The Fourth Doctor, as played by Tom Baker, was the longest portrayal of any of the Doctors from Doctor Who, and is perhaps the most iconic portrayal, as well as often being the image of the Doctor that frequently comes to mind (David Tennant‘s more recent portrayal of the Tenth Doctor sometimes beats Tom’s).
When people think of the Fourth Doctor, the primary images that come to mind are probably the very long scarf (dangerously long; Tom Baker tripped over it once and broke his collarbone – he did a lot of his own stunts), the floppy hat and the mass of curly hair. With perhaps the teeth, as Four had a big, often crazy-looking, grin.
The Head
Four had a big mop of brown curly hair, so the first thing that is really needed is a curly haired wig.
A Floppy Hat
The curly hair needs capping off with the Doctor’s floppy hat, a brown fedora being the most typical, although there were variants on this, especially when the Doctor’s costume took on a red theme.
The Big Scarf
The scarf, according to the Doctor in The Ark in Space (just after a security device zapped the end of the scarf), was knitted for him by Mrs. Nostradamus. The Fourth Doctor did wear several styles of scarf over his appearances, with the initial, multi-coloured version being the most memorable, but even this version came in several variants. Many viewers who have seen the scarf that was the most different may in fact picture the multicoloured scarf when they remember the episode, not the rather more boring rust/wine/purple number that was used later on.
The Body
Four, later on in his appearances, was the first Doctor to wear shirts with a question mark motif on the collar, as did some later ones. A simple white shirt can do the trick here, as the shirt is mostly hidden from view. If it’s a cheap one, simply draw question marks on the collar in red. Over the shirt, Four wore a waistcoat, of a check design, although the rest of the outfit could easily hide this. Often hidden underneath the scarf, Four also usually wore a cravat around his neck, typically dark red to purple.
This was topped off with, initially, a reddish brown blazer for the first season, but this was replaced with a dark brown or light grey full length frock coat afterwards, with the colour used dependent on whether it was a darker story or a more action-packed one. Later on, just as with the scarf, the coat changed in colour from brown to a burgundy red, as did the waistcoat. The full length coat is the most iconic, and the brown coat is probably the most memorable.
Four’s trousers are perhaps the least distinctive part of the costume, typically being light grey, and brown shoes will do for the feet.
Would you like a Jelly Baby? – Accessories
There are a couple of primary accessories that can be used. Tom Baker’s Doctor often carried a small paper bag of Jelly Babies in one of his pockets, so one of these makes an easy, cheap – and edible, should you suddenly become a bit peckish – accessory. Another accessory is a sonic screwdriver, as Four did use one; given the changes the screwdriver underwent in the new series, Four’s screwdriver bears little similarity to modern variants and is also substantially smaller. A final accessory is a yo-yo, something that Four would sometimes pull out to do tricks with when bored.
Ham it Up
To really give the impression of being the Fourth Doctor, you really need to dominate the room. Tom Baker has a big, booming voice, enough that it’s a shame he wasn’t the Doctor who appeared in the episodes that Brian Blessed guest-starred in (it’s been said that the reason the Fourth Doctor’s stories are thought to be good is that the script writers had to make extra effort otherwise Tom would simply have dominated everything).