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[[Image:Colin Baker.jpg|left|200px|Colin Baker in a 1993 publicity portrait]]
{{Infobox Person
'''Colin Baker''' (born [[8th June]] [[1943]]) played the [[Sixth Doctor|sixth incarnation]] of [[the Doctor]] from [[1984]] to [[1986]], beginning with the concluding scene of "[[The Caves of Androzani]]" and ending with "[[The Ultimate Foe]]."  He later reprised the role for the [[1993]] Children in Need special, "[[Dimensions in Time]]," and has also voiced the Doctor for numerous ''[[Doctor Who]]'' audio stories for [[List_of_Audio_Stories#Big_Finish_Audio_Dramas | Big Finish]]. As the Doctor, he had a mass of curly fair hair and a lurid patchwork coat, and was assisted by companions [[Peri]] and [[Melanie Bush|Mel]].
|image        = Colin-baker.jpg
|birth date    = [[8 June (people)|8 June]] [[1943 (people)|1943]]
|job title    = [[Actor]]
|role          = [[Sixth Doctor]]
|time          = {{il|1984-1986 (television)|1985, 1999-present (audio)}}
|non dwu      = ''A Christmas Carol'', ''War & Peace'', ''Guys and Dolls'', ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''The Brothers'', ''[[Macbeth]]'', ''[[Blake's 7 (series)|Blake's 7]]'', ''Private Lives'', ''The Mousetrap'', ''[[Juliet Bravo]]'', ''Peter Pan'', ''Privates on Parade'', ''Great Expectations - The Musical'', ''The Famous Five'', ''Jonathan Creek'', ''Dick Wittington'', ''HMS Pinafore'', ''Dracula'', ''Bedroom Farce'', ''House of Ghosts'', ''Dark Shadows'', ''A Dozen Summers'', ''Star Trek Continues'', ''Avalon'', ''Bayban the Butcher''
|imdb          = 0048346
|official site = www.colinbakeronline.com
|twitter      = SawbonesHex
|clip          = Colin Baker at London Film and Comic Con
|story        = [[#Credits|See Credits Section]]
}}{{You may|Colin Baker (The Trial)|n1=his DWU counterpart|Colin Baker (Doctor Who?)|n2=the parodical version of himself from Doctor Who?}}
'''Colin Baker''' (born [[8 June (people)|8 June]] [[1943 (people)|1943]]<ref>[https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba04a5ec1 BFI]</ref>) played the [[Sixth Doctor]] from 1984 to 1986, beginning with an appearance at the conclusion of ''[[The Caves of Androzani (TV story)|The Caves of Androzani]]'', continuing from ''[[The Twin Dilemma (TV story)|The Twin Dilemma]] ''to ''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]''.


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 the Butcher" in an episode of ''Blake's 7''.
He reprised the role for the 1989 stage show ''[[The Ultimate Adventure]]'' and the 1993 ''[[Children in Need]]'' special ''[[Dimensions in Time (TV story)|Dimensions in Time]]'', as well as in numerous ''[[Doctor Who]]'' audio stories from [[Big Finish Productions]].


Prior to being cast as the Doctor, Baker had guest starred in the programme (as Commander [[Maxil]] in the Davison serial ''[[Arc of Infinity (TV story)|Arc of Infinity]]''), the only Doctor actor to have done so prior to taking the role. At one point in the serial Maxil shoots the Peter Davison Doctor; Baker often jokes that he got the part of the Doctor by killing the incumbent.  
Prior to becoming the Doctor, he was cast as Commander [[Maxil]] in ''[[Arc of Infinity (TV story)|Arc of Infinity]]'' and was considered for the roles of [[Arnold Jellicoe|Arnold Jellicole]] in ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'', ([[REF]]: ''[[Doctor Who The Handbook: The Fourth Doctor]]'') [[Minister of Persuasion|Persuasion]] in ''[[Four to Doomsday (TV story)|Four to Doomsday]]'' ([[REF]]: ''[[TCH 34]]) and [[Roger Scobie|Scobie]], [[Andrew Bilton|Bilton]] and [[Sheard]] in [[Time-Flight (TV story)|Time-Flight]]'' ([[REF]]: [[TCH 35]]).


Baker's era was interrupted by a long hiatus, officially because the show was moved back from the spring to the autumn schedule, and he was ultimately dismissed from the part at the insistence of [[BBC]] management, who wanted to refresh the show. 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. Of all the actors who have played the Doctor on television, only Colin Baker and [[Paul McGann]] have left the role without filming a [[regeneration]] scene.
== Profile ==
Before being selected to replace [[Peter Davison]] as the Doctor, Baker was an established [[television]] actor. His most notable role was Paul Merroney in ''The Brothers''. Baker also guest starred as Bayban the Butcher in the ''[[Blake's 7 (series)|Blake's 7]]'' episode ''[[w:c:blakes7:City at the Edge of the World (episode)|City at the Edge of the World]]''.


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 has also played a Doctor-like character in the [[BBV]] video series ''[[The Stranger]]'' and 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.
Baker made his ''Doctor Who'' debut as Commander [[Maxil]] in ''[[Arc of Infinity (TV story)|Arc of Infinity]]'' in 1983. On the strength of that performance, as well as a wedding party at which he impressed producer [[John Nathan-Turner]], he was cast as the [[Sixth Doctor]] following Peter Davison's decision to leave the series. His era on ''Doctor Who'' began in 1984 and was interrupted by the show's cancellation a year later. After fan backlash, this was reduced to an eighteen-month hiatus<ref>https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-guide/doctor-who-is-axed/</ref>, ostensibly because the show was moved from the spring to the autumn schedule. In the interim, Baker voiced the Doctor in the radio drama ''[[Slipback (audio story)|Slipback]]''.


