Colin Baker

Colin Charles Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor. He played Paul Merroney in the BBC television drama series '' The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1984 to 1986. Baker's tenure as the Doctor proved to be a controversial era for the series, which included a hiatus in production and his subsequent replacement on the orders of BBC executives. His performances as the Sixth Doctor in audio plays published by Big Finish Productions have been generally well received by fans.

Early life

Colin Charles Baker was born on 8 June 1943 in Waterloo, London, son of Charles Ernest Baker (died 1971), managing director of an asbestos company, and Lily Catherine, née Caldwell. Due to his father's work, he moved north to Rochdale with his family when he was 3 years old. Baker passed the Eleven-plus and was admitted at St Bede's College, Manchester, where he passed A' Levels in French, Greek and Latin. Particularly strong in ancient languages, Baker achieved 2 A grades in Greek and Latin and his eyes were set on studying at Oxford University. However, his father had other plans:

"When I was 18, I told my father I wanted to go to Oxford. It was immaterial what I studied there. His income was such that, without his say-so, I couldn't go anywhere, because I couldn't get a grant and he thought University was a waste of time so at 18 I was shoved into a solicitor's office. I did what I was told."

Having secured an articled clerkship with a solicitor in the North West of England via his father's connection, Baker studied to qualify as a solicitor, but at the end of his 5 year contract had a change of mind. At the age of 23, Baker jettisoned the law, auditioned at a number of drama schools, finally selecting the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), graduating in 1969.

Career

Early work in television

Baker's numerous television roles in the early 1970s included a supporting role in a 1970 BBC ''adaptation'' of Jean-Paul Sartre's trilogy '' The Roads to Freedom'', a leading role as Count Steinbock in their adaptation of '' Cousin Bette'' the following year, playing opposite Margaret Tyzack and Helen Mirren. In 1972 he played Anatole Kuragin, opposite Anthony Hopkins in the BBC adaptation of ''War and Peace''. His regular television work continued and in ''Fall of Eagles'', Baker appeared as Crown Prince Wilhelm of the German Empire.

By far his most prominent role to date came in 1974, playing the ruthless banker Paul Merroney in the BBC Sunday evening series '' The Brothers''. Baker joined the series half-way through its run, as Merroney became one of the leading characters over three and a half series from 1974–76.

After ''The Brothers'', he worked regularly in theatre and his television work became less frequent, although he guest-starred as Bayban the Butcher in a 1980 episode of ''Blake's 7'', "City at the Edge of the World". He had further guest roles on television and in 1983 featured in a BBC production of A.J. Cronin's ''The Citadel''.

''Doctor Who'' (1984–1986)

Baker made his first appearance in ''Doctor Who'' as Commander Maxil in the Peter Davison-era story ''Arc of Infinity'' (1983). He then became the second of three actors to be cast as the Doctor by producer John Nathan-Turner. Baker's first appearance in the starring role occurred in the final moments of '' The Caves of Androzani'' (1984), where he delivered his first few lines. He then made his full story debut the following week in ''The Twin Dilemma''. The serial, and Baker's portrayal of the Doctor, caused immediate controversy, with one scene in which the Doctor attempts to strangle his companion, Peri Brown. According to ''PopMatters'', "Colin Baker's first appearance was just out-and-out dislikable, showcasing a hubris and harshness that was heretofore unseen in the Doctor's emotional canon."

Baker's era was interrupted by an 18-month hiatus which was announced in February 1985, midway through transmission of Season 22, his first full season. The Controller of BBC1 at the time, Michael Grade, criticised ''Doctor Who'', saying that the programme had become overly violent in 1985. Grade later admitted that he "hated" the series, which he described as a "very clunky studio show". One new ''Doctor Who'' story, '' Slipback'', was produced for radio during the hiatus, which starred Baker and his regular television companion Nicola Bryant.

''Doctor Who'' returned to television for its 23rd season in September 1986. The season featured a reduction in episodes, was made entirely on video for location scenes and was produced as a 14-episode-long serial called ''The Trial of a Time Lord''. This serial was a meta-textual reference to the fact that the series itself was "on trial" at this time. 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." Later that year the series was recommissioned, but Nathan-Turner was ordered to change the actor playing the Doctor. Although sources have attributed this decision to Grade, he denied this in 2022. The BBC's Head of Series, Jonathan Powell, later said that the BBC was looking for "one last chance saloon, for an actor who would take off with the public." Peter Davison argued in 2018 that the decision was more to do with the executives wanting to get rid of Nathan-Turner, saying: "I was upset about what happened, really – because, first of all, it wasn't to do with Colin, I know that. It was to do with other issues. The power structure in the BBC had changed and they didn't want John Nathan-Turner around is the truth of it."

