Talk:Tom Baker

Tom Baker Doctor Who Advertisements
I Was wondering whether we should include either in this article or on a separate article Tom Baker reprising his role for advertisements such as the Four he did for a New Zealand Insurance agency recently, the two he did for prime computers in the 80's and the environmental one he did for Australia ? Dark Lord Xander 07:36, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

The drug death myth
There isn't a real place for this in the article, but as the one who originally added this information to the Wikipedia article (and in turn it ended up in the Wikia article) regarding the erroneous reports of Baker's death in 1982, it's worth giving a more detailed explanation. In the mid-1980s my mom was a doll collector and we were in a shop that sold dolls and reference books and there was an encyclopedia of character/TV dolls. Basically the book was intended for people who didn't know Mr. Spock from Dr. Spock and so it gave little descriptions of who the actors were, what they did, etc. And Tom Baker was listed because there were some Fourth Doctor dolls in circulation (plus the Dapol action figures had just come out, if I recall correctly). The entry for Tom Baker said he had died of a drug overdose in a New York hotel room in 1982. This depressed me as I was just getting into Doctor Who via the Baker episodes. So for the next several years (remembering this was pre-Internet) I proceeded on the assumption that Tom Baker was dead. It was not until Reeltime Pictures released their interview tape with Tom Baker that I realized he was alive and well. I've been trying for years to identify the reference book that made this error, and when the Internet came along I did some research and found out an actor named Tom Baker did indeed die in 1982, but obviously it wasn't OUR Tom Baker. The funny thing is that my favorite show in the mid-80s, which I never missed, was Remington Steele, and Baker appeared in an episode that aired in either late 1983 or early 1984 -- clearly after his supposed death. But for some reason I never made the connection; then again, I wasn't a Doctor Who fan yet when Baker appeared on Steele... Anyway, I feel referencing this myth is important as there is at least one printed source that includes it, and printed sources last forever. For those interested, the other Baker's IMDb listing can be viewed here 23skidoo 16:18, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Dubious information
I have deleted this poorly-written addition, which was unsourced. Yes I know the article doesn't have many sources cited to begin with, but something like this needs a source: "After finishing a latest audio adventure, Tom recently hinted He will come back for more Doctor Who on TV." Can someone indicate where such a hint was made and in what context? And did Baker really suggest he's coming back to TV as the Doctor (something not reported elsewhere) or is it possible he might just be meaning more audios? 23skidoo 14:09, November 5, 2009 (UTC)

Vandalism
Undid vandalism to article

TV Action!
As this is an out-of-universe page, should the character of the real Tom Baker in COMIC: TV Action! be listed here (with such in-universe categories as Eighth Doctor Allies)? -- Tybort (talk page) 16:43, November 24, 2011 (UTC)

Baker's gravestone
Hasn't Baker said in interviews he has bought his gravestone already?

Just no
Tom Baker was not the longest serving actor to play The Doctor. He played The Doctor from 1974 to 1981, ie seven years. Sylvester McCoy played The Doctor from 1987 to 1996, which, if my calculations are correct, is nine years, two years more than Tom's portrayal length of Four. I rest my case. MrSiriusBlack ☎  18:32, January 27, 2013 (UTC)


 * Sorry to revive this, but that is incorrect. Tom Baker is generally considered the longest-serving Doctor because he appeared in the most seasons (or series, if you're British). McCoy really only played the Doctor for 2 years, versus Tom Baker's 7. Yes, McCoy appeared briefly in the television movie, but that was after several years of no Doctor Who, so that shouldn't count. If you do want to count that, then actually Paul McGann would be the winner of the longest-serving Doctor, because he served from 1996 to 2005, and that's just silly since he only appeared in that movie. Most people would consider McCoy to be the second shortest-serving Doctor. CloneMarshalCommanderCody ☎  20:20, August 3, 2014 (UTC)

Two For The Price Of One
"After appearing as the Curator in the 50th anniversary special, he became the only actor to portray two incarnations of the Doctor." Sylvester McCoy played the sixth Doctor (briefly), in Time and the Rani.165.225.76.164talk to me 10:23, May 24, 2018 (UTC)


 * The main text explains this in detail. In the lead, however, such details would only distract. The hint is in the use of "portray" instead of "play". It's hard to portray someone when your face is never shown, as in the case of Sylvester McCoy standing in for the (prone body of the) Sixth Doctor. Amorkuz ☎  10:40, May 24, 2018 (UTC)

A matter of contracts
I'm aware we have a category for "Actors paid not to appear in Doctor Who". I have added this category to Tom's page, as - upon revisiting Nothing at the End of the Lane Issue 3 as part of personal research - I noted that Tom's contract for The Dark Dimension was finalised on either the 7th or 8th of July 1993. Since the project wasn't cancelled until the 9th of July 1993, he was - even if incredibly briefly - contracted to perform in this story that ultimately didn't materialise. (and paid too, as NatEotL 3 notes that the contract assured payment even if production didn't go ahead) As such, I've added the category but noted this here for informational purposes and incase anyone would wish to try and enter their own counterarguments against this. JDPManjoume ☎  22:08, 15 April 2021 (UTC)