Fifty Years in Time and Space 9 - The Fourth Doctor

All teeth, curls and a never-ending scarf - ask many people about Doctor Who and they will come up with the legendary Tom Baker who held the role from 1974 - 1981. He remains the actor to have served the longest in the part and is perhaps the most recognisable holder of the role, both domestically and internationally. In fact when the Simpsons spoof Doctor Who it is most often the Tom Baker version that they use.

Prior to landing the role Baker found his acting career had gone down the toilet, indeed immediately before taking the role he had found himself working as a labourer on a building site in order to make ends meet. Baker was a difficult actor to cast being unsuitable for both leading parts and comic roles but it was this odd quality that made him perfect as the Doctor. That the show was about to enter its most entertaining period was a happy coincidence, and Baker benefited from both quality writing and improved production values.

Baker was born in Liverpool in 1934 and before deciding to become an actor he had trained to be a monk, but the acting habit bit hard and he turned his back on the monk's habit. Just as well since that scarf would have clashed with the sombre religious robes. For many years after leaving the role Baker tended to avoid all things Doctor Who and even refused to reprise his role for the Five Doctors, 20th anniversary special. This was a great pity as he did appear in the show through clever manipulation by the producers of unused clips. It would have been entertaining to see Baker performing alongside Troughton, Davidson, Pertwee and Richard Hurndall who took the late William Hartnell's role of the first Doctor.

These days Baker is back playing the Doctor for the Big Finish series of all original audio plays based around the adventures of the fourth Doctor.

Try as he might Tom Baker has now realised that there is no escaping the Doctor.

SHOTGUN BY ED MCBAIN

I've read a couple of McBain's in the past but a long time ago, when I was a kid in fact. I didn't really know much about the author then but he was published in the UK as part of the Keyhole Crime series and I could find them easily in my local newsagents. I'm not sure if they were from the 87th precinct series, though. They might have been - I can't remember.

So to all intents and purposes this was my first taste of McBain and it certainly won't be so long until I take another nibble.

Set in a fictional city which seems to be based on New York we follow the lives of the detectives of the 87th precinct. If you Google the series it reveals that there were over fifty books in the long running series and this one is number 23 but they are all, I believe, standalone novels based around the same group of characters. Reading the book I could see how TV shows like Hill Street Blues took much of their style from these books. And author McBain (Evan Hunter) once said that the 87th series was very much influenced by Dragnet.

"Long before Hill Street Blues, Homicide, and NYPD Blue, there was Ed McBain's 87th PRECINCT. The series began in 1956 with Cop Hater. Although not the first procedural, it was one of the first and the 87th Precinct has come to virtually define the genre. The books generally feature an ensemble cast and multiple plot lines. Although the books vary in quality, on the whole this is a major series, a classic of American crime fiction that has entertained, enlightened and influenced the genre for over three decades (and counting!)."



According to the web there have been a couple of TV series and several TV movieS made based on the series but I've never been aware of these. I may be wrong but I don't think the TV series was ever shown over here in the UK. Though I vaguely remember a movie The Pusher based on the series. Again information on this seems scarce but a Google search did reveal that Leonard Nimoy once played a drug pusher in the TV series based on the books.

The book starts off with Detective Steve Carella visiting the scene of a double murder only to find fellow detective Bert Kling throwing up in the street. Carella almost feels like being sick himself when he sees the victims of a double murder - a young couple, both shot at point blank range with a shotgun. From here we follow the investigation in great detail as the detecives try and uncover the killer - much of the book is dialogue driven, often entire pages are filled with dialogue as we witness the detectives questioning people and talking amongst themselves. This is one of the strengths of the book as the speech is presented in a realistic fashion and there is much humorous banter between characters which serves to lighten what is a dark brooding narrative.



"In the early sixties, a TV series made its debut, featuring Robert Lansing as Det. Steve Carella and Gena Rowlands as Teddy. It also featured Norman Fell, Ron Harper and Gregory Walcott. Although well-received by critics (particularly Rowlands' performance) it didn't last long, although at least two comic books were rushed out, hoping to cash in. But they weren't quickie recycled TV episodes; in fact, they were relatively "adult" for a "good" publisher like Dell. The first was drawn by Bernie Krigstein, who is so well known for his E.C. horror work, and is truly a bizarre visual excursion. The second deals in great detail with drugs, and may be drawn by one of the artists who also did the Michael Shayne books, another short-lived series which Dell decided to take a similar approach to."



As we near the climax, stumbling over a few twists and turns, the tension is mounted up and the book is genuinely exciting. It's a quick read, superbly entertaining and Ive got five more McBain 87th books on my shelves so it won't be too long before I once again visit the precinct.