Five

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 228
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I know most talk is about the show post 2005, but is there anyone here who appreciates Peter Davison's Doctor?
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  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    He was one of the first classic Doctors that I saw in more than one or two stories. He was the one I knew most about when I was a relatively new fan, so he was my favourite. Having since seen a lot of episodes from every Doctor, I'm now not particularly fond of Davison's Doctor. He's a very good actor and I have a lot of respect for him for managing to take Baker's crown and keep the show in good health, it's nothing to do with that. I just much prefer it when the Doctor's an alien - my favourites are the more curious and unpredictable Doctors like Two, Four, Six, Nine, and Eleven. I find it makes the Doctor an infinitely more interesting character.

    But with Ten being "my Doctor", I fully understand why human-ish Doctors are very popular. :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 228
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    Thanks for replying - lovely to hear of your experiences with Five! I was at the BFI event this month and Peter Davison was so charming - he still has that certain something. He is my "missing" Doctor (I was ill and missed the whole of his tenure) so I'm catching up now.
  • Michael_EveMichael_Eve Posts: 14,424
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    I know most talk is about the show post 2005, but is there anyone here who appreciates Peter Davison's Doctor?

    As a kid in the early 80's, after catching the '5 Faces of Doctor Who' repeats, I specifically asked that I could watch 'Castrovalva' episode 1 (Ah the dark days of one TV per house!) 25 minutes later...hooked for life.

    I loved the 5th Doctor...He was brave and kind, but he could also be tetchy, sarcastic, exasperated, angry, charming, gentle...for me, there was always an appealing otherworldliness about him. I know, he's playing an alien, just never agreed with the detractors at the time that Peter was 'too young' and 'too normal. Then again, 30-ish seemed old to me then. :eek:

    I've enjoyed every incarnation, but there's just something about Five (and now Eleven) in particular for me....of course, nostalgia is involved to a degree, but I still enjoy watching his era.

    As for Peter himself, even when not best served by writers and directors, he never gave anything less than a fine performance. Good man. :)
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    The Fifth Doctor was probably the MOST Doctoresque of all the Doctors, Brave, Compassionate, Firm, Energetic, Enthusiastic, Irritable and Cantankerous!

    I remember being deeply disappointed when he took over from Tom Baker, more so than I felt when Baker took over from Pertwee. But that soon disappeared at the end of Castrovalva and then the Visitation sealed it!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 228
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    Hi Michael_Eve and Pull2Open - I wasn't expecting any replies so I'm very excited! There's something attractive for me in those who seem 'normal' (whatever 'normal' is) yet conceal special powers, which is why Christopher Eccleston's Nine is my favourite.

    That afternoon the BFI host asked for a 'hands up' as to who had *not* seen The Caves of Androzani and I felt embarrassed to admit it - but it made the event so special. I felt I was perhaps the only one there experiencing Peter's Dr for the first time.
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    Hi Michael_Eve and Pull2Open - I wasn't expecting any replies so I'm very excited! There's something attractive for me in those who seem 'normal' (whatever 'normal' is) yet conceal special powers, which is why Christopher Eccleston's Nine is my favourite.

    That afternoon the BFI host asked for a 'hands up' as to who had *not* seen The Caves of Androzani and I felt embarrassed to admit it - but it made the event so special. I felt I was perhaps the only one there experiencing Peter's Dr for the first time.

    I think, while a very good story with a regeneration scene that gets the balance spot on imo, it is quite an overrated story and not one that shows 5 at his best! I think the Visitation and Earthshock are good examples of his performance!
  • Michael_EveMichael_Eve Posts: 14,424
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    Hi Michael_Eve and Pull2Open - I wasn't expecting any replies so I'm very excited! There's something attractive for me in those who seem 'normal' (whatever 'normal' is) yet conceal special powers, which is why Christopher Eccleston's Nine is my favourite.

    That afternoon the BFI host asked for a 'hands up' as to who had *not* seen The Caves of Androzani and I felt embarrassed to admit it - but it made the event so special. I felt I was perhaps the only one there experiencing Peter's Dr for the first time.

