The first story I've watched on PBS in the early 1980s was "The Pyramids of Mars" and I was a fan ever since especially the Tom Baker stories. I was around 11 years old at the time. The scarf is iconic. I also have the City of Death Tom Baker statue that you have in your background. Doctor Who reached its peak during the 1970s plus 1980 season. I consider the Douglas Adams period and the final 1981 season just as good for different reasons.
Thank You for commenting & watching, Tom was a gift from my wife when we visited Who North America. I to started with PBS but the story was Robots of Death & I am a few years older Lol, Thank You again Terry @ Tardis Spider
Tom Baker is my favorite. I met Davison, the other Baker, McCoy and McGann, but, sadly, never met Tom Baker. However, I managed to get two video autographs from Tom.
My favorite Doctor, love all of Tom Baker's seasons, even season 15-18 have some true gems. Seasons 12 and 13 are my two favorite seasons of the show, and I think 13 is objectively the best season the show has ever done.
@@countofdownable Thank You for watching & commenting, am a big Pertwee fan myself. Am in the writing phase of a video on Doctor Who & the Silurians, one of my points will be this is where we get our first FULL dose of Pertwee's Doctor. Terry @ Tardis Spider
As a kid I would visit my grandparents in Oklahoma every summer. They had Dr. Who on at midnight on PBS... so I always stayed up late to watch Tom Baker the best Dr. Who ever!
Thank You for watching & commenting, Robots of Death on PBS was my first Who. A Great story & a Great Doctor I think New Who would be well served by getting on PBS or a similar outlet
I have some theories about why Tom was so good. I haven't researched the actor outside of watching the show, but I think he really is extremely intelligent, probably genius IQ. Not just "funny" and charismatic. This, in addition to being a skilled actor, and being rather tall, and in a show which is often enough downright silly, I think he naturally feels a bit out of place, and a bit above it all. Which, basically fits the character perfectly, as an immortal alien should act and feel. I can easily imagine him offering Jelly Babies at awkward or inappropriate moments irl. He's such a good actor, he makes the other actors, more specifically his female companions, better. And instead of bemoaning and feeling self-pity for not being a "respectable" Shakespearean actor or something similar, he has fun in the role. He's actually enjoying himself. Frankly, none of the others gives off this "alien" vibe, not consistently anyways. He personified the Doctor. It's not just an infectious smile, it's a smile from someone who is the smartest man in the room, almost a bit lonely and alienated also, as many highly intelligent people are.
PS check out the intro interview in "Tom Baker Is 90 Years Old, Take a Breath Before You See Him Now", he basically says as much, that he was basically playing himself.
yes i agree it was a great era for doctor who , and i like many of the other doctors but tom baker is my all time favourite !! he is 90 years old now or is it 750 !!!
Tom Baker came to Milwaukee, Wisconsin many years ago...My boyfriend/husband, at the time was a security police and was in the car with him to protect him...
I am currently watching every single episode of Doctor Who , Started with William Hartnel and now i am onto Tom Baker . Just Watched the final episode featuring Sarah Jane Smith , it was a very emotional ending seeing her leave the Doctor .
Thank You for watching & commenting, a great project that I am sure you will enjoy. You will soon come upon my first Episode Robots of Death another like so many great stories. Enjoy
The main generations that are calling the Hinchcliffe era overrated are the 20 and 30 year old set. Anybody else says this is the golden era of Who as it is. The first 4 Doctors were brilliantly cast and Hinchcliffe's era was easily the best of the bunch. Baker's Doctor will never be bettered IMO and Sarah Jane and Leela were some of the best companions to ever grace our screens. My very first episode watched was The Seeds Of Doom back in 1980 when the show aired on PBS. 5 minutes in and I was absolutely hooked. My dad watched it with me as did both grandparents!
I was gonna give you a Like just for your wonderful enthusiasm about Doctor Who right from the start of your vid mate! I so agree - the Tom Baker/Phillip Hinchcliffe/Robert Holmes period was one of Who's high points which ended pretty much immediately after Horror of Fang Rock.