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]]).
Following the conclusion of Season 23, Baker was dismissed as the Doctor at the insistence of [[BBC]] management, who wanted to refresh the show. The [[Controller of BBC One]] at the time, [[Michael Grade]], believed ''Doctor Who'' had become outdated, with overly violent, farcial storylines. Baker was asked to return for the [[Time and the Rani (TV story)|first serial]] of [[Season 24 (Doctor Who 1963)|the next season]] to pave the way for the next Doctor, but he declined, not wishing to miss out on other work in the meantime. He in turn offered to do the whole season and have the Doctor regenerate at the end, but was himself rejected. An interview with ''The Sun'' in which he criticised Grade<ref name=":0">https://drwhointerviews.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/colin-baker-1987/</ref> ensured he would never return.


In [[1994]], Colin Baker also gained the distinction of being the only Doctor to have written a ''Doctor Who'' story, penning ''[[The Age of Chaos]]'', a graphic novel published by [[Marvel UK]] featuring the Sixth Doctor and [[Frobisher]].
Years later, Baker would express regret for refusing the BBC's request, claiming he was being "selfish" and "not thinking about the fans".


Since the death of his son in [[1983]] he has been active in raising the profile of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome research, and is the current chairman of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths.
As of 2022, Baker is the only actor to play the Doctor who has been fired by the BBC. Prior to his dismissal, he claimed he would gladly have done the show for as many as eight years.


Colin Baker is of no relation to [[Tom Baker]], who played the [[Fourth Doctor]] in ''Doctor Who''.
=== Post-departure ===
[[File:Dit Behind the scenes 2.jpg|thumb|left|Colin on the set of [[TV]]: ''[[Dimensions in Time (TV story)|Dimensions in Time]]'')]]
Baker's post-Who filmography includes guest appearances in BBC series ''[[Casualty]]'' and ''Jonathan Creek'', [[Al Murray|Al Murray's]] sitcom ''Time Gentlemen Please'' (as Professor Baker), [[Channel 4]]'s adaptation of ''A Dance to the Music of Time'', and ''The Young [[Indiana Jones (film series)|Indiana Jones]] Chronicles''. As himself, Baker has been a 'Dictionary Corner' guest on the daytime quiz show ''[[Countdown (TV series)|Countdown]]'' and competed in [[ITV]]'s reality series ''[[I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!|I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!]]''.


==External links==
==== ''Doctor Who'' and Big Finish ====
*{{imdb name|id=0048346|name = Colin Baker}}
Despite the circumstances of his departure from ''Doctor Who'', Baker has remained involved with the franchise. He reprised his role as the Doctor in the play ''[[The Ultimate Adventure]],'' replacing [[Jon Pertwee]], and on television in the 1993 charity special ''[[Dimensions in Time (TV story)|Dimensions in Time]]''. In the [[BBV Productions]] video series ''[[The Stranger (series)|The Stranger]]'', he played the eponymous character, who was similar to the Doctor.
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/gallery/sixthdoctor/index.shtml BBC Sixth Doctor Gallery]
{{Wikipedia|Colin_Baker}}


[[Category:Actors who portrayed the Doctor|Baker, Colin]]
Since 1999, he has acted in audio dramas produced by [[Big Finish Productions]], usually as the Doctor. Occasionally, however, he has played alternate versions of the Doctor, such as the [[Burner Doctor]] in ''[[Disassembled (audio story)|Disassembled]]'' and [[the Curator]] in ''[[Stranded]].'' In the ''[[Gallifrey (audio series)|Gallifrey]]'' story ''[[Appropriation (audio story)|Appropriation]]'', he returned to the role of Maxil for the first time since ''Arc of Infinity.''
[[Category:Doctor Who regular cast|Baker, Colin]]
 
[[Category:Comic writers|Baker, Colin]]
In 2015, Baker finally acted in a Sixth Doctor regeneration story, the Big Finish anthology ''[[The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure]]''. In the commentary included with the release, he remarked this finally put to bed his jest that he had never handed over the role. Baker has waited the longest of the Doctors to perform a regeneration scene, at 28 years since his exit from ''Doctor Who''; only [[Paul McGann]], who regenerated in ''[[The Night of the Doctor (TV story)|The Night of the Doctor]]'' 17 years after the [[Doctor Who (TV story)|TV movie]], comes close.
[[Category:Doctor Who fans|Baker, Colin]]
 
Baker has also played himself in the context of ''Doctor Who''. In ''[[The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (TV story)|The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot]]'', he, Peter Davison, and [[Sylvester McCoy]] attempt to appear in the 50th anniversary special ''[[The Day of the Doctor (The Zygon Isolation)|The Day of the Doctor]]'', while in ''[[The Trial (webcast)|The Trial]]'', a promotional mini-episodes produced for ''Doctor Who'': ''[[The Collection]]'' — ''[[Season 23 (Doctor Who 1963)|Season 23]]'' [[Blu-ray]] boxset, a [[Colin Baker (The Trial)|a properly in-universe Baker]] is put on trial for an unpaid [[parking fine]].
 
[[Doctor Who Magazine|<nowiki/>]][[Doctor Who Magazine|<nowiki/>]]
 
In 1994, Baker became the first Doctor to write a ''Doctor Who'' story, penning ''[[The Age of Chaos (comic story)|The Age of Chaos]]'', a graphic novel published by [[Marvel UK]] featuring the Sixth Doctor and [[Frobisher]]. He has since written short stories about the Sixth Doctor for ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]''[[Doctor Who Magazine|<nowiki/>'s]] annual ''Yearbook''s, the anthology ''[[The Target Storybook (anthology)|The Target Storybook,]]'' and [[Short Trips - Volume I|the first volume]] of Big Finish's Short Trips. It was not until the release of [[Tom Baker|Tom Baker's]] ''[[Scratchman (novelisation)|Scratchman]]'' that another Doctor would be credited for writing published ''Doctor Who'' fiction; although [[Matt Smith]] is known to have written stories featuring the Doctor in preparation for his role as the [[Eleventh Doctor]]<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8580985.stm</ref>, they were never released.
 
