I looked around, and I am shocked this Poll, (as far as I know) hasn’t been done before. So let’s do it here! Basically, people who have seen the fourth Doctor probably are already aware how much his era kinda shift with its style and how this Doctor behaves. I do wonder which out of those three Options is your favorite?
I watched Shada the other day for the first time and his characterization in that was immaculate. Definitely my favorite Four story to date.
I think seasons 15-17 are peak Tom, they landed on some brilliant casting but I don’t think the tone of those early seasons suited him and it was only once Williams came in that the more fun version of the character was let loose. It’s not to say the Hinchcliffe years were devoid of humour and levity, but the Doctor felt more constrained.
Season 18 deserves every bit as much of a shout though, I don’t know how much of it was Tom feeling bitter and how much of it was the performance but I don’t think I want to know, because there you’re getting a Doctor beginning to feel the weight of all the years he’s lived and it so perfectly compliments the ongoing theme of entropy in the season building to the end of the Fourth Doctor.
It’s been said that the way Tom Baker wont make eye contact with anyone in Logopolis was a move out of spite and I feel bad for the people who were there but in terms of the end result I don’t think I’d have it any other way, I think it really fits the feel of the story.
While we’re on it, @CommanderBayban, Shada is easily my favourite Fourth Doctor story and I’m glad you loved it so much.
Good points! Personally overall I like the Hinchcliffe Era Story wise more to Williams, then again Williams definitely made the comedy more a part of it and shaped his Doctor to the iconic one he is nowadays, at least Characterwise.
Meanwhile, for me while I like Season 18 a lot and I like the approach they took it’s a very drastically shift from S17 Tom. Personally, I am not too sure if I am too sold on it. It does work for the Story (even if his bitter attitude on set must sure have been hell). Either way, his Performance in that Season wouldn’t work for any of his other Seasons, it’s a miracle that Season suits with that bitter and somber Performance he turns in, even if it sometimes very apparent. I mean his “Of course, the Master” just really feels like he is bored out of his Mind.t.
But great points! I think I actually sort of agree with it, probably a big reason why I enjoyed Robot that much, it definitely goes more to the wacky route that later Seasons such 17 would perfect