Tom Baker was my 3rd Doctor (after Peter Cushing and Jon Pertwee), but it was when he arrived here in America I first understood the history of the show. I mostly loved his era, and I do love horror, BUT, as much as I love horror, NOTHING BUT HORROR for 4 straight years was a bit much, even for me. So when Mary Tamm's Romana arrived, it was a great relief for me. Learning more about the show over the decades, I realized that during its first 2 years, under producer Verity Lambert, virtually EVERY story was a different genre, tone, mood, etc. It was during Patrick Troughton's run that the show narrowed its focus to ONE genre at a time... until they got SICK TO DEATH of it, then did something else. Like how Pertwee's 1st season, all 4 stories focused on some industrial or scientific complex. I like variety, so breaking up any given genre with other genres is always preferable to me. Constantly changing genres every story was one of the few things the revival in the 2000s got right.
Re companions getting overwhelmed, this does happen to Tegan in Resurrection of the Daleks, and possibly Victoria in Fury From The Deep, and in both cases contributes to their decision to stay behind.
Yes, but I was thinking real world, would not so many of us just totally break down in fear or hysteria. But more importantly. Thank You for watching & commenting
I started watching Doctor Who back in the early Seventies when it ran on WTTW Channel eleven in Chicago on Sunday nights at 11:00pm! The first episode I saw was Robot Tom Baker's first Doctor Who episode!!!!!!
Good Morning! Thank You for watching & commenting Last year on my visit to Who North America one of the people I meet also was originally from Chicago and told me how he also watched on Chicago TV. Again Thank You for watching. P.S. You do know Tom Baker receiver the OBE this last week. An honor well deserved. Terry @ Tardis Spider
I applaud your good taste my American friends! Best wishes from an Englishman and his lobster-clawed bio-mechanical man-servant, currently making armour in a French forest! 👍🤖🇬🇧
Tom and Liz were my first experience with Doctor Who - I want to say my first story was the Android Invasion. Of course they will always be iconic to me.
Thank You for watching all the videos you have watched recently, & Thank You for commenting. Working on more that I hope you can enjoy. Terry @ Tardis Spider
That's the doctors most op power. Go watch torchwood if you wanna see how dangerous the who verse is when the doctor is out of the picture.But i would love to see the doctor more mature rated at times
The Brain of Morbius had me hiding behind the sofa as a kid. I still remember that Saturday tea-time and even the fabric. It was probably in black and white, but that doesn't matter. lol.
Thank You for watching & commenting Tom Baker is Legend, I do nt understand the system where one is Knighted, but as an Honor of the highest rank to me he does deserve it.
@@tardisspider7187 It's not that I don't like any of the others. But I started with him, and after seeing much of what came before and after, I felt all the more convinced his interpretation was definitive and impossible to improve upon. Also, I don't consider the current series to be a continuation of the original. It's had a few good moments, but by and large, no interest. My second favorite is Pertwee, I adore Troughton, admire Hartnell, but the serials kind of drag a bit. They hadn't figured out pacing. It's like watching The Avengers before Diana Rigg. To me, the show took a nose-dive when John Nathan-Turner took over. I didn't know about the kind of person he was when I was increasingly disliking the show, eventually giving up on it, though regaining a bit of interest when Sylvester McCoy came in. Well, I know now. Not surprised. Saddened. But nothing can ever take away the sheer glory of the Baker Era.
@@tardisspider7187 Favorite and best aren't necessarily the same thing. But in this case they are for me. I first watched Dr. Who on WOR--I'd read about the show, and the Peter Cushing films, knew what Daleks were, but they were only showing the early Baker eps on WOR. So my first was Robot. Interesting.
Tom Baker perfectly portrays the Doctor like an eccentric alien from outer space... a space weirdo. Tennant plays the Doctor like he's a space playboy picking up Earth girls every week. Baker is miles ahead of Tennant in his performance of the Doctor. Baker rules. Tennant drools.