Baker was removed from the part after starring in only eleven stories and just short of three years in the series, including the hiatus, making his tenure as the Doctor the shortest at that point. After his sacking, Baker was offered a single four-part story that would end in his character's regeneration, but he refused the offer. In response, Baker offered to do the entirety of the following season and regenerate at its conclusion, but the BBC never responded to his letter. Instead, his replacement, Sylvester McCoy, played the injured Sixth Doctor in a blonde wig as he regenerates in the opening minutes of ''Time and the Rani'', his face hidden by video effects as the regeneration process occurs. In an interview in 2019, Baker expressed regret for not returning for the scene, stating that he was "brutally selfish at the time" and that he was not thinking about the fans.

On 4 September 2011 at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London, Baker accepted the presidency of the ''Doctor Who'' Appreciation Society, which had previously been held by Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney. He was elected following an online poll of the society's members where he won more votes than all the other candidates combined.

''Doctor Who'' appearances in other media

From 5 June to 19 August 1989, Baker agreed to appear as the Doctor once more, in the stage play '' Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure'', taking over from original lead Jon Pertwee who had fallen ill.

In 1992, Baker became the first Doctor to write a published ''Doctor Who'' story, ''The Deal'', as part of ''Doctor Who Magazine''s ''Brief Encounters'' series. He wrote a second ''Brief Encounter'' the following year. Both featured the Sixth Doctor and Mel. In 1994 Baker wrote a comic strip, ''The Age of Chaos'' featuring the Sixth Doctor and Frobisher, and in 2001 contributed a story entitled "The Wings of A Butterfly" to a charity short story anthology based on Doctor Who, "Missing Pieces". He also presented special ''Doctor Who'' videotape releases ''Cybermen – The Early Years'' in 1992 and ''The Colin Baker Years'' in 1994, with the latter a look back at his tenure on the series highlighted by clips and his memories.

Baker has reprised the role on television only twice after his official run ended, in the 1993 ''Children in Need'' charity special ''Dimensions in Time'' alongside Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy, and in the 2022 special "The Power of the Doctor" alongside David Bradley, Davison, Paul McGann, McCoy and Jodie Whittaker. He reprised the role again in '' Tales of the TARDIS''.

In 1997, Baker provided audio dialogue for the BBC video game '' Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors''.

1999 saw Baker voice his first ''Doctor Who'' audio adventure for Big Finish Productions, '' The Sirens of Time''. As of , Baker has appeared as the Sixth Doctor in 166 releases, with more planned for the future. These audio plays are generally well received by fans and in a poll conducted by ''Doctor Who Magazine'', Baker was voted the "greatest" of the Doctors in this format. He also reprised the role of Commander Maxil in the ''Gallifrey'' audio series story "Appropriation" in 2006; in 2022, he played alternate versions of the Fifth Doctor (known as the Doctor of War) in the '' Doctor Who Unbound'' series and the Curator in '' The Eighth Doctor Adventures''.

In recent years, Baker has appeared on a number of DVD releases of his episodes, featuring in either "making-of" documentaries or commentaries. The documentary ''Trials and Tribulations'', included in the 2008 DVD release of '' The Trial of a Time Lord'' examines his turbulent three years on the show.

In November 2013, Baker co-starred in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage ''The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot''.

In the final episode of Jodie Whittaker’s tenure as the Doctor, Baker returned for a cameo appearance alongside Davison, McCoy and Paul McGann as a manifestation of the Doctor’s subconscious.

From 2023 onwards, Baker hosts the Big Finish produced podcast ''Into the TARDIS'', presenting the various audio stories broadcast in the series.

After ''Doctor Who''

Since leaving ''Doctor Who'' Baker has spent much of his time on the stage with appearances throughout the country in plays as diverse as Peter Nichols' '' Privates on Parade'', Ira Levin's '' ''Deathtrap'''', Ray Cooney's '' Run for Your Wife'' and Ariel Dorfman's '' Death and the Maiden''. For many years he has been a pantomime stalwart. In 2000 he appeared in ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' alongside actress Louise Jameson who had previously played the Fourth Doctor's companion Leela. In 2003 he starred in the Carl Rosa Opera Company's production of operetta ''H.M.S. Pinafore'', directed by Timothy West. In 2008, he toured with ex-wife Liza Goddard in '' She Stoops To Conquer''. Other theatre appearances have seen Baker tackle the role of Inspector Morse in ''House of Ghosts'' and a UK tour of '' The Woman in White''.

