The Doctor'sregenerations

Timeless regeneration cycle

First Doctor's regeneration cycle

New regeneration cycle

Other regenerations

Aboutthe Doctor

Though the circumstances which led to theevent were disputed, (PROSE:Spiral Scratch,First Day of the Doctor^[+]Loading...["First Day of the Doctor (short story)"],AUDIO:The Brink of Death,Zagreus) theSixth Doctor underwent hisregeneration into theSeventh Doctor within thecontrol room ofhis TARDIS shortly after the craft had been brought to theplanetLakertya by theFirst Rani. (TV:Time and the Rani) This was the sixth regeneration of the 12-regeneration life cycle beginning with theFirst Doctor. (TV:The Time of the Doctor)

Nature[[edit] |[edit source]]

By most accounts, this regeneration involved the Doctor's features blurring in a colourful swirl, (TV:Time and the Rani^[+]Loading...["Time and the Rani (TV story)"]) being the regeneration type known asthe Swirl. (PROSE:How to be a Time Lord^[+]Loading...["How to be a Time Lord (novel)"]) However, one account showed the regeneration as beingthe same type of regeneration as those of later Doctors, involving goldenregeneration energy. (TV:Time and the Rani (Extended Cut)^[+]Loading...{"var":"Extended Cut","1":"Time and the Rani (TV story)"})

History[[edit] |[edit source]]

Anticipation[[edit] |[edit source]]

During an encounter withthe Rani onKoturia, the Sixth Doctor was warned his regeneration could "happen sooner than [he thought]". (PROSE:Something Borrowed)

After being mortally wounded byZor, the Sixth Doctor began to regenerate, and was on the brink of aregenerative collapse when he was found and healed byCaptainJack Harkness after the TARDIS landed in late20th centuryWales. (AUDIO:Piece of Mind)

When discussingcosmetic surgery, the Sixth Doctor said he would change his appearance "over [his] dead body". (AUDIO:Reverse Engineering^[+]Loading...["Reverse Engineering (audio story)"])

Causes[[edit] |[edit source]]

By one account, the Doctor died after he hit his head on theTARDIS console. (PROSE:Head Games^[+]Loading...["Head Games (novel)"]) Another account indicated that in defeating theLamprey's multiversal scheme by sacrificing much of hischronon energy, the Doctor was already dying, and the Rani's attack interrupted him taking a final look at the universe. (PROSE:Spiral Scratch) A third account indicated that the Doctor's death was due to the radiation the laser used was lethal to Time Lords. He was compelled to run into the Rani's attack by a version of himself entrapped withinthe Matrix to thwartthe Valeyard. As the change began, both versions of the Sixth Doctor were comforted by their next incarnation. (AUDIO:The Brink of Death)

The changes[[edit] |[edit source]]

The Doctor was seen lying on his side in the control room as the TARDIS was brought to Lakertya. After the Rani and theTetrap leaderUrak entered the TARDIS, she ordered him to take the Doctor to her laboratory. When the Doctor was turned over, his face was covered in a spiralling swirl of colours before fading into his next incarnation. (TV:Time and the Rani)

Legacy[[edit] |[edit source]]

After defeating the Rani, (TV:Time and the Rani, etc.) the Seventh Doctor wrote inhis diary about his regeneration and the Rani. (PROSE:First Day of the Doctor^[+]Loading...["First Day of the Doctor (short story)"]) In his later life, the Seventh Doctor began to believe that he had subconsciously caused his predecessor to regenerate so thatTime would have a champion (PROSE:Love and War), and to prevent the Valeyard manifesting (PROSE:Head Games).

TheTwelfth Doctor thought that his sixth incarnation regenerated after falling off an exercise bike, but wasn't completely certain. (PROSE:The Complete History of the Doctor^[+]Loading...{"page":"9","1":"The Complete History of the Doctor (short story)"})

Behind the scenes[[edit] |[edit source]]

Sylvester McCoy on set, as theSixth Doctor.

TheSixth Doctor's regeneration, depicted inTV:Time and the Rani, is perhaps the most infamous in the franchise's history.

Due toColin Baker being fired from the role, when asked to film a single episode for the beginning ofSeason 24, Baker refused. He believed it would not be justified for him to be viewed as the current Doctor for a sliver of1987 when he had been forcefully removed from the series.

So, when McCoy was cast as theSeventh Doctor, the choice was made to film a regeneration sequence with the actor playingboth incarnations during the transformation. By coincidence, the stage productionDoctor Who and the Daleks in Seven Keys to Doomsday had done a similar trick in1974, havingTrevor Martin play both theThird Doctor and a newFourth Doctor via a white wig which was then hidden.

During the sequence, a white swirling mist was added to the actor's face in post production. Out of all the Classic Series regenerations, this effect is the most similar in style to the "Vortex energy" regenerations commonly seen in the BBC Wales run post-2005. As the white mist fades, so does the curly wig McCoy was wearing.

One notable discrepancy noted by both cast and fans is that McCoy is much smaller in stature than Baker, making it appear that the Sixth Doctor "shrunk" right before regenerating. This is actually included in the plot ofPROSE:Spiral Scratch, as the Doctor is said to have diminished in height due to being weakened over the plot of the story.

A modification of the regeneration, which usedCGI to include Colin Baker's face, was included as an easter egg on theTime and the Rani DVD release.

After filming theEighth Doctor's regeneration into theWar Doctor inThe Night of the Doctor,Paul McGann joked in a2013 interview that Colin Baker was the only Doctor without a regeneration.^[1] Ultimately,2015 saw the release of the audio anthologyThe Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure concluding withThe Brink of Death, in which Baker's Sixth Doctor begins to regenerate following an act ofself-sacrifice, leading straight intoTime and the Rani.

Footnotes[[edit] |[edit source]]