Fourth Doctor
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The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of
the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...
, the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
of the British
science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...
series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
''. He is portrayed by
Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...
. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien
Time Lord The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Time Lords are so named for their command of time travel technology and their Nonli ...
from the planet
Gallifrey The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Time Lords are so named for their command of time travel technology and their non-linear perception of t ...
who travels in time and space in the
TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space") is a fictional hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. While a TARDI ...
, frequently with companions. At the end of life, the Doctor regenerates; as a result, the physical appearance and personality of the Doctor changes. Preceded in regeneration by the
Third Doctor The Third Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' ...
(
Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...
), he is followed by the
Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Peter Davison. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord ...
(
Peter Davison Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett (born 13 April 1951), known professionally as Peter Davison, is an English actor. He made his television acting debut in 1975 and became famous in 1978 as Tristan Farnon in the BBC's television adaptation of Jame ...
). Baker portrays the Fourth Doctor as a whimsical and sometimes brooding individual whose enormous personal warmth is at times tempered by his capacity for righteous anger. His initial companions were the journalist Sarah Jane Smith ( Elisabeth Sladen), who had travelled with his previous incarnation, and Surgeon-Lieutenant Harry Sullivan ( Ian Marter) of UNIT. His later companions were the warrior Leela (
Louise Jameson Louise Marion Jameson (born 20 April 1951) is an English actress with a variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing Leela (Doctor Who), Leela in ''Doctor Who'' (1977–1978), Anne Reynolds in ''The O ...
), robotic dog K9 ( John Leeson and David Brierly), fellow Time Lord Romana ( Mary Tamm and Lalla Ward), teen mathematical genius Adric ( Matthew Waterhouse), teen alien aristocrat Nyssa ( Sarah Sutton), and Australian flight attendant Tegan Jovanka ( Janet Fielding). Baker portrayed the character for seven consecutive seasons, which remains the longest tenure of any actor to portray the lead, counting both the classic and new series. Baker's tenure as the Doctor is highly regarded among fans of the show and he is considered as one of the most iconic incarnations of the character.


Overview

The Fourth Doctor appeared in 172 episodes (179, counting the regeneration in Part 6 of '' Planet of the Spiders'' and his untelevised appearances in the six-part aborted serial '' Shada'') over a seven-year period, from 1974 to 1981. This makes him the longest-running on-screen Doctor of the series. He also appeared in the specials " The Five Doctors" (via footage from the incomplete ''Shada''), and made his final appearance as the Doctor in the charity special ''
Dimensions in Time ''Dimensions in Time'' is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and the soap opera ''EastEnders.'' The special was broadcast in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993 and was filmed on lo ...
'' (aside from a series of television advertisements in New Zealand in 1997). This incarnation is generally regarded as one of the most recognisable of the Doctors and one of the most popular, especially in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. In polls conducted by ''
Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the following year. In ...
'', Tom Baker has lost the "Best Doctor" category only three times: once to Sylvester McCoy (the
Seventh Doctor The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-o ...
) in 1990, and twice to
David Tennant David John Tennant (; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying the Tenth Doctor, tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, fourteenth incarnations of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Docto ...
(the Tenth Doctor) in 2006 and 2009. The Fourth Doctor's eccentric style of dress and speech – particularly his
trademark look Trademark look or signature look is the characteristic clothes or other distinguishing signs used by a certain character or performer, making the person more recognizable by the audience. Politicians may also have trademark signs, such as the su ...
of wearing a long scarf and having a fondness for Jelly Babies – made him an immediately recognisable figure and he quickly captivated the viewing public's imagination. The producer of Baker's early seasons, Philip Hinchcliffe, stated that the Fourth Doctor's bohemian appearance and
anti-establishment An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958 by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...
style appealed to older, college-age students. The Fourth Doctor's time enjoyed a significant boost in viewing figures, averaging between 8 and 10 million viewers in just his first year (20–25 percent of the entire viewing audience of Britain). By 1979, the figures averaged between 9 and 11 million, going as high as 16.1 million for the final episode of '' City of Death'' (though this was during the ITV technicians strike of 1979 which meant the BBC was the sole broadcaster on the air for several weeks). After succeeding
Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...
's
Third Doctor The Third Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' ...
, Baker's portrayal of the Fourth was not initially received enthusiastically by all of the critics. One writer in the ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...
'' complained in early 1975 that, "Mr. Baker makes Doctor Who look like Harpo Marx let loose from '' Horse Feathers''." Baker himself responded by saying, "We are ''not'' playing ''Doctor Who'' for laughs. I am trying to stress his strangeness, that he is not of this world, not human, therefore his reactions will be different from ours. I take it all very seriously. He has to be genuinely lovable, not pleased by violence, and he must be honest. Humorous, but never comical." There are also novels and audio plays featuring the Fourth Doctor. Two early audio plays featuring Tom Baker voicing the Fourth Doctor date from Baker's television tenure as he had mainly declined to appear in any further audio plays since leaving the series. In 2009, however, it was announced that a new five-part series would be produced by BBC Audio (see below).