    I could talk about the 5th Doctor ad infinitum! I would add 'Kinda', 'Enlightenment' and 'Frontios' to Pull2Open's suggestions. You've got a lot to enjoy....:)
  • PointyPointy Posts: 1,762
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    The fifth Doctor shall always be my favourite. :)
  • MiahMiah Posts: 3,230
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    And my favourite too! :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 609
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    I am rather fond of 5, and 8 & 10.

    i really think the bbc should put more of the classic who on tv.
  • jimbo_bobjimbo_bob Posts: 1,935
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    I started watching Doctor Who towards the end of Tom Bakers reign - so Peter Davison's was the first Doctor I watched from the beginning of his tenure.

    He was everything that's been mentioned by others - and the only person in existence who could wear a piece of Celery and get away with it :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 228
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    Pull2Open wrote: »
    I think, while a very good story with a regeneration scene that gets the balance spot on imo, it is quite an overrated story and not one that shows 5 at his best! I think the Visitation and Earthshock are good examples of his performance!

    I'll catch up on all of those!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 228
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    Yes - the celery!

    I'm sure everyone has watched by now the youtube recording of the BFI event? Peter was eloquent and funny - and voiced his concerns at his Dr being moved from single-slot Saturday night to the 'soap' slot, twice a week.

    I wonder how viewers felt about that at the time?

    Anita - wouldn't it be great to have Saturday tea-time re-runs from the beginning?
  • johnnysaucepnjohnnysaucepn Posts: 6,775
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    Yep, the Fifth Doctor was my Doctor too. In retrospect, it was a good place to start. At that age, I wasn't too bothered by the cheap special effects and brash music, and his Doctor was quite an easy one to get to grips with - friendly and not too quirky, a good all-rounder. Much like Tenth is for the current generation of fans.
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    Yes - the celery!

    I'm sure everyone has watched by now the youtube recording of the BFI event? Peter was eloquent and funny - and voiced his concerns at his Dr being moved from single-slot Saturday night to the 'soap' slot, twice a week.

    I wonder how viewers felt about that at the time?

    Anita - wouldn't it be great to have Saturday tea-time re-runs from the beginning?

    I was 14 at the time and was really upset about it! Saturday evening was so special to me because of Doctor Who, it always came after the football results and before Jim...erm, umm, you know! It was an event that was now moved to a school night so homework came before Who :mad:!
  • GilaGoraGilaGora Posts: 1,191
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    Davison suffered from the same problem Tennant did: too human for my taste. I like an alien Doctor.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 228
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    Pull2Open wrote: »
    I was 14 at the time and was really upset about it! Saturday evening was so special to me because of Doctor Who, it always came after the football results and before Jim...erm, umm, you know! It was an event that was now moved to a school night so homework came before Who :mad:!

    Tradition is very important - I can understand your distress :) Did they move it back to Saturday night - or keep it at the soap-slot for the whole of Five's tenure?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 228
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    GilaGora wrote: »
    Davison suffered from the same problem Tennant did: too human for my taste. I like an alien Doctor.

    I see - I like the 'human' ones. And Five and Nine are very pleasing on the eye, to be totally shallow about it!
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    Tradition is very important - I can understand your distress :) Did they move it back to Saturday night - or keep it at the soap-slot for the whole of Five's tenure?

    Stayed there for all of his tenure and moved back for Six but by then it was too late! it was move again for McCoy where it went up against Coronation Street and in a time when most households had only one tv, mums generally one the battle!
  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,351
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    The Fifth Doctor has long been my favourite. Though I watched Tom Baker on and off for a couple of years at the end of his run, it was Davison who first got me hooked properly on the show. Season 19 is my favourite Season ever and I remember watching Castrovalva more vividly than any other Doctor Who story as a kid.

    Though I like it when The Doctor has eccentricity, the fact the Fifth Doctor lacked this didn't bother me. I liked the fact he was this nice, pleasant Doctor who could stand upto the bad guys when it counted and I loved the fact he had the gentle humour of Troughton's Doctor and also at times he displayed the crotchety side that resemble Hartnell's Doctor.