The Tom Baker era overrated! Let’s see, The Ark in Space, Pyramids of Mars State of Decay Robots of Death Feel free to add to this short list, Bakers run is easy the most entertaining of all time. Terror the Zeigons
@@tardisspider7187 My apologies for not being clear. I was trying to point out that the Bakers run is the best in the history of the show, once again sorry if I was unclear. 👋
Definitely my favorite Doctor Who. I was so disappointed when his era ended. I tried to keep watching, but I just wouldn't do it. I completely lost interest.
Thank You for watching & commenting. As I started with Tom I felt that way too. I did not regeneration was a thing so his end was quite a surprise here Terry @ Tardis Spider
Tom Baker will always be my Doctor! He was the best!
Sounds like a true fan. Thank You for watching & commenting
Terry @ Tardis Spider
@@tardisspider7187 You're welcome.
No question of it!
By and far.
Tom is the Definitive Doctor, with Jon Pertwee a very close second.
Thank You for watching & commenting. The entire decade is "Golden" .
Terry @ Tardis Spider
"What is the point of being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes?" The greatest wisdom ever shared.
Thank You for watching & commenting. T Baker brought the energy & joy of youth to the part. Setting a standard from that point forward
A great quote from the Barry Letts era!
I am 58 years and Tom is my doctor. My doctor is number four.
Thank You for watching & commenting, started with Tom in the Robots of Death. The 70's were a true Golden era
Terry @ Tardis Spider
Agreed.
I'm 59.
The first story I've watched on PBS in the early 1980s was "The Pyramids of Mars" and I was a fan ever since especially the Tom Baker stories. I was around 11 years old at the time. The scarf is iconic. I also have the City of Death Tom Baker statue that you have in your background. Doctor Who reached its peak during the 1970s plus 1980 season. I consider the Douglas Adams period and the final 1981 season just as good for different reasons.
Thank You for commenting & watching, Tom was a gift from my wife when we visited Who North America. I to started with PBS but the story was Robots of Death & I am a few years older Lol,
Thank You again
Terry @ Tardis Spider
I love Tom Baker. I am glad he is still alive at 91.
Tom Baker was the best.
Thank you for watching & commenting. Baker and this era are s good as it gets
Tom Baker is my favorite. I met Davison, the other Baker, McCoy and McGann, but, sadly, never met Tom Baker. However, I managed to get two video autographs from Tom.
My favorite Doctor, love all of Tom Baker's seasons, even season 15-18 have some true gems. Seasons 12 and 13 are my two favorite seasons of the show, and I think 13 is objectively the best season the show has ever done.
Thank You as always for watching & commenting. Whenever a Whotuber watches I smile & hope they enjoy.
Terry
For me, Tom Baker is the Sean Connery of Doctor Who.
Great comparison Tom Bakers presentation of the Doctor is definitive. Thank You for watching & commenting
Terry @ Tardis Spider
Tom Baker was the first doctor for myself.
Same. Hands down my favorite.
Same here Robots of Death, Thank You for watching & commenting
Terry @ Tardis Spider
My earliest TV memory is Jon Pertwee turning into Tom Baker.
@@countofdownable Thank You for watching & commenting, am a big Pertwee fan myself. Am in the writing phase of a video on Doctor Who & the Silurians, one of my points will be this is where we get our first FULL dose of Pertwee's Doctor.
Terry @ Tardis Spider
He is and shall Always be THE Doctor.
As a kid I would visit my grandparents in Oklahoma every summer. They had Dr. Who on at midnight on PBS... so I always stayed up late to watch Tom Baker the best Dr. Who ever!
Thank You for watching & commenting, Robots of Death on PBS was my first Who. A Great story & a Great Doctor I think New Who would be well served by getting on PBS or a similar outlet
Sarah Jane is, was and will always be the BEST companion.
If Elizabeth Sladen hadn't left us so early she would have been given a Dame hood ❤
Thank you for watching, Sarah & 3 are the only Doctor Companion i have meet. a pleasure many years ago.
Great video! My personal favourite seasons are 14 and 8. Just perfection in my opinion, impossible to do better
Maybe you mean season 18, 'cause 8 is a Pertwee era.
