Re: Welcome to the Tom Baker Years

[bcm77]

Tom is a genuine eccentric and just played the part as himself so the eccentricity came across as genuinely off-the-wall and unique, whereas the other actors who played the Doctor were not naturally eccentric so when they try to play it like that it seems forced (David Tennant I'm looking at you!)

Very well said, and I must say I'm pleasantly suprised to discover I'm not the only person in the universe that thinks Tennant sounds forced or fake, he has none of the spontaneity that Tom has especially when it comes to humour and as a viewer I find it impossible to suspend my disbelief and believe he is that character whereas Tom,Jon & Pat did it effortlessly and in a variety of different ways.

[Captain Rum]

I'm the same I'm afraid, I'm not a fan of DT at all, it seems that with most of the shows set in London he became a bit of cross between Danny Dyer and Kenneth Williams....the latter bit when he used to go into shout mode and the nostrils flared just a little too much. You're either spontaneous or you're not and with Tennant it was just too uncomfortable at times to view and the few Nu-Who shows I've enjoyed tended to have less of him in (eg "Blink") as for the choice of his replacement.....not impressed, we needed someone a bit older who was a proven actor, that was what was hinted in that launch show....then we got a kid almost!!

Nu-Who does have the occasional great bit and getting back to the main topic, most of that comes from the history of the show through the middle/peak years of Jon and especially Tom, someone to aspire to but not to copy....not that that's possible!!

[Forum Moderator]

This section is intended for discussion about Tom's years as Doctor Who, or at least the Classic era - let's keep on track. There are other websites where you can discuss the modern Doctor Who.

Tom himself has asked me to add his own post here:

I think that David Tennent has been a wonderful Doctor Who. He has reached out to an enormous new audience and has made most of the older fans very happy. He is a fine actor, maybe a great actor; he is still so young, but to pop off in his break and knock out a great Hamlet followed by a wonderful peformance as Berowne in Love's Labours Lost is simply amazing. He deserves our respect and from Who fans he deserves our gratitude. I salute him.

Bravo David Tennent.

Tom Baker

[merlinsseer]

oh thank you--i was gritting my teeth there holding back .

This section is intended for discussion about Tom's years as Doctor Who, or at least the Classic era - let's keep on track. There are other websites where you can discuss the modern Doctor Who.

[Captain Rum]

I'm more than happy not to talk about Nu-Who and if you read all of my previous post I did get back on track, I just took the scenic route.

[merlinsseer]

I'm more than happy not to talk about Nu-Who and if you read all of my previous post I did get back on track, I just took the scenic route.

[John]

OMG, it's fantastic to see so many like minded people here.

The 70's for me were a special time for Doctor Who, the era that defined the show. Tom's era in particular had so many wonderful stories; some serious (The Seeds of Doom), some not so serious (The Sunmakers), and some that were downright hilarious! (Creature from the Pit), but they were all wonderfully imaginative and delightfully entertaining.

I think that if you were to ask the casual viewer of the day what their memories of Doctor Who are, it will be Tom Baker's tenure that they will remember most vividly, and I'm sure fondly. But it's not merely his longevity in the role that makes Tom stick in peoples memories, it's not even his trademark floppy hat, scarf and toothy grin, it's the sheer scale and range of his performance that sets him apart from the other Doctor's. The fact is, when Tom's on the screen your eyes are immediately drawn to him. Such prescence has the man, that even some of the weaker stories of his era, stories such as Underworld which generally take a beating from fandom, still retain their entertainment value, purely because of Tom's participation.

No matter how good -- or even in some cases bad -- the script, nor how desperate the budget situation got, Tom always gave one hundred percent and really made those stories come alive, and you can't really ask much more of an actor than that.

[bcm77]

I apologise for previously going off topic, it's just one of those things I feel strongly about as I've not been able to "click" with the 10th Doctor as I have with others.

It's nice to hear Tom's thoughts on the subject though and I'm fair minded enough to say that DT has done his job well enough in bringing a whole new wave of intrest in the show and without that intrest much of the recent Classic merchandise such as the action figures and the numerous stories restored for DVD may not have been seen as financially viable for the BBC to allow so I agree that he's deserving of some credit.

Back on topic ( At last! ) I think one of the major factors why Tom's Doctor captivated me upon my very first viewing was his wonderful voice, it carries so much authority and there's such conviction in what he's saying that even the scientific gobbledegook seemed to sound plausible and I think Jon Culshaw was right when he said it's the best voice in the world

[merlinsseer]

Hello John and welcome !!
I must say-thank you, this was very eloquently put and very, very true. Mr. Baker does have a screen prescence like no other-no matter what part he is playing.
The one thing that always struck me was his total delight and joy in playing the part of the Doctor. I remember THAT being one the very first things that grabbed me as a viewer.
"Robot " was my first encounter with DW and being on this side of the pond , I had no idea what "Doctor Who " was and being the sullen child that I was , I didn't care, until some twist of fate made me change the channel back at just the right moment to catch some tall, lanky guy in a night shirt sneaking around a hallway. Then tall, lanky guy stuck his head through a doorway and the expression on his face hooked me-let's just say i have never been the same since that moment.
The amount of fun Mr. Baker was having at playing the part of the Doctor was a huge factor , at least on my part, and i am still amazed at the vast array of emotions that he can convey in the span of a few moments. That whole scene from the second he opens the door to skipping rope with Harry is like a roller coaster ride that you don't want to get off of- then you discover that there is a whole theme park called "Tom Baker as The Doctor" to explore. I'm still on that expedition and if it never ends-i'm very good with that. Even now when i go back and watch the old shows i notice things that i didn't before and it just makes it even more fun.
Mr. Baker has said that he was just playing himself ( or the side of himself that the BBC would allow to be let off the leash just teasing, no hurt intended at all ) and he threw his whole self into the part. Mr. Baker didn't become the Doctor-- the Doctor became Mr. Baker and we get to enjoy him having fun being himself. I ADORE HIMSELF.

OMG, it's fantastic to see so many like minded people here.

[LadyFoxMcCloud]

So glad to hear that Tom enjoys David's performance.

I think in the scheme of things, David is the closest to Tom in terms of fun with a bit of charming awkwardness. Can't wait to see his next project. I really enjoyed seeing a Doctor who was a bit more fun and less serious. Can't wait to see what the new kid does.