Trivia

Baker was the only actor ever to have been fired from playing the Doctor in Doctor Who (1963) due to dwindling ratings. In an unprecedented event in the history of the series, the decision to remove the actor was made by a BBC executive, BBC One Controller Michael Grade, who had just brought the series back after an 18-month hiatus. Series producer John Nathan-Turner, who had originally cast Baker, wanted the actor to continue in the role but was overruled. The BBC's Head of Drama, Jonathan Powell, asked Baker to return the following year to record a regeneration scene. As a compromise, Baker asked for one more season, at the end of which he would regenerate. Powell told him to go home and they would think about it. Baker never heard back, so Sylvester McCoy put on a blond wig and performed Baker's regeneration scene after he took the role of the Doctor. Baker has since stated that he has always felt aggrieved that Grade never told him personally why he had to go.

He was the roommate of David Troughton, the first son of the Second Doctor Patrick Troughton, and later became the best man at his wedding.

He had been a keen viewer of Doctor Who (1963) since the first episode and claimed it was his dream role. Unlike his predecessor Peter Davison, he accepted the offer to play the role without any hesitation. He is also the only actor to admit that he had every intention to overtake Tom Baker's seven-year stint in the role (a record which still stands to this day).

His beginning as the Sixth Doctor in Doctor Who (1963) came at a troubled time for the production of the series, not least the deteriorating relationship between producer John Nathan-Turner and script editor Eric Saward and the arrival of BBC One controller Michael Grade and the promotion to Head of Series and Serials of Jonathan Powell, both of whom disliked the series and science fiction in general. He has also admitted to never liking the deliberately tasteless costume he wore (a garish, multi-coloured patchwork coat, a large spotted cravat and striped yellow trousers) but it was chosen by Nathan-Turner. The series' former script editor, Terrance Dicks, later said Baker "never got a chance with that silly costume, which I thought was a great shame".

After the death of his son Jack in 1983, he became active in increasing the profile of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). He has raised funds for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths.

Despite being generally seen as one of the least popular television Doctors, in recent years his popularity among the Doctor Who (1963) fanbase has experienced a resurgence thanks to his performances in the audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. In a Doctor Who Magazine poll, he was voted the best actor to play the Doctor in this format. He was also elected as the Honorary President of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society in 2011, succeeding the late Nicholas Courtney.

He related the character of the Doctor to a quote from Rudyard Kipling "I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me". This made him decide to wear a different cat badge on his costume in each story arc. He subsequently received a lot more cat badges from fans in the mail. When he played the Doctor on stage in 1989 these gifts gave him the opportunity to wear a different badge in every single performance.

He was the first actor to play the Doctor in Doctor Who (1963) who had previously had a role in the series (as Commander Maxil in Arc of Infinity: Part One (1983)). This did not happen again until Peter Capaldi won the role of the 12th Doctor. Baker was considered for several roles in Doctor Who (1963) before he was cast as Commander Maxil. He was shortlisted for Cotton in The Mutants: Episode One (1972), which went to Rick James. He was considered for the role of Jellicoe in Tom Baker's opener Robot: Part One (1974), which went to Alec Linstead. He was also considered for Commander Scott in Earthshock: Part One (1982), which went to James Warwick. Before being cast as Commander Maxil, he was first considered for "The Castellan" (played by Paul Jerricho).

He was the second actor called Baker to play the Doctor after Tom Baker, who was no relation.

He studied to become a lawyer before deciding to take up a career in acting.

He is the Founder Patron for the "Go For Its" Theatre School in Teddington, Middlesex, England.

He was considered for the role of Col. Colin Caine in Lifeforce (1985).

Had a son, Tom, born in 1976 with Liza Goddard but the marriage broke up due to them both being too young and ambitious, His 2nd marriage was to actress Marion Wyatt resulting in a son ,Jack born in November 1983 but died at 6 weeks old of cot death and a daughter Lucy born March 1985.

He is one of three "Doctor Who" actors who portrayed the Doctor on television to appear in an episode of Casualty (1986). (So far, he has appeared twice - once on September 15, 1989 and once on January 3, 1998.) The others are Sylvester McCoy and Christopher Eccleston.

He participated in the 12th series of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (2002) in 2012, finishing 8th out of 12 celebrities.

As incumbent Time Lord in the mid-1980s, his duties included opening Blackpool Pleasure Beach's Space Invader ride on Tuesday 21st August 1984, and officiating at British Telecom's Speaking Clock switch-over (from Pat Simmons to Brian Cobby) on Tuesday 2nd April 1985.

Lived with Angel Down for 4 years.

After studying law for five years he deliberately didn't take his law exams knowing that he wanted to act.

Lived with actress Angela Down for some years before parting in 1977.

He is the ex-son-in-law of David Goddard.

The Fast Show (1994) character Colin Hunt is modeled after Colin Baker.

Married Liza Goddard 9 weeks after starting to go out together seriously.

Married Liza Goddard at London's Haverstock Hill Register Office 9 weeks after going out together then later married her again in a lavish affair in the tv series The Brothers.

He is of Irish ancestry on his mother's side.