Pertwee was my favourite Doctor.
@@Heritor7 Mine too!
Thank You for watching & commenting. I see you were inspiration for Sci Fi Guy today, it was a good video idea. IThanks again
Terry @ Tardis Spider
Tom Baker is THE Dr Who.
Tom is the real deal to say. the afce & image of the Doctor
I have some theories about why Tom was so good. I haven't researched the actor outside of watching the show, but I think he really is extremely intelligent, probably genius IQ. Not just "funny" and charismatic. This, in addition to being a skilled actor, and being rather tall, and in a show which is often enough downright silly, I think he naturally feels a bit out of place, and a bit above it all. Which, basically fits the character perfectly, as an immortal alien should act and feel. I can easily imagine him offering Jelly Babies at awkward or inappropriate moments irl. He's such a good actor, he makes the other actors, more specifically his female companions, better. And instead of bemoaning and feeling self-pity for not being a "respectable" Shakespearean actor or something similar, he has fun in the role. He's actually enjoying himself. Frankly, none of the others gives off this "alien" vibe, not consistently anyways. He personified the Doctor. It's not just an infectious smile, it's a smile from someone who is the smartest man in the room, almost a bit lonely and alienated also, as many highly intelligent people are.
PS check out the intro interview in "Tom Baker Is 90 Years Old, Take a Breath Before You See Him Now", he basically says as much, that he was basically playing himself.
Thank You for watching & commenting. Always Tom Baker he is my first, so he holds a warm spot
Terry @ Tardis Spider
Have you seen 'Nicholas and Alexandra'? Baker plays Rasputin. Wow.
tom is listed in the new years honors list 2026 for a OBE ( order of the british empire ) in the u.k for his services to television !!!
Thank You for watching and all of the comments I heard about the OBE and had to ask a UK friend to explain the honor. Well deserved. Again Thank you
I buy many of the Tom Baker audio shows from Big Finish because they help me on nostalgic road to the 1970s plus 1981 seasons of Tom Baker.
Tom Baker my ideal Doctor and my favorite since childhood thank you for the enjoyable entertaining video!:)
Thank You for the kind words, Thank You for watching & commenting, Hope I have more videos you enjoy
Terry @ Tardis Spider
@tardisspider7187 certainly you are very welcome yes subscribed anxious for to see more!:)
I to am a cancer survivor, Very fortunate Prostate caught it before it spread so happily just 45 radiation treatments and now clean for 18+ months
@tardisspider7187 some good news I'm very happy for you congratulations for now take care!:)
yes i agree it was a great era for doctor who , and i like many of the other doctors but tom baker is my all time favourite !! he is 90 years old now or is it 750 !!!
750 I think, Thank You for the comment & watching
Tom Baker came to Milwaukee, Wisconsin many years ago...My boyfriend/husband, at the time was a security police and was in the car with him to protect him...
Wow, For this fan it would be an experience beyond belief. Thank You for watching & commenting
I loved Jon Pertwee, He and Tom were the best of that era...David Tennant also top class.
Pertwee my fav, but no one is a "Doctor" as Tom Baker
@@tardisspider7187 After Tom left I went off the show..
I am currently watching every single episode of Doctor Who , Started with William Hartnel and now i am onto Tom Baker .
Just Watched the final episode featuring Sarah Jane Smith , it was a very emotional ending seeing her leave the Doctor .
Thank You for watching & commenting, a great project that I am sure you will enjoy. You will soon come upon my first Episode Robots of Death another like so many great stories. Enjoy
The main generations that are calling the Hinchcliffe era overrated are the 20 and 30 year old set. Anybody else says this is the golden era of Who as it is. The first 4 Doctors were brilliantly cast and Hinchcliffe's era was easily the best of the bunch. Baker's Doctor will never be bettered IMO and Sarah Jane and Leela were some of the best companions to ever grace our screens. My very first episode watched was The Seeds Of Doom back in 1980 when the show aired on PBS. 5 minutes in and I was absolutely hooked. My dad watched it with me as did both grandparents!
