For the Wales international football player see Colin Baker (Welsh footballer) Colin Baker (born 18th December 1934) was a Wales international football player. ...

Colin Baker
Born	June 8, 1943 (1943-06-08) (age 64) London, England, UK
Notable roles	The Sixth Doctor in Doctor Who

Colin Baker (born London, June 8, 1943) is an English actor who is best known for playing the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986. June 8 is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate 50... The Sixth Doctor is the name given to the sixth incarnation of the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and a 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC. The programme shows the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space in his TARDIS time ship with his companions, solving problems and... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate 50... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... The Sixth Doctor is the name given to the sixth incarnation of the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... A broadcast of the long-running and popular British science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and a 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC. The programme shows the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space in his TARDIS time ship with his companions, solving problems and...

Background

Colin Baker was born in London, but his family moved north to Rochdale early in his life. He was educated at St Bede's College, Manchester. Before being selected to replace Peter Davison as the Doctor, Baker was an established television actor, his most notable role having been that of Paul Merroney in The Brothers. Baker also guest starred as Bayban in an episode of Blake's 7. For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. ... St Bedes College, Manchester is a Roman Catholic Independent Grammar School situated on Alexandra Park Road South in the area of Whalley Range. ... Peter Davison (born 13 April 1951) is an English actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriots All Creatures Great and Small and as the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1981 to 1984. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... The Brothers is a British television series, produced and shown by the BBC between 1972 and 1976. ... Blakes 7 is a British science fiction television series made by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for their BBC 1 channel. ...

Career

Doctor Who (1984–1986)

After appearing in For Maddie with Love, Baker made his first appearance in Doctor Who as Commander Maxil in the story Arc of Infinity. Baker's performance as Maxil was described by producer John Nathan-Turner as being "quite arch" and a little sassy. Despite this, Baker's character became one of the few characters to actually shoot the Doctor, then played by Peter Davison. This article is actively undergoing a major defacing. ... John Nathan-Turner. ... Peter Davison (born 13 April 1951) is an English actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriots All Creatures Great and Small and as the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1981 to 1984. ...

When Baker was officially cast as Davison's successor, he became the only "Doctor" actor to have appeared in the television series as another character prior to taking on the leading role. (On audio, David Tennant has appeared in several Big Finish Doctor Who plays prior to appearing as the Doctor on television in 2005.) When Baker was cast to replace Davison, many fans cited that shooting scene in Arc of Infinity, prompting Baker to say jokingly that he got the part of the Doctor by killing the incumbent. Colin is of no relation to Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who for seven years. David Tennant is the stage name of David John McDonald (born 18 April 1971), a Scottish actor from Bathgate in West Lothian, best known as the tenth actor to portray the Doctor in the television series Doctor Who. ... Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces audio plays based on British cult science fiction properties. ... This article is actively undergoing a major defacing. ... For other persons named Tom Baker, see Tom Baker (disambiguation). ... The Fourth Doctor is the name given to the fourth incarnation of the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ...

Baker's first appearance as the Doctor occurred at the final minutes of The Caves of Androzani, where he delivered his first few lines. The closing title sequence for episode four featured Baker's face instead of Peter Davison, and credits him as the Doctor before Davison's own credit. This was the first (and, to date, only) time that the new lead received top billing in the final story of an outgoing Doctor. Baker then made his first full story debut the following week in The Twin Dilemma. It was the first time since 1966 that a new leading actor's debut story was shown before the conclusion of the previous lead's season. The Caves of Androzani is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from March 8 to March 16, 1984. ... The Twin Dilemma is is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from March 22 to March 30, 1984, the first to star Colin Baker in the title role. ...

Baker's era was interrupted by a long 18 month hiatus between seasons 22 and 23, officially because the show was moved back from the spring to the autumn schedule. The Controller of BBC One at the time, Michael Grade, criticised Doctor Who, saying that the programme had become overly violent and its storylines farcical during season 22 in 1985. After the 18-month hiatus, the program was brought back for its 23rd season in autumn 1986. Season 23 featured a reduction of episodes produced, and the 14 episode long serial The Trial of a Time Lord was felt by some fans to reflect the fact that the series itself was "on trial" at this time. Many fans have drawn an analogy between the Doctor's trial and the programme itself which, at the time, was under threat of cancellation (although the BBC had on many occasions denied that this was the case). Michael Ian Grade CBE (born March 8, 1943) is a British businessman and a distinguished figure in the field of broadcasting. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and a 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC. The programme shows the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space in his TARDIS time ship with his companions, solving problems and... The Trial of a Time Lord is the on-screen title for all fourteen episodes comprising the 23rd season (1986) of the original Doctor Who series. ...

Ultimately, Baker was dismissed from the part at the insistence of BBC management, who wanted to refresh the show. With only eleven stories and just short of three years as the incumbent Doctor, Baker remained the "current Doctor" for the shortest time until Christopher Eccleston in 2005, and he had the least amount of screen time in the role until Paul McGann in 1996. However, he had stated that he had intended to remain in the role of the Doctor long enough to break Tom Baker's seven year record. The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Christopher Eccleston (born 16 February 1964) is an English stage, television and film actor, best known as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who and for other television roles, as well as for his roles in several high-profile low-budget films. ... Paul McGann (born November 14, 1959 in Liverpool) is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role. ...

