It has been 50 years since the Fourth Doctor first graced our screens. We take a look back at the series’ longest-serving Time Lord… with the longest scarf of them all!
When people think about Doctor Who, one of the first people they think about is Tom Baker- the Fourth Doctor, and arguably the most iconic in the show’s history. Tom Baker’s tenure was unprecedented, lasting a staggering seven years which, to this day, remains an unbroken record. He also oversaw the highest viewing figures in the history of Doctor Who, with the beloved story ‘City of Death‘ achieving the greatest of all time – even if this was partly due to the fact that ITV was on strike!
Amazingly, even to this day when people think about the show, one of the first things that comes to mind is the Fourth Doctor’s scarf – multi-coloured and 16 ft. long. Together with his hat and dashing overcoat, the Fourth Doctor’s silhouette became an icon which left an indelible mark on the British consciousness. An entire generation’s childhood had the image of a scarf-wearing Time Lord dashing down corridors clutching a pack of jelly babies – the Fourth Doctor’s snack of choice.
And the fact that Tom Baker stayed in the role for so long further added to his legend. He lived the part, so much so that he found it inconceivable that anybody else could possibly play the Time Lord.
In fact, such was Tom Baker’s legacy, he was the only classic Doctor to make an appearance in the series’ 50th anniversary special, although in a dramatic twist it transpired that this was in fact a future incarnation of the Time Lord – or at least, it was strongly implied. He appeared as the mysterious Curator, and said to the Eleventh Doctor that, in the future, he might find himself revisiting some of his former faces. It was also suggested that the Curator may even have been the final incarnation of the Doctor.
But what was it that made the Fourth Doctor so iconic, and so memorable? As mentioned previously, his distinctive costume with his comically-oversized scarf played a part in his success. But Tom Baker also brought a wide-eyed eccentricity to the role which amplified the Time Lord’s alien nature in a way that wasn’t as obvious in previous incarnations.
At times, this created friction on the studio floor. After a few years, Tom Baker had been playing the Fourth Doctor for so long that he knew the part (and the show) better than some of the incoming directors. He would frequently add his own bits of unscripted ‘business’ to scenes, much to some directors’ confusion and fury, like picking up a random cup and putting it to his ear. He would insist that he was an alien from Gallifrey, and this was one of the customs on his planet!
Tom Baker also liked to take liberties with the scripts. This rubbed many writers and directors up the wrong way, and indeed in Season 18 the script editor Christopher H. Bidmead had to work tirelessly to get Tom Baker to actually say the lines as they were written.
But at the same time, as much as the production teams may have been driven to the point of despair, Tom Baker’s improvisations largely helped to amplify the humorous, quirky and distinctly alien quality of his Doctor.
And they also made some of his shows more enjoyable. The aforementioned ‘City of Death‘ is a shining example of this. It is widely regarded as one of the best adventures of the Fourth Doctor’s era, if not one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time, and it shows Tom Baker at his eccentric, improvising best. This story ably demonstrates what happens when a team of talented creators put their brains together to make something wonderful.
In this case, it was the genius of writers Douglas Adams and Graham Williams, and the improvised contributions of Tom Baker and companion Lalla Ward, and others. Arguably, it is one of the sharpest, funniest and cleverest Doctor Who stories ever conceived.
In his early days, though, he was much more dependent on the writing. Before Tom Baker became fully embedded in the role of the Fourth Doctor, he was bolstered by an excellent writing team held together by series stalwart (and certifiable genius) Robert Holmes, who penned such classics as ‘The Ark in Space,’ ‘Pyramids of Mars’ and ‘The Talons of Weng-Chiang.’ Again, these are frequently regarded as some of the best Doctor Who stories ever written.
But the Fourth Doctor adventure which invariably tops the polls is ‘Genesis of the Daleks‘ by Terry Nation – a story from Tom Baker’s first season. In some ways, this is unsurprising; the Daleks have been popular since their first appearance in 1963, and Terry Nation was a talented and experienced writer, particularly when it came to Doctor Who. And in this particular adventure, he introduced a new character which would go on to become as iconic as the Daleks themselves – the demented Davros, so wonderfully realised by the actor Michael Wisher.
But the fact that ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ is so highly-regarded in fandom is, in some ways, surprising. It is not a typical Doctor Who story. It is distinctly adult in tone, and bleak. It’s set against a gritty, blood-stained backdrop of war and genetic experimentation. It’s all about a mad scientist trying to commit genocide. It’s about the Doctor being tempted to commit genocide. It doesn’t even feature the TARDIS.
Despite all this, ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ is often voted the number one Doctor Who story of all time, and a large part of its success must be put down to Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. As the actor noted in a 2003 interview, he has achieved a form of immortality through playing the Time Lord. His adventures continue to be discovered and enjoyed by new generations, and will undoubtedly entertain many generations to come; ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ may still be the number one Doctor Who story in 100 years’ time.
So, let’s raise a jelly baby to our favourite, scarf-wearing Time Lord and thank him for a wonderful 50 years of time and space.
Which is your favourite Fourth Doctor moment? And which is your favourite story? Let us know in the comments below.
The voice, charisma, conviction, iconography, heroism, unpredictability, walking through doors… the everything… of the Fourth Doctor!
It was Sylvester McCoy that is the longest serving time lord because when Doctor who was cancelled in 1989 he was still the doctor up till the Paul McGann movie
But his adventures weren’t broadcast.
My 13 year old daughter Heather knitted me a Tom Baker scarf videotaping an episode so she could get the colors and measurements exactly correct. Took her 7 months. I still have it. She’s 53 and has authored 24 romantic fiction novels. I think Tom Baker was her greatest influence. Thanks Tom!
And well done Heather!
Tom was the best of the classic Doctors. Jon Pertwee was the 2nd best. I liked David Tennant in the new series. Xx
I’d say Matt Smith is probably the second best then David Tennant then Jon Pertwee.
My favourite Tom baker story was city of death follow by the ark in space robot and genius of the darkets and so many others
The early Dr who were the best in the 197o and the 1980
I met my husband through a Doctor Who fan club…we attended many cons as the ninth Doctor…..we were only up to Four then…and Romans. I knit many scarves for our public television fundraisers., and still have several in my costume closet. I had the honor of meeting the Third and Fourth Doctors. I miss the fun of conventions….The new series is so different but still fun.
I grew up watching Tom Baker. Every Saturday night I looked forward to watching a 30 minute episode. I have an episode guide to the 4th Doctor. About 15 years ago my Mothef knitted me a Dr. Who scarf about 12 feet long then about 2 years ago I bought another one on Ebay that is about 15 feet long. I have every episode on my dvd boxed set. Tom Baker has been and will always be my favorite Doctor.
Tom baker the best dr who watch dr who since I was a kid every sat fell in love with him as dr who I am still watching him on Brigitte box Ian knitting his beautiful scarf
I’ve loved Tom Baker as Dr. Who since I started watching the program in 1980 on our local PBS station. When he said during an episode surrounding Stonehenge, when including K-9 in the story, he mentioned that dogs such as K-9 were all the rage in Trenton, NJ , I nearly fell off the couch! I’m from there and it was hilarious! It may have been added in for the pledge break, but I felt seen and knew then he would always be my favorite doctor!
I think Genesis Of The Daleks is probably Tom Baker’s best episode,then The Seeds Of Doom partially because the sadly underrated Tony Beckley it’s so brilliant as the villain just the way he was brilliant several years later as the demented CD child killer in When A Stranger Calls (1980).