Some Doctor Who actors had it harder than others. Patrick Troughton had to carry the first regeneration and recreate the role of the Doctor for the first time. Christopher Eccleston had to bring the show back after a long hiatus. And Peter Davison had to follow on from possibly the most iconic Doctor of all time, Tom Baker. Stepping into his sizeable shoes was no easy task, but Davison does it with aplomb, setting a character template for the Doctor which would be returned to in the 21st century.
The Fifth Doctor is energetic and boyish, with a tendency towards feeling guilty. His era saw Doctor Who moving away from humorous stories and focussing more on science, with the series becoming more serious in subject matter. Five was the first Doctor since the First to see companions die, with Adric sacrificing himself on a Cyberman cruiser and Kamelion begging the Doctor to kill him and end his suffering.
With Peter Capaldi talking about a return to the more serious days, the Fifth Doctor episodes offer a nice balance between young, pretty, nice Doctor and gritty(ish) storylines. Often overlooked because of being sandwiched between the iconic scarf and the horrific technicolour dreamcoat, it’s never too late to revisit the glory days of the early ‘80s.
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