Baker briefly reprised his role recently in BBC Scotland's videoGaiden presenting the "The videoGaiden Awards 2006". He also appeared on Top Gear in 2004 racing against other science fiction characters, including a Cyberman and pair of black Daleks, participating on a one-lap run on the Top Gear track in a Honda Civic hatchback. However, Baker wrongly believed the car had automatic transmission, and as result he had spent his run driving around entirely in one gear. Videogaiden is a Scottish computer games television show broadcast by the BBC. Its on BBC 2 Scotland for the duration of 10 minutes and can also be viewed online from the BBCs web site. ... The current format of Top Gear is a BAFTA[1] and Emmy Award-winning BBC television series about motor vehicles, mainly cars. ... The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. ... Daleks can refer to either: Plural of Dalek, the fictional robot; or Daleks (video game). ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Career after Who

Since leaving Doctor Who he has continued to act, mainly on the stage. He played the Doctor once again in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time. He also played a Doctor-like character in the BBV video series The Stranger, as well as a standalone BBV drama entitled The Airzone Solution, and has reprised the role of the Doctor in a series of audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. The audio plays are generally well received by fans, who have suggested that it was bad writing that his Doctor's era suffered from, and not a lack of ability on Baker's part. In a poll conducted by Doctor Who Magazine, fans voted Baker the "greatest" of the Doctors in the audio plays. Dimensions in Time was a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap opera EastEnders that ran in two parts on November 26 and 27, 1993. ... BBV is a video and audio production company specialising in science fiction drama, known for its links with the British science fiction television series Doctor Who (founder Bill Baggs is a fan, and BBV productions often feature characters and/or actors from the series). ... The Stranger was a series of direct-to-video science fiction dramas made by BBV and starring Colin Baker. ... Nicola Bryant and Colin Baker in a scene from the BBV release The Airzone Solution. ... Radio drama is a form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. ... Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces audio plays released straight to compact disc, based on British cult science fiction properties. ... Doctor Who Magazine (abbreviated as DWM) is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ...

Later television work during the 1990s included guest appearances in the BBC's medical drama Casualty, 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. He appeared in the first episode of Jonathan Creek (1997). In 1994, Colin Baker became the first (and so far only) Doctor to write a published Doctor Who story, The Age of Chaos, a graphic novel published by Marvel UK featuring the Sixth Doctor and Frobisher. He also guest-starred in the audio drama Sapphire and Steel: The Mystery of the Missing Hour. Casualty is a long-running BBC television drama serial, first broadcast in 1986 and transmitted on BBC One. ... It has been suggested that Channel Four Television Corporation be merged into this article or section. ... A Dance to the Music of Time is a twelve volume roman à clef by Anthony Powell, published between 1951 and 1975. ... Richard Twice Nightly Whiteley Countdown is a British game show presented by Des OConnor and Carol Vorderman. ... Jonathan Creek is a British mystery television series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. ... Trade paperback of Will Eisners A Contract with God (1978), often mistakenly cited as the first graphic novel. ... The Mighty World of Marvel #1: The very first Marvel UK title published in 1972. ... Frobisher is a fictional character who appeared in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who in the 1980s. ... Radio drama, which had its greatest popularity in the U. S. and in most other countries before the widespread access to television programming, depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the story in her or his minds eye--in this sense, it resembles reading... The Mystery of the Missing Hour is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the popular British science fiction television series Sapphire & Steel. ...

After the death of his son Jack in 1983, Baker became active in increasing the profile of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. He raised funds for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, and was a Trustee from 1989 and their Chairman between 1997 and 2005. He has also appeared in operetta, starring in the Carl Rosa Company's production of H.M.S. Pinafore in the principal comedian's role of Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B. Wikisource has original text related to this article: H.M.S. Pinafore H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ...

Baker played Caldo Inman in the Big Finish Productions audio drama Earthsearch Mindwarp, based on a James Follett novel and recently broadcast on the digital radio station BBC 7. Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces audio plays released straight to compact disc, based on British cult science fiction properties. ... Earthsearch: Mindwarp is a 3 part radio series based on the Mindwarp novel by James Follett. ... James Follett (NB: not Follet) is an author and screenwriter (born 1939). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... BBC 7 is a digital radio station broadcasting comedy, drama, and childrens programming 24 hours a day. ...

Baker has been writing a regular column for his local newspaper, the Bucks Free Press since 1995.

At The Invasion convention in 2007, Baker cited the 2005 Steven Moffat story The Empty Child as the best Doctor Who story ever. Singling out the 'everybody lives' quote as the best dramatic moment in Doctor Who. 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Steven Moffat (born 1961 in Paisley, Scotland) is a British comedy/drama writer who has contributed to television series since the late 1980s. ... The Empty Child is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on May 21, 2005. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and a 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC. The programme shows the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space in his TARDIS time ship with his companions, solving problems and...

Video Games

Colin Baker returned to the role of the Sixth Doctor in 1997 in Doctor Who Destiny of the Doctors. The Sixth Doctor is the name given to the sixth incarnation of the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... Cover of Destiny of the Doctors Destiny of the Doctors is a PC computer game based on the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who; released on 5 December 1997 by BBC Multimedia. ...

List of Video Games starred in:

Doctor Who Destiny of the Doctors (1997) Cover of Destiny of the Doctors Destiny of the Doctors is a PC computer game based on the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who; released on 5 December 1997 by BBC Multimedia. ...

External links

• Colin Baker at the Internet Movie Database
• BBC Sixth Doctor Gallery
• Archive of columns by Baker at the Bucks Free Press
• Another archive of columns by Baker
• Interview with Colin Baker on Dracula and acting for Theatre
• A comprehensive web guide to Colin Baker's career in and out of Doctor Who