The
lowdown: Many celebrities were honoured by the UK version of
'This Is Your Life' between 1955 and 2003,
and on 18 March 2000 it
was the turn of Tom Baker. Host Mike Aspel surprised him with the big red
book while
Tom was signing copies of
his book, 'The Boy Who Kicked Pigs'. The action then shifted to the studio,
where Tom
was presented with a string
of guests, including a friend from his schooldays, two men Tom had worked
with during
his brief career as a builder,
a number of actors Tom had appeared with on stage, film and TV, and his
wife, Sue
Jerrard. For 'Doctor Who'
fans, the best moment came when Tom was reunited with Elizabeth Sladen
(Sarah Jane
Smith) and John Leeson (the
voice of K9).
The show looks at Tom's life
from his early days (complete with photos of the young Tom Baker), his
early career as
a monk, a builder's mate,
a medical orderly in the army and his career as an actor. A touching moment
comes when
Tom describes how he met,
Piers, the son from his first marriage again after many years. Piers speaks
to Tom via
satellite from New Zealand,
while the viewer also learns how Tom saved the life of a mate during their
army days.
Video clips of some of Tom's
more memorable acting roles add to the nostalgia, while the show inevitably
gets to his
most fondly-remembered role,
with Bill Slater and Barry Letts recounting how Tom got the role of the
Doctor. There
is one final surprise for
Tom, as Piers appears in the studio as Aspel says the famous words: "Tom
Baker - This is
your life.' All in all,
a wonderful tribute to a great actor; Tom comes across as a wonderful man
with a big heart and
a great sense of humour.
Essential viewing for all fans of Doctor Who.
Other 'Doctor Who' actors
have also been on 'This Is Your Life' over the years: Jon Pertwee was honoured
by the
long-running show on 14
April 1971, while it was Peter Davison's turn on 24 March 1982. Other 'Who'
actors to have
appeared on the show include
Bonnie Langford, Frazer Hines, Lynda Bellingham, Roy Kinnear and Brian
Blessed,
while Katy Manning was a
guest on the episode of the Australian version that honoured Barry Crocker.
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