Fifth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
Doctor: The Fifth Doctor
Companions: Susan Foreman, The Brigadier, Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough, Kamelion, Peri Brown
It’s easy to forget what a big change the Fifth Doctor was from Tom Baker’s seven season run, but with a talented and capable actor in Peter Davison the show kept up its quality.
The Review
Here’s the scores for the stories
The Caves of Androzani: 10/10
Earthshock: 10/10
Black Orchid: 10/10
The Five Doctors: 9.25/10
Castrovalva: 9/10
The Visitation: 9/10
Enlightenment: 9/10
Warriors of the Deep: 9/10
Mawdryn Undead: 8.9/10
Four to Doomsday: 8.9/10
Planet of Fire: 8.6/10
The King’s Demons: 8.25/10
Snakedance: 8.25/10
Terminus: 8/10
Arc of Infinity: 7.9/10
Kinda: 7.8/10
Time-Flight: 7.75/10
Frontios: 7.75/10
The Awakening: 7/10
Resurrection of the Daleks: 6/10
The performance of Peter Davison is one that is familiar to the more recent takes on the Doctor, but was quite new at the time. The Doctor had been an older man for the past eighteen years, and now Davison bursts onto the scene as by far the youngest Doctor. Not only that, but he brings a much more human touch to the role that hadn’t been seen before. Gone are the days of a grumpy Third Doctor or an incomprehensibly alien Fourth Doctor, the Fifth Doctor is a lot less alien. Don’t mistake me though, Davison was still completely the Doctor, with the passion for good and justice and a few bits of delightful haughty arrogance thrown in. I even think he kind of pulled off his silly cricket outfit well. Let’s give tribute to probably the most human Doctor of them all.
Now, his best moments.
5. “Brave heart Tegan.” When the going got tough, the Doctor always was there to boost and build up Tegan’s confidence. Every time Tegan was starting to feel the heat, the Doctor would help lift her back up.
4. “I never miss.” In a delightful early bit of arrogance, the Fifth Doctor perfectly shoots a door in a way to disable a lock to the astonishment of one of the era’s best supporting characters, Mace.
3. The Fifth Doctor’s entire performance in Earthshock is a sensational one, starting with his quick thinking and dramatics in defusing the bomb early in the story. Davison fully snaps into place as the Doctor in this story, and his command is a sight to behold.
2. “…there should have been another way.” The Doctor puts his life on the line to stop the Silurians from starting a nuclear war on Earth, but when it’s all over, everyone, from Silurian to human, has all died except the TARDIS team. Surveying the carnage, the Doctor can only ruefully shake his head and mourn the choices he had to make.
1. “You’re not going to stop me now!” Like his future son-in-law, Davison’s best moment as the Doctor comes right before his demise. Poisoned, and in a seemingly hopeless situation, he crashes a spaceship back on Androzani Minor because he is going to do whatever it takes to save Peri’s life. Hard to imagine a better ending.
Peter Davison revolutionized the show by proving that the Doctor doesn’t need to be out of this world weird to be an intergalactic hero. Even as the stories got more violent and darker around him, the Fifth Doctor kept up the torch of kindness and good heartedness. I think for me he slots in behind Pertwee as my second favorite classic Doctor. I think the Fifth Doctor era is too under appreciated, and at the very least, should be remembered for it’s awesome version of the theme music. Synthesizers forever!
8.518/10 A big hand for Davison
Reviewing Doctor Who from Start to Finish 