    He also had that recklessness the First Doctor mainly possessed and added to it the fact he was made a more vulnerable Doctor means he was more interesting than people give Davison credit for. I never, ever understand the numerous descriptions of him as bland or boring or a wimp when in his own way he was just as interesting as other Doctors. I certainly prefer him to Pertwee who was far too strait-laced for my liking and overly moralistic at times.

    Though Davison wasn't so keen on his own costume I thought it was ideal and suited the cricket loving nature down to the ground. And the fact the cricketing theme was brought into several of his stories, notably Black Orchid, is another interesting side of his personality.

    Overall I thought he was a brilliant Doctor. He left far too soon, maybe one more Season would have been ideal. Never bothered me his era was shown during the week, though it was nice when it was moved back to Saturday's during Colin Baker's Era.

    :)
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    The Fifth Doctor has long been my favourite. Though I watched Tom Baker on and off for a couple of years at the end of his run, it was Davison who first got me hooked properly on the show. Season 19 is my favourite Season ever and I remember watching Castrovalva more vividly than any other Doctor Who story as a kid.

    Though I like it when The Doctor has eccentricity, the fact the Fifth Doctor lacked this didn't bother me. I liked the fact he was this nice, pleasant Doctor who could stand upto the bad guys when it counted and I loved the fact he had the gentle humour of Troughton's Doctor and also at times he displayed the crotchety side that resemble Hartnell's Doctor.

    He also had that recklessness the First Doctor mainly possessed and added to it the fact he was made a more vulnerable Doctor means he was more interesting than people give Davison credit for. I never, ever understand the numerous descriptions of him as bland or boring or a wimp when in his own way he was just as interesting as other Doctors. I certainly prefer him to Pertwee who was far too strait-laced for my liking and overly moralistic at times.

    Though Davison wasn't so keen on his own costume I thought it was ideal and suited the cricket loving nature down to the ground. And the fact the cricketing theme was brought into several of his stories, notably Black Orchid, is another interesting side of his personality.

    Overall I thought he was a brilliant Doctor. He left far too soon, maybe one more Season would have been ideal. Never bothered me his era was shown during the week, though it was nice when it was moved back to Saturday's during Colin Baker's Era.

    :)

    Oooh Daveyboy, you just reminded! Yes, Black Orchid OP arguable one of he best stories ever! No Science fiction, js a good ol'fashioned Whodunnit! Brilliant and one I can watch over and over!
  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,351
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    Pull2Open wrote: »
    Oooh Daveyboy, you just reminded! Yes, Black Orchid OP arguable one of he best stories ever! No Science fiction, js a good ol'fashioned Whodunnit! Brilliant and one I can watch over and over!

    Though not my favourite of the Davison Era it certainly isn't far of. It's one of a great run of stories in Season 19. Shame they never did any more historicals like this in the Classic series.

    :)
  • Face Of JackFace Of Jack Posts: 7,181
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    Peter Davison is in my top 5 Doctors without a doubt. There were only TWO stories I didn't like out of his three series! That's not bad going :)
    One of them was "Warriors of the Deep" (reminded me of Pertwees Silurian boring epic 7-parter!!). The other was (Don't hate me) - "Caves of Androzani".....I just couldn't get into it. I've even bought the bloody DVD - but only watched half of it!
    My favourites were Earthshock, (poor Adric....and I loved Beryl Reid as the dotty Captain....or was she just drunk? :o:o), Black Orchid was a brilliant two-part murder mystery (No aliens!), and the wonderful Mawdryn Undead (Twists between two era's and the Brigadier is back!). Not as Timey-Wimey as the Moff does it now (thank God!!!) but it was sensibly done!
  • GilaGoraGilaGora Posts: 1,191
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    I see - I like the 'human' ones. And Five and Nine are very pleasing on the eye, to be totally shallow about it!

    Nine was an alien Doctor (and one of my favourites) it's got nothing to do with appearance. ;)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    I know most talk is about the show post 2005, but is there anyone here who appreciates Peter Davison's Doctor?

    Yes, I think he's brilliant, so natural and believable. Definitely one of my favourites. I always think Peter Davidson is good in whatever he does. He was great as Dangerous Davies in The Last Detective.
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