Biography

After contracting radiation poisoning from the crystals of the planet Metebelis 3, the
Third Doctor The Third Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' ...
makes his way back to UNIT headquarters in the
TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space") is a fictional hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. While a TARDI ...
, where the
Time Lord The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Time Lords are so named for their command of time travel technology and their Nonli ...
K'Anpo Rimpoche aids him in regenerating ('' Planet of the Spiders''). In his new incarnation, the Doctor is eager to leave Earth in favour of exploration, thus drawing back from continuous involvement with UNIT (with which he had worked closely as the Third Doctor). He has also grown tired of working for the Time Lords. Despite attempts to avoid them altogether, the Time Lords continue to send him on occasional missions, including an attempt to prevent the creation of the
Daleks The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrials in fiction, extraterrestrial race of extremely xenophobic mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by writer Terry Na ...
('' Genesis of the Daleks''), during which he also meets Davros. The Doctor travels with journalist Sarah Jane Smith, whom he had befriended prior to his regeneration, and, for a time, with UNIT Surgeon-Lieutenant Harry Sullivan. After a battle with Zygons in Scotland, Harry (having just spent an entire season with the Doctor as they tried to get back to the TARDIS) decided that taking the train was safer than the TARDIS, which the Doctor and Sarah Jane chose to try to make an appointment in London. Instead they ended up on the planet Zeta Minor ('' Planet of Evil''), located at the far edge of the known universe. From this point on, the Doctor and Sarah Jane travelled alone. The Doctor's companionship with Sarah Jane came to an end when he received a telepathic summons to Gallifrey, as humans were not then allowed on the planet. The summons turns out to be part of a trap set by his enemy the Master. The renegade Time Lord has used up all his regenerations and has degenerated into little more than a withered skeletal husk. The Doctor is framed for the assassination of the President of the High Council of Time Lords and put on trial. To avoid execution, the Doctor invokes an obscure law and declares himself a candidate for the office, giving himself the time he needs to prove his innocence and expose the real culprit. This ultimately results in a climactic battle with the Master (''
The Deadly Assassin ''The Deadly Assassin'' is the third serial of the Doctor Who (season 14), 14th season of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 October to 20 November 197 ...
''). The Doctor is seen to travel alone for the first time, returning to a planet he had visited centuries before. During his previous visit, he had accidentally imprinted his own mind on a human colony ship's powerful computer, Xoanon, leaving it with multiple personalities. On his second visit the Doctor is now remembered as an evil god by the descendants of the colonists, some of whom had become a warrior tribe called the Sevateem. After the Doctor cures the computer, one of the Sevateem, Leela, joins him on his travels ('' The Face of Evil''). The Doctor brings the intelligent but uneducated Leela to many locales in human history, teaching her about science and her own species' past. In
Victorian London During the 19th century, London grew enormously to become a global city of immense importance. It was the List of largest cities throughout history, largest city in the world from about 1825, the world's largest port, and the heart of Financial ...
, the pair encounters the magician Li Hsien Chang and his master, the self-styled Weng-Chiang ('' The Talons of Weng-Chiang''). Weng-Chiang is revealed to be a time-jumping criminal from the Earth's distant future. Later, the Doctor and Leela visit the Bi-Al Foundation medical centre, where they acquire the robot dog K-9 ('' The Invisible Enemy''). While K-9 is malfunctioning, a time distortion leads the TARDIS back to contemporary rural England. While investigating the distortion, he and Leela are confronted by an ancient being that feeds on death from Time Lord history, called the Fendahl ('' Image of the Fendahl''). Eventually, the Doctor returns to Gallifrey and declares himself Lord President, based on the election held during his previous visit. This is in fact a ploy to reveal and defeat a Vardan invasion plan, which led to the unexpected consequence of leaving Gallifrey open to attack by the Sontarans (''
The Invasion of Time ''The Invasion of Time'' is the sixth and final serial of the Doctor Who (season 15), 15th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 4 February to 11 ...
''). In the aftermath Leela and K9 decide to remain on Gallifrey. The Doctor comforts himself by producing K9 Mark II. Shortly afterward, the powerful White Guardian assigns the Doctor the task of finding the six segments of the Key to Time, sending a young female Time Lord named Romana (as portrayed by Mary Tamm) to assist him. The two Gallifreyans travel to a variety of planets, encountering strange and unusual allies and enemies, gathering the six segments and defeat the equally powerful Black Guardian, who sought the Key for himself. After the conclusion of the quest, Romana regenerates into a new form (portrayed then by Lalla Ward) ('' Destiny of the Daleks''). In an effort to evade the Black Guardian, the Doctor installs a "Randomiser" in the TARDIS so that not even the Black Guardian can anticipate where they go. Ironically, the first place the Randomiser sends them is the home planet of the Daleks, Skaro ('' Destiny of the Daleks''). Perhaps because of this, the Doctor begins frequently over-riding the machine, first travelling to Paris for a holiday, only to get caught up in an alien scheme to steal the
