The 6th Doctor and his televised era has got a divisive influence among fans, less so his Big Finish era. Though it does seem as if it has been getting a lot more appreciation within fandom - as is right and proper 
His decisive characteristic on screen can be described as deliberate, pragmatic, weaponised arrogance. Just as the 2nd Doctor underplayed his intelligence by acting child like, kind of foolish and rumbling his clothes to have his adversaries underestimate him, the 6th Doctor uses a brash arrogance to unnerve his enemies and have them misjudge him - his arrogance becomes a weapon as a rhetorical device. I think the 6th Doctor is genuinely arrogant for the worse in The Twin Dilemma but in realising how effective this attitude can be he continues to utilise it as a weapon towards his enemies while at the same time mellowing his arrogance towards his friends and allies.
Colin Bakerâs mastery of pronunciation and inflection gives his bravado-like personality such depth in every scene he was in. Which is also why I love his Big Finish work, Colin Baker is a skilled actor, but I would definitely argue that his vocal performance is his strength.
Just listen to how he pronounces the word âpredicamentâ in âThe Power of the Doctorâ when he finally reappeared on our screens. The punctuated inflection and the slightly increased volume of that single word is so utterly controlled - it still has a tinge of arrogance, but it is an arrogance based on kindness towards his future incarnation and as a tool to instill support in the 13th Doctor and push her forward.
Also, Colin Baker himself is just delightful, which has an influence on how his work is perceived. Art is meant to be consumed, processed and analysed by its observer, and as such art, and by extension itâs artist, has an influence upon us. Sometimes this is involuntary, sometimes it happens by group mentality absorption as is often the case on social media. A personal example of this is how Iâve shifted my opinion on the 10th Doctor and his era, I had no love for series 2 and 3, less so with series 4, but as I learned about David Tennant, his personality and opinions, Iâve come to appreciate parts of his era more.
One of the things that make me love Colin Baker as well was his reaction to Jodie Whittaker being cast as the first female Doctor. He went on Twitter with two separate tweets quoting his own era: âChange my dear, and not a moment too soonâ and âShe is the Doctor, whether you like it or notâ.
Nostalgia, I think, is an important factor when talking about the 6th Doctor on TV. Just like the Star Wars prequel trilogy has been reevaluated over time, so it seems to be the case with the 6th Doctor.
Were there problems in his televised era? Absolutely. Seriously what was with the zoom-crashes of the Doctorâs face? Eric Sawardâs love of dark gritty storytelling, preferably with trigger-happy mercenary types, was a kind of radical divergence from previous seasons - which combined with such a significant change from 5th to 6th Doctor could definitely grate on some viewers.
But there is a distinct difference in Colin Bakerâs performances in early season 22 and The Trial of a Time Lord. Given a chance with an extra season I have no doubt that he would have an evolutionary arc as profound as the 12th Doctor. The 6th Doctor was indeed on his way to being kind.
I could seriously write a dissertation on the phonology, linguistic pragmatics, discourse and sociolinguistic aspects of the 6th Doctor and his evolution, there is just so much to dig into with an academic approach.
TL;DR: Colin Baker good! 