A PBS viewer myself, first story Robots of Death, Hooked since. Thank you for watching & commenting
Oh lord, you are making me feel OLD, I started Dr WHO at the end of the Troughton Era. So Jon Pertwee is my Dr.
Thank You for watching & commenting. Pertwee is my Doctor even though I started with T Baker. But I love Classic Doctors
I started at the very beginning. How old do you think I feel.
@@RonTodd-gb1eo Been a fan for over 40 years, Started on PBS in the early 80's. OLd enough to be retired
Baker is Doctor Who.
a sentiment shared by most well informed fans
Thank You for watching &commenting
I was gonna give you a Like just for your wonderful enthusiasm about Doctor Who right from the start of your vid mate! I so agree - the Tom Baker/Phillip Hinchcliffe/Robert Holmes period was one of Who's high points which ended pretty much immediately after Horror of Fang Rock.
Thank You for watching & commenting, a great era for the fans. This is where I came to the party. And have enjoyed ever since
@@tardisspider7187 Stay happy 😀
It was because of Tom Baker's Doctor that I fell in love with jelly babies.
Thank You for watching & commenting, Made sure I tried them myself the first time I found them here
Tom Baker was my 3rd Doctor (after Peter Cushing and Jon Pertwee), but it was when he arrived here in America I first understood the history of the show. I mostly loved his era, and I do love horror, BUT, as much as I love horror, NOTHING BUT HORROR for 4 straight years was a bit much, even for me. So when Mary Tamm's Romana arrived, it was a great relief for me.
Learning more about the show over the decades, I realized that during its first 2 years, under producer Verity Lambert, virtually EVERY story was a different genre, tone, mood, etc. It was during Patrick Troughton's run that the show narrowed its focus to ONE genre at a time... until they got SICK TO DEATH of it, then did something else. Like how Pertwee's 1st season, all 4 stories focused on some industrial or scientific complex. I like variety, so breaking up any given genre with other genres is always preferable to me.
Constantly changing genres every story was one of the few things the revival in the 2000s got right.
Thank You watching & commenting. T Baker was my first Doctor but I lean to Pertwee foe a favorite. Thou not by much. Again Thank You
Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker were the best ever.
A truly "Golden Decade" Pertwee is only Doctor I have meet an Honor back in 84
Re companions getting overwhelmed, this does happen to Tegan in Resurrection of the Daleks, and possibly Victoria in Fury From The Deep, and in both cases contributes to their decision to stay behind.
Yes, but I was thinking real world, would not so many of us just totally break down in fear or hysteria. But more importantly. Thank You for watching & commenting
I started watching Doctor Who back in the early Seventies when it ran on WTTW Channel eleven in Chicago on Sunday nights at 11:00pm! The first episode I saw was Robot Tom Baker's first Doctor Who episode!!!!!!
Good Morning! Thank You for watching & commenting Last year on my visit to Who North America one of the people I meet also was originally from Chicago and told me how he also watched on Chicago TV. Again Thank You for watching.
P.S. You do know Tom Baker receiver the OBE this last week. An honor well deserved.
Terry @ Tardis Spider
I applaud your good taste my American friends!
Best wishes from an Englishman and his lobster-clawed bio-mechanical man-servant, currently making armour in a French forest!
👍🤖🇬🇧
Thank You, just subscribed as I watch YT on TV I will get plenty of chances to watch
Tom and Liz were my first experience with Doctor Who - I want to say my first story was the Android Invasion. Of course they will always be iconic to me.
Thank You for watching all the videos you have watched recently, & Thank You for commenting. Working on more that I hope you can enjoy.
Terry @ Tardis Spider
@@tardisspider7187 it's a pleasure to have found your channel.
That's the doctors most op power. Go watch torchwood if you wanna see how dangerous the who verse is when the doctor is out of the picture.But i would love to see the doctor more mature rated at times
Tom Baker. No one else comes close!
Thank You for watching & commenting. I hope other videos are just as good
The Brain of Morbius had me hiding behind the sofa as a kid. I still remember that Saturday tea-time and even the fabric. It was probably in black and white, but that doesn't matter. lol.
