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Doctor Who Tom Baker who used to live near Maidstone back to complete unfinished episode Shada

Tom Baker, who played Doctor Who, has returned to screens to complete an unfinished storyline.

The former Lenham resident who now lives in Sussex made a surprise appearance as Doctor Who for the newly released story, Shada, filmed in Cambridge.

Filming of the final installment of season 17 of the series was abandoned 38 years ago but has been finished using animation and Mr Baker's voice.

'The Five Doctors' was a celebration of the first 20 years of the world's longest-running science fiction series 'Doctor Who'. Peter Davision is joined in 1985 by his predecessors Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. The late William Hartnell, the orginal Doctor Who, is played by Richard Hurndall.
'The Five Doctors' was a celebration of the first 20 years of the world's longest-running science fiction series 'Doctor Who'. Peter Davision is joined in 1985 by his predecessors Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. The late William Hartnell, the orginal Doctor Who, is played by Richard Hurndall.

The 83-year-old actor has also filmed a non-animated scene, complete with the iconic striped scarf.

Mr Baker, voted the nation's favourite Time Lord, was the fourth doctor and played the role between 1974 and 1981.

Shada, which was written by Douglas Adams and most famous for creating The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, was abandoned as a result of strike action at the BBC when after it began filming in 1979.

The newly added scene involving Mr Baker was shot on the set of the 1979 Tardis and lines recorded for the animation are from the original script.

The story sees the Doctor with Romana, his companion played by Lalla Ward, working with a retired Time Lord to defeat Skagra, an inmate of the prison planet Shada, who seeks to discover secret information about the prison world.

Mr Baker played the time lord for seven consecutive seasons, making him the longest-serving Doctor.

Tom Baker, the longest-serving Doctor Who, is pictured with fan Tony Baldwin in Waitrose, Tenterden
Tom Baker, the longest-serving Doctor Who, is pictured with fan Tony Baldwin in Waitrose, Tenterden

He last regularly appeared as the Doctor in 1981, when the character regenerated and the role was taken over by Peter Davison.

Last year Mr Baker was also spotted by fan Tony Baldwin in Tenterden's Waitrose store and happily obliged for a selfie.

Mr Baker also had a stint living in France and Tunbridge Wells, but is now settled in Sussex.

The newly finished storyline is now available as a digital download and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday, December 4.

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