[[Doctor Who Magazine|<nowiki/>]]
 
== Personal life ==
Baker was first married to [[Liza Goddard]]; the two later divorced. He later remarried and had five children. His son Jack died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in 1983, leading to Baker's support for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. His wife and four daughters, including [[Rosie Baker]], played themselves in ''[[The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (TV story)|The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot]]''.
 
From 1995 to 2019, Baker wrote a column for the ''Bucks Free Press'' called ''Look Who's Talking''. In 2010, [[Hirst Books]] published a volume of a hundred of these columns, also called ''Look Who's Talking''. In 2012, they released a second collection of Baker's writing, including his ''Doctor Who'' stories, entitled ''Gallimaufry.''
 
Baker has served as honourary President of the [[Doctor Who Appreciation Society]] since [[Nicholas Courtney|Nicholas Courtney's]] death in 2011.
 
Colin Baker is of no relation to [[Tom Baker]], who played the [[Fourth Doctor]].
 
== In the DWU ==
{{Main|Colin Baker (The Trial)}}
[[Colin Baker (Peter Capaldi and Simon the Shy Cyberman Invite You to Breakfast with 7 Doctors)|Colin Baker]] was mentioned to exist in the [[DWU]] in [[WC]]: ''[[Peter Capaldi and Simon the Shy Cyberman Invite You to Breakfast with 7 Doctors (webcast)|Peter Capaldi and Simon the Shy Cyberman Invite You to Breakfast with 7 Doctors]]'', and he appeared another webcast, ''[[The Trial (webcast)|The Trial]]'', where the real world Baker played himself being put on trial for an unpaid parking fine which he received whilst filming new material for ''[[Doctor Who (in-universe)|Doctor Who]]'' [[Doctor Who Season 23|Season 23]].
 
== Acting Credits ==
as the [[Sixth Doctor]]
=== Television ===
==== Doctor Who ====
* ''[[The Caves of Androzani (TV story)|The Caves of Androzani]]''
* ''[[The Twin Dilemma (TV story)|The Twin Dilemma]]''
* ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (TV story)|Attack of the Cybermen]]''
* ''[[Vengeance on Varos (TV story)|Vengeance on Varos]]''
* ''[[The Mark of the Rani (TV story)|The Mark of the Rani]]''
* ''[[The Two Doctors (TV story)|The Two Doctors]]''
* ''[[Timelash (TV story)|Timelash]]''
* ''[[Revelation of the Daleks (TV story)|Revelation of the Daleks]]''
* ''[[The Mysterious Planet (TV story)|The Mysterious Planet]]''
* ''[[Mindwarp (TV story)|Mindwarp]]''
* ''[[Terror of the Vervoids (TV story)|Terror of the Vervoids]]''
* ''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]''
 
===== Mini-episodes =====
* ''[[Dimensions in Time (TV story)|Dimensions in Time]]''
 
=== Stage ===
* ''[[The Ultimate Adventure]]''
 
=== Webcasts ===
==== Doctor Who ====
* ''[[Real Time (webcast)|Real Time]]''
 
==== Tales of the TARDIS ====
* ''[[Vengeance on Varos (TotT TV story)|Vengeance on Varos]]''
 
==== The Collection ====
* ''[[The Eternal Mystery (webcast)|The Eternal Mystery]]'' - voice, uncredited
 
=== Other ===
* ''[[A Fix with Sontarans (home video)|A Fix with Sontarans]]''
* ''[[Untitled (1986 TV story)|Untitled]]''
 
=== Audio ===
==== BBC Radio ====
* ''[[Slipback (audio story)|Slipback]]''
 
