Published Date: 23 September 2009
By John Bowman
Now, with the launch of his Official Website, actor Tom Baker, who lives near Rye, has found, as he puts it, "...A home in a new universe". The World Wide Web to be precise. He spoke to the Observer about it, and happily chatted about a few other subjects along the way.
One thing needs to be made clear from the outset - www.tom-baker.co.uk is the one and only Official Website dedicated to Tom Baker. Accept no others, despite what they may claim. For, such is his popularity, pretenders to the throne have, possibly not surprisingly, sprung up along the way, "...But none of them has been endorsed," by him.
"This is the only one," says the 75-year-old emphatically with that distinctive, rich, deep voice. "A lot of people have said they have got the official site but they haven't."
Certainly, the others could not hope to contain the wealth of material that Baker's extensive site has. It's all there: a biography telling his life from the day he entered this world in Liverpool in 1934, to getting the job of the Doctor while working on a building site in 1974, to what he's up to nowadays. And it's definitely been an eventful life - including spending six years in a monastery.
The site also boasts an extensive and informative list detailing many of Baker's performances on stage and on screen, plus photo galleries with rare pictures, videos, a newsletter that he'll be updating periodically, an in-depth look at his time on Doctor Who, and a guestbook for visitors to sign. It took six months to put together, with the painstaking work done by his wife, Sue.
"She's done an amazing job," he says proudly, adding touchingly: "Everything in my life over the past 30 years Sue has made amazing."
Among the work needed to be done was obtaining clearances for pictures, and as more clearances are obtained, more photos will go on the site "...Including a delightful one of Baker clad in white ballet tights and tutu, dancing with Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy author Douglas Adams.[photo on FANsite here]
It was taken in 1990 during filming of the fantasy documentary Hyperland, written by Adams and starring Baker. "The fans would love to see that photo, I'm sure!" he laughs.
Relishing his past "...Being an old Doctor Who has its social advantages. "I'm licensed to offer jelly babies!" he is nevertheless fascinated by current developments, such as allowing product placement on British commercial TV.
"That's really going to change things. Did you see The Truman Show? Wasn't that a wonderful film? Always taking him by the elbow and moving him into ads."
Baker, who moved to East Sussex with his wife in August 2007, is keen on using his website to interact with his multitude of fans. "The internet has made things so much easier for things like that," he says, marvelling at its potential.
"I can talk about the people I'm seeing, the books I'm reading, and people who get in touch with me will be giving me ideas for my newsletter."
He's also looking forward to visitors' comments about the site "... And the fact that after 28 years he has returned to the role of the Time Lord in a bona fide Doctor Who adventure, albeit on audio as opposed to TV.
"Hornets' Nest" comprises five one-hour episodes and co-stars Rula Lenska, Susan Jameson and Richard Franklin, with each part being released by BBC Audiobooks between now and December. "The fans are very excited about the fact I'm back as the Doctor," says Baker enthusiastically, obviously pleased to be back in the role himself.
He was up in London last week to publicise "Hornets' Nest" at a signing at a shop in The Strand, where he was joined by Lenska and Mary Tamm, who played the first incarnation of Romana "...The Time Lady who accompanied Baker on his travels as the Doctor. "It was great fun. They were breaking into song every now and again, including a Vera Lynn number, much to the delight of the fans." Mention of Lynn "...Another East Sussex resident," prompts a tribute to both her and her feat this week of becoming the oldest living artist to get to number one in the UK album charts at the age of 92.
"It's absolutely incredible. She's a great, great icon, the greatest surviving icon of the Second World War after the Queen Mother."
And what of living in East Sussex, having opted for the tranquillity of country living? "I love it here," enthuses Baker. "Sue has turned our home into an absolute paradise.
To me at my advanced age I may have lost my religious faith but I'm already in paradise, and yet I'm also corporeal. It's wonderful." Indeed, as a self-confessed fan of bonfires, he may well be spotted in the woods collecting bracken while walking their dog. [Poppy.]
Mention of his loss of faith reminds Baker of a liberty taken recently by a producer who wanted to cast him in a three-hander, filming in Barcelona, with Baker playing God "...And he thought he would be happy to accept the role despite not being sent a script. It was outrageous! I mean, I might like to play the Devil, or as a challenging part the Virgin Mary!"
Certainly, Baker has earned the right to be able to choose what work he does. For the time being, he will be concentrating on commercials up in London. However, acting isn't his only skill. He wrote the globally popular horror-fantasy novel "The Boy Who Kicked Pigs", and his autobiography, "Who On Earth Is Tom Baker?", was published by Harper Collins.
"I'm in regular contact with a literary agent and I keep being asked to write something," he says. "But I don't need to write a book. Now I have a website, I can talk to the fans. Fan love, unlike human love, is enduring. It's terribly, terribly agreeable."
The capital isn't a place he'd choose to venture into for an evening's entertainment, though. "Nothing would get me to go up to London for that. It's absolute hell to get there and back for a meal and a show, what with the brutes and the lack of security, it makes you very anxious.
I'm not going to risk my life to take people up for dinner and drinks and a show." He pauses, then - as another thought strikes - adds in a reassuringly jovial tone: "You're pretty safe with matinees!"
Exit to laughter.
That's Tom Baker, philosophical and entertaining, all at the same time.
And undoubtedly a national treasure.
The full article contains 1149 words and appears in newspaper.
Page 1 of 1
Last Updated: 23 September 2009 9:56 AM
Source: n/a
Location: Rye & Battle
please click here to GO to
Tom Baker's Article Sixty-Six Page
please click here to GO to
Tom Baker's Article Sixty-Seven Page
please click here to GO to
Tom Baker's Article Sixty-Eight Page
please click here to GO to
Tom Baker's Article Sixty-Nine Page
please click here to GO to
Tom Baker's Article Seventy Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article One Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Two Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Three Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Four Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Five Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Six Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Seven Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Eight Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Nine Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Ten
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Eleven Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twelve Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirteen Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fourteen Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifteen Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Sixteen Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Seventeen Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Eighteen Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Nineteen Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty-One Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Two Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Three Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Four Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Five Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Six Page
click here return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Seven Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Eight Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Nine Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty-One Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty-Two Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty-Three Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty-Four Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty-Five Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty-Six Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty-Seven Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty-Eight Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Thirty-Nine Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty-One Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty-Two Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty-Three Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty-Four Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty-Five Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty-Six Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty-Seven Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty-Eight Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Forty-Nine Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty-One Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty-Two Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty-Three Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty-Four Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty-Five Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty-Six Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty-Seven Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty-Eight Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Fifty-Nine Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Sixty Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Sixty-One Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Sixty-Two Page
click here to return to
Tom Baker's Article Sixty-Three Page
click here to go to
A Comprehensive INDEX of Tom Baker
Article Reprints
click here to go back to Tom Baker's Entry Page
click here to go back to Tom Baker's Front Page
click here to POP to Top
Midi file this page: "Be Still."