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Colin Baker (born London, 8 June 1943) is an English actor who is best known for playing the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.

 

Born  8 June 1943 (1943-06-08) (age 64)

London, England, UK

 

Doctor Who (1984–1986)

 

Baker made his first appearance in Doctor Who as Commander Maxil in the story Arc of Infinity. Baker's performance as Maxil was described by producer John Nathan-Turner as being "quite arch" and a little sassy. Despite this, Baker's character became one of the few characters to actually shoot the Doctor, then played by Peter Davison.

 

When Baker was officially cast as Davison's successor, he became the only "Doctor" actor to have appeared in the television series as another character prior to taking on the leading role. (On audio, David Tennant had appeared in several Big Finish Doctor Who plays prior to appearing as the Doctor on television in 2005.) When Baker was cast to replace Davison, many fans cited that shooting scene in Arc of Infinity, prompting Baker to say jokingly that he got the part of the Doctor by killing the incumbent. Colin is of no relation to Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who for seven years.

 

Baker's first appearance as the Doctor occurred at the final minutes of The Caves of Androzani, where he delivered his first few lines. The closing title sequence for episode four featured Baker's face instead of Peter Davison, and credits him as the Doctor before Davison's own credit. This was the first (and, to date, only) time that the new lead received top billing in the final story of an outgoing Doctor. Baker then made his first full story debut the following week in The Twin Dilemma. It was the first time since 1966 that a new leading actor's debut story was shown before the conclusion of the previous lead's season.

 

Baker's era was interrupted by a long 18 month hiatus between seasons 22 and 23, officially because the show was moved back from the spring to the autumn schedule, with only one new Doctor Who story, Slipback, made on radio during the hiatus. The Controller of BBC One at the time, Michael Grade, criticised Doctor Who, saying that the programme had become overly violent and its storylines farcical during season 22 in 1985. After the 18-month hiatus, the program was brought back for its 23rd season in autumn 1986. Season 23 featured a reduction of episodes produced, and the 14 episode long serial The Trial of a Time Lord was felt by some fans to reflect the fact that the series itself was "on trial" at this time. Many fans have drawn an analogy between the Doctor's trial and the programme itself which, at the time, was under threat of cancellation (although the BBC had on many occasions denied that this was the case).

 

In 1986, Baker told an interviewer, "Tom Baker did it for seven years. ... There's a part of me which likes to have a tilt at records. I would like to think that maybe I'd still be doing it in eight years' time."[1] However, later that year Baker was dismissed from the part at the insistence of BBC management, who wanted to refresh the show. In particular, BBC executive Michael Grade did not like Baker's performance. With only eight stories (eleven if you count The Trial of a Time Lord as four separate serials as some fans do) and just short of three years as the incumbent Doctor, Baker remained the "current Doctor" for the shortest time until Sylvester McCoy took the part as the final BBC Doctor Who before a long break. Paul McGann appeared in 1996 in an American production with one appearance in a TV movie, and the next Doctor Christopher Eccleston in 2005, had only one season to his credit. David Tennant took up the mantle in the 2005 Christmas special and remains in charge of the TARDIS to this day.

 

Despite Baker's time in the role being punctuated with numerous personal and professional problems (the death of his son Jack shortly after Baker accepted the role, the 18-month hiatus which followed his first full season and finally his high-profile sacking) Baker remains enthusiastic about his time as the Doctor. He is a regular at conventions and fan events and has returned to the role of the 6th Doctor in numerous audio stories and webcasts, the Dimensions In Time charity special, the video game Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors and stage play Doctor Who - The Ultimate Adventure.

 

On television, Baker also reprised his role in BBC Scotland's videoGaiden presenting the "The videoGaiden Awards 2006". He also appeared on Top Gear in 2004 racing against other science fiction characters, including a Cyberman and pair of black Daleks, participating on a one-lap run on the Top Gear track in a Honda Civic hatchback. However, Baker wrongly believed the car had automatic transmission, and as result he had spent his run driving around entirely in one gear.