In 1991, Baker played a Doctor-like character in the BBV video series '' The Stranger''. This character appeared in six video adventures as well four audio stories. Another standalone BBV drama entitled '' The Airzone Solution'' appeared in 1993 and featured former ''Doctor Who'' actors Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy.

Television work through the 1990s included guest appearances in the BBC's medical drama ''Casualty'', '' The Knock'', '' Dangerfield'', the first episode of ''Jonathan Creek'', Channel 4's adaptation of ''A Dance to the Music of Time'' and as himself as the resident celebrity in 'Dictionary Corner' on the daytime quiz show '' Countdown'', also on Channel 4.

In 2003, Baker appeared on '' Top Gear'', participating on a one-lap run on the Top Gear track in a Honda Civic hatchback. Baker competed against a Klingon, a Cyberman, a Dalek, Darth Vader and Ming the Merciless. Baker came in 4th position, with the Cyberman coming 1st.

A 2005 guest appearance in comedy sketch show '' Little Britain'' was never transmitted but can be seen in the deleted scenes special feature on the ''Little Britain'' series 3 DVD. Other television appearances have seen Baker appear in '' Kingdom'', '' Hustle'' and ''Doctors''.

Away from his ''Doctor Who'' work for Big Finish Productions (see above), Baker appeared in the audio dramas '' Sapphire and Steel: The Mystery of the Missing Hour'' and the 3 part '' Earthsearch Mindwarp''. The latter, based on a James Follett novel, was broadcast on the digital radio station BBC 7 in 2006.

In 2010, Baker narrated and provided additional voices for the audiobook version of the sci-fi/comedy novel, ''Kangazang! Remote Possibilities''. Written by Terry Cooper, and published by Candy Jar Books.

Baker's film work over the years includes '' The Harpist'' (1999), ''The Asylum'' (2000) and ''D'Artagnan et les trois mousquetaires'' (2005).
Since 1995 Baker has written a regular weekly column for local newspaper ''Bucks Free Press''. A compilation of his articles from 1995 to 2009 were published in the book, ''Look Who's Talking''.

Baker participated in the 12th series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'', finishing in 8th place out of 12 celebrities.

Personal life

Baker's first wife was actress Liza Goddard who had appeared with him in the TV series ''The Brothers''. Their marriage lasted 18 months and ended in divorce. The two claimed they had a son from this marriage. With his second wife, Marion Wyatt, an actress, whom he married in 1982, Baker has four daughters. They also had a son, who died of an unknown cause that met the criteria for classification as sudden infant death syndrome. His wife and daughters appeared in ''The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot'' as themselves. Baker is a friend of American writer Stephen R. Donaldson, who dedicated his 1991 novel '' Forbidden Knowledge'' to him.

Baker is a critic of fox hunting and was among more than 20 high-profile people who signed a letter to members of parliament in 2015 to oppose Conservative prime minister David Cameron's plan to amend the Hunting Act 2004.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Audio drama

Video games

Web

Bibliography

*''Look Who's Talking'' (Hirst Books), First Published December 2009. First reprint February 2010
*''Second Thoughts'' (Hirst Books), First Published September 2010
*''Gallimaufry: A Collection of Short Stories''. First Published 30 September 2011. .
*''Sixth Sense – from the columns of the Bucks Free Press''. FBS Publishing Ltd. 6 April 2017.

Comics

* ''Doctor Who: The Age of Chaos'' (1994, Marvel UK)

Short stories

* "A Wee Deoch an ...?" (1991, in ''Doctor Who Magazine Winter Special of 1991'')
* "The Deal" (1991, in ''Doctor Who Yearbook 1992'')
* "A Tourist Invasion" (1992, in ''Doctor Who Yearbook 1993'')
* "The Wings of a Butterfly" (2010, in '' Short Trips – Volume 1'')
* "Interstitial Insecurity" (2019, in ''The Target Storybook'')

References

External links

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*
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Archive of columns by Baker at the ''Bucks Free Press''


Another archive of columns by Baker



Article in the Guardian 30 October 2007

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Colin
1943 births
Living people
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
English male film actors
English male radio actors
English male soap opera actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
Male actors from London
Male actors from Rochdale
People educated at St Bede's College, Manchester