Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Tom BAKER (1934-)
- An unusual Saturday night edition billed in Radio Times as a This Is Your Life special
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Tom Baker, actor, was surprised by Michael Aspel while signing copies of his new book at Waterstones bookshop in Kingston Upon Thames.
Tom, who was born in Liverpool, spent six years in a monastery before doing his national service with the Royal Army Medical Corps, where he first began performing. He later trained at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama and became a professional actor in the late 1960s. He spent several years with the Royal National Theatre company before his breakthrough role as Rasputin in the film Nicholas and Alexandra in 1971, which won him two Golden Globe nominations.
In December 1974, Tom was cast as the 4th Doctor Who in the BBC television sci-fi series. The role made him a household name, and he appeared in more than 170 episodes. After leaving the series in 1981, Tom returned to the theatre starring in productions of She Stoops to Conquer and Educating Rita and later appeared in the ITV medical drama series Medics.
"Ah! Oh good lord!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 1044
- Subject No: 1019
- Broadcast date: Sat 18 Mar 2000
- Broadcast time: 9.45-10.15pm
- Recorded: Mon 6 Mar 2000
- Venue: Teddington Studios
- Series: 40
- Edition: 19
- Code name: Time
on the guest list...
- Elizabeth Quinn
- Richard O'Callaghan
- John Nathan-Turner
- Sue Jerrard - wife
- Charlie Higson
- Louisa - sister
- Michael - cousin
- Billy - cousin
- Frank Weston
- Tony Maudesley
- Malcolm Tierney
- Michael Jayston
- Arthur Cordes
- John Cordes
- Bill Slater
- Barry Letts
- Elisabeth Sladen
- John Leeson
- Julia Watson
- Kate Fitzgerald
- Ted Whitehead
- Dinah Stabb
- Hugh Quarshie
- Peter Baldwin
- Piers - son Filmed tributes:
- Jim Moir
- Nick Ryan
- Sue Johnston
production team...
- Researcher: Emma Dooley
- Writer: Ian Brown
- Director: John Gorman
- Associate Producer: Helen Gordon-Smith
- Executive Producer: John Longley
- Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
- Producer: Sue Green
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
spotlight on the stars
the show's fifty year history
Photographs and screenshots of Tom Baker This Is Your Life
I have no gift for friendship. I quickly get tired of people and off they go. Only the other day I tried to think of a single friend I had made in my life and drew a blank. Odd, isn't it, not to have a friend.
In particular, I have always admired people who can be friends with old loves. I can't do that. I find it painful even to think of them. I haven't even got a dog, though I'm acquainted with a man who has a border terrier. And yet during the run of a play or a film I'm able to be very concerned that people are well and fed. I also like to know about people's aunts. I have always loved tales of aunts.
Sometimes I wish that I had got This Is Your Life, after Eamonn Andrews died. It really would have thrilled me to have all those aunts about the place. After Eamonn died, well, to tell the truth about half an hour after he died, I asked my then agent at London Management to ask the television people if I could take it over. I understood that for a moment they did consider me and then gave it to Michael Aspel. I haven't watched it much since then but when I have switched on I notice that they seem to have cut back on the aunts; so it all probably turned out for the best.
Series 40 subjects
Roger Black | Hewitt Clark | Martin Kemp | Denise Welch | Rudolph Walker | Martin Jarvis | Stuart Hall | Rita TushinghamLen Vale-Onslow | Dale Winton | Ian Wright | Marguerite Patten | Eddie Jordan | Dave Lee Travis | Harry Hill
David Vine | John Craven | Richard Dunwoody | Tom Baker | Laurie Holloway | Kay Mellor | Mark Wingett
Christopher Timothy | Suggs | Jason Leonard | Desmond Wilcox | Roger Kendall | Daniel O'Donnell