The Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker

With the aid of his mentor, the Doctor regenerates into his fourth incarnation. This time the change was a difficult one, due to his injured state when it occurred. As a result, this new Doctor is set upon by a number of difficulties. Like a new pair of shoes, though, the new body just needs a bit of breaking in. Up to this point the Doctor had been more or less perfect in anything he did. He was, after all, a member of the omnipotent Time Lords, wasn't he? And yet the character put forth by Tom Baker was just the opposite, he was quite fallible. Suddenly, the TARDIS just happened to be breaking down in mid flight more often than normal, and the Doctor's plans didn't always work as they were supposed to. Tom Baker was without a doubt the most popular of the Doctors. Many reasons account for this. The greatest is the said fallible nature he possessed. He was more human now, and the audience could relate to him better. And, it was Tom Baker who enjoyed the presence of the illustrious K9 as a companion. Over his long duration as the Doctor, Baker added a number of little tid bits of his own to the overall character. The comical wit and joking nature of Troughton was combined with the action oriented style of Pertwee to form a unique man with some tricks of his own. Tom Baker developed a couple of trademark items which he became known by. This includes the long, striped scarf which always got into the way of his feet, and that remarkable little invention, the sonic screwdriver. I'm not sure there was a single episode of the Baker era that passed without him using that banshee of a device at least once. "Logopolis" was the final brick in the fourth Doctor's castle, as an epic clash between himself and his archival the Master results in his fall to death and subsequent regeneration. (Tom Baker finished his portrayal of the Doctor at age 46.) Although the circumstances are confusing, involving a mysterious Watcher which merges with the Doctor to form his new self, the change of form is completed successfully. Well, almost. (grin)

Mr. Baker's birthdate was January 20, 1934.

This Week's Doctor Who Adventure

The Doctor Who show is found on TV Channel 26 and Cable Channel 12 in the Hanover area.

LOGOPOLIS *

The Doctor takes Adric and a young air hostess named Tegan Jovanka, who has come aboard the TARDIS by accident, to the planet Logopolis, home of a race of mathematicians whose help he hopes to enlist in reconfiguring the outer shell of the TARDIS. The mysterious, wraith-like Watcher brings Nyssa from Traken to join them and warns of impending danger - something that is borne out as the Master arrives and kills a number of the Logopolitans. The Logopolitans' leader, the Monitor, reveals that the universe passed its normal point of heat death long ago and has been preserved only by his people's calculations, which - by way of a signal beamed from a perfect copy of the Pharos Project radio telescope on Earth - have kept open numerous CVEs through which the excess entropy can drain. This process has now been halted by the Master's interference, and the Doctor is forced to join forces with his arch-enemy in order to save the universe. Their plan is to use the real Pharos Project to transmit a copy of the Logopolitan program and thus keep open the CVEs, but the Master seizes the opportunity to blackmail the peoples of the universe by threatening them with destruction unless they agree to his demands. In foiling this scheme the Doctor falls from the gantry of the radio telescope. As he lies injured on the ground the Watcher appears again and merges with the Doctor as he regenerates.

---

*This video is NOT available from CDNow!

Collector of Doctor Who videos?
Then you will want to check out

CD NOW! ---------------
The information in this section has been extracted and abridged from Doctor Who: The Television Companion (David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker) published by BBC Worldwide Ltd.

The Doctor's Companions

--------------------
Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney)
"The Web of Fear" to "Battlefield" [Irregular]

Although, strictly speaking, not a real TARDIS companion...
The Doctor first met the Brigadier during his second incarnation, when he was still a Colonel. Soon afterwards the Doctor was exiled to Earth, and became scientific advisor to an organisation set up to counter alien invasion threats (UNIT - United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) whose UK operation was headed by the former Colonel now-promoted Brigadier. Fiercely patriotic, the Brigadier never encountered an alien that he didn't attempt to shoot or blow up. The Brigadier eventually retired from UNIT, and became a teacher, where he crossed paths with the Doctor once again. The Brigadier, now married to Doris, was recalled to service when alien knights invaded Carbury.

--------------------
Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen)
"The Time Warrior" to "The Hand of Fear" (and "The Five Doctors" and spin-off "K9 and Company - A Girl's Best Friend")

Resourceful Metropolitan journalist Sarah Jane Smith met the Doctor while posing as her virologist aunt, in an attempt to infiltrate UNIT's security. Stowing away in the TARDIS, she quickly found herself in medieval England. Sarah's curiosity, and her feminist views, frequently got her into trouble, but she relished her adventures with the Doctor. She witnessed the Doctor's regeneration into his fourth incarnation, and continued to travel with him until a call from the Time Lord's home planet forced him to return her to Earth. Later the Doctor sent her a present: a robot dog named K9...

