he took the role - Patrick was, Jon definitely was, William wasn't really meant to be (at first anyway) and Tom was just a force of nature, but Peter wasn't quite there at the start of his tenure, and to an extent, he's not really played a vast range of roles.

By the end he was (and that shows through in the BFAs), and maybe if he'd kept going for a couple more years, he might be better thought of.

I was thinking today... Nigel Hawthorne would have made a good Fifth Doctor had Baker left at the end of Season 15.

Sir Humphrey?!

Well he'd've made a great Doctor if they'd extended Time in Office to a season-long arc on TV...

The reasons Davison left when he did was because Patrick Troughton advised him only to stay three years. Any longer, and he might have been typecast.

Whether than is correct is still debated to this day.

And when McCoy was first cast as the Mumbling Drizzle, Davison advised *him* to only stay three years. Peter Cregreen had other ideas though...

Too bad they never did a Doctor Who/All Creatures Great And Small crossover.

The TARDIS arrives in 1930's Yorkshire, and the Fifth Doctor switches places with Tristan Farnum. Hilarity ensues.

Too bad they never did a Doctor Who/All Creatures Great And Small crossover.

OK, the Doc's had to cope with a LOT of coincidental human/Time Lord doubles, evil robot replicas, Zygon copies, Cactus fakes, meta-crises, Gangers, etc etc but coping with a doppelganger with his arm up a cow's arse would be particularly traumatic...

Quite a few actors who guess starred on Who also appeared on All Creatures. Kind of cool to recognize them, IMO.

Yeah, there's something cosy and intimate about rural Yorkshire between the World Wars, Tim.

A simpler time...

Doctor: If you don't take your hand out of that cow's arse, NOW!

Tristan Farnon: Well, Doctor?

(reworking scenes from Castrovalva is fun...)

Whimsy, alien fairy princesses, gobby Aussie cabin crew... and Adric. It got better when they left.

What, for the two minutes before Davison left too, you mean...

And then came Colin....

Well YEAH, I certainly wouldn't be complaining about the departure of the Wet Vet if he'd been replaced by almost anyone else in the world.

The reason Peter Davison left when he did is because Patrick Troughton advised him not to stay any longer than three years.

Davison mentioned that tidbit so frequently in the DVD commentary tracks and interviews that later DVD extras started parodying it.

Considering what happened to Who in the second half of the 1980's, Davison was fortunate to leave when he did.

Imagine Davison viewed as toxic as Fat Colin and the Scottish Gnome?

The Wet Vet is WAY more toxic that darling Sylvester McCoy who VERY NEARLY saved our raison d'etre...

Maybe we should redub Sylvester the Cat in Looney Tunes with Sylvester McCoy?

Considering what happened to Who in the second half of the 1980's, Davison was fortunate to leave when he did.

Maybe. Him staying on might have helped though. We wouldn't have had Baker nor his coat, and without those changes, we might not have had any hiatus. Even if we did, picturing him in Trial of a Timelord certainly feels more credible and restrained than what we got. We'll never know.

they could have exploited Davison's cricket stuff more than they did. The TARDIS could land at Lords in the middle of a cricket match (like it did in DMP) again...

Kevin said it best, we'll never know. We can guess and speculate, but that's all we can do.

Any longer of The Tom Baker Show/Tom Baker's Comedy Half-Hour and there would not be a DW today. Despite his flaws, Davison came along at the right time.

That I can agree with. Tom had been there long enough, it was time for a change.

Absolute nonsense. If Tom had just continued being the Doc the way he was BORN for, there would have been no Sixteen Long And Barren Years of Despair. There'd've been a revolution if Michael Grade had attempted to abolish TOM. Plus Who wouldn't have declined so badly in the first place, the scripts would have way been better cos he'd've yelled 'Whippet ••••!', ripped 'em up and just ad-libbed his way through a few years until JNT was sacked and we got a PROPER producer...

Does anyone else get the image of Tom saying "Whippet ••••!" in the same way as the apartheid official says "Diplomatic immunity!" in Lethal Weapon 2?

Whatever medication you're on Emily, cut the dose...

None whatsoever.

(Which may be the problem, I suppose. Not that there's anything remotely insane about saying that Tom's perfectly capable of being the Doc 1974-2019 AND COUNTING. Day of the Doctor proved that. Sure, Who would have had to cut down on the traditional corridor-running but it's a small price to pay. And maybe we'd get back our traditional get-captured-escaping in its place which New Who has virtually abolished and I really miss.)

