This is the Doctor. Let me be clear. This is THE Doctor. Others may have filled the role before him, and others may have taken on the role after him, but as far as many fans the world over are concerned, Tom Baker is the only Doctor. No one, not even David Tennant (oops — I think I just broke the Internet), has succeeded in becoming so inextricably tied to this role. Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor is easily the most iconic of all the Doctors, and his tenure was the longest, lasting from 1974 to 1981, which works out to 174 episodes. This gave Baker ample time to grow into the role and truly make it “his.” He not only fully embodied the role, but he was also such a product of the time that Doctor Who became something of a countercultural staple all over the world. And I think it may have had something to do with that scarf …
There is no denying that scarf. That scarf is to the 4th Doctor, and Doctor Who in general, what Batman’s cape is to Batman. And the thing is, it wasn’t planned to work out that way. It was made of leftover material that they wanted to put to use, so a crew member put her crafting skills to work and knitted it, and then Baker adopted it as part of this Doctor’s costume. The stripes and its absurd length, not to mention Baker’s unkempt Afro and his floppy hats, made him a definite bohemian presence on PBS stations in the ’70s.
I’d watch the show whenever it was on after Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers, so I have nothing but fond and warm feelings toward the 4th Doctor. He was a staple of my childhood even if I had no idea what I was watching at the time (I was a bit young to be able to understand what was happening, but I still watched). He was funny and charming and cavorted around space with a robotic dog — that was seriously enough to earn him a spot in my cool book forever, right alongside Luke Skywalker, Batman, and Optimus Prime.
Despite his bohemian appearance, this Doctor was smart and had a sharp sense of humor — attributes that would endear him to his companions and to fans of the show everywhere. He looked “fun,” but that didn’t prevent his being taken totally seriously in any given situation, and he definitely proved he could handle almost anything.
Character Options have been generous in their handling of the 4th Doctor, giving us several different versions of him in his different outfits over the years. They’ve even given us a couple different versions of the scarf, which does a lot to add some variety to a 4th Doctor display.
This version is probably the most iconic rendering of the 4th Doctor, or at least the version most fans are familiar with. The short red jacket, the scarf, the floppy hat, and the huge grin pretty much nail the character as far as I’m concerned. However, the head sculpt is possibly a little too goofy; he almost looks like Harpo Marx. Not that it’s a bad thing to be mistaken for a Marx Brother, but the 4th Doctor was never quite that into physical comedy, and he could definitely talk.
He came packed with a second, swappable head without a hat that showcased his Afro and his serious side, but it’s a bit too serious, I think. It looks downright solemn, almost sad. So we get the two extremes with this this figure: goofy and morose. Both heads do a good job of capturing Baker’s likeness, but I can’t help but wish we got an expression somewhere between the two.
This version is quite similar to the first one at a glance because they share almost the same head (the hats are different — seriously) and the same scarf, but there are several differences. His coat is longer, and his torso is different. This is particularly evident when you compare their ties. I think I may prefer this one because I like the longer brown coat; it works with the scarf a little bit better.
This version came in the 11 Doctor box set. It’s another totally solid take on Baker’s Doctor, but this time we get him in a hat with a rather sad look on his face — it’s the eyebrows. The way they’re painted makes him look as though his puppy just died or something.
His coat is a light gray and is actually textured, so it’s not a simple repaint of the previous figure. Character Options really go all-out on little details like this, which is something that makes their figures a joy to collect.
This Doctor came in the “City of Fear” two-pack and displays a more relaxed look for the doctor. There’s no tie, his shirt is partially unbuttoned, and his scarf hangs loosely around his neck. All the 4th Doctors have a removable scarf, but this one in particular is easy to slip off over his head thanks to the large loop the sculpt makes.
Here we get another all-too-serious facial expression, and his eyes are painted in such a small, beady way. I can’t say I’m a fan of this particular head, but I am of the rest of the figure.
The sculpts of all four figures are great, but they all suffer from the same barely adequate articulation scheme any other Doctor in the series does. He has about 17 points of articulation, but what’s missing is more noticeable than what’s there. Some kind of ankle articulation would benefit him greatly, as would an ab crunch. Otherwise, he can be posed well enough to emulate his actions on the show.
Each Doctor also comes with a sonic screwdriver. It’s exactly the same one for each version of the Doctor, and it actually fits comfortably in his hand without needing Museum Putty or anything else holding it in place. One of my Doctors has taken a few shelf-dives and his sonic was not lost, fortunately, thanks to the death grip he has on it.
While we’ve had many versions of the 4th Doctor, his companions haven’t fared as well, with some only getting one version, or others not getting a figure at all. Leela here has received the figure treatment three times (I’ve only picked up these two, however). Leela was an interesting companion to the Doctor and a good foil for him. She came from a more primitive, barbarian-type tribe, so the Doctor’s ways were very foreign to her, and I’m not talking about just the time travel stuff. Their pairing is perhaps the oddest in Doctor Who’s 50-year run, but also one of the more enjoyable.
Leela’s figures do the character justice and she’s a fun addition to a Doctor Who collection because she stands in contrast to everything else on the shelf — in a good way.
K-9 was the companion I loved the most when I was a kid, and that feeling hasn’t changed at all. He was the series’ “R2-D2,” meaning he was the lovable robot that everyone seemed to recognize. There isn’t much to him, but he does have that mechanized feature where when you pull him back on the floor, he goes racing along to scare your cats. It’s fun. One of his side panels is also removable, which reveals his inner-workings in case the Doctor has to tend to his friend.
What is absolutely maddening to me is the fact that we don’t have a young Sarah Jane Smith to accompany the 4th Doctor. We got an older Sarah Jane as she appeared during the 10th Doctor’s run, but we’re still lacking a younger version as she looked in the ’70s. She and K-9 both appeared in an episode with the 10th Doctor, so it’s cool to have that link from the classic series to the new one, but still. I want a young Sarah Jane Smith. It’s the one thing that keeps my collection from feeling complete. It drives me nuts.
There are other 4th Doctors available, like the Doctor in his regeneration robes before he made the transition to the 5th Doctor, but the four featured here are probably the best representations available of the character. I’ll probably end up with every available version at some point just because I do feel a compulsion to own them all because this Doctor truly is MY Doctor, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Most of these are long gone from the pegs, but the one with the short red coat is set to be reissued any time now. If you only need one 4th Doctor for your shelves, that is probably the one to get. Big Bad Toy Store has had him up for preorder for months now, so maybe he’ll actually be in stock soon.
