10 Ways That Doctor Who Was Better In The 1990s

"My first ambition in life was to be an orphan" so begins Tom Baker's extraordinary, revelatory, and potentially defamatory autobiography. It's hard to tell how many of the tall tales that Tom tells in the book are actually true, but it's an incredibly entertaining read. In the years before DVD commentaries and special edition BluRays it provides some insight into Baker's world. He toured the country, signing books and asking fan questions.

Not being an "official" publication, it was a far cry from the more stage-managed and "towing the line" approach of modern Doctor Who public appearances. It's hard to imagine David Tennant writing an autobiography where he admits to contemplating murdering his mother-in-law. Despite potential in-law-matricide Baker's autobiography is as funny, surreal and surprisingly moving as you may expect from the Fourth Doctor.

One particularly lovely moment is when he describes visiting a young family to watch an episode of The Deadly Assassin, while another fan encounter related by Baker finds him tending to the local graveyard, in which he's bought a plot and gravestone.

“You see, I’m a great fan, and I just thought I’d put some flowers on your grave.”

Suddenly I want to say: “Why do you want to put flowers on my grave when I’m standing in front of you? Can’t you see that I’m alive?” Too obvious.