Marking the 30th anniversary of ‘The Trial of a Time Lord’, Colin Baker has discussed his time in Doctor Who.

Baker was chatting exclusively to CultBox‘s Jeff Moody to promote the DVD release of coming-of-age movie A Dozen Summers.

 

Colin, it’s thirty years this month since ‘The Trial of a Time Lord’. When did you last watch it?

“When I was asked to do so for the DVD extras. Occasionally when I’m at conventions they show an episode and I’m asked to comment. I can vaguely remember stories, and you know, I rather enjoy it. I’m unashamed of my work and proud of it. It’s of its time, of course it is. But in its day it was state of the art. It was good.”

 

It was. Some of your stories – like ‘Revelation of the Daleks’, ‘Vengeance on Varos’, ‘Mindwarp’ – they’re up there with the very best of Doctor Who. Do you feel your stories compare well to other Doctors?

“You may very well say that – I couldn’t possibly comment. I have felt, over the years that my tenure as the Doctor has been tainted in some people’s eyes by what was happening in the programme and how it was viewed by the BBC and some of the fans, who felt they owned the programme.

“Poor old JNT had to deal with a lot over my time. And not all the so-called fans were fans of the programme. For heaven’s sake, it’s for the fans, but it’s not made BY the fans. I think I was a bit unlucky. Now of course, the BBC adores it. They suddenly realise they’ve got a financial golden goose on their hands. Now there’s a Radio Times cover every other week.

“I’m happy for the programme, of course I am – and for the people who love it – and there’s a lot of people who love it. Big Finish has given me the opportunity to rehabilitate my Doctor. And you know what? I heard the other day, that Steven Moffatt said something about me in DWM. He said if you watch me in black and white, I’m a very good Doctor! That’s the first time he’s said anything about my Doctor, and it’s nice.”

 

You’re very good in black and white, Colin!

“Thank you, I think! You see, I got saddled with evidence that the programme was being made in the ‘80s. You know I was in The Brothers, before Doctor Who, and that was hugely popular but one of the reasons it doesn’t get fresh airings is because the clothes are so unacceptable today – flared trousers, kipper ties, all of that. The Brothers is a more of a period piece now.

“You see each Doctor reflected the age in which he was doing it – Jon Pertwee was a Carnaby Street dandy, Tom was too, really. But I was stuck with that awful outfit!”

 

Your Doctor began as an edgy, at times rather unlikeable character and the plan was to mellow him over time – time that you sadly didn’t really get. In hindsight, do you think that was a good decision?

“Yes I do. I mean, Peter Capaldi did it He started off edgy and now they’ve softened him a bit – it’s not fair that I get the stick for it. I mean, that scene in ‘Deep Breath’ where Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman are in the restaurant – well, that was one to the best scenes I’ve ever seen in Doctor Who.

“But at the end of the day, when I was doing it, irrespective of what happened afterwards – every day I looked forward to going to work.

“David Tennant and Peter Capaldi were mad fans as kids, weren’t they? I can’t say I was, as a kid, but I didn’t realise was how much the part would shape my life. I mean, when I die, it will be on the news, won’t it?”

 

You were the Doctor at an extremely difficult time for the programme. If you had a TARDIS and you could travel back to meet your former self – on the very day you signed your contract to become the Doctor – what advice would you give to yourself?

“Do you know, I’ve never been asked that! What a great question. You know, I think I’d tell myself to just weather the storm. I’d say ‘Colin, it will all be ok. At the other end it will be all right.’

“It was tough in ‘86 when Michael Grade came along having publicly disliked the show. I remember the interview he did on London Weekend when he said the BBC was stuck in a time warp with rubbish like Doctor Who. He thought it was perfectly acceptable to cancel it. He just tried to make thing difficult, by getting rid of me.

“I took it personally back then. So I would tell myself, ‘don’t take it personally, you’re collateral damage, and you’ve got a wonderful career ahead of you.’”

 

Featuring Colin Baker as the narrator, A Dozen Summers is out now on DVD. Get ready to enter the world of Maisie and Daisy McCormack, twin sisters who have just hijacked a children’s film in order to tell their own story. In the process they address issues faced by all twelve year olds such as family, friends, bullying and school life.

Buy A Dozen Summers on DVD on Amazon here.

The new season of Doctor Who is currently filming in Cardiff and will begin on BBC One in April 2017.

Here’s everything we know so far about Season 10.

What are your favourite things about Colin Baker’s era of Doctor Who? Let us know below…