'Doctor Who' Tom Baker pays tribute to late co-star Mary Tamm
Published Aug 1 2012, 15:42 BST | By Morgan Jeffery
© PA Images / PA Archive
Tamm - who played Romana opposite Baker's Fourth Doctor in 1978 and 1979 - recently passed away following an 18-month battle with cancer.
"The dreadful news of Mary Tamm's death amazed me," Baker wrote on his official website. "I had no idea she was ill. We got on terribly well and I admired her wit and style and warmth.
"We used to meet at different Who conventions and sometimes had time for a little chat. I remember meeting her at Heathrow in the first class section: her section, of course. She was flicking through a magazine and sipping a beer: the epitome of cool style."
78-year-old Baker also reflected sadly on the passing of fellow Doctor Who companions Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) and Caroline John (Liz Shaw).
"Fate is capricious and quite indifferent to our fears," he wrote. "Lovely girls: Elisabeth Sladen, Caroline John and now Mary Tamm: all dead. And here am I closing in on 80 and all I've had was whooping cough! It's not fair, is it?"
He concluded: "I never met Mary's daughter and hardly ever met Marcus, her husband. But I send them from the bottom of my old heart sincere condolences. To have known her consoles me a little: poor darling Mary, poor us."
> Doctor Who star Mary Tamm 1950-2012: Her career in pictures
Watch a clip of Tom Baker and Mary Tamm in Doctor Who below:
Well said Tom. So terribly sad. As with Lis Sladen last year it came at us like a terrible bolt from the blue. Just awful for her family and friends.
This isn't the place to be slating modern Dr Who - which I think, not that it matters, is terrific.
August 2nd 2012 at 1:31pm(+2 likes)
Ah, Matt Barnes, using the deaths of 3 people in the feeble attempt to sling mud at Moffat, surely the definition of "respectful"?
August 2nd 2012 at 12:32pm(+2 likes)
to lose three such wonderful actresses and lovely people in such a short period, all at a relatively young age, is a tragedy
sadly, steven moffat is an arrogant and sefl-centred upstart who doesn't give a monkeys about classic dr.wh0
pity he doesn't stop to realise that without it, he wouldn't have the new version to ruin, which he is doing, slowly but surely
if they do not do a 50th anniversary special with all of the living doctors, it will be a golden opportunity wasted
this is after all science fiction, so anything is possible on screen - so explaining the classic doctors ageing would be easy - and the story does not have to fit in the current series - it can be a one off 'celebration' - and using the classic doctors would be the acknowledgement the classic series and fans of it deserve
i feel there will be a special, but it iwll be nothing to do with classic who, and as such, totally disrespectful to the heritage, that these three lovely ladies were important parts of
August 2nd 2012 at 11:21am
Yeah Moffat does not give a crap about Classic Who? Ummm.. you do know that his first series as head writer had more nods to the classic series, then the WHOLE of the RTD era right..
August 4th 2012 at 5:27pm
Also you do know Moffat grew up WATCHING the Classic series of Doctor Who, which is the reason why he wanted to write for the show to begin with,
August 4th 2012 at 5:35pm
What a fitting tribute to Mary Tamm that wasn't
August 4th 2012 at 10:57pm(+1 like)
Tom is just a living legend. What a marvellous man. Such fitting tributes, that don't come across as cheap and rehearsed as others regularly do. Straight from the heart of our Tom Baker.
August 2nd 2012 at 8:43am(+2 likes)
I was sad to see the passing of the beautiful Mary Tamm. Tom Baker was my first Doctor Who. Romana was my first companion. This clip above is from the first episode I ever saw - The Pirate Planet.
August 2nd 2012 at 5:28am