Mona Lisa The ''Mona Lisa'' is a half-length portrait painting by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, ...
('' City of Death''). He eventually discards the device altogether, remarking that he's fed up with not knowing where he's going. Shortly after this, the Fourth Doctor and Romana are projected outside the known universe and into a universe of negative coordinates, known as Exo-Space. The TARDIS lands on a planet called Alzerius ('' Full Circle''), where they are joined by a young prodigy named Adric. It's in E-Space that the Doctor destroys the last of a race of giant Vampires who had once threatened all life in his universe. Eventually, the Doctor and his two companions find themselves in a white void with no coordinates, a sort of membrane between the two universes. A way out soon forms, but Romana and K-9 choose to remain behind to help free a race of enslaved creatures in E-Space ('' Warriors' Gate''). The Doctor and Adric have only just made it back when they're asked to help the people of Traken from a creature known as "Melkur." On Traken, Adric and the Doctor are introduced to the aristocratic teen Nyssa of Traken. Both Nyssa and her father, Tremas, assist the Doctor in stopping Melkur, who is in fact revealed to be another TARDIS that is controlled by the Master. The Master is narrowly defeated, but manages to take over Tremas' body, thus giving himself a new incarnation. The Doctor decides to travel to Earth to scan a real Police Box as part of a plan to repair the "Chameleon Circuit", the shape-changing mechanism in the TARDIS. However, the Doctor soon spots a mysterious ghostly figure looking at him in the distance. He eventually confronts the figure, who warns him of future dangers. As the Doctor prepares to travel to the planet Logopolis to get the Chameleon Circuit fixed, Tegan Jovanka appears in the console room (having previously gotten lost in the corridors of the TARDIS). The conduit between E-Space and our own universe is revealed to be a Charged Vacuum Emboitment (CVE) created by the mathematicians of Logopolis as part of a system to allow the Universe to continue on past its point of heat death. Nyssa shows up, explaining that she was brought to Logopolis by the same figure that the Doctor encountered. Logopolis soon falls under the Master's control, but the stasis field he is generating ends up releasing
Entropy Entropy is a scientific concept, most commonly associated with states of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynamics, where it was first recognized, to the micros ...
and eroding matter throughout the universe, threatening to destroy the entire universe. The Master agrees to help the Doctor stop the spread of Entropy by adapting the Pharos Project
radio telescope A radio telescope is a specialized antenna (radio), antenna and radio receiver used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky. Radio telescopes are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy, which studies the r ...
on Earth so that they are able to reopen the CVEs. However, when the Master tries to take control of it, the Doctor runs out under the upturned radio dish to sever the cable linking the Master to the CVEs. The Master makes the dish start rotating so that the Doctor will fall to his death. Before he falls, he manages to tear out the cable, only to leave his companions watching as he clings to the cable. As his grip begins to slip, he sees visions of all the enemies he's faced over the years, then falls. Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan gather around the mortally wounded Doctor and call out his name. The Doctor begins seeing visions of all his companions and even the Brigadier calling his name. He then looks up at the three of them and utters his last words: "It's the end-- but the moment has been prepared for..." He then motions to the white-clad figure of the Watcher, who begins approaching the Doctor. The Watcher, a manifestation of the Doctor's future incarnation, merges with the Doctor and triggers his regeneration. "''He'' was the Doctor all the time," remarks Nyssa, as the three watch him transform into the
Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Peter Davison. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord ...
. The Fourth Doctor appears again in the 20th anniversary special " The Five Doctors" (1983). A renegade Time Lord attempts to pull the first five incarnations of the Doctor out of time, inadvertently trapping the Fourth Doctor (and Romana) in a "time eddy" from which they are later freed. The Fourth Doctor also had a small cameo at the beginning of
Dimensions in Time ''Dimensions in Time'' is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and the soap opera ''EastEnders.'' The special was broadcast in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993 and was filmed on lo ...
, warning his Third, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh incarnation to watch out for The Rani. Brief holographic clips of the Fourth Doctor appear in " The Next Doctor" (2008) and " The Eleventh Hour" (2010). In the fiftieth anniversary special, " The Day of the Doctor" (2013), the Fourth Doctor appears again in clips as past and future incarnations come together to assist in the saving of Gallifrey. Tom Baker also appears in the final scene of the episode, as a mysterious elderly museum curator who appears right after the Eleventh Doctor remarks he would like to hold this job some day. He alludes to his resemblance to the Fourth Doctor by talking about revisiting "old favourite" faces and hints that he too might be or have been the Doctor.


