It's been a loooonng time, but we're finally here. Time to look back on our time with the longest serving (on screen) Time Lord.
Twelfth Season
The twelfth season saw a handover from long time producer Barry Letts to the young upstart Phillip Hinchcliffe. To ease the transition, this was to be somewhat of a Greatest Hits season - to help the new Doctor find his feet and give the audience something familiar to cling onto.
As it happens, it provided some of the most memorable and iconic stories in the whole of Doctor Who, notably Genesis of the Daleks which came about when Terry Nation was forced to write something new.
The dynamic in the TARDIS was pretty good too, with Harry being the lovably buffoon, and Sarah the feisty adventurous one, with the Doctor backing them up with the brains.
As it happens, it provided some of the most memorable and iconic stories in the whole of Doctor Who, notably Genesis of the Daleks which came about when Terry Nation was forced to write something new.
The dynamic in the TARDIS was pretty good too, with Harry being the lovably buffoon, and Sarah the feisty adventurous one, with the Doctor backing them up with the brains.
Thirteenth Season
Now that Tom Baker has found his feet, and Phillip Hinchcliffe and Robert Holmes are free to spread their wings, we now enter the golden age of Doctor Who.
The claimed "gothic" style of storytelling was in full swing here and brought the kind of stories that interested adults and terrified kids (in a good way). Re-tellings of Forbidden Planet, the Mummy, Frankenstein and more provided a good basis that never felt cheesy or overused - it all felt like a homage rather than a rip-off and was very, very welcome. The dynamic between The Doctor and Sarah was also spot on, and could have happily gone on until the end of Tom's reign.
The claimed "gothic" style of storytelling was in full swing here and brought the kind of stories that interested adults and terrified kids (in a good way). Re-tellings of Forbidden Planet, the Mummy, Frankenstein and more provided a good basis that never felt cheesy or overused - it all felt like a homage rather than a rip-off and was very, very welcome. The dynamic between The Doctor and Sarah was also spot on, and could have happily gone on until the end of Tom's reign.
Fourteenth Season
The first half of this season is a little laboured, but the departure of Sarah Jane is incredibly moving. Once she's gone, the season gets back its stride with the addition of Leela and we get some really great stories to round it all off, returning once again to the victorian gothic to provide well rounded stories.
Fifteenth Season
No thanks to Mary Whitehouse, Phillip Hinchclife had departed mid-way through the previous season and Graham Williams took over. Whilst he was working on the shceduled stories, things were fine and we got arguably the best doctor who ever made in "The Horror of Fang Rock". The show went a different direction under Williams' leadership, refusing to re-enter earth, but didn't have the budget to make top quality alien environments, therefore ending up laughable and painful. At least the inclusion of K9 made things better with the kiddies.
Sixteenth Season
Graham Williams' ambitious season long story arc - the key to time. Sometimes a hit, often a miss, this effort ultimately ran out of steam and limped over the finish line. Mary Tamm as Romana was a breath of fresh air, but she quickly realised the character was being played down from her potential and made a quick exit.
Tom was also getting far more frustrated than he had before. Being continually refused the opportunity to work alone, he began to see things a lot differently than Graham Williams and the tension just built and built.
Tom was also getting far more frustrated than he had before. Being continually refused the opportunity to work alone, he began to see things a lot differently than Graham Williams and the tension just built and built.
Seventeenth Season
If not for the onset of Douglas Adams as script editor for this season, Tom Baker might have left long before he did. As it happened, the stories in this season took a more humorous twist, and Tom was given license to act the fool more and more, sometimes to the detriment of the story.
Still, a lot of interesting stories came out of the season and it found a way to be fun once more as opposed to just plain drab.
Still, a lot of interesting stories came out of the season and it found a way to be fun once more as opposed to just plain drab.
Eighteenth Season
The departure of Graham Williams and Douglas Adams ushered in the final producer of the show until its cancellation. John Nathan-Turner. A man with big ideas and high ambitions but a ruthless scatter-gun approach to show running. With the new broom policy, he cut swathes of the production team from the show and started aftesh with up-to date music, visuals and looks. He was responsible for a new theme tune, costume (with ? on the lapels) and the death of K9.
All of this, coupled with the general disagreement of the shows direction, was too much for Tom and he decided to call it quits. Calling his bluff, the production team took him up on it. They would decide on a younger version of the main character, a controversial choice and the nation would be poised on their seats, watching to see if the new version of the Doctor would be a success or a dismal failure.
All of this, coupled with the general disagreement of the shows direction, was too much for Tom and he decided to call it quits. Calling his bluff, the production team took him up on it. They would decide on a younger version of the main character, a controversial choice and the nation would be poised on their seats, watching to see if the new version of the Doctor would be a success or a dismal failure.
The Doctor
If you had to describe the Fourth Doctor in one word, it couldn't be more perfect than "eccentric" and that's just what Tom Baker was. He often cites that he was just playing himself, with big shoes to fill from Jon Pertwee, Tom immediately sprang to life with a twinkle in his eye, winning the hearts of the nation.
Through the seven years of playing Doctor Who, Tom's Doctor goes through three distinct phases - dry wit, brooding alien, cosmic clown and back to brooding alien at the very end (but a lot grumpier).