--------------------
Sergeant [later RSM] Benton (John Levene)
"The Invasion" to "The Android Invasion" [Irregular]


The Doctor first encountered Benton when trying to prevent an invasion by the Cybermen. At that time he was in his second incarnation, and Corporal Benton was under the command of the then Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart. Curiously absent when the Yeti invaded, Benton appeared again to help the Brigadier and UNIT's recently-appointed scientific advisor (the Doctor) tackle a series of alien invasion attempts and several encounters with the Master. Loyal and trustworthy, Sergeant Benton was a valuable ally, and usually the first at hand to receive the Brigadier's orders. The Doctor last encountered Benton (now promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major) - and his android duplicate - during the Kraal invasion.

--------------------
Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter)
"Robot" to "Terror of the Zygons" and "The Android Invasion"

Surgeon Lieutenant Harry Sullivan was assigned by the Brigadier to look after the newly-regenerated Doctor, and soon accepted an invitation to enter the TARDIS. Unflinchingly brave, if rather clumsy, Harry was of invaluable assistance during a brief series of adventures, which included a visit to Skaro to witness the creation of the Daleks and an encounter with the Cybermen. Harry returned to Earth when the Doctor was summoned by the Brigadier to investigate a series of disappearing oil rigs, and decided to stay when the Zygon menace was thwarted. The Doctor and Sarah later encountered an android replica of Harry, created by the Kraals. --------------------
Leela (Louise Jameson) "The Face of Evil" to "The Invasion of Time"

The rebellious Leela was a member of the warrior Sevateem tribe. She had just been exiled for heresy when she met the Doctor, who closely resembled the tribe's god, Xoanon. Leela forced her way into the TARDIS, and quickly became a loyal ally, who was usually quite capable of looking after herself, (although the Doctor strongly disapproved of her use of poisonous nus thorns). During her travels Leela struggled with concepts and technology beyond her comprehension, but was inquisitive and keen to learn. After the Sontarans' attempt to invade the Doctor's home planet, Leela decided to remain there with Commander Andred.
--------------------
K9 (Voice: John Leeson, David Brierley)
"The Invisible Enemy" to "Warriors' Gate" (and spin-off "K9 and Company - A Girl's Best Friend")

K9 was the creation of Professor Marius, who had made the loyal robot dog to circumvent weight restrictions when traveling to the Bi-Al asteroid. When he returned to Earth, Marius gave K9 to the Doctor. Capable of independent thought, and equipped with a blaster, K9 was a useful companion. The Doctor gave K9 to Leela when he left her on Gallifrey, but had already prepared K9 Mk II. Despite numerous technical problems which put him out of action, K9 Mk II traveled with the Doctor until he was given to Romana as a parting gift. The Doctor sent another K9 to Sarah Jane Smith, after she had returned to Earth.
--------------------
Romanadvoratrelundar Mk. I ("Romana")
(Mary Tamm)
"The Ribos Operation" to "The Armageddon Factor"

Travelling alone after the departure of Leela and K9, the Doctor's TARDIS was stopped in mid-flight by the enormously powerful White Guardian, who wanted the Doctor to help locate the six scattered segments of the Key to Time. To assist the Doctor, he gave him a new companion: a Time Lord named Romanadvoratrelundar, (or "Romana" for short). Although intelligent and sophisticated, Romana was a little haughty, and her naivety often tried the Doctor's patience. It also irked him that she was somewhat more qualified than he was! Their quest to assemble the Key completed, Romana chose to regenerate...
--------------------
Romanadvoratrelundar Mk. II ("Romana") (Lalla Ward) "Destiny of the Daleks" to "Warriors' Gate"

Romana joined her fellow Time Lord, the Doctor, to track down the scattered segments of the Key To Time. After finishing their mission, Romana regenerated, apparently on a whim, and in the form of Atrios's Princess Astra! The new Romana was more independent and self-assured, but was still not above teasing the Doctor with her superior knowledge. After a series of adventures, including a trip to the Daleks' home planet, Skaro, the TARDIS travelled into Exo-Space, where Romana was infected by the Marsh Spiders on the planet Alzarius. Shortly afterwards Romana decided to stay in Exo-Space, with K9, to help the Tharils free themselves from slavery. --------------------
Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) "Full Circle" to "Earthshock"

Adric, a teenage boy with a gift - and badge - for mathematical excellence, was a member of a street gang on the planet Alzarius, along with his brother, Varsh. Adric, alone and hungry for adventure, stowed away in the TARDIS after Varsh sacrificed his life to save the Doctor and his friends. Often frustrated by his clumsiness, and fiercely competitive, Adric struggled to find a useful role among the TARDIS crew. He ultimately gave up his life by remaining on board a spaceship that crashed into prehistoric Earth, causing the death of the dinosaurs.

Check all

World Times.

To Top