Tom Baker was possibly the most popular Doctor Who of all time. He inherited the role of Dr. in late 1974 when I was just 10 years old. The former monk from Liverpool was a revelation to me, in his style of performance and dress.
It was a big jump for Tom Baker at the time as he was working on a building site, and it is often quoted that he turned up for rehearsals in his white boiler suit from the building site he worked at.
The thing I always remember about Tom Baker's Dr Who was the raw energy and humor he brought to the role. It is kind of taken for granted now as subsequent doctors have used Tom Baker's template, however in 1974 this was really ground breaking stuff.
Within the 7 years that Tom Baker was Dr who, the episodes moved form monster driven plots to more humorous stories, this was possibly due to the involvement from Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe author Douglas Adams, and the subtle twists of humor that Tom Baker delivered to the role.
Many people love Dr Who Tom Baker's look; very few people realize it was inspired by French artist Toulouse Lautrec. Also the long and now very famous scarf only came about because the person knitting it did not know that she did not have to use up the whole ball of wool she had been given.
Tom Baker's Dr Who bid goodbye to the role by falling off a radio telescope attempting to stop the master, but his influence has lived on in many other Dr who's, who have used his template to bring much fun to the role of Dr Who.
No comments:
Post a Comment