10 Doctor Who Actors Who Nearly Died While Filming
4. Tom Baker (The Sontaran Experiment)
You can't kill Tom Baker! The nicest man with sheep hair ever to walk the Earth! Not Tom!
Well, this nearly happened, and it nearly happened very early on in his Doctor Who career.
The Sontaran Experiment was the third serial broadcast with Baker in the lead role. It was filmed entirely on location at Hound Tor in Dartmoor, a beautiful but rocky part of the English countryside.
During a confrontation with one of the titular aliens, Baker got a little too physical and ended up falling onto some of the rocks. In the words of Elisabeth Sladen, "I heard this snap - well, crack!"
Baker immediately knew that something was wrong. He couldn't move, and was horrified, as was the cast and crew, who wondered why he wasn't standing up.
Ultimately, it transpired that he'd only broken his collarbone, but just imagine how much more serious this could've been if he'd struck his head instead.
By some luck, Baker's famously long scarf helped cover the neck brace he needed to wear throughout the rest of filming. For some scenes, he was doubled up by... Terry Walsh?
Ok, seriously, this is getting freaky now. Somebody call UNIT.