We can speculate this all day long, but Kevin's comment about never knowing stands.

Tom Baker left, Peter Davison joined, end of story.

Peter Davison is playing James Burge in a six part television production, possibly still in the process being recorded, called 'The Trial Of Christine Keeler'. Burge was the defence barrister for Stephen Ward in the Profumo affair, and was apparently a partial inspiration for John Mortimer's Rumpole.

---

quote:

[Re: Davison]

re: Davison and briskness. He seems to start many an adventure with a brisk, hand-rubbing 'jolly good chap getting on with things' demeanour... but then things sort of trail off until he ends up like someone with a bit of a headache trying to hurry a coach-load of recalcitrant pensioners across the A4... 'come along now there's a good fellow, watch out for the Myrka'...

thomni@my-deja.com

---

And there's no way we would have had a Fourth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan team, since Tom wouldn't have been okay with so many companions at once. Maybe they would have ditched Adric in favor of just Tegan?
And the stories would have been quite different, if they'd have been chosen for the Fourth Doctor at all. I can see Earthshock and Castrovalva (minus the regeneration parts) for him.
It would have been interesting to see Davison's versi0on of The Two Doctors or The Mark of the Rani with the Fifth, instead of the Sixth Doctor. Timelash might not even exist, then.

Again, we'll never know.

I can see Earthshock and Castrovalva (minus the regeneration parts) for him.

Castrovalva minus the regeneration parts would be about five minutes long.

I don't think there's any mystery about Davison's reasons. We know now that even as early as 1982 he was only intending to do three years, and his dissatisfaction about Season 20 didn't encourage him to change his mind. I do remember his comment about desperately not wanting to be the last Doctor but I think that was mainly actor's insecurity about not wanting to be thought such a failure in the part that it ended on their watch, and being blamed for it failing.

Let me guess, you forgot to use the quote thingie again.

A bit of re-writing history with this fan video.

https://youtu.be/IX5Q0kMkO-o

And there's no way we would have had a Fourth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan team, since Tom wouldn't have been okay with so many companions at once. Maybe they would have ditched Adric in favor of just Tegan?

If Peter Davison had his way, it would have been just Five and Nyssa from the end of Time Flight on.

Perhaps there is a parallel universe where that happened. And perhaps there is a way I can move there.

I thought you'd be a fan of "Nince" (Nyssa/Vince Hawkins) ;)

I guess Peter Davison did get his way, all those Five/Nyssa Audios that are set between Time Flight and Arc Of Infinity.

I can see why some think that the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa had ten years of adventures, before they got Tegan back (and nothing said at the start of Arc suggested otherwise).

I'd have cast Nigel Hawthorne (Sir Humphrey Appleby) as Five. I'd lure him in with the pitch that his Doctor can be more intellectual and sophisticated, and defeat enemies that way, not lapse into Tom type clowning ala Ribos and Nimon, or Pertwee's karate and fisticuffs.

You seem to be obsessed with this guy.

Peter Davison loves cricket:
https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/features/peter_davison_doctor_who_cricket.html?fbclid=IwAR20vsdvOBAT9tZNP0-FKuEzS6wPwgPhsvKEK4G3sOI2r-WGNESEgL-FCxk

He DREW A WICKET ON SEXY?

BURN the blasphemer!

'I was bowling seam not leg-spin – I thought that was more macho as the Doctor.'

He wanted his Doctor to be MACHO? Ha ha ha ha ha!

Does it really matter?

There's no saving Fivey's masculinity.

Does it really matter?

If Davison spent three years fondly imagining that the Fifth Doctor was macho then it does, to say the least, cast an interesting new light on a) his era and b) his state of mind.

I mean, Jodie 'I'm a pacifist!' Whittaker is a more macho Doctor than the Wet Vet.

There's no saving Fivey's masculinity.

Very true, though luckily the Doctor doesn't need masculinity.

Peter Davison's crime, in Emily's eyes, is that he wasn't Tom Baker.

Yeah.

I mean, he has plenty of other faults but that's the unforgivable one.

Better Bland and Beige than cat-skinning acid-bath guy

Hell yeah, but I didn't know that at the time, did I.

And if you'd popped back in time to warn me, I just wouldn't have believed you.

