Today marks 51 years since the actor who played the Doctor in Doctor Who for the longest period began his first major story. However, this event has unexpectedly created a continuity error decades later. Doctor Who has remained popular for so long because of the Doctor’s ability to regenerate, allowing different actors to bring a new energy and personality to the role. This regeneration, which first happened in 1974, introduced a particularly beloved version of the Time Lord.
Tom Baker officially took on the role of the Fourth Doctor in “Robot,” which first aired on December 28, 1974, following a brief appearance at the end of “Planet of the Spiders.” He holds the record for the longest-running actor to play the Doctor, appearing in 172 episodes over seven years before regenerating into Peter Davison in 1981’s “Logopolis.” “Robot” is remembered for its significant contribution to Doctor Who and, notably, for introducing a puzzling plot inconsistency.
How “Robot” Created a Plot Hole in Doctor Who’s “Joy to the World”
The story “Robot” marked both the first appearance of Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor and introduced Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan, the new companion and medical officer for UNIT. The story begins with Harry assessing the Doctor after his regeneration, and he’s introduced to the Doctor’s existing companion, Sarah Jane Smith (played by the late Elisabeth Sladen). Later, Sarah Jane playfully compares Harry to James Bond, the famous fictional spy. Interestingly, a much later Doctor Who episode hinted that James Bond might not have been entirely fictional after all.
As a longtime Doctor Who fan, I’ve always noticed little nods to James Bond throughout the series – characters like Jo Grant, Martha Jones, and even Amy Pond have dropped references over the years. But the 2024 Christmas special, “Joy to the World,” took things to a whole new level! It turns out those weren’t just Easter eggs – they actually confirmed that the Bond universe exists within Doctor Who. Seeing Sylvia Trench, played by Niamh Marie Smith, as a passenger on the Orient Express in 1962 was a huge surprise, especially knowing her history with 007. It definitely creates an interesting connection between the two franchises!
Eunice Gayson first portrayed Sylvia Trench in the early James Bond films, Dr. No (1962) and From Russia with Love (1963), earning her the title of the original “Bond girl.” While Doctor Who often acknowledged James Bond as a fictional character, the episode “Joy to the World” seemed to suggest otherwise. Regardless of any connections between the two shows, it’s interesting to note that James Bond references appeared in Doctor Who even before Tom Baker became the Fourth Doctor in 1974.
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2025-12-28 20:43