Thank You for watching & commenting, hope you have good year
I liked the Planet of Evil too!
Yeah Planet of Evil is top notch. Thank You for watching & commenting
Why has this man not been knighted yet?
Thank You for watching & commenting Tom Baker is Legend, I do nt understand the system where one is Knighted, but as an Honor of the highest rank to me he does deserve it.
@@tardisspider7187 it as just been reported in the u.k that tom baker will be awarded an OBE for his contribution to television !!.
Oh aye.
Thank You for the comment & watching Hope I have future videos you enjoy
@
I’m sure you will.
I’ll throw ya’s a sub.
@@calgacusofcaledonia Thank You
Genesis wasn't one of the best dalek stories it was, in my opinion, the best doctor who stories ever.
Thank You foe watching & commenting. I enjoy this era so much.
Terry @ Tardis Spider
It began to sink after John Nathan Turner took over as producer. They should have brought in Fred Freiberger to finish it off.
It's not that he's better than any of them.
He's better than all the rest combined.
Wow a strong take . Many cannot argue though
@@tardisspider7187 It's not that I don't like any of the others. But I started with him, and after seeing much of what came before and after, I felt all the more convinced his interpretation was definitive and impossible to improve upon.
Also, I don't consider the current series to be a continuation of the original. It's had a few good moments, but by and large, no interest.
My second favorite is Pertwee, I adore Troughton, admire Hartnell, but the serials kind of drag a bit. They hadn't figured out pacing. It's like watching The Avengers before Diana Rigg.
To me, the show took a nose-dive when John Nathan-Turner took over. I didn't know about the kind of person he was when I was increasingly disliking the show, eventually giving up on it, though regaining a bit of interest when Sylvester McCoy came in. Well, I know now. Not surprised. Saddened.
But nothing can ever take away the sheer glory of the Baker Era.
@ Not against your choice jut a strong take, as I have no favorite Doctor. Baker was also my first Robots of Death
@@tardisspider7187 Favorite and best aren't necessarily the same thing. But in this case they are for me. I first watched Dr. Who on WOR--I'd read about the show, and the Peter Cushing films, knew what Daleks were, but they were only showing the early Baker eps on WOR. So my first was Robot. Interesting.
@@christopherlyons5900 Thank You for watching, And the comment. Tom was my first Doctor also
Tom Baker and the older Doctors were and still are the Best. Later ones are Garbage.
Thank You for watching & commenting. Yea I agree. While many think T Baker is the best, the early doctors all a fantastic
Tom Baker perfectly portrays the Doctor like an eccentric alien from outer space... a space weirdo. Tennant plays the Doctor like he's a space playboy picking up Earth girls every week. Baker is miles ahead of Tennant in his performance of the Doctor. Baker rules. Tennant drools.
Cannot say I disagree, to this day Tom Baker just feels alien, feels like the Doctor. Not like an actor in a role
Still my favorite Doctor (Peter Capaldi is second).
The Tom Baker era overrated! Let’s see,
The Ark in Space,
Pyramids of Mars
State of Decay
Robots of Death
Feel free to add to this short list, Bakers run is easy the most entertaining of all time.
Terror the Zeigons
Not sure I understand overrated or these are favorites. Thank You for watching & commenting
@@tardisspider7187 My apologies for not being clear. I was trying to point out that the Bakers run is the best in the history of the show, once again sorry if I was unclear. 👋
The Sontarian Experiment
Horror of Fang Rock
Genesis of the Daleks
Seeds of Doom
@@mancyank564 Ya the list practically endless!👋👍
Talons of Weng Chiang.
Definitely my favorite Doctor Who. I was so disappointed when his era ended. I tried to keep watching, but I just wouldn't do it. I completely lost interest.
Thank You for watching & commenting. As I started with Tom I felt that way too. I did not regeneration was a thing so his end was quite a surprise here
Terry @ Tardis Spider
I like Tom Baker and Peter Davidson after that. I just could not get into Peter’s replacement.