==== Doctor Who Main Range ====
* ''[[The Sirens of Time (audio story)|The Sirens of Time]]''
* ''[[Whispers of Terror (audio story)|Whispers of Terror]]''
* ''[[The Marian Conspiracy (audio story)|The Marion Conspiracy]]''
* ''[[The Spectre of Lanyon Moor (audio story)|The Spectre of Lanyon Moor]]''
* ''[[The Apocalypse Element (audio story)|The Apocalypse Element]]''
* ''[[The Holy Terror (audio story)|The Holy Terror]]''
* ''[[Bloodtide (audio story)|Bloodtide]]''
* ''[[Project Twilight (audio story)|Project Twilight]]''
* ''[[The One Doctor (audio story)|The One Doctor]]''
* ''[[...ish (audio story)|...ish]]''
* ''[[The Sandman (audio story)|The Sandman]]''
* ''[[Jubilee (audio story)|Jubilee]]''
* ''[[Doctor Who and the Pirates (audio story)|Doctor Who and the Pirates]]''
* ''[[Project Lazarus (audio story)|Project: Lazarus]]''
* ''[[Davros (audio story)|Davros]]''
* ''[[Zagreus (audio story)|Zagreus]]''
* ''[[The Wormery (audio story)|The Wormery]]''
* ''[[Arrangements for War (audio story)|Arrangements for War]]''
* ''[[Medicinal Purposes (audio story)|Medicinal Purposes]]''
* ''[[The Juggernauts (audio story)|The Juggernauts]]''
* ''[[Catch-1782 (audio story)|Catch-1782]]''
* ''[[Thicker Than Water (audio story)|Thicker than Water]]''
* ''[[Pier Pressure (audio story)|Pier Pressure]]''
* ''[[The Nowhere Place (audio story)|The Nowhere Place]]''
* ''[[The Reaping (audio story)|The Reaping]]''
* ''[[Year of the Pig (audio story)|Year of the Pig]]''
* ''[[I.D. (audio story)|I.D.]]'' / ''[[Urgent Calls (audio story)|Urgent Calls]]''
* ''[[The Wishing Beast (audio story)|The Wishing Beast]]'' / ''[[The Vanity Box (audio story)|The Vanity Box]]''
* ''[[100 (audio anthology)|100]]''
** ''[[100 BC (audio story)|100 BC]]''
** ''[[My Own Private Wolfgang (audio story)|My Own Private Wolfgang]]''
** ''[[Bedtime Story (audio story)|Bedtime Story]]''
** ''[[The 100 Days of the Doctor (audio story)|The 100 Days of the Doctor]]''
* ''[[The Condemned (audio story)|The Condemned]]''
* ''[[Assassin in the Limelight (audio story)|Assassin in the Limelight]]''
* ''[[The Doomwood Curse (audio story)|The Doomwood Curse]]''
* ''[[Brotherhood of the Daleks (audio story)|Brotherhood of the Daleks]]''
* ''[[The Raincloud Man (audio story)|The Raincloud Man]]''
* ''[[Patient Zero (audio story)|Patient Zero]]''
* ''[[Paper Cuts (audio story)|Paper Cuts]]''
* ''[[Blue Forgotten Planet (audio story)|Blue Forgotten Planet]]''
* ''[[City of Spires (audio story)|City of Spires]]''
* ''[[The Wreck of the Titan (audio story)|The Wreck of the Titan]]''
* ''[[Legend of the Cybermen (audio story)|Legend of the Cybermen]]''
* ''[[The Crimes of Thomas Brewster (audio story)|The Crimes of Thomas Brewster]]''
* ''[[The Feast of Axos (audio story)|The Feast of Axos]]''
* ''[[Industrial Evolution (audio story)|Industrial Evolution]]''
* ''[[Recorded Time and Other Stories]]''
** ''[[Recorded Time (audio story)|Recorded Time]]''
** ''[[Paradoxicide (audio story)|Paradoxicide]]''
** ''[[A Most Excellent Match (audio story)|A Most Excellent Match]]''
** ''[[Question Marks (audio story)|Question Marks]]''
* ''[[The Curse of Davros (audio story)|The Curse of Davros]]''
* ''[[The Fourth Wall (audio story)|The Fourth Wall]]''
* ''[[Wirrn Isle (audio story)|Wirrn Isle]]''
* ''[[The Acheron Pulse (audio story)|The Acheron Pulse]]''
* ''[[The Wrong Doctors (audio story)|The Wrong Doctors]]''
* ''[[Spaceport Fear (audio story)|Spaceport Fear]]''
* ''[[The Seeds of War (audio story)|The Seeds of War]]''
* ''[[1963: The Space Race (audio story)|The Space Race]]''
* ''[[Antidote to Oblivion (audio story)|Antidote to Oblivion]]''
* ''[[The Brood of Erys (audio story)|The Brood of Erys]]''
* ''[[Scavenger (audio story)|Scavenger]]''
* ''[[Breaking Bubbles and Other Stories]]''
** ''[[Breaking Bubbles (audio story)|Breaking Bubbles]]''
** ''[[Of Chaos Time The (audio story)|Of Chaos Time The]]''
** ''[[An Eye For Murder (audio story)|An Eye for Murder]]''
** ''[[The Curious Incident of the Doctor in the Night-Time (audio story)|The Curious Incident of the Doctor in the Night-Time]]''
* ''[[The Widow's Assassin (audio story)|The Widow's Assassin]]''
* ''[[Masters of Earth (audio story)|Masters of Earth]]''
* ''[[The Rani Elite (audio story)|The Rani Elite]]''
* ''[[Last of the Cybermen (audio story)|Last of the Cybermen]]''
* ''[[Criss-Cross (audio story)|Criss-Cross]]''
* ''[[Planet of the Rani (audio story)|Planet of the Rani]]''
* ''[[Shield of the Jötunn (audio story)|Shield of the Jötunn]]''
* ''[[Vampire of the Mind (audio story)|Vampire of the Mind]]''
* ''[[Order of the Daleks (audio story)|Order of the Daleks]]''
* ''[[Absolute Power (audio story)|Absolute Power]]''
* ''[[Quicksilver (audio story)|Quicksilver]]''
* ''[[Vortex Ice (audio story)|Vortex Ice]]'' / ''[[Cortex Fire (audio story)|Cortex Fire]]''
* ''[[The Behemoth (audio story)|The Behemoth]]''
* ''[[The Middle (audio story)|The Middle]]''
* ''[[Static (audio story)|Static]]''
* ''[[The Lure of the Nomad (audio story)|The Lure of the Nomad]]''
* ''[[Iron Bright (audio story)|Iron Bright]]''
* ''[[Hour of the Cybermen (audio story)|Hour of the Cybermen]]''
* ''[[The Hunting Ground (audio story)|The Hunting Ground]]''
* ''[[Memories of a Tyrant (audio story)|Memories of a Tyrant]]''
* ''[[Emissary of the Daleks (audio story)|Emissary of the Daleks]]''
* ''[[Harry Houdini's War (audio story)|Harry Houdini's War]]''
* ''[[Blood on Santa's Claw and Other Stories]]''
** ''[[Blood on Santa's Claw (audio story)|Blood on Santa's Claw]]''
** ''[[The Baby Awakes (audio story)|The Baby Awakes]]''
** ''[[I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day (audio story)|I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day]]''
** ''[[Brightly Shone The Moon That Night (audio story)|Brightly Shone The Moon That Night]]''
* ''[[Cry of the Vultriss (audio story)|Cry of the Vultriss]]''
* ''[[Scorched Earth (audio story)|Scorched Earth]]''
* ''[[The Lovecraft Invasion (audio story)|The Lovecraft Invasion]]''
* ''[[Plight of the Pimpernel (audio story)|Plight of the Pimpernel]]''
* ''[[Colony of Fear (audio story)|Colony of Fear]]''
* ''[[The End of the Beginning (audio story)|The End of the Beginning]]''
 