In fact, I STILL don't really believe it. After thirty-six years.

I'd take a fourth and fifth season of Davison over the two seasons of Acid-Bath Murderer that we got.

The Fifth Doctor was the first one to be played by someone who'd watched the show as a child. Peter Davison had been a fan of the Troughton era.

More than twenty years later, another childhood fan, David Tennant, became the Doctor, because he loved the Davison era.

History repeated itself here

Davison was well into his teens when Troughton became the Doctor. By the way, in the "teenage Davison" photo that was going around, he looks like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo.

Still, no Troughton, no Davison. No Davison, no Tennant.

no Troughton, no Davison. No Davison, no Tennant.

That remains to be seen.

Some Doctors are obviously DESTINED, and destined more than once. (Tom (Four and Curator) and Tennant (Ten I, Ten II from Journey's End onwards, Rose's-Tennant-flavoured-chew-toy.)

And some are just stupid accidents.

The Fifth doesn't actually have a sense of humour and gets riled by everything very quickly so I think he'd be a pain if i had to travel with him.

Yeah.

The one thing, THE ONE THING all the Doctors had in common was a sense of humour but JNT just had to have it surgically removed from Five (presumably) for fear that it would bring back memories of Tom Baker.

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot's revelation that Peter Davison has a FANTASTIC sense of humour is something I've simply never got over.

What a waste.

Is The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot available anywhere? I did see it at the time, but I don't think it's been released on any DVD/BR.

It wasn't removed it was just way more subtle, like the actor had to sneak it in and hope JNT didn't cut it.

"That's the problem with democracy."

"I'm not the man I used to be... thank goodness."

And my favorite when the Doctor flips a coin to decide what tunnel to go in, starts to move, changes his mind, and turns the coin over.

Peter Davison guest stars in the 2020 Call the Midwife Christmas Special:
From the Call The Midwife facebook page -
"NEWS! Former Dr Who Peter Davison to star in the Call the Midwife Christmas Special!
Hello all!
We're delighted to announce a special guest star for this year's Christmas Special - the wonderful Peter Davison!!
Peter plays Mr Percival, the Ringmaster of Percival’s Circus, which arrives in Poplar over the festive period. :-)
As well as Dr Who, Peter is also famous for starring in such UK dramas as All Creatures Great and Small, At Home with the Braithwaites, and The Last Detective.
We can't tell you exactly what happens in the story to come, but we can tell you that Peter is absolutely WONDERFUL in this episode!"

"Is The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot available anywhere? I did see it at the time, but I don't think it's been released on any DVD/BR."

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot is in the 50th anniversary set with The Name of the Doctor, The Night of the Doctor, The Day of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor as well as An Adventure In Space and Time.

5's portrait:
https://imgur.com/a/OdhLAoV

TIM in Modern Who: Season Thirteen: Revolution of the Daleks:

And I don't understand your dislike of his Doctor, Emily. Seems to me that his only crime, in your eyes, was that he wasn't Tom Baker.

THAT would have been MORE THAN ENOUGH but as it happens I was actually considerably more mature accepting a new Doctor when I was seven or eight than I am THESE days so I tried not to hold it against him. But a Doctor should have oodles of character/charisma/alien weirdness and Five just...didn't. He was blond and bland and wearing a vegetable just means he's desperate to SEEM eccentric rather than actually BEING eccentric. Even JNT obviously realised it was a mistake or he wouldn't have gone so catastrophically far in the other direction next time. It obviously didn't help that JNT cut all the humour out of the show so we had to wait until our FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY to discover that actually Davison is a brilliant comic actor.

It's nothing personal - I even had blasphemous thoughts occasionally in Season 11/37 that my beloved JODIE! might be a teeny bit too blonde and bland and nice and human and Peter-Davison-ish but thank the gods her opportunities to go all Oncoming Storm in Season 12/38 put 'em to rest.

The Davison Doctor did have his fans, Emily. One such fan grew up to be the Tenth Doctor.

Well, which of us DIDN'T look at the Fifth Doctor and decide that ••••, I could be a better Doctor than that...

Yes, but the Tenth Doctor said to the Fifth: You were my Doctor.

You are not gonna convince me that wasn't fan boy Tennant talking to his childhood hero.

It certainly was, which was highly annoying in its Fourth-Wall-breaking way. It SHOULD have been the Tenth Doctor talking to his Fifth self, dammit.