I have to say, even though I enjoyed City of Death and Shada immensely, I do prefer the Fouth Doctor in his dry-wit and brooding alien era. When he's serious, Tom Baker can provide an immense amount of pathos which really sells the situation that would otherwise be hokey.
The final story sees him very sombre and almost returned to the way he was in Pyramids of Mars, but this time, he's somehow mournful. It's likely that he knows he's going to die via the watcher, and as a result he's a lot more snappy and irritable than before.
Given how long Tom played the Doctor, it should be absolutely heart wrenching to see him go, but it's set up in such a way as to be fascinated as to what's coming next. Still, for generations afterwards, people all cite the mighty Tom Baker as "their Doctor" and rightly so. He left behind a great legacy and huge boots to fill. It was just sad that he didn't get to go out as he wanted to.
Through the seven years of playing Doctor Who, Tom's Doctor goes through three distinct phases - dry wit, brooding alien, cosmic clown and back to brooding alien at the very end (but a lot grumpier).
I have to say, even though I enjoyed City of Death and Shada immensely, I do prefer the Fouth Doctor in his dry-wit and brooding alien era. When he's serious, Tom Baker can provide an immense amount of pathos which really sells the situation that would otherwise be hokey.
The final story sees him very sombre and almost returned to the way he was in Pyramids of Mars, but this time, he's somehow mournful. It's likely that he knows he's going to die via the watcher, and as a result he's a lot more snappy and irritable than before.
Given how long Tom played the Doctor, it should be absolutely heart wrenching to see him go, but it's set up in such a way as to be fascinated as to what's coming next. Still, for generations afterwards, people all cite the mighty Tom Baker as "their Doctor" and rightly so. He left behind a great legacy and huge boots to fill. It was just sad that he didn't get to go out as he wanted to.
Favourite Moment
Over seven years of playing the Doctor, there's almost too many to choose from. You could say the entire speech with Scarlioni in the City of Death if you wanted humour, or the "I walk in eternity" speech from Pyramids of Mars if you want to be melodramatic. For me, the real gem is the dilemma he faces in Genesis of the Daleks, when given the option of destroying the Daleks before they were even created, he worries over if he has the right to become a god and damn a race in its infancy.
Worst Moment
Whilst some stories dragged in almost every season, there cannot be any instances in the first five years of Tom's reign that even qualify for this (alright, the invisible enemy comes pretty close).
Given the drabness of the Graham Williams' era, I'm tempted to announce something from there, but for all their faults, there is one that tops even those. I chose the transformation scene in the Leisure Hive. Tom Baker HATED the thought of running around like an old man, and I see why. It's pointless adds very little to the story and is purely a gimmick. He looks bored out of his mind and it transfers to the audience, believe me.
Given the drabness of the Graham Williams' era, I'm tempted to announce something from there, but for all their faults, there is one that tops even those. I chose the transformation scene in the Leisure Hive. Tom Baker HATED the thought of running around like an old man, and I see why. It's pointless adds very little to the story and is purely a gimmick. He looks bored out of his mind and it transfers to the audience, believe me.
Favourite Story
The Horror of Fang Rock
I so want to select the Talons of Weng-Chiang for this one. It's got the Victorian Gothic atmosphere in abundance, the sombre-doctor is mixed with a good amount of dry wit and outright humour from Jago and Lightfoot, and it's written by Bob Holmes, the greatest Doctor Who writer of them all. But as good as that story is, it does tend to go on just an episode or two - too long. In the very next story, they replicate everything great about the Talons, but keep it brief and suspenseful. There's even a sub-plot, well thought out and communicated and the level of horror is genuinely good (at least until the ball of snot turns up at the very end). This is my all time favourite Doctor Who story, and it deserves far far more recognition than it gets.
Worst Story
The Armageddon Factor
Some of the later editions of the Fourth Doctor certainly qualify, especially the ones where Christopher H Bidmead is trying to be clever and introduce the science as an interesting cause for the story in its own right. I think ultimately, The Armageddon Factor pips stories like Logopolis and the Leisure Hive to the post because it's six episodes of tedium. Allright, the first episode of the story is actually quite good, but it goes downhill fast from there. It's a chore to sit through and the ending is so rushed as to be a massive anti-climax to the whole of the season.
Favourite Companion
Leela
As mentioned when we reminisced with the Third Doctor, I could easily choose Sarah Jane again for this, as I believe her dynamic only improved with Tom Baker. As it happens all of the companions with the Fourth Doctor were quite good, yes, even Adric once Romana was out of the way.
The one I will select though is Leela. The eliza Doolittle approach to her character was fresh and interesting, and she added interesting interactions with people who she met and cultures unfamiliar to her. There's also the nice outfit, but we won't go there.
The one I will select though is Leela. The eliza Doolittle approach to her character was fresh and interesting, and she added interesting interactions with people who she met and cultures unfamiliar to her. There's also the nice outfit, but we won't go there.
Worst Companion
K9
An angel to some, a demon to others. K9 was problematic for many reasons. He was a know-it-all, he was a crutch for the Doctor to lean on to easily solve any problem including shooting baddies when needed. K9 was a hindrance more than a help to the show and I never really liked him. Yes, I said it. Although, I must be the only person in the universe who likes K9 and Company and thought the theme tune was catchy!
