1974 - 1981
"I can see your long rest hasn't done anything to cure your megalomania. Have a jelly baby."Portrayed by; Tom Baker (1934 -)
The Fourth Doctor is a natural bohemian who permanently left UNIT in order to return to a life of deep universal wandering.
More so than his previous incarnations, he is thrilled by discovery and adventure.
Galvanized by higher purpose, he is disarmingly loopy (constantly offering friends and foes jelly babies), brilliant and entirely serious, all at the same time.
To an extent, the Fourth Doctor is the most unpredictable of his incarnations, befuddling all with his intelligence, constantly leaving others wondering if they have his full attention and using his more off the wall mannerisms against adversaries to distract them while arranging to take control of the situation.
His keen judge of character also enables him to navigate his way through situations with new people, helping him to discern friend from foe.
Although like all his selves he prefers his brain over his brawn, he is a capable swordsman and fighter, following on from the martial expertise of his immediate former self.
He improvises non-lethal weaponry when necessary (Genesis of the Daleks) but was also not averse to more lethal weaponry as a necessity, against both sentient and non-sentient beings- like the matter-destroying DeMat Gun (The Invasion of Time) or contemporary firearms (Image of the Fendahl and The Talons of Weng-Chiang).
Despite his charm and offbeat humour, the Fourth Doctor is arguably more aloof and sombre than his previous incarnations. He could become intensely brooding, serious and even callous, and would keenly scrutinize his surroundings even when playing the fool.
In stories such as Pyramids of Mars he is concerned that he is approaching middle age and often contemplates his outsider status.
He could also be furious with those he saw as stupid, frivolous, misguided or evil.
When taking charge, he could be considered authoritative to the point of egocentricity, but as it is, he is usually the only one capable of solving the situations he finds himself in.
He generally maintained his distance from the Time Lords, remarking in The Pyramids of Mars that while being from Gallifrey, he doesn't consider himself a Time Lord.
He clearly resents that even after they had lifted his exile, they continue re-entering his life when they deemed it necessary.
Not only did he seem more inclined toward a solitary existence (The Deadly Assassin), he also emphasized his distance from humanity, although he has stated on more than one occasion that he found mankind to be his favourite species.
Two of the Doctor's most significant companionship occur during his fourth incarnation.
His friendship with Sarah Jane Smith is implied to be deeper than the relationships he shared with other companions to that point. She is consequently still profoundly affected by their separation many years later in her personal time line.
His relationship with Romana (specifically her second incarnation) borders on romantic attraction while being bolstered by her capacity to maintain pace with his mental processes.
The largest proof of his influence on her is when she chooses to exile herself from Gallifrey to explore new worlds and help others, as he himself has done.
Televised AdventuresThe Ark in Space; The Sontaran Experiment;
Genesis of the DaleksRevenge of the Cybermen;
Terror of the Zygons; Planet of Evil
Pyramids of Mars; The Android Invasion;
The Brain of MorbiusThe Seeds of Doom;
The Masque of Mandragora; The Hand of Fear
The Deadly Assassin; The Face of Evil;
The Robots of DeathThe Talons of Weng-Chiang;
Horror of Fang RockThe Invisible Enemy;
Image of the Fendahl; The Sun Makers
Underworld; The Invasion of Time;
The Ribos OperationThe Pirate Planet;
The Stones of Blood; The Androids of Tara
The Power of Kroll; The Armageddon Factor;
Destiny of the DaleksCity of Death;
The Creature from the Pit; Nightmare of Eden
The Horns of Nimon; Shada;
The Leisure Hive; Meglos
The E-Space Trilogy - Full Circle; State of Decay; Warriors' GateThe Keeper of Traken;
LogopolisThe Five Doctors (archive footage)