Happy 70th birthday to Peter Davison!

And this year will mark 40 years since he took the role as the Doctor.

The idea that Hartnell's Doctor was going to bash someone's head in with a rock was invented by DWM in the 1980s as an attempt to make Colin's seem more acceptable to fans.

Does it matter? If it's been canonised - and it has (see Eighth Doctor audio To The Death: 'For one moment - just - I entertained the possibility. I picked up a rock -' yeah, I don't think he was gonna say 'And asked him to draw a map' if he hadn't been interrupted...) then IT'S REAL whatever it's origins. Just like the existence of an episode called The Doctor's Wife...

Imagine everyone sees you as an aroace icon but actually it was just the 1980's and they're comparing you to your son-in-law's run.

As a WHAT icon?

Aromantic Asexual. It means not actracted to people that way.

Myself, I’m propably aroace (and want to semi-adopt teens with attitude) but it’s also possible that I just have cooties because I feel like anyone I date would be a bit of a third wheel (as I’m known to be angry about people that don’t exist).

Aromantic Asexual. It means not actracted to people that way.

Oh, I see. I'm asexual myself (though not aromantic, judging by the way I feel about SEVERAL Doctors), I just hadn't seen the word 'aroace' before.

Who thinks that DAVISON was aromantic? He was drooling over Dr Todd almost as blatantly as Troughton over Astrid...

And though well after the fact, his audio interaction with River Song certainly obliterates that reading.

(Then again, I did comment that it felt completely out-of-place for him.)

Ah, of course, how could I forget the supreme moment of Five's life - Tegan shoving him up against the zero room snarling 'SHE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU!'

Watch Time Crash, Gaia, in which the Tenth Doctor meets the Fifth, When Ten says to Five: "You were my Doctor." That is clearly David Tennant talking to his childhood hero.

Of course, said childhood hero ended up being his father-in-law. Now David's kids (all five of them) have both their father and maternal grandfather being actors who played Doctors

I did watch Time Crash once, a while ago.

Yup both their grandfather and (step)father were Doctors.

And their mother was the Doctor's clone daughter.

I like to think that eventually, maybe when the show gets picked up again, one of them would likely end up playing either the Doctor, or a Susan regeneration.

Although in Logopolis, you see Tom Baker credited as "Doctor Who" and Peter Davison as "The Doctor", in Parting of the Ways, you see both Chris and David credited as "Doctor Who". Then, in the next season DT is credited as the Doctor. Maybe eventually one of the Tennant kiddos would be instrumental on doing such.

Yup both their grandfather and (step)father were Doctors.

And their mother was the Doctor's clone daughter.

A Reality Show just waiting to happen

More a Greek tragedy. Marrying your own mother/father is just not to be recommended...

I see it as more like a Japanese company thing, where Japanese company owners married their daughters off to their best employees, so they could "adopt"* the employees and their business can stay a family business. Often, a best employee gets adopted on their own without a need for a daughter to marry him.

Or perhaps like Boyd Wainwright and Cycl0n3 Sw0rd's dynamic in Sims 3.


*It's not the same as an adoption of a child in modern day, it's a Samurai thing in which you adopt adults, even today more adults are adopted than children in Japan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_adult_adoption

I meant a Reality Show focused on the actors and their families.

There is Staged. Well and Fiveish Doctor Reboot.

https://www.ncls.it/unigaia/2022/10/08/space-teenage-yearbook/

Have an yearbook.

Adorable! Turlough's my favourite...

It's so accurate.

Totally what a teen rebel would have!

Malkon's and Hippo's comments\quotes just expand it. Imagine the stories!

It's so accurate.

Totally what a teen rebel would have!

I'll have to take your word for it, I didn't really know what teenagers were like even when I was one.

From Susan to Vicki to Dodo to Victoria to Zoe to Nyssa to Adric to Turlough to Ace, there are many different kinds of teenagers.

Peter Davison - My Life in a Mixtape:
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001swc6


Part of Radio 2's Doctor Who 60th anniversary celebrations as Peter Davison presents the music that he has experienced in his lifetime.

Happy belated birthday to Peter Davison who earlier this week on April 13 turned 72.
Yikes!

I was literally typing out 'Ridiculous. He's the YOUNG Doctor' when something made me check and, me in 2010:

'59!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't be ridiculous. He's the YOUNG Doctor.'