My Admiration For the Fourth Doctor

I thought it was awesome, but I’ll spare you the boredom of reading about someone else’s dream.

I have a friend where I live who has a photography hobby. She loves to shoot people (teehee) for fun. She’s always looking for abandoned buildings, especially houses. When I finally did a shoot with her, it turned out a bit different. When she asked me what I wanted to “bring to the table,” I decided that I wanted to be like the Doctor’s companion: in awe of where I was, or totally into the part of being somewhere. My original thoughts on it were just that. I even thought about wearing renaissance clothes in some of the pictures. The final idea was that I WAS the Doctor’s companion.

Ultimately, it was the fourth Doctor‘s outfit that went into the shoot. I was a bit more excited for the eleventh Doctor after the costume change, which didn’t end up happening, but as an admirer of Four, it was fun nonetheless.

I will post pictures from the shoot later, but for now, let’s talk about Four.

Four sharing a jelly baby.

I’ve watched as much as I’ve been able to find of the original Doctor Who (or, more commonly known these days as “Classic Who” or “Classic Doctor Who”).  While I like each classic Doctor for different reasons, Four stands out above the rest.  It goes far beyond his “all teeth and curls” look, and his iconic 14-foot-long scarf.  He was truly a fun-loving Doctor.  Tom Baker was the first actor portraying the character that really understood that the Doctor is an alien.

Tom Baker was in his forties when he played the Doctor from 1974 to 1981.

Four travelled with several companions over the years from all different times and races, including Leela, a tough primitive woman who wore mostly animal skins.  However, Romana II was definitely my favourite.  Romana was a young female Time Lord (that’s right — it’s not “Time Lady” — it’s a species, not a title) who ended up regenerating.  Her first incarnation was a strict rule follower who thought she had all the answers.  After her regeneration, she gave in to being more like the Doctor — a fun-loving adventurer who often bent the rules.  Also, I’ve always thought she looked a bit like Rose Tyler.

Romana, in the beginning of my favourite fourth Doctor episode, “The Leisure Hive.”

While I have certain Doctors I like more than others, and Four isn’t at the top, I’d still gladly accept if I ever heard him offer me a jelly baby and a ride on the TARDIS.

A throwback as Seven eats a jelly baby.

Twelve offers a jelly baby to a fellow train passenger.

Tom Baker in a cameo role in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special from 2013, age 79 at the time it aired.