Axed Dr Who star breaks his silence
- Publication: Sandwell Evening Mail
- Date: 1988-11-09
- Author:
- Page: 9
- Language: English
Dr Who actor Colin Baker who was axed from the science fiction series in 1986 has spoken for the first time over his treatment by BBC TV chiefs.
He said: "I discovered that actors are treated like mushrooms — fed on muck and left in the dark."
The 42-year-old actor was dropped after BBC 1's then Controller Michael Grade temporarily shelved the children's show — now in its 25th year — for being stale.
"I have not spoken to Michael Grade since," he said. "He is very shrewd, clever and populist maker of TV programmes and I agree with 99 per cent of what he says.
"I just objected to the one decision he made about me. I played Dr Who for three years, and at the time it was extremely irritating. I thought I was being messed about.
"They decided they wanted a new Doctor and I tried to find out why. Nobody was particularly keen to tell me."
Baker said he still receives 200 letters a month at his Buckinghamshire home from fans "mourning my abrupt departure from the series" — one of British television's longest-running programmes.
"I get sacks of letters from people assuming I left Dr Who voluntarily," he said.
"It was 500 a month at its peak but is now down to 200. It touches me. I answer most of the letters personally.
"Dr Who was great fun but I have had a 20-year career and that was three years."
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- APA 6th ed.: (1988-11-09). Axed Dr Who star breaks his silence. Sandwell Evening Mail p. 9.
- MLA 7th ed.: "Axed Dr Who star breaks his silence." Sandwell Evening Mail [add city] 1988-11-09, 9. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "Axed Dr Who star breaks his silence." Sandwell Evening Mail, edition, sec., 1988-11-09
- Turabian: "Axed Dr Who star breaks his silence." Sandwell Evening Mail, 1988-11-09, section, 9 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Axed Dr Who star breaks his silence | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Axed_Dr_Who_star_breaks_his_silence | work=Sandwell Evening Mail | pages=9 | date=1988-11-09 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Axed Dr Who star breaks his silence | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Axed_Dr_Who_star_breaks_his_silence | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 March 2025}}</ref>