==== Special Releases ====
* ''[[The Ratings War (audio story)|The Ratings War]]''
* ''[[Excelis Rising (audio story)|Excelis Rising]]''
* ''[[The Maltese Penguin (audio story)|The Maltese Penguin]]''
* ''[[Real Time (audio story)|Real Time]]''
* ''[[Her Final Flight (audio story)|Her Final Flight]]''
* ''[[Cryptobiosis (audio story)|Cryptobiosis]]''
* ''[[Return of the Krotons (audio story)|Return of the Krotons]]''
* ''[[The Four Doctors (audio story)|The Four Doctors]]''
* ''[[Voyage to Venus (audio story)|Voyage to Venus]]''
* ''[[Voyage to the New World (audio story)|Voyage to the New World]]''
* ''[[The Light at the End (audio story)|The Light at the End]]''
* ''[[The Worlds of Doctor Who (audio anthology)|The Worlds of Doctor Who]]''
** ''[[Second Sight (audio story)|Second Sight]]''
* ''[[Trial of the Valeyard (audio story)|Trial of the Valeyard]]''
* ''[[The Legacy of Time (audio anthology)|The Legacy of Time]]''
** ''[[Prequel (The Legacy of Time)|Prequel]]''
** ''[[The Avenues of Possibility (audio story)|The Avenues of Possibility]]''
** ''[[Collision Course (audio story)|Collision Course]]''
 
==== The Lost Stories ====
* ''[[The Nightmare Fair (audio story)|The Nightmare Fair]]''
* ''[[Mission to Magnus (audio story)|Mission to Magnus]]''
* ''[[Leviathan (audio story)|Leviathan]]''
* ''[[The Hollows of Time (audio story)|The Hollows of Time]]''
* ''[[Paradise 5 (audio story)|Paradise 5]]''
* ''[[Point of Entry (audio story)|Point of Entry]]''
* ''[[The Song of Megaptera (audio story)|The Song of Megaptera]]''
* ''[[The Macros (audio story)|The Macros]]''
* ''[[The Guardians of Prophecy (audio story)|The Guardians of Prophecy]]''
* ''[[Power Play (audio story)|Power Play]]''
* ''[[The First Sontarans (audio story)|The First Sontarans]]''
* ''[[The Ultimate Evil (audio story)|The Ultimate Evil]]''
* ''[[Mind of the Hodiac (audio story)|Mind of the Hodiac]]''
 
=== The Sixth Doctor Adventures ===
* ''[[The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure]]''
** ''[[The End of the Line (audio story)|The End of the Line]]''
** ''[[The Red House (audio story)|The Red House]]''
** ''[[Stage Fright (audio story)|Stage Fright]]''
** ''[[The Brink of Death (audio story)|The Brink of Death]]''
* ''[[The Sixth Doctor and Peri: Volume One]]''
** ''[[The Headless Ones (audio story)|The Headless Ones]]''
** ''[[Like (audio story)|Like]]''
** ''[[The Vanity Trap (audio story)|The Vanity Trap]]''
** ''[[Conflict Theory (audio story)|Conflict Theory]]''
* ''[[The Eleven (audio anthology)|The Eleven]]''
** ''[[One for All (audio story)|One for All]]''
** ''[[Elevation (audio story)|Elevation]]''
* ''[[Water Worlds (audio anthology)|Water Worlds]]''
** ''[[The Rotting Deep (audio story)|The Rotting Deep]]''
** ''[[The Tides of the Moon (audio story)|The Tides of the Moon]]''
** ''[[Maelstrom (audio story)|Maelstrom]]''
* ''[[Purity Undreamed (audio anthology)|Purity Undreamed]]''
** ''[[The Mindless Ones (audio story)|The Mindless Ones]]''
** ''[[Reverse Engineering (audio story)|Reverse Engineering]]''
** ''[[Chronomancer (audio story)|Chronomancer]]''
* ''[[Purity Unleashed (audio anthology)|Purity Unleashed]]''
** ''[[Broadway Belongs to Me! (audio story)|Broadway Belongs to Me!]]''
** ''[[Purification (audio story)|Purification]]''
** ''[[Time-Burst (audio story)|Time-Burst]]''
* ''[[Purity Unbound (audio anthology)|Purity Unbound]]''
** ''[[Girl in a Bubble (audio story)|Girl in a Bubble]]''
** ''[[The Corruptions (audio story)|The Corruptions]]''
** ''[[The Wrong Side of History (audio story)|The Wrong Side of History]]''
* ''[[The Quin Dilemma (audio anthology)|The Quin Dilemma]]''
** ''[[The Exaltation (audio story)|The Exaltation]]''
** ''[[Escape from Holy Island (audio story)|Escape From Holy Island]]''
** ''[[Sibling Rivalry (audio story)|Sibling Rivalry]]''
** ''[[Children of the Revolution (audio story)|Children of the Revolution]]''
** ''[[The Thousand Year Thaw (audio story)|The Thousand Year Thaw]]''
** ''[[The Firstborn (audio story)|The Firstborn]]''
* ''[[The Trials of a Time Lord (audio story)|The Trials of a Time Lord]]''
 
==== Classic Doctors, New Monsters ====
* ''[[Judoon in Chains (audio story)|Judoon in Chains]]''
* ''[[The Carrionite Curse (audio story)|The Carrionite Curse]]''
* ''[[Together in Eclectic Dreams (audio story)|Together in Eclectic Dreams]]''
 
