Doctor Who: Happy eighty-fifth birthday to the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker!

On January 20th, 1934, Tom Baker was born. Today, we celebrate not just what made him so brilliant in Doctor Who as the Fourth Doctor, but why he continues to be brilliant.

Tom Baker is nothing short of an icon. Not just for Doctor Who fans, but all around the world. In Britain, he continues to be the most recognizable Doctor, even to non-fans. Even if people don’t know his name, many will say that, of the old ones, they remember “the one with the scarf” the most.

Even in America, where Doctor Who is seen as more of a cult show than the institution it is in the UK, he’s still one of the most recognizable Doctors. You only need to see sneaky cameos of the character in both The Simpsons and Futurama to see that. (Not to mention that Matt Groening, creator of both shows, is definitely a fan.)

But what has made his Doctor endure over the decades? Why does he remain as one of the most popular Doctors?

Having one of the greatest scarves in history probably helps, but that’s a small part of it. Perhaps the smallest part. Having one of the longest eras of any Doctor probably helps too. At seven seasons long and 172 episodes, no other Doctor has been able to match that length since.

But that length was more because of his popularity rather than why he’s so popular. So what made him truly stand out? Especially coming after three amazing actors in the lead role?

The brilliance of Tom Baker

Naturally, the biggest reason why Tom Baker is so loved and so memorable is Tom Baker himself. From the very start, he was a perfect fit for the role.

It wasn’t just because of his strength as an actor, either. You see Baker in interviews, and he’s clearly a colorful character in real life. Amazing to listen to, and a truly fascinating man unlike anyone else out there. And he brought so many of those unique qualities to his performance.

Just watch the above clip from The Ark in Space. Particularly the speech he gives about “Homo Sapiens”. It’s a speech that shows the Doctor’s love and respect for humanity. But, at the same time, it also clearly shows us how he’s not a part of it. Humanity is as alien to him as any another race.

The speech is amazingly written by Robert Holmes, but Tom Baker brings it to life perfectly. He gives it a power that makes it as memorable and dramatic as a speech written by Shakespeare. Just his second story, and Tom Baker already proves why he’s so perfect for the role.

He also arguably had one of the greatest production teams in the history of Doctor Who. Aided by the script editing of Robert Holmes and the producing of Philip Hinchcliffe, and we got three great seasons of the show. In fact, in my opinion, seasons thirteen and fourteen might be two of the greatest seasons in Doctor Who history.

Even today, Tom Baker continues to play the Fourth Doctor on audio. And, naturally, he continues to be amazing.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The Fourth Doctor lives on!

He had a fantastic long run on television. But the best part is, even at eighty-five years old, he hasn’t really quit being the Doctor.

For example, he had an amazing return in The Day of the Doctor. The only actor to have played the Doctor from the Classic Series to truly make an appearance in the fiftieth anniversary, but what an appearance it was. Whether “the Curator” was the Doctor or not, Tom Baker’s appearance was more than welcome.

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But it’s even better than that. Like many actors of the Classic Series, he continues to play his old part on audio. And while his voice has changed slightly, he still brings so much power to the role of the Fourth Doctor. Just as importantly, he brings back the magic of those original television stories, too.

If you have listened to his audio stories, I also recommend listening to the behind-the-scenes interviews with him, too. Because – even decades after leaving the role on television – one thing is clear: he still loves playing that brilliant character. The longest living actor to have played the Doctor, and he’s still so happy playing it.

And so are we, Tom. Thank you for giving us one of the greatest Doctors in the show’s long history. And we’ll continue to look forward to listening to all of your brand new stories. Happy eighty-fifth birthday, Tom Baker!

Next. Why the Meddling Monk is such a brilliant character. dark

Are you a fan of the Fourth Doctor? What’s your favorite story of his? Any special memories of meeting the man himself? Let us know in the comments below.

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