Appearance

Imposingly tall, with eyes that seem to constantly boggle, a mass of curls for hair and prominently displayed teeth, the Doctor favours an outfit that usually consists of a white
shirt A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body (from the neck to the waist). Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for a broad variety of upper-body garments and undergarments. ...
, waistcoat, cravat,
trousers Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants ( American, Canadian and Australian English) are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending ...
, a
frock coat A frock coat is a formal wear, formal men's coat (clothing), coat characterised by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knee, popular during the Victorian era, Victorian and Edwardian era, Edwardian periods (1830s–1910s). ...
(with
pocket A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag o ...
s containing a seemingly endless array of apparently useless items that would nevertheless suit the Doctor's purposes when used), a fedora and, most famously, his impractically long, multi-coloured scarf, which was apparently knitted for him by Madame
Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinisation of names, Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French Astrology, astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed Oracle, seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéti ...
(whom he refers to as a "witty little knitter"). When it is damaged in '' The Ark in Space'' (1975), the Doctor declares with regret that it is "irreplaceable." According to Baker, the Doctor's scarf was the idea of costume designer James Acheson. Knowing little about knitting, Acheson procured large quantities of wool in various colours and commissioned Begonia Pope, a friend of his, to create a colourful design. She proceeded to use all of the wool provided, resulting in the absurdly long, but iconic, accessory. Producer Philip Hinchcliffe had wardrobe create three distinct coats for Baker to wear depending on the type of story, the first being a rust safari jacket that he wore throughout all of his first season; the other two (full-length) coats were of dark brown
velvet Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...
(for the darker horror stories) and taupe tweed (for more action-packed stories). The Wardrobe Department also provided a brown wide-brimmed felt fedora. The rest was often picked from his own clothes (like neckties, trousers and a waistcoat). A wider, brighter-coloured scarf debuted with Baker's fourth season and a light brown coat was introduced late in his fifth season. Baker also appeared in a one-off
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
-inspired costume in ''The Talons of Weng-Chiang''. According to both the creators of the show and Baker, the character's look was originally based on paintings and posters by
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Count, ''Comte'' Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901), known as Toulouse-Lautrec (), was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator whose immersion in the colour ...
of his friend, Aristide Bruant, a singer and nightclub owner whose trademark was a black cloak and long red scarf. When John Nathan-Turner became the show's producer in Baker's last year, the Fourth Doctor was the first to sport an item of clothing adorned with question marks as a motif, in this case, above the points on his shirt collars. His overall costume was redesigned, changing the colour focus from brown to burgundy. Designer June Hudson later revealed in an interview that Nathan-Turner had even given her permission to remove the scarf altogether if she wanted to. Hudson opted to keep the scarf, as it was such an iconic part of the character, changing it to crimson with violet purple stripes.


