No error, Colin the new Who
- Publication: The News (Adelaide)
- Date: 1985-05-17
- Author: Heather Riddell
- Page: 44
- Language: English
When Colin Baker was told he was the new Dr Who he thought there had been a dreadful mistake.
"I was convinced By someone had made a mistake and that Tom Baker had gone back to playing the role," he said. Colin Baker takes over from the current Dr Who, Peter Davison on Channel 2 next month.
"Then I found who really was Who, and I was amazed and delighted," Baker said.
"No one could wish for a more charismatic part, with a built-in fan club of millions. "Whoever plays Dr Who always enjoys tremendous loyalty from fans.
"They don't seem to mind that the face is always changing." (He is the sixth actor to play Dr Who in 21 years.)
Admired
Baker's roles have not always been as endearing as Dr Who, and the actor from Yorkshire is perhaps best known for his role as a ruthless business tycoon, Paul Merroney, in the television series The Brothers.
"Not long ago a perfect stranger came up to me in a shop and handed me a bottle of champagne," Baker said.
"He explained that he had watched my performances as Paul Merroney, admired my ruthless behavior and set out to follow my style of doing things.
"Today, he runs a successful chain of shops!"
Baker, who spent five years studying law, gave up the course and took up acting just before his final examinations. His decision was related to the death of his businessman father who suffered a stroke.
"I blamed his death on overwork. It helped me to make up my mind that I wasn't going to spend my life working at something I didn't enjoy."
Baker, married to actress Marion Wyatt, used to be known as a dashing young about town, always escorting some of the most beautiful women in showbusiness.
Useless
But Baker was quick to deny his womaniser tag: "My love life was blown out of all proportion because it just happened that the ladies I knew were people that the public recognised."
"I've always been useless at chatting up girls. Perhaps that was why they liked me so much!"
Colin Baker makes his debut as Dr Who on ABC-TV on June 25 at 6.30 pm.
Caption: The new doctor, Colin Baker, with Nicola Bryant as Peri
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.: Riddell, Heather (1985-05-17). No error, Colin the new Who. The News (Adelaide) p. 44.
- MLA 7th ed.: Riddell, Heather. "No error, Colin the new Who." The News (Adelaide) [add city] 1985-05-17, 44. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Riddell, Heather. "No error, Colin the new Who." The News (Adelaide), edition, sec., 1985-05-17
- Turabian: Riddell, Heather. "No error, Colin the new Who." The News (Adelaide), 1985-05-17, section, 44 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=No error, Colin the new Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/No_error,_Colin_the_new_Who | work=The News (Adelaide) | pages=44 | date=1985-05-17 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=5 December 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=No error, Colin the new Who | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/No_error,_Colin_the_new_Who | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=5 December 2025}}</ref>
