Dr. Who spins off into the galaxy
- Publication: Evening Herald
- Date: 1981-03-24
- Author: Charles Catchpole
- Page: 18
- Language: English
DR. WHO has faced with complete equanimity, such, fearsome enemies as the Daleks, the Voords and the Cybermen.
But in almost seven years as the BBC's time-hopping hero, nothing has chilled actor Tom Baker as much as the day in Los Angeles, 18 months ago, when he was guest of honour at a Dr. Who Convention.
"The audience completely unnerved me," he said, his eyes bulging from his worried face. "There were thousands of them, all adults. When I appeared, they rose up and began shouting. Take us with you! Take us with you!' They seemed to think I was some sort of Messiah. It was quite horrible.
"In America, they take it all. so seriously. Dr. Who 'experts' present learned papers about the meaning behind the programme. Naturally, I'm delighted that we have taken off in the States. But I find the British attitude somewhat more reassuring."
SPUN OFF
Last weekend after more than 150 appearances as the benevolent BBC Doctor, Baker finally spun off into galactic oblivion.
But we may not have seen. the last of the gangling, 6 ft. 3 in. figure in the floppy hat and the long scarf. Peter Davison, who will be the fifth Doctor, does not start work on the next series until the summer, and BBC chiefs are thinking of filling the gap with selected, repeats from the Baker years.
Even Baker is finding it hard to shake off the role. Despite his unease about the last Dr. Who Convention, he has agreed to attend another, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in August.
"It promises to be bigger than ever," he said. "I keep telling the organisers that I know nothing about science fiction, but they don't listen."
MANY FANS
He is making the trip because he believes it is part of his obligation to the programme's millions of fans, who stretch from South America to Singapore.
For the same reason, he suffers taunts and sometimes insults from strangers who recognise him on trains and in pubs and restaurants. "People are quite kind to me; children are always wonderful. But I've had my share of rudeness. The trouble with becoming a 'name' on TV is that you are licensed in the public's mind to play just one role.
"I have to behave like the Doctor. I'll put up with any pathetic, troublesome old drunk, simply because I could not bear the thought of him going home and telling his kids, I saw Dr. Who today, and he told me to sod off.'
"As a viewer, I wouldn't like to see someone from a children's programme behaving badly. It would be like seeing Robin Day dancing on the table in a restaurant."
A PIN-STRIPE
He is amused that people expect him to dress in the Doctor's walking-jumble-sale style. At our meeting, he was wearing a neat, three-piece, blue pin-stripe suit.
When I pointed out that, the last time we met, he had been wearing a Doctor-like flowing cape, he sprang forward in his chair and said: "Wrong! I was wearing a classic Burberry overcoat. But people seem to have this image of what I should look like fixed in their minds.
"A taxi-driver said to me recently, "I saw you the other day in your long scarf.' Absolute nonsense. I've never worn a long scarf, except on the programme. And that was just a happy accident.
"When I took over from Jon Pertwee, I didn't have a clue about how to play the role. The designer, Jim Aitchison, and I played around with some costumes and somehow, it just came together.
KNIT A SCARF
"The scarf was a complete mistake. Jim gave a bundle of wool to a seamstress and told her to knit a scarf. But he forgot to say how long it should be. So she just used up all the available wool and it turned out to be 10 ft. long."
His years as the Doctor have been, he says, the happiest of his life, both professionally and privately (last year he married his co-star, Lalla Ward).
He is now preparing to play Wilde in The Trials of Oscar Wilde at Chichester. "A marvellous character, a bit like the Doctor in a way. They were both fantastic larger than life.0
"Wilde was tempted to act all the time, even in court, when it led to his downfall.
"I can understand that. All actors have a great desire to act, wherever they are. I love sit on a train, hiding behind my paper, 'til just before my stop, when I will lean over to some child and say "Excuse me, do you have the time?" Then I'm gone. The look on his face gives me more pleasure that I could possibly explain."
Caption: Tom Baker.. has finally wrapped up his scarf.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Catchpole, Charles (1981-03-24). Dr. Who spins off into the galaxy. Evening Herald p. 18.
- MLA 7th ed.: Catchpole, Charles. "Dr. Who spins off into the galaxy." Evening Herald [add city] 1981-03-24, 18. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Catchpole, Charles. "Dr. Who spins off into the galaxy." Evening Herald, edition, sec., 1981-03-24
- Turabian: Catchpole, Charles. "Dr. Who spins off into the galaxy." Evening Herald, 1981-03-24, section, 18 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr. Who spins off into the galaxy | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_spins_off_into_the_galaxy | work=Evening Herald | pages=18 | date=1981-03-24 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=4 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr. Who spins off into the galaxy | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_spins_off_into_the_galaxy | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=4 April 2025}}</ref>