==== Once and Future ====
* ''[[Past Lives (audio story)|Past Lives]]''
* ''[[The Artist at the End of Time (audio story)|The Artist at the End of Time]]''
* ''[[Two's Company (audio story)|Two's Company]]''
* ''[[The Union (audio story)|The Union]]''
 
==== The Stageplays ====
* ''[[The Ultimate Adventure (audio story)|The Ultimate Adventure]]''
 
==== The Tenth Doctor and River Song ====
* ''[[Expiry Dating (audio story)|Expiry Dating]]''
 
==== Out of Time ====
* ''[[Wink (audio story)|Wink]]''
 
==== The Companion Chronicles ====
* ''[[Peri and the Piscon Paradox (audio story)|Peri and the Piscon Paradox]]''
* ''[[Beyond the Ultimate Adventure (audio story)|Beyond the Ultimate Adventure]]''
 
==== Short Trips ====
* ''[[The Wings of a Butterfly (audio story)|The Wings of a Butterfly]]''
* ''[[The Doctor's Coat (audio story)|The Doctor's Coat]]''
* ''[[Murmurs of Earth (audio story)|Murmurs of Earth]]''
* ''[[To Cut a Blade of Grass (audio story)|To Cut a Blade of Grass]]''
* ''[[The Hoxteth Time Capsule (audio story)|The Hoxteth Time Capsule]]''
 
==== Doctor Who Unbound ====
* ''[[Dust Devil (audio story)|Dust Devil]]''
 
==== The Diary of River Song ====
* ''[[World Enough and Time (audio story)|World Enough and Time]]''
* ''[[The Eye of the Storm (audio story)|The Eye of the Storm]]''
 
==== Peladon ====
* ''[[The Death of Peladon (audio story)|The Death of Peladon]]''
 
==== Jago & Litefoot ====
* ''[[Chronoclasm (audio story)|Chronoclasm]]''
* ''[[Jago in Love (audio story)|Jago in Love]]''
* ''[[Beautiful Things (audio story)|Beautiful Things]]''
* ''[[The Lonely Clock (audio story)|The Lonely Clock]]''
* ''[[The Hourglass Killers (audio story)|The Hourglass Killers]]''
* ''[[Masterpiece (audio story)|Masterpiece]]''
* ''[[Jago & Litefoot Forever (audio story)|Jago and Litefoot Forever]]''
 
==== The Lives of Captain Jack ====
* ''[[Piece of Mind (audio story)|Piece of Mind]]''
 
Other Roles
=== Television ===
==== Doctor Who ====
* ''[[Arc of Infinity (TV story)|Arc of Infinity]]'' - [[Maxil|Commander Maxil]]
* ''[[The Power of the Doctor (TV story)|The Power of the Doctor]]'' - [[Guardians of the Edge|Guardian of the Edge]]
 
=== Webcasts ===
==== The Collection ====
* ''[[The Trial (webcast)|The Trial]]'' - [[Colin Baker (The Trial)|Colin Baker]]
 
=== Other ===
* ''[[The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (TV story)|The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot]]''
* ''[[Famine Appeal]]''
 
=== Audio ===
==== Doctor Who Main Range ====
* ''[[Project Lazarus (audio story)|Project: Lazarus]]'' - [[Sixth Doctor (clone)|clone of the Sixth Doctor]]
* ''[[Zagreus (audio story)|Zagreus]]'' - Lord [[Tepesh]]
 
==== Stranded ====
* ''[[Crossed Lines (audio story)|Crossed Lines]]'' - [[The Curator]]
* ''[[The Keys of Baker Street (audio story)|The Keys of Baker Street]]'' - The Curator
 
==== Once and Future ====
* ''[[The Artist at the End of Time (audio story)|The Artist at the End of Time]]'' - [[The Curator]]
 
==== Doctor Who Unbound ====
As [[The Warrior]]
* ''[[Genesis (audio anthology)|Genesis]]''
** ''[[Dust Devil (audio story)|Dust Devil]]''
** ''[[Aftershocks (audio story)|Aftershocks]]''
** ''[[The Difference Office (audio story)|The Difference Office]]''
* ''[[Destiny (audio anthology)|Destiny]]''
** ''[[Who Am I? (audio story)|Who Am I?]]''
** ''[[Time Killers (audio story)|Time Killers]]''
** ''[[The Key To Key To Time (audio story)|The Key To Key To Time]]''
 
==== Bernice Summerfield ====
* ''[[Birthright (audio story)|Birthright]]'' - [[Mikhail Vladimir Popov]]
 
==== Gallifrey ====
* ''[[Appropriation (audio story)|Appropriation]]'' - [[Maxil|Commander Maxil]] (cameo, uncredited)
* ''[[Disassembled (audio story)|Disassembled]]'' - [[Burner Doctor|Lord Burner]]
* ''[[Forever (audio story)|Forever]]'' - [[Theta Sigma (Forever)|Commentator Theta Sigma]]
 
=== Audiobook readings ===
==== Target Novelisations ====
* ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (novelisation)|Attack of the Cybermen]]''
* ''[[Vengeance on Varos (novelisation)|Vengeance on Varos]]''
* ''[[The Twin Dilemma (novelisation)|The Twin Dilemma]]''
* ''[[Mindwarp (novelisation)|Mindwarp]]''
* ''[[The Two Doctors (TV story)|The Two Doctors]]''
* ''[[Timelash (novelisation)|Timelash]]''
 
==== BBC Audio ====
* ''[[Fortunes of War (audio story)|Fortunes of War]]''
 
==== Doctor Who Audio Annuals ====
* ''[[Time Wake (short story)|Time Wake]]''
 
