Series/Season Six Wrap-Up

Doctor Who series/season six
Airdates - 10th of August 1968 to the 21st of June 1969
Produced by Peter Bryant (from The Dominators to the Space Pirates)
Produced by Derrick Sherwin (The War Games)
Script Editor - Derrick Sherwin (The Dominators, The Mind Robber and The Space Pirates)
Script Editor - Terrence Dicks (The Invasion, The Krotons, The Seeds of Death and The War Games)

As I've already mentioned in some of my posts, the sixth series/season marks the end of several eras.  First and foremost, it marks the end of Patrick Troughton's tenure as the Doctor.  Secondly, it marks the end of the black and white era, as future episodes of the show would be made and broadcast in color.  Finally, it marks the end of the missing episode era as well, since all Third Doctor stories (and beyond) exist, though some admittedly only in black and white.

This series/season proved to be more experimental than the previous series/season.  The formula that had been overused in the fifth series/season: the remote base under siege or attack by some alien threat was used much less this series/season, and in my opinion to the benefit of the show.

It's also a big help that the companions are noticeably strong.  Frazer Hines' Jamie is still a delight to watch.  Wendy Padbury's Zoe is a also delightful to watch, and a much stronger companion than Victoria ever was.

Here are my rankings for the stories from this particular series/season-
1. The Invasion
2. The War Games
3. The Krotons
4. The Mind Robber
5. The Dominators
6. The Space Pirates
7. The Seeds of Death

The two longer stories, the Invasion and the War Games are simply some of the very best that Doctor Who has to offer.  The rest of the stories are also of high quality, though I'll be the first to admit that part of the reason I find these stories to be so good is that they do feature my favorite Doctor.

As for recommendations on what to watch, the advantage of the sixth series/season is that most of it is available on DVD.  The only story where one would have to resort to audio soundtracks or reconstructions is the Space Pirates, and it's hardly the best story from this series/season.

Top of the list of course would be the two longer stories: The Invasion and The War Games.  Those two are simply great, and every Doctor Who fan should see both at some point.  The Dominators, The Mind Robber and The Krotons are all pretty good as well, and all are worth adding if you'd like to supplement your viewing beyond The Invasion and The War Games.

Up next, we make the jump to the Third Doctor era with Spearhead From Space.