Despite being arguably the most beloved incarnation of the character, former Timelord Tom Baker has traditionally distanced himself from all things Doctor Who following his run on the classic British sci-fi series, but if the Daily Express are to be believed, Baker is now being lined up by the BBC to make a dramatic return for the show’s 50th anniversary special. According to the report, Baker is set to join forces with the current Doctor, Matt Smith, with an unnamed ‘insider’ quoted as stating: “It will be fitting to have Tom back to mark the 50 years. He was a big part of the show’s success and is much-loved by fans.”
Joining the series in 1974 as the fourth incarnation of the Timelord, Baker went on to become the longest-serving Doctor, appearing as the character for seven years until 1981. However, in subsequent years, Baker found himself struggling against typecasting and spent much of the next two decades distancing himself from the show. He refused to reprise the role for the 20th anniversay special ‘The Five Doctors’, although he did don the scarf once more for the 1993 charity special ‘Dimensions in Time’ and has seemingly softened his stance in recent years, appearing in several Doctor Who documentaries as well as voicing the character for a series of audio dramas beginning in 2009.
Little is known about the plans for the 50th anniversary Doctor Who special, although there have been rumours that Matt Smith and show-runner Steven Moffat are keen to produce a multi-Doctor crossover event and while Christopher Eccleston has ruled out a return, past Doctors David Tennant, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker and Peter Davison are all thought to be open to the idea.
Originally published July 12, 2012. Updated January 18, 2020.
