************************************************

Sep 11 2004

Monarch star Tom Baker on his dream of going over to the dark side on Dr Who ...and why BBC has to bring back the Daleks

By Paul English

************************************************

HE made his name as the Tardis-travelling Time Lord, who protected the people of Earth from the peril of the Daleks. But Doctor Who's Tom Baker has been seduced by the dark side. Now he wants to terrorise new Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston when the series returns next year. The 71-year-old actor says he'd love to get one over on the character, which made him a household name in the Seventies and Eighties, by returning to the show as the Doctor's arch-enemy The Master. Tom said: 'If the BBC were brave enough, which they're not, then what they really should do would be to make me The Master. 'That would be really witty. Heroes always need villains. Superman can't exist without evil and vice versa. 'So it would be very clever to have this person who was once the hero become the villain, because within life, as well as fiction, we are nowhere without villains. 'Without them there'd be no newspapers, no film industry, no literature. You absolutely need the dark side. 'Doctor Who was the best job I ever had, so there's no way I'd be satisfied with anything like a bit part in the new series. 'That would bore me to death because then it would be all about this walk-on appearance from the old Doctor Who.' The former time traveller has just wakened from a nap in his dressing room on the set of BBC Scotland's Monarch Of The Glen, which returns for series six next Sunday, September 19. Despite being of an age when most folk are firmly settled into retirement, Tom's career has been enjoying something of a renaissance. He's currently talking over his role as the narrator of hit BBC comedy Little Britain with creators David Walliams and Matt Lucas, and looks set to record a third series. And he's just completed his voice-over for the part of sinister ZaBadDee in the forthcoming Magic Roundabout movie, featuring Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams. But it's his role as retired racing driver Donald MacDonald in the Glenbogle drama which will boost his resurgent profile further. Tom said: 'I always seem to be employed these days by young men who were fans of Doctor Who. 'They associate me with their childhood, and they think they know me because of that. But, of course, all they know is Doctor Who, not Tom Baker.' FATHER-OF-TWO Tom lives in the south of France with his wife Sue and their family of cats in a small village outside Toulouse. He's 23 years older than he was when he handed the Doctor Who reigns over to Peter Davison, but you'd still recognise his bold features a mile off. He admits he has found it difficult to be away from his wife for six months, but claims living around the hills of Newtonmore has its benefits too. He said: 'I really miss my wife and my home, so I am looking forward to getting back to the familiar things I miss. 'It is beautiful up here, although the midges do bite me to buggery. 'But after a while beauty won't do. If you're surrounded by a rural background, then soon you itch for something different, even a bit of squalor, don't you? 'Paradise was never enough for Adam and Eve you know. It's like this here a little. But it's very calm and peaceful, and the people have a great sense of humour.' For the last six months, Tom has been living in a luxury self-catering apartment in Newtonmore, with occasional weekend trips back home or to his old stomping ground of London. He said~:'Even when I'm in France I like to come over to London every so often for the contrast. I love to wander around the streets of Soho, which I miss terribly.' But he has found an unlikely buddy in the shape of Monarch co-star Martin Compston. The pair are popular with locals in the bars of Newtonmore and Kingussie when cast and crew go out drinking together. 'Martin's wonderful, so smart and upbeat. I spend a lot of time with him because he's fun to be around,' said Tom. But he knows very little about his colleagues' characters, as he's never watched the show. Tom confessed: 'I'm not even entirely sure what it's about, because I don't read the others' scripts and I've never watched it. 'But in many ways Donald reminds me of me, so when I was offered the role I was intrigued.' Donald's past is unclear, but Tom says viewers will learn more about his younger years as series six unfolds. Tom said: 'Every now and then another character comes back into his life from his past and reveals more about him. 'He is very eccentric, which I adore, as I have been known to have a few eccentricities of my own.' One he admits to is counting his varicose veins. So is Doctor Who battling the effects of age with grace, or does he rail against them? He explained: 'When I moved to France about three years ago, I thought my energy was running out. 'But it hasn't, you see, so when they offered me this it seemed like a terrific idea - and it has been fun. 'But the older you get, the future becomes less and less and the past grows greater and greater. 'That's why old people talk about the past - because they have no future. I don't really feel sad about that or anything, that's basically just how it is. I certainly don't let it depress me, although Christ knows I would do anything to be 65 again. 'You have to be charmingly old, or wittily old, or interestingly old, because if you're not, then you'll get very short shrift from people. I actually have to use my imagination to think about what it's like to be young. One's recollection of that becomes very vague the older one gets. 'Young people must look at old people and think 'Jesus Christ - is that what becomes of us?' 'On trains, I've noticed young people get on the carriage, take one look at me, and then move on. I suppose that's because they don't want to be reminded about death and disintegration and all the horrible stuff which lies ahead.' Despite his tongue-in-cheek gloom, Tom doesn't really care about being a septuagenarian. He does, however, care about how the new Doctor Who will take shape. HE has no idea who Christopher Eccleston is, but claims he'll succeed 'because no Doctor Who has ever failed'. And he's relieved that the Daleks have been given clearance to return. Tom said: 'They'd have been mad not to bring them back, bloody crazy. 'They can do without his robotic dog K-9, I think. But the Daleks were so important to the story. How many millions of children have been influenced by the Daleks? They couldn't even begin to think about bringing it back without them.' At 6ft 4in, around 16 stone and with a voice that could guide ships home in the fog, it's hard to disagree with old father Timelord. But, despite his advancing years, he at least has one thing in common with many men 50 years younger than him. 'I never did get to meet Kylie Minogue when I did my part for the Magic Roundabout,' he said, eyes drifting off into the middle distance. 'Hopefully I'll meet her at the premiere. Yes, meeting Kylie. Now wouldn't that be nice?'

************************************************

Midi file this page: Nirvana's: "Come As You Are."

************************************************

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Eighteen Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Nineteen Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Twenty Page

click here to return to Tom Baker's Article Twenty-One Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Two Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Three Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Four Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Five Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Six Page

click here go return to Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Seven Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Eight Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Twenty-Nine Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Thirty Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Thirty-One Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article One Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Two Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Three Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Four Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Five Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Six Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Seven Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Eight Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Nine Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Ten

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Eleven Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Twelve Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Thirteen Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Fourteen Page

click here to go to Tom Baker's Article Fifteen Page

click here to Tom Baker's Article Sixteen Page

click here to Pop To Top

************************************************