== Writing Credits ==
=== Comics ===
* ''[[The Age of Chaos (comic story)|The Age of Chaos]]''
 
=== Short Stories ===
==== Brief Encounters ====
* ''[[A Wee Deoch an ...? (short story)|A Wee Deoch an ...?]]''
* ''[[The Deal (short story)|The Deal]]''
* ''[[A Tourist Invasion (short story)|A Tourist Invasion]]''
 
==== The Target Storybook ====
* ''[[Interstitial Insecurity (short story)|Interstitial Insecurity]]''
 
=== Audio ===
==== Short Trips ====
* ''[[The Wings of a Butterfly (audio story)|The Wings of a Butterfly]]''
 
== Documentary appearances ==
 
* ''[[Showman - The Life of John Nathan-Turner (documentary)|Showman - The Life of John Nathan-Turner]]''
 
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
 
== External links ==
{{imdb name|id=0048346}}
{{iwx|wiki=indianajones|wiki name=Indiana Jones Wiki}}
{{NameSort}}
 
[[es:Colin Baker]]
[[ru:Колин Бейкер]]
 
[[Category:Articles that were originally Wikipedia forks]]
[[Category:Doctor Who regular cast]]
[[Category:Doctor Who stage play actors]]
[[Category:BBV Productions actors]]
[[Category:The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot cast]]
[[Category:Video game actors]]
[[Category:Doctor Who webcast actors]]
[[Category:Big Finish Bernice Summerfield voice actors]]
[[Category:Big Finish Gallifrey voice actors]]
[[Category:Big Finish Jago & Litefoot voice actors]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed Davros]]
[[Category:Actors who have voiced for the Doctor]]
[[Category:Pre-2005 Doctor Who cast reprising their roles at Big Finish]]
[[Category:Doctor Who vocalists]]
[[Category:The Diary of River Song voice actors]]
[[Category:BBC Audio audiobook readers]]
[[Category:Doctor Who short story writers]]
[[Category:Comic writers]]
[[Category:Actors paid not to appear in Doctor Who]]
[[Category:Performers of songs about the Doctor Who universe]]
[[Category:BBCi actors]]
[[Category:Doctor Who Pinball archive voice actors]]
[[Category:Actors who had speaking roles in adlibbed stories]]
[[Category:People interviewed on Doctor Who Live]]
[[Category:Actors interviewed on Doctor Who Confidential]]
[[Category:Classic Doctors, New Monsters voice actors]]
[[Category:The Stageplays voice actors]]
[[Category:Excelis Saga voice actors]]
[[Category:The Companion Chronicles voice actors]]
[[Category:Bonus Releases voice actors]]
[[Category:The Lost Stories voice actors]]
[[Category:Main Range voice actors]]
[[Category:Short Trips voice actors]]
[[Category:Special Releases voice actors]]
[[Category:Big Finish regular cast]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed companions of the Doctor]]
[[Category:Doctor Who cast reprising their roles at BBC Radio]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed the Sixth Doctor]]
[[Category:Short Trips audio writers]]
[[Category:The Lives of Captain Jack voice actors]]
[[Category:The Legacy of Time voice actors]]
[[Category:The Sixth Doctor Adventures voice actors]]
[[Category:Tenth Doctor Adventures voice actors]]
[[Category:Doctor Who actors who played themselves]]
[[Category:Doctor Who actors that exist in the DWU]]
[[Category:Stranded voice actors]]
[[Category:Big Finish Doctor Who Unbound voice actors]]
[[Category:1963 Doctor Who cast reprising their roles in 2005 Doctor Who]]
[[Category:Once and Future voice actors]]
[[Category:Peladon voice actors]]
[[Category:Sontarans vs Rutans voice actors]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed multiple incarnations of the Doctor]]

Latest revision as of 18:53, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

You may be looking for his DWU counterpart or the parodical version of himself from Doctor Who?.

Colin Baker (born 8 June 1943[1]) played the Sixth Doctor from 1984 to 1986, beginning with an appearance at the conclusion of The Caves of Androzani, continuing from The Twin Dilemma to The Ultimate Foe.

He reprised the role for the 1989 stage show The Ultimate Adventure and the 1993 Children in Need special Dimensions in Time, as well as in numerous Doctor Who audio stories from Big Finish Productions.

Prior to becoming the Doctor, he was cast as Commander Maxil in Arc of Infinity and was considered for the roles of Arnold Jellicole in Robot, (REF: Doctor Who The Handbook: The Fourth Doctor) Persuasion in Four to Doomsday (REF: TCH 34) and Scobie, Bilton and Sheard in Time-Flight (REF: TCH 35).

Profile[[edit] | [edit source]]

Before being selected to replace Peter Davison as the Doctor, Baker was an established television actor. His most notable role was Paul Merroney in The Brothers. Baker also guest starred as Bayban the Butcher in the Blake's 7 episode City at the Edge of the World.

Baker made his Doctor Who debut as Commander Maxil in Arc of Infinity in 1983. On the strength of that performance, as well as a wedding party at which he impressed producer John Nathan-Turner, he was cast as the Sixth Doctor following Peter Davison's decision to leave the series. His era on Doctor Who began in 1984 and was interrupted by the show's cancellation a year later. After fan backlash, this was reduced to an eighteen-month hiatus[2], ostensibly because the show was moved from the spring to the autumn schedule. In the interim, Baker voiced the Doctor in the radio drama Slipback.

Following the conclusion of Season 23, Baker was dismissed as the Doctor at the insistence of BBC management, who wanted to refresh the show. The Controller of BBC One at the time, Michael Grade, believed Doctor Who had become outdated, with overly violent, farcial storylines. Baker was asked to return for the first serial of the next season to pave the way for the next Doctor, but he declined, not wishing to miss out on other work in the meantime. He in turn offered to do the whole season and have the Doctor regenerate at the end, but was himself rejected. An interview with The Sun in which he criticised Grade[3] ensured he would never return.

