Doctor Who legend Tom Baker shares new video message to mark 45 years since iconic moment
"It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for."
Doctor Who legend Tom Baker has shared a new video message to mark 45 years since one of the show's most famous moments.
In a clip shared to his personal YouTube channel, the 92-year-old actor commemorated his last episode as the Doctor which aired on 21 March 1981.
The short video began: "45 years ago, the following words were spoken: 'It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for,'" followed by a clip of Baker himself dressed in his iconic oversized striped scarf from his Doctor Who days.
Holding a sonic screwdriver, he said: "Oh that's right, this is my sonic screwdriver – the key to all my great success. And, of course, you people who have watched me and clapped and kept clapping and sending me presents. It's been exciting actually."
He then signed off with a trademark laugh, thanking his fans, followed by an end screen that read: "Tom Baker will always be the Doctor!"
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In his final story as the Fourth Doctor, entitled Logopolis, his stint on the show came to an end with his regeneration into the Fifth Doctor played by Peter Davison.
As he lay dying after a fall, Baker's Time Lord delivered his final line in character: "It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for," which has become one of the most quoted in the show's history and is referenced in the new commemorative clip.
The actor returned for the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor in 2013, where he played the Curator, a mysterious older version of the Doctor.
Baker's era began in the mid-1970s and he remains one of the most recognisable faces in the show's long history. His era is widely seen as a defining period for the series, helping to cement its place in British television culture.
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Authors
Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a Freelance Writer who covers pop culture and entertainment programmes for the Radio Times. She previously worked as the Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab where she managed its local department. She obtained a BA (Hons) in English Literature from University of Nottingham.