Story style

The early stories of the Fourth Doctor were characterised by a strong "Gothic Horror" theme. The duo of writer/script editor Robert Holmes and producer Philip Hinchcliffe consciously tapped into horror icons like mummies ('' Pyramids of Mars'') and
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...
(''
The Brain of Morbius ''The Brain of Morbius'' is the fifth serial of the Doctor Who (season 13), 13th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 3 to 24 January 1976. Th ...
'', ''
Robot A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...
''),
vampires A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
('' State of Decay'') and Jekyll and Hyde ('' Planet of Evil''), and even transformation ('' The Ark in Space, The Seeds of Doom'') and various themes like alien abduction. In these stories, they were given a science fiction explanation, rather than the typical magic. The Hinchcliffe Era (1974–1977) is one of the most controversial in the classic series run, the increasing horror elements and depictions of violence attracted much criticism from
Mary Whitehouse Constance Mary Whitehouse (; 13 June 1910 – 23 November 2001) was a British teacher and conservative activist. She campaigned against social liberalism and the mainstream British media, both of which she accused of encouraging a more permis ...
, who had previously attacked the Barry Letts era for serials like '' Terror of the Autons'' (1971). The controversy led BBC Director General to apologise to Whitehouse for the ending of one episode of '' The Seeds of Doom'' (1976). Hinchcliffe was moved on to police drama ''Target'' in 1977 at the conclusion of his third year. Graham Williams – who had been developing ''Target'' – was brought on to take over as producer for Baker's fourth season. Williams was given specific instructions to lighten the tone of the stories, thus playing to Baker's strengths. However, the first three stories (which were geared towards the previous style) had already been commissioned. Robert Holmes had agreed to stay on to edit them, but he ended up leaving after only doing the first two, '' Horror of Fang Rock'' (1977) and '' The Invisible Enemy'' (1977). The task of editing '' Image of the Fendahl'' (1977) fell to his successor Anthony Read. The season was only narrowly finished. With the cast and crew suffering from burnout and lack of resources, the season finale ''
The Invasion of Time ''The Invasion of Time'' is the sixth and final serial of the Doctor Who (season 15), 15th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 4 February to 11 ...
'' (1978) was completed largely by virtue of it having been written to make use of preexisting sets, props, and costumes. For their second season, Williams and Read had planned out an overarching storyline that would run through the whole of the season. With more editorial control, it was also decided that the writers would put more emphasis on elements of fantasy and humour. Holmes wrote the first story, '' The Ribos Operation'' (1978), and the writing team of Bob Baker and Dave Martin handled what would be the final story of the season, ''
The Armageddon Factor ''The Armageddon Factor'' is the sixth and final serial of the The Key to Time, 16th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 20 January to 24 Febr ...
'' (1979). Douglas Adams wrote the second story, '' The Pirate Planet'' (1978), while another newcomer, David Fisher, wrote the third and fourth stories. Again, difficulties began to arise when the fifth story fell through. Robert Holmes consented to writing what would become '' The Power of Kroll'' (1978–79). Williams' third and final year on the show is considered a high point in terms of ratings and stories for the entire series. However it proved even more difficult for Williams behind the scenes, as he found Tom Baker increasingly hard to cope with. The most watched episode ever of ''Doctor Who'' was "Part 4" of '' City of Death'' (by Fisher, Adams, and Williams) which drew 16.1 million viewers. Douglas Adams became script editor and his style can be seen in the dialogue and stories. For example, in '' Destiny of the Daleks'' (1979), Adams included a scene of the Doctor trapped under a boulder that resembles a similar scene in the second series of ''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' is a Science fiction comedy, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), radio sitcom broadcast over two series on BBC ...
''. His time as script editor was beset by problems; Adams often ended up having to greatly edit and even rewrite stories. Once again, facing burnout and lack of funds, Adams eventually agreed to write the final story '' Shada''. Production proved difficult and ended up being unfinished due to a strike at the BBC. Williams left the show, dissatisfied with having left on what he considered to be a low note. In Season 18, John Nathan-Turner became the series' producer. He instituted a number of changes to the show, including toning down the humour and introducing more science fiction concepts. During this season the Fourth Doctor became very much subdued and, on occasion, melancholy. Baker began the season in poor health, though he eventually recovered. Both the actor and the character seemed noticeably older and tired, due to Baker's gaunt appearance and greying hair. Baker had been finding the role harder and harder to maintain and the previous season had been particularly draining on him. Many of this season's stories also had an elegiac tone, with
entropy Entropy is a scientific concept, most commonly associated with states of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynamics, where it was first recognized, to the micros ...
and decay being a recurring theme. New script editor Christopher Bidmead found himself faced with a serious problem from the outset of his time on the show. He ultimately deemed many of the stories left to him by Adams to be unusable, being too close to the humour-driven stories of the previous season. The only one he ended up using was '' The Leisure Hive'' (1980), though only after heavily editing it. Bidmead asked a pair of writing friends to come up with what would be the second story of the season, '' Meglos'' (1980), which ended up being regarded as one of the weakest shows in the series' history up to that point. Bidmead only began to gain some momentum by the fifth story, '' Warriors' Gate''. The story is notable for the Doctor's sombre mood and seeming death wish, as well as the surprisingly adult nature of the story. The surreal, even dream-like elements, such as time shifts and walking through mirrors, also earned the story some distinction. At John Nathan-Turner's insistence the Master was brought back. This was accomplished by Bidmead changing the villain in ''
The Keeper of Traken ''The Keeper of Traken'' is the sixth serial of the Doctor Who (season 18), 18th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 31 January to 21 February ...
'' (1981) into the Master. The overarching theme of decay reaches its conclusion in Baker's final story '' Logopolis'' (1981), which Bidmead personally wrote. The story is particularly sombre, even grim at times. Themes of decay and death are constant in the story, personified in the ghostly Watcher, effectively a harbinger of the Fourth Doctor's 'death'. The Fourth Doctor's stories saw fewer recurring (or returning) enemies than in previous eras. The Daleks only appeared twice and the Cybermen only had one story, '' Revenge of the Cybermen'' (1975). UNIT, which had featured in most of the Third Doctor's adventures, only appeared in four early Fourth Doctor stories, playing a minor role in its last appearance, season 13's '' The Seeds of Doom'' (1976) in which none of the regular UNIT staff appeared. At the same time, stories such as ''
The Deadly Assassin ''The Deadly Assassin'' is the third serial of the Doctor Who (season 14), 14th season of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 October to 20 November 197 ...
'' (1976) established most of the mythology surrounding the Time Lords and the Doctor's home planet Gallifrey and that would remain a key feature for the rest of the classic series and still be felt in the revived series. For example, it is established that Time Lords only have a limited number of regenerations, which is a driving plot point in the stories '' Mawdryn Undead'', " The Five Doctors", '' The Trial of a Time Lord'', the 1996 television movie and the 2013 Christmas special " The Time of the Doctor".


Other mentions

Visions of the Fourth Doctor appear in the
Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Peter Davison. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord ...
serials '' Earthshock'' (1982), '' Mawdryn Undead'' (1983) and ''
Resurrection of the Daleks ''Resurrection of the Daleks'' is the fourth serial of the 21st season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on BBC1 between 8 February and 15 February 1984. The serial w ...
'' (1984), and in the 21st century series in the episodes " The Next Doctor", " The Eleventh Hour", " The Lodger", " Nightmare in Silver", " The Magician's Apprentice", " Twice Upon a Time", " The Timeless Children", " Rogue", " The Story & The Engine", " Wish World" and " The Reality War". His voice is also used in "
The Almost People "The Almost People" is the sixth episode of the Doctor Who (series 6), sixth series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', and was first broadcast on BBC One on 28 May 2011. It is the second episode of a two-part story w ...
". The Fourth Doctor also appears in Sarah Jane's flashback in '' The Mad Woman in the Attic'', via footage taken from '' The Hand of Fear''. Similar flashbacks appear in '' The Sarah Jane Adventures'' story '' Death of the Doctor''. In " The Name of the Doctor," he is seen briefly by Clara Oswald wandering around the TARDIS (clip taken from ''
The Invasion of Time ''The Invasion of Time'' is the sixth and final serial of the Doctor Who (season 15), 15th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 4 February to 11 ...
''). He was also seen as an echo running past Clara inside the Eleventh Doctor's time stream in the end of "The Name of the Doctor." Archival images were used for his appearance in " The Day of the Doctor". During the special, Tom Baker portrays a mysterious museum curator who speaks with the
Eleventh Doctor The Eleventh Doctor is an incarnation (otherwise known as regeneration) of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is played by Matt Smith in three series as well as five specials. As wi ...
and hints to him that he may be a future version of the Doctor "revisiting" a favourite past incarnation. The Fourth Doctor is also seen briefly during Missy's exposition of the
Twelfth Doctor The Twelfth Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi in three ...
's fighting android assassins (" The Witch's Familiar"). The Fourth Doctor also appears via archival footage taken from '' Pyramids of Mars'' in " Empire of Death" to provide context on the return of Sutekh.


International reception

For audiences in the United States, who saw the show only in syndication (mostly on PBS), Tom Baker was the incarnation of the Doctor who is the best known, since his episodes were the ones most frequently broadcast stateside. The first four seasons of these Time Life distributed stories added narration by Howard da Silva at the beginning and end of each episode. Also in Italy, where most of the classic series of ''Doctor Who'' were never broadcast on television, the only episodes to be broadcast were those of the Fourth Doctor.


Other appearances


Spoofs

The Fourth Doctor's distinctive appearance and manner have made him a target for affectionate parody. The character has appeared several times on ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' and twice on ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animation, adult stop motion, stop-motion animated sketch comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The twelve-minute ...
''. He also had a cameo on ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company and later revived by Comedy Central, and then Hulu. The series follows Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1 ...
'' emerging from the stomach of a space whale, and another episode, where he is briefly seen running into the
TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space") is a fictional hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. While a TARDI ...
. On ''The'' ''Big Bang Theory'', Stuart dresses as The Fourth Doctor at a party in the episode “The Justice League Recombination”. In the computer game '' Hugo II, Whodunit?'', the player can save the Fourth Doctor from a Dalek in return for his sonic screwdriver. He is frequently impersonated by impressionist
Jon Culshaw Jonathan Peter Culshaw (born 2 June 1968) is an English actor, comedian and Impressionist (entertainment), impressionist. He is best known for his work on the radio comedy ''Dead Ringers (comedy), Dead Ringers'' since 2000. Culshaw has voiced ...
on the radio and television series '' Dead Ringers'', who also voiced the Doctor for the Big Finish audio '' The Kingmaker''. Archival footage of the Fourth Doctor's first title sequence was used in the ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
'' episode " Blue Harvest" to parody hyperspace from ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
''. In ''
American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker (producer), Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on February 6, 2005, following Super Bowl XXXIX, with the r ...
'' some Whovians were shown, with several of them dressed as the Fourth Doctor. As the narrator of '' Little Britain'', Tom Baker has himself alluded to ''Doctor Who''. In the 24th episode of the series '' Epic Rap Battles of History'' the Tenth Doctor is in a rap battle with Doc Brown from ''
Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985 ...
'' when he is shot by a Dalek and regenerates into the Fourth Doctor (played by
George Watsky George Virden Watsky (born September 15, 1986) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, poet, author, and illustrator. Watsky broke out as a rapper with his viral video "Pale kid raps fast" in 2011, which featured his tradem ...
). A background character appearing in one episode of '' Toast of London'' portrayed by Lewis MacLeod highly resembles the fourth incarnation of the Doctor, and is heavily implied to be him in the episode itself.
Peter Davison Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett (born 13 April 1951), known professionally as Peter Davison, is an English actor. He made his television acting debut in 1975 and became famous in 1978 as Tristan Farnon in the BBC's television adaptation of Jame ...
, who played the fifth incarnation, also appears in the series as himself.


Advertising

In 1979 and 1980, Tom Baker played the Fourth Doctor (alongside Lalla Ward's Romana) in a series of four television commercials for
Prime Computer Prime Computer, Inc. was a Natick, Massachusetts-based producer of minicomputers from 1972 until 1992. With the advent of Personal computer, PCs and the decline of the minicomputer industry, Prime was forced out of the market in the early 1990s, ...
. Disliking the scripts he was given, Baker agreed to film the advertisements only if he could rewrite them himself, and added a scene where the Doctor follows the computer's instruction to marry Romana. In 1997, Baker reprised the role once again in a spot for New Zealand's National Superannuation insurance company.


Argo Records audio drama

*'' Doctor Who and the Pescatons''


BBC audio dramas

* ''Exploration Earth'': "The Time Machine" *'' Hornets' Nest'' *'' Demon Quest'' *'' Serpent Crest'' Tom Baker also recorded narration, in character as the Fourth Doctor, for a 1976 audio release of ''Genesis of the Daleks'', which was subsequently re-issued by the BBC on cassette and CD as a radio drama. Baker returned again to ''Doctor Who'' for the 1990s audio cassette releases of "lost" Doctor Who stories. For some of these stories, he is in character as the Doctor. For others, he merely provides descriptive narration.


Big Finish audio dramas

*'' The Kingmaker'' (cameo voiced by Jon Culshaw—see above) *'' The Beautiful People'' (adventure related by the character Romana II) (2007) *'' The Catalyst'' (adventure related by the character Leela) (2008) *''Empathy Games'' (adventure related by the character Leela) (2008) *'' Stealers from Saiph'' (adventure related by the character Romana I) (2009) *'' The Pyralis Effect'' (adventure related by the character Romana II) (2009) *'' The Time Vampire'' (adventure related by the character Leela) (2010) *'' The Invasion of E-Space'' (adventure related by the character Romana II) (2010) *'' Ferril's Folly'' (adventure related by the character Romana I) (2011) *'' Tales from the Vault'' (short adventure related by the character Romana I) (2011) *'' The Fourth Doctor Boxset'' (adventures related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2011) **'' The Foe from the Future'' **'' The Valley of Death'' *'' Destination Nerva'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2012) *'' The Renaissance Man'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2012) *'' The Wrath of the Iceni'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2012) *'' Energy of the Daleks'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2012) *'' Trail of the White Worm'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2012) *'' The Oseidon Adventure'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2012) *'' The Child'' (adventure related by the character Leela) (2012) *'' The Auntie Matter'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana I) (2013) *'' The Sands of Life'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana I & K9) (2013) *''War Against The Laan'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana I) (2013) *''The Justice of Jalxar'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana I, Jago & Litefoot) (2013) *''Phantoms of the Deep'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana I & K9) (2013) *''The Dalek Contract'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana I & K9) (2013) *'' The Final Phase'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana I & K9) (2013) *'' Destiny of the Doctor: Babblesphere'' (adventure related by the character Romana II) (2013) *'' The Light at the End'' (50th Anniversary Special; Fourth Doctor voiced by Tom Baker) (2013) *'' Night of the Stormcrow'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2013) *''Luna Romana'' (adventure related by the characters Romana II & Romana III) (2014) *''The King of Sontar'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2014) *''White Ghosts'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2014) *''The Crooked Man'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2014) *''Last of the Colophon'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2014) *''Destroy the Infinite'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2014) *''The Abandoned'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2014) *''Zygon Hunt'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2014) *'' Doctor Who: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2014) **''The Ghosts of Gralstead'' **''The Devil's Armada'' *'' The Romance of Crime'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2015) *''The English way of Death'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2015) *''The Exxilons'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Leela & K9) (2015) *''The Darkness of Glass'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2015) *''Requiem for the Rocket Men'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Leela & K9) (2015) *''Death Match'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Leela & K9) (2015) *''Suburban Hell'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2015) *''The Cloisters of Terror'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2015) *''The Fate of Krelos'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Leela & K9) (2015) *''Return to Telos'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Leela & K9) (2015) *'' The Well-Mannered War'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2015) *''The Wave of Destruction'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2016) *''The Labyrinth of Buda Castle'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana II) (2016) *''The Paradox Planet'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2016) *''Legacy of Death'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2016) *''Gallery of Ghouls'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana II) (2016) *''The Trouble with Draxx'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2016) *''The Pursuit of History'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2016) *''Casualties of Time'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2016) *''The Genesis Chamber'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2016) *''The Beast of Kravenos'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2017) *''The Eternal Battle'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2017) *''The Silent Scream'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Romana II & K9) (2017) *''Dethras'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana II) (2017) *''The Helm of Awe'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2017) *''The Haunting of Malkin Place'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana II) (2017) *''Subterranea'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana II) (2017) *''The Movellan Grave'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana II) (2017) *''Night of the Vashta Nerada'' (adventure related by the character the Fourth Doctor) (2017) *''The Skin of the Sleek'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana II) (2017) *''The Thief Who Stole Time'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Romana II) (2017) *''The Sons of Kaldor'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2018) *''The Crowmarsh Experiment'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2018) *''The Mind-Runners'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Leela & K9) (2018) *''The Demon Rises'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor, Leela & K9) (2018) *''The Shadow of London'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2018) *''The Bad Penny'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2018) *''Kill the Doctor!'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2018) *''The Age of Sutekh'' (adventure related by the characters the Fourth Doctor & Leela) (2018)


Short Trips audios

*''Death-Dealer'' *''Chain Reaction'' *''Seven to One'' *''The Wondrous Box'' *''The Old Rogue''


Audio books

* ''
Glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...
'' * '' Old Flames''


Novels


Virgin New Adventures

* '' Timewyrm: Genesys'' by
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...
(appears as a holographic message for the
Seventh Doctor The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-o ...
, warning his future self of danger before his memory of the threat is lost) * '' Timewyrm: Revelation'' by Paul Cornell (appears as the Doctor's memory of him in the Seventh Doctor's subconscious)


Virgin Missing Adventures

* ''
Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
'' by
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...
* '' The Romance of Crime'' by Gareth Roberts * ''
System Shock ''System Shock'' is a 1994 first-person action-adventure game, action-adventure video game developed by LookingGlass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. It was directed by Doug Church with Warren Spector serving as producer. The game ...
'' by Justin Richards * '' Managra'' by Stephen Marley * ''The English Way of Death'' by Gareth Roberts * '' The Shadow of Weng-Chiang'' by David A. McIntee * ''A Device of Death'' by Christopher Bulis * '' The Well-Mannered War'' by Gareth Roberts


Past Doctor Adventures

* '' Eye of Heaven'' by Jim Mortimore * '' Last Man Running'' by Chris Boucher * '' Millennium Shock'' by Justin Richards * '' Corpse Marker'' by Chris Boucher * '' Tomb of Valdemar'' by Simon Messingham * ''Heart of TARDIS'' by Dave Stone (Also features the
Second Doctor The Second Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Patrick Troughton. Out of his 1 ...
, although neither Doctor meets the other, each Doctor simply tackling a different end of the same crisis with only the Fourth aware of his other self's involvement) * '' Festival of Death'' by Jonathan Morris * '' Asylum'' by Peter Darvill-Evans (features the Fourth Doctor early in his life interacting with Nyssa from a point after she has left the
Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Peter Davison. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord ...
) * '' Psi-ence Fiction'' by Chris Boucher * '' Drift'' by Simon A. Forward * '' Wolfsbane'' by Jacqueline Rayner (Also features the Eighth Doctor, although neither are aware of the other's actions due to the Eighth Doctor's current
amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...
, the Fourth simply tying up loose ends left by the Eighth) * ''
Match of the Day ''Match of the Day'' (abbreviated to ''MOTD'') is a Association football, football highlights programme, typically broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights during the Premier League season. ''Match of the Day'' is one of the BBC's longest-runn ...
'' by Chris Boucher * '' Doctor Who: Shada: The Lost Adventure by Douglas Adams'' by Gareth Roberts


Eighth Doctor Adventures

*''
The Eight Doctors ''The Eight Doctors'' is a BBC Books original novel written by Terrance Dicks and based on the long-running British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was the first of the Eighth Doctor Adventure ...
'' by Terrance Dicks *Seen in the TARDIS mirror in ''
Camera Obscura A camera obscura (; ) is the natural phenomenon in which the rays of light passing through a aperture, small hole into a dark space form an image where they strike a surface, resulting in an inverted (upside down) and reversed (left to right) ...
''


Telos Doctor Who novellas

* ''
Ghost Ship A ghost ship, also known as a phantom ship, is a ship, vessel with no living crew aboard; it may be a fictional ghostly vessel, such as the ''Flying Dutchman'', or a physical Flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict, derelict found adrift with its cre ...
'' by Keith Topping


Penguin Fiftieth Anniversary eBook novellas

* ''The Roots of Evil'' by Philip Reeve


Other

* ''Scratchman'' by
Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...
and James Goss


Comics


''TV Comic''

*"Death Flower" *"Return of the Daleks" *"The Wreckers" *"The Emperor's Spy" *"The Sinister Sea" *"The Space Ghost" *"The Dalek Revenge" *"Virus" *"Treasure Trails" *"Hubert's Folly" *"Counter-Rotation" *"Mind Snatch" *"The Hoaxers" *"The Mutant Strain" *"Double Trouble" *"Dredger" *"The False Planet" *"The Fire Feeders" *"Kling Dynasty" *"The Orb" *"The Mutants" *"The Devil's Mouth" *"The Aqua-City" *"The Snow Devils" *"The Space Garden" *"The Eerie Manor" *"Guardian of the Tomb" *"The Image Makers"


''TV Comic Annual''

*"Woden's Warrior" *"The Tansbury Experiment" *"Jackels of Space"


''TV Comic Specials''

*"The Sky Warriors"


''Doctor Who Magazine''

*"Black Destiny" *"Victims" *"The Iron Legion" *"City of the Damned" *"K9's Finest Hour" *"Timeslip" *"The Star Beast" *"The Dogs of Doom" *"The Time Witch" *"Dragon's Claw" *"The Collector" *"Dreamers of Death" *"The Life Bringer" *"War of the Words" *"Spider-God" *"The Deal" *"End of the Line" *"The Freefall Warriors" *"Junkyard Demon" *"Neutron Knights"


''Doctor Who Magazine'' specials

*"The Naked Flame" *"Rest and Re-Creation" *"The Seventh Segment" *"Starbeast II" *"Junkyard Demons II"


''IDW'' series

*"The Forgotten" *"The Time Machination" *'' Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2'' (Flashback of the Fourth Doctor) *"Prisoners of Time"


Video games

*'' Dalek Attack'' *''
Destiny of the Doctors ''Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors'' is an action video game, action video game based on the BBC British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was released on 5 December 1997 by BBC Multimedia. Overview A collaboration betwe ...
'' *'' Lego Dimensions'' *'' Fall Guys''


See also

*'' Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday'' – a stage play that opened two weeks before Baker began his tenure as the Doctor. In the play, Trevor Martin plays an alternate version of the Fourth Doctor.


References


External links


Fourth Doctor
on th
BBC ''Doctor Who'' website

Fourth Doctor's theme music

Fourth Doctor title sequence
{{Subject bar , portal2=Doctor Who , portal3=1970s , portal4=1980s , commons=y Television characters introduced in 1974 04 Fictional presidents Male characters in television Extraterrestrial characters in television 4 (number)