Years later, Baker would express regret for refusing the BBC's request, claiming he was being "selfish" and "not thinking about the fans".

As of 2022, Baker is the only actor to play the Doctor who has been fired by the BBC. Prior to his dismissal, he claimed he would gladly have done the show for as many as eight years.

Post-departure[[edit] | [edit source]]

Colin on the set of TV: Dimensions in Time)

Baker's post-Who filmography includes guest appearances in BBC series Casualty and Jonathan Creek, Al Murray's sitcom Time Gentlemen Please (as Professor Baker), Channel 4's adaptation of A Dance to the Music of Time, and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. As himself, Baker has been a 'Dictionary Corner' guest on the daytime quiz show Countdown and competed in ITV's reality series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.

Doctor Who and Big Finish[[edit] | [edit source]]

Despite the circumstances of his departure from Doctor Who, Baker has remained involved with the franchise. He reprised his role as the Doctor in the play The Ultimate Adventure, replacing Jon Pertwee, and on television in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time. In the BBV Productions video series The Stranger, he played the eponymous character, who was similar to the Doctor.

Since 1999, he has acted in audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions, usually as the Doctor. Occasionally, however, he has played alternate versions of the Doctor, such as the Burner Doctor in Disassembled and the Curator in Stranded. In the Gallifrey story Appropriation, he returned to the role of Maxil for the first time since Arc of Infinity.

In 2015, Baker finally acted in a Sixth Doctor regeneration story, the Big Finish anthology The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure. In the commentary included with the release, he remarked this finally put to bed his jest that he had never handed over the role. Baker has waited the longest of the Doctors to perform a regeneration scene, at 28 years since his exit from Doctor Who; only Paul McGann, who regenerated in The Night of the Doctor 17 years after the TV movie, comes close.

Baker has also played himself in the context of Doctor Who. In The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, he, Peter Davison, and Sylvester McCoy attempt to appear in the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, while in The Trial, a promotional mini-episodes produced for Doctor Who: The Collection — Season 23 Blu-ray boxset, a a properly in-universe Baker is put on trial for an unpaid parking fine.

In 1994, Baker became the first Doctor to write a Doctor Who story, penning The Age of Chaos, a graphic novel published by Marvel UK featuring the Sixth Doctor and Frobisher. He has since written short stories about the Sixth Doctor for Doctor Who Magazine's annual Yearbooks, the anthology The Target Storybook, and the first volume of Big Finish's Short Trips. It was not until the release of Tom Baker's Scratchman that another Doctor would be credited for writing published Doctor Who fiction; although Matt Smith is known to have written stories featuring the Doctor in preparation for his role as the Eleventh Doctor[4], they were never released.

Personal life[[edit] | [edit source]]

Baker was first married to Liza Goddard; the two later divorced. He later remarried and had five children. His son Jack died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in 1983, leading to Baker's support for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. His wife and four daughters, including Rosie Baker, played themselves in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.

From 1995 to 2019, Baker wrote a column for the Bucks Free Press called Look Who's Talking. In 2010, Hirst Books published a volume of a hundred of these columns, also called Look Who's Talking. In 2012, they released a second collection of Baker's writing, including his Doctor Who stories, entitled Gallimaufry.

Baker has served as honourary President of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society since Nicholas Courtney's death in 2011.

Colin Baker is of no relation to Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor.

In the DWU[[edit] | [edit source]]

Main article: Colin Baker (The Trial)

Colin Baker was mentioned to exist in the DWU in WC: Peter Capaldi and Simon the Shy Cyberman Invite You to Breakfast with 7 Doctors, and he appeared another webcast, The Trial, where the real world Baker played himself being put on trial for an unpaid parking fine which he received whilst filming new material for Doctor Who Season 23.

Acting Credits[[edit] | [edit source]]

as the Sixth Doctor

Television[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who[[edit] | [edit source]]

Mini-episodes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Stage[[edit] | [edit source]]

Webcasts[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who[[edit] | [edit source]]

Tales of the TARDIS[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Collection[[edit] | [edit source]]

Other[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]

BBC Radio[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Main Range[[edit] | [edit source]]

Special Releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Lost Stories[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Sixth Doctor Adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]

Classic Doctors, New Monsters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Once and Future[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Stageplays[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Tenth Doctor and River Song[[edit] | [edit source]]

Out of Time[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Companion Chronicles[[edit] | [edit source]]

Short Trips[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Unbound[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Diary of River Song[[edit] | [edit source]]

Peladon[[edit] | [edit source]]

Jago & Litefoot[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Lives of Captain Jack[[edit] | [edit source]]

Other Roles

Television[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who[[edit] | [edit source]]

Webcasts[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Collection[[edit] | [edit source]]

Other[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Main Range[[edit] | [edit source]]

Stranded[[edit] | [edit source]]

Once and Future[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Unbound[[edit] | [edit source]]

As The Warrior

Bernice Summerfield[[edit] | [edit source]]

Gallifrey[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audiobook readings[[edit] | [edit source]]

Target Novelisations[[edit] | [edit source]]

BBC Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Audio Annuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

Writing Credits[[edit] | [edit source]]

Comics[[edit] | [edit source]]

Short Stories[[edit] | [edit source]]

Brief Encounters[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Target Storybook[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]

Short Trips[[edit] | [edit source]]

Documentary appearances[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ BFI
  2. ↑ https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-guide/doctor-who-is-axed/
  3. ↑ https://drwhointerviews.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/colin-baker-1987/